《Third Year in the Psychiatric Hospital》


 Daghter 1

    <strong>Chapter 1 Third Year in the Psychiatric Hospital</strong>


    In the third year at the psychiatric hospital, the assistant nurse frowned as she walked down the hallway, kicking aside the mental patients who were huddled together ying a game of stacking humans. Once they scattered with distorted screams, the woman at the very bottom of the pile was revealed, curled up and unmoving.


    Her hair was a mess, covering her face, and her eyes were vacant as she heard the assistant nurse¡¯s harsh words above her.


    ¡°1030, you¡¯ve got visitors from home. Get up and clean yourself up.¡±


    Home¡­ was she talking about the family that had thrown her into this psychiatric hospital and left her there for three years? They weren¡¯t her family anymore.


    Seeing that the woman remained motionless, like a dead body on the ground, the assistant nurse impatiently yanked her by the hair, pulling her up. ¡°Are you trying to die? Can¡¯t you hear me?¡±


    Yunice Saunders hugged her head with both hands as she was roughly dragged to the bathroom by her cor. The nurse turned on the high-pressure shower, spraying Yunice, who was crouched in the corner, in a way that resembled how they treated animals in a cage.


    Twenty minutester, Yunice was taken to the visitation room.


    ¡°Mr. Owen, 1030 is here to see you.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s nk gaze shifted to the man sitting on the couch. He was sping his hands together, elbows resting on his knees, and he had a frown on his face that suggested annoyance and heavy emotions. This was her second older brother, Owen Saunders.


    When Yunice was born, her mother and father had fought, and after giving birth to her, her mother left the house in a tantrum. Her father searched for her in vain, and he passed away when she was 13. Later, Oscar Saunders and Owen took care of the family. Back then, they swore that as long as they were around, no one would ever bully her. Now, seeing this familiar face once again, Yunice felt a sharp pain in her chest, but her gaze dropped coldly.


    The grievance was real, but so was the resentment. Owen no longer cared for her and had personally sent her to the psychiatric hospital.


    Owen also looked up at Yunice. On the way here, he had imagined that after three years apart, she would surely have realized her mistakes and would obediently throw herself into his arms, asking for his forgiveness. However, she didn¡¯t. She stood there with a cold expression. He hade here full of joy, expecting to bring his sister back home, but she didn¡¯t even greet him.


    Owen had intended to get up and embrace her, but he hesitated and spoke in an annoyed tone. ¡°Elsie misses you. She begged me to bring you home. From today on, you can leave the psychiatric hospital.¡± When he finally got a reaction from Yunice, Owen¡¯s tone changed. ¡°But there¡¯s a condition. Once you get home, you are not allowed to make things difficult for Elsie.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face fell. They really thought that if she didn¡¯t make things difficult for Elsie White, everything at home would go back to normal? It was Elsie who had yed a part in getting her sent to the psychiatric hospital.


    Five years ago, the police returned her mother, who had been missing for 15 years, along with Elsie, who was a year younger than Yunice, to the Saunders family. Yunice then learned that her mother had been kidnapped by human traffickers and taken to the mountains, and Elsie was the child she had been forced to bear. In other words, Elsie was her half-sister.


    The family reunion moved Oscar and Owen deeply, and they epted Elsie without any resentment, treating her as their own sister. Yunice had initially treated Elsie with all her heart, wanting to make up for lost time. But Elsie kept scheming behind her back, constantly framing her. To avoid upsetting her brothers and making her mother feel ufortable, Yunice had always endured.


    Until three years ago, when she was trapped in a fire, and Elsie insisted on rushing in to save her. By the time Owen found them, he had snatched the gas mask from Yunice¡¯s face to give it to Elsie.


    Owen had carried Elsie out of the fire without a second thought, leaving Yunice, who was nearly unconscious, behind. Afterward, Elsie triggered Yunice, saying that she had deliberately run into the fire to see who Owen would save. The Saunders family only needed one daughter; the one who wasn¡¯t loved was the excess.


    Yunice exposed Elsie in front of everyone, but Elsie merely threw herself into Owen¡¯s arms with a sob, and everyone rushed tofort Elsie while calling Yunice cruel and ungrateful. In the end, Elsie deliberately stabbed herself while holding Yunice¡¯s hand. The family had seen her holding the knife, and they all thought she was crazy, so they sent her to the psychiatric hospital.


    Seeing Yunice¡¯s bitter expression, Owen felt his anger rise. He hade to help her, to bring her home, but she was still acting so ungrateful and passive-aggressive. Doesn¡¯t she want to leave?


    ¡°Are you trying to stay in the psychiatric hospital and enjoy the good life there?¡±


    The ¡°good life¡± in the psychiatric hospital? Yunice was stunned. Does he have any idea what it was like there? It is full of madmen! Crazy people whom neither thew normon decency could control! These people could rip my clothes, poke my face with the back of a spoon, and they loved ying human stacking. A pile of them would crush me under the weight of their bodies, squeezing my chest and hips, suffocating me into darkness. Even if a crazy person killed me, they wouldn¡¯t be held ountable!


    Of course, Owen wouldn¡¯t know any of this because he hadn¡¯t visited her in three years. He probably thought she was resting peacefully in the psychiatric hospital, lying down and enjoying azy life. She knew Owen too well¨Che thought she was a liar and a crazy person. No matter how much she exined, even if she showed him the scars, he wouldn¡¯t believe her. He¡¯d think it was all part of her act.


    And the nurses at the psychiatric hospital wouldn¡¯t admit that they allowed the patients to bully her. Yunice had already confirmed this many times with Owen. Comining to biased people was just stupid.


    Seeing Yunice still acting indifferent, Owen felt even more irritated. ¡°I see your madness isn¡¯t cured yet. Are you nning to take revenge on Elsie when you go home?¡±


    Owen wanted to hear Yunice admit her mistakes, but her cold attitude made him feel suffocated. In a fit of anger, he kicked the tea kettle near him, sending it sliding toward Yunice. Sparks flew out of the kettle, and Yunice jumped back, her face full of fear as she hid her hands behind her.


    Owen snapped, ¡°If you dare grab the charcoal, I¡¯ll believe you¡¯re cured, and you can leave this ce.¡±


    The implication was clear¨Cif she didn¡¯t dare touch it, that meant she wasn¡¯t cured, and she would have to stay for further treatment. After the fire three years ago, Yunice had developed a fear of fire. Owen noticed the fear in her eyes, and he felt a little relieved. He knew that she was most afraid of fire and pain, so she wouldn¡¯t dare reach for it. As long as she promised not to harm Elsie again, he would forgive her.


    Just as he thought this, Owen¡¯s eyes widened in shock as Yunice suddenly reached into the fire.


    ¡°Who told you to actually grab it?¡± Owen rushed over and pulled her hand away. Yunice¡¯s palm was burned so badly that it was bleeding! Seeing her grit her teeth and endure the pain, trembling from the agony, Owen froze. She was the most afraid of pain. Even when her hand was just scratched as a child, she would cry and make himfort her.


    How can she stand such severe pain without a word now?


    The younger sister he had spoiled for 20 years was no longer seeking hisfort. Owen¡¯s heart tightened. She was his most beloved sister¡­ How could he not care? ¡°Does it hurt?¡±


    Yunice withdrew her hand and hid it behind her back, her voice cold. ¡°I¡¯m better now. I¡¯m not crazy anymore. Can I leave the hospital?¡±


    Owen¡¯s brows furrowed deeply, and he said angrily, ¡°I came to pick you up out of kindness, and you¡¯re throwing a tantrum and being passive-aggressive. You stabbed Elsie, and we didn¡¯t send you to jail. We¡¯ve been nice enough, and now you¡¯reining? You think I¡¯ll pamper you like I did before just because you¡¯re self-harming?¡± His anger red, and he turned to leave the psychiatric hospital. ¡°If you want to leave, go ahead.¡±

 Daghter 2

    <strong>Chapter 2 No Identity</strong>


    In her rush to leave, Owen wasn¡¯t worried that Yunice wouldn¡¯t follow. She had been desperate enough to grab burning coal, so there was no way she would be petty enough to stay behind. Sure enough, Yunice walked out of the psychiatric hospital.


    The way she walked was a little strange. She held her stomach with one arm, her shoulders hunched, and her legs seemed too heavy to lift.


    The driver, Bobby, sensed something was off. ¡°Mr. Owen, Ms. Saunders doesn¡¯t look well.¡±


    Owen lifted his gaze and let out a cold scoff. ¡°She¡¯s just putting on an act, trying to make me fuss over her. I¡¯ve spoiled her too much, and now she thinks acting weak makes her justified in everything.¡±


    Even as he spoke dismissively, he couldn¡¯t help but notice how much thinner she looked, how pale herplexion was, and the injuries on her hands¡­ Fine. Once she got in the car, he¡¯d take her to a hospital for a checkup, just so she wouldn¡¯t use illness as an excuse to manipte him again.


    But before he could follow through with that thought, Yunice, despite seeing his car, suddenly turned and bolted in the opposite direction. She was trying to escape!


    Yunice had no intention of returning to the Saunders family! Elsie must have set a trap, just waiting for her to walk into it. Going back now would be like throwing herself into a pit of suffering!


    She didn¡¯t want anything from the Saunders family anymore. Her priority was to go to the registration office, rece her lost ID, and disappear just to start over on her own!


    But her body was too battered. The internal injuries from those crazy people back there had taken a toll. Every step she took was like reopening a wound. Yunice panted heavily, her forehead drenched in cold sweat, yet she barely made it far before Owen yanked her back.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Yunice let out a sharp scream as she lost her bnce and fell hard to the ground.


    The sheer agony in her cry startled Owen. He froze, staring at Yunice, who curled up on the ground, clutching her head like she was bracing for a beating¡­ But he hadn¡¯t even done anything. Frowning, he examined her carefully but made no move to help her up. ¡°If you think running away is going to make me worry, you¡¯re wrong.¡±


    At the sound of Owen¡¯s voice, Yunice finally dared to lower her hands. Right¡­ this isn¡¯t the psychiatric hospital. No one is going to chase me down and beat me here.


    Owen said with a frown, ¡°Right now, you don¡¯t even exist in the system. Without identification, you can¡¯t even buy a ticket.¡±


    No money, no phone, no ID¡­ She had nowhere to go. Like it or not, she had to rely on the Saunders family.


    ¡°I don¡¯t exist?¡± Yunice was confused at first, but then her eyes widened as realization struck.


    Elsie was the illegitimate one. When their mother brought her back from the mountains, she couldn¡¯t provide a birth certificate or any information about her father. Because of that, Elsie had been a ghost in the system ever since she joined the Saunders family. She couldn¡¯t enroll in school, couldn¡¯t buy a ne ticket, and barely dared to step outside. Her background was a stain on her existence. She was pitiful, innocent. So, the whole family bent over backward topensate her. Even Yunice had done the same.


    And now¡­


    Yunice let out a bitterugh. The very thing she once pitied in someone else had now be her own reality.


    Owen, seeing her reaction, figured this would be hard for her to ept. He crouched down and started exining, ¡°After you were admitted to the psychiatric hospital, Oscar was worried that the longer you stayed, the worse your reputation would get. So, he had Elsie take on your identity¨Cshe went to school as you, attended banquets as you. She grew up in the mountains, Yunice. When she first arrived at our house, she didn¡¯t even know what a strawberry was. She knew she was worlds apart from you and was terrified of embarrassing you in public. That¡¯s why she studiedte into the night, until she copsed from exhaustion more than once. She did it all for you. Don¡¯t be ungrateful and hurt her feelings.¡±


    Owen frowned, his expression filled with disappointment, as if Yunice were the unreasonable one.


    Yunice let out a humorless chuckle. ¡°So now that I¡¯m better, can she return my identity?¡±


    She knew the answer already. Elsie had spent years establishing herself under Yunice¡¯s name. Even if she willingly handed it back, the people she had built connections with would only see Yunice as the imposter bullying her.


    She already knew she¡¯d never get her identity back. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but feel bitter, resentful. She wanted to hear Owen¡¯s response.


    As expected, Owen snapped. ¡°I just exined everything to you, and all you care about is yourself. Not once did you ask how Elsie was doing. Three years of treatment at the psychiatric hospital, and you¡¯re still just as selfish!¡±


    Owen lost thest of his patience. ¡°The psychiatric hospital is right there. If you don¡¯t want toe home, go back inside!¡±


    With that, he turned and got into the car. The driver, Bobby, hesitated. ¡°Mr. Owen, are we really leaving Ms. Saunders behind?¡±


    Owen made sure Yunice could hear him. ¡°I was too good to her, that¡¯s why she turned into an ungrateful brat! Let her suffer a little, maybe then she¡¯ll finally understand what kindness means.¡±


    With that, he rolled up the window and ordered coldly, ¡°Drive.¡±


    As the Saunders family car sped away, Yunice didn¡¯t even nce at it. She forced her battered body to move and turned to look at the psychiatric hospital onest time. She would never, ever go back in there.


    She knew the way home. Even without transportation, she could walk back. Yet two hours after Owen had arrived home, there was still no sign of her.


    ¡­


    At the cemetery, Yunice knelt on the ground, pressing her face against the cold tombstone as she sobbed.


    ¡°Dad, I miss you so much¡­ If you knew your daughter had no home to go back to, you¡¯d be heartbroken. Dad, hold me, please¡­ Owen and Mom don¡¯t love me anymore. They only hug Elsie. They only smile at Elsie¡­¡±


    Clutching the tombstone, Yunice buried her forehead against the photo of her father, but the stone remained silent. Just like how she would never receive thefort she longed for.


    She didn¡¯t know how long she cried. Only when her tears hadpletely dried did she start to calm down.


    Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she then used her sleeve to clean the dust off the tombstone. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll take care of myself. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    With that, she started digging at the ground in front of the grave. When her hands weren¡¯t enough, she used a rock to pry up one of the tiles.


    Beneath the stone was a hollow space containing a box.


    The Saunders family came from a long line of apothecaries, but when they transitioned into the hospital business, traditional medicine was gradually phased out. However, the family¡¯s medical texts were still passed down through generations.


    When Yunice was little, her father had noticed her fascination with ancient medicine and left all the books to her. After he passed, ten-year-old Yunice had secretly hidden them here. Back then, she had naively thought that if her father got bored underground, he could at least have something to read.


    She never expected that a childish decision would one day be herst remaining asset. Inside the box wasn¡¯t just an ancient medical script; there was also a Bovine Bezoar Pill, and a real one at that.


    A proper Bovine Bezoar Pill could save a life in a critical moment. The original form required rhino horn, but since rhino horn was banned,ter versions used buffalo horn instead, which significantly reduced its potency.


    But the one in Yunice¡¯s possession was a rare, original form. Her body was a mess. She had no money, no ID, no way to get hospital treatment, and no ess to medicine. So, she bit off a piece of the pill and swallowed it. The remaining chunk was carefully put away.


    She quickly scanned her surroundings. No one was nearby. She buried the rest of her things back in the ground.


    Elsie could never know about this. Otherwise, she would sweet-talk Owen into taking everything away from her.


    Just as she finished covering the grave, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice spoke from behind her.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be here.¡±

 Daghter 3

    <strong>Chapter 3 Payback</strong>


    Yunice¡¯s back stiffened, but she didn¡¯t turn around.


    It was Paul Powell, her childhood ymate and fianc¨¦.


    She didn¡¯t turn around, but Paul reached out, grabbed her shoulder, and turned her to face him with a grin. ¡°You always run to your dad¡¯s grave whenever you¡¯re upset¡­¡±


    His smile froze. He had finally seen Yunice¡¯s face, which was sickly pale. Her eyes, hidden beneath long ck hair, were shrunken and hollow.


    A chill crawled up his spine, and he instinctively withdrew his hand. That was when he remembered that she was a lunatic. Lunatics were capable of anything. He had even heard rumors that she smeared filth on herself for fun.


    The thought that he had just touched her made Paul¡¯s skin crawl, and he discreetly wiped his hand against the tree trunk behind him. His movements weren¡¯t obvious, but Yunice still noticed.


    She and Paul had been engaged for years, and everyone had always assumed they were a couple, even Yunice herself. Because of that, she had always felt a subtle sense of possessiveness toward him.


    Being rejected by someone she liked was painful. But Yunice¡¯s reaction was subdued.


    Paul hadn¡¯t visited her even once during her three years in the psychiatric hospital. She had already realized there was no future between them.


    Too much time had passed. Paul no longer knew how to interact with Yunice. To him, she was like a familiar stranger. Awkwardly, he said, ¡°Ever since you stabbed her in a fit of madness, Elsie¡¯s health has been poor. Now that you refuse to go home, she¡¯s so worried she can¡¯t even eat. We¡¯re all really concerned about her.¡±


    Yunice smirked. She¡¯s been skipping meals, yet she¡¯s still alive, isn¡¯t she?


    Seeing that Yunice was unmoved, Paul frowned and his tone hardened as he said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you to go home and apologize to Elsie right now. If you don¡¯t, then you can forget about ever seeing me again.¡±


    Yunice had indeed been submissive toward Paul in the past, making him believe she couldn¡¯t live without him. But during her years in the psychiatric hospital, waiting for salvation, her hopes had already been eroded to nothing. She had stopped expecting anything from anyone. She would no longer try to please anyone.


    Letting go of her need to be loved, she now only wanted to live for herself.


    Yunice spread her palm open and looked at the burn mark on her hand. Pain reminded her that when she had no power, being stubborn or acting tough would only bring her more suffering.


    So she decided to go with Paul.


    She had nned to return to the Saunders family to reim her identity anyway, and riding in his car was better than walking. Paul walked ahead and pulled some wet wipes from the car to wipe his hands outside the door.


    When he got in, he noticed Yunice sitting in the backseat. She used to always sit in the front passenger seat¨Cit had been her exclusive spot. Why isn¡¯t she sitting there now?


    Then he spotted the sticker on the dashboard that read: ¡°Princess¡¯ Exclusive Seat. Other Girls, Sit in the Back.¡±


    Paul¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. He quickly exined, ¡°My sister put that there as a joke. Don¡¯t overthink it, alright?¡±


    He expected Yunice to pester him about it like she used to, to interrogate him relentlessly. Just thinking about it annoyed him. Yunice was always jealous, and if she found out Elsie had put that sticker there, she¡¯d definitely cause trouble for her.


    Paul had already prepared himself. No matter what Yunice questioned him about, he would justsh out, using her of being paranoid. That had always worked before; not only would he get away with it, but Yunice would also end up coaxing him instead.


    But to his surprise, before he could even say anything, Yunice simply replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then, nothing. Paul was stunned for a moment. He waited but Yunice truly had no intention of asking further.


    He frowned, then started the car. The inside of the car was silent. Neither of them spoke. Paul nced at the rearview mirror and saw Yunice gazing out the window with an indifferent expression, as if she wasn¡¯t even paying attention to him. He had nned to talk to her about breaking off the engagement, but he had also worried she might refuse to let go.


    Yet now, seeing her so indifferent, he inexplicably felt irritated. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but the more she ignored him, the more irked he became. So he suddenly mmed on the gas, speeding up.


    Yunice was timid. Whenever he drove fast, she used to get scared and beg him to slow down. But now, even as the speedometer neared its limit, Yunice simply fastened her seatbelt and remained silent. The car barely scraped past a massive truck, making Paul break out in a cold sweat. Panicked, he quickly slowed down on his own.


    She didn¡¯t even ask him to stop. He felt embarrassed, and he muttered, ¡°You¡¯re braver than before.¡±


    Paul was young and reckless. He liked showing off by driving fast, enjoying the way Yunice used to get scared and plead with him to slow down. But Yunice had never been afraid of speed. Back then, she was only afraid of him getting hurt. Now that he was no longer her loved one, she no longer cared.


    At the Saunders family estate, Lily Moore and Elsie stood at the gate, eagerly awaiting their arrival.


    Seeing Owen walk out with a shawl in his hand, Elsie assumed it was for her. She subtly nudged Lily aside, waiting for Owen to drape it over her shoulders.


    But Owen didn¡¯t even look at her. He was gazing down the road, anticipating the arrival of Paul¡¯s car, holding the shawl for Yunice.


    Elsie¡¯s face twisted with frustration. Even now, Owen still can¡¯t let go of that lunatic.


    Just then, Paul¡¯s car pulled up, and she quickly put on a look of admiration. ¡°Paul always knows how to handle things. Yunice only listens to him¡­¡±


    Then, as if realizing she had said something wrong, she gasped and covered her mouth. With a sob, she said, ¡°Owen, I wasn¡¯t trying to say you¡¯re incapable. It¡¯s just that I grew up in the mountains and don¡¯t know how to speak properly¡­¡±


    But Owen was already deep in thought. She is right. I had personally gone to pick Yunice up, had spoken to her patiently, but she had only given me attitude and refused to go with me. Yet Paul, of all people, had managed to bring her home so easily?


    Owen¡¯s mood soured. He had been so happy just moments ago, yet now his face darkened. She didn¡¯t care whether he coaxed her or not? Well, he didn¡¯t care either!


    So, when Yunice stepped out of the car, Owen deliberately draped the shawl over Elsie¡¯s shoulders instead.


    As for Yunice¡­ She could freeze for all he cared. The autumn evening was already chilly. Especially stepping out of the car, the cold wind immediately sent a shiver through Yunice¡¯s thin T-shirt.


    She nced at the shawl wrapped around Elsie, then turned her attention to Lily, who was hurrying toward her.


    Lily¡¯s eyes were red as she sobbed, ¡°My child, you¡¯ve suffered¡­¡±


    Elsie stepped forward as well, tears brimming in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for wanting to live with the Saunders family. That¡¯s why Yunice got so angry that she fell ill. I should never have dared to dream of having a family¡­ If you agree toe home, Yunice, I¡¯ll leave with nothing. You¡¯ll never have to worry about me taking your family away again.¡±


    Hearing that, Lily immediately burst into tears and pulled Elsie into an embrace.


    Owen scowled. ¡°You¡¯re Mom¡¯s child too. What¡¯s this talk about yours and mine? The Saunders family is your home. No one has the right to kick you out! Don¡¯t ever say such things again!¡±


    Paul stepped forward as well, cing himself between Yunice and Elsie. ¡°She stabbed you, causing you to need lifelong medication. This is her punishment. She owes you. The Saunders family owes you. We all need to make it up to you.¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression darkened. Yes. This is Yunice and the Saunders family¡¯s debt. We all owed Elsie.

 Daghter 4

    Chapter 4 Taking Her ce


    Yunice lifted her gaze and saw that the people she had once been closest to were now standing together with Elsie. She was the only one left out in the cold wind,pletely out of ce. So, she shifted her eyes to the flowerbed by the iron gate of the Saunders family estate.


    When she was a child, her father had told her that her mother loved red roses. So, she decided that she would love red roses too. Her father personally nted an entire row of rose trees along the courtyard wall outside the gate. During the blooming season, the roses thrived, swaying in the wind, and her tall father would hold her small hand as they stood beneath the flowers, eagerly waiting for something. After her father passed away, Elsie moved into the Saunders family, and since she was allergic to pollen, Oscar decided to have all the rose trees cut down and reced them with bamboo, Elsie¡¯s favorite.


    Elsie said bamboo was noble and unyielding, and she wanted to learn from its qualities. Yunice refused to let the rose trees be removed. She kept pleading with Lily, saying they were a symbol of her father¡¯s love for Lily. She begged her to keep them for her father¡¯s sake. But the moment Elsie gasped for air a few times, Lily panicked and urged Oscar to cut down those ¡°damn roses¡± immediately.


    Oscar scolded Yunice for being selfish, for not caring about others, and forckingpassion. Owen said that only shallow people liked roses and that she should learn from Elsie, understand moral principles, and develop a character like bamboo.


    Lilyforted her, saying that when people died, they were gone. What was more important, a bunch of nts or Elsie¡¯s life? In the end, all the roses along the wall were ripped out, leaving her with nothing to hold on to.


    By now, the group who had been crying together had finally calmed down. Lily wiped her tears with the back of her hand, as if she had only just remembered how cold it was. She then turned to Yunice and said, ¡°Go take a hot shower with Gianna to wash away the bad luck. From now on, we are still a family.¡±


    Gianna came out smiling, walking ahead to lead Yunice.


    The house her father had left behind was a standalone vi, the ce Yunice had grown up in. But after three years away, it suddenly felt both familiar and unfamiliar. Theyout was the same, but there were many things she no longer recognized.


    For example, the shoe rack at the entrance was filled with pink fuzzy slippers¡­ Elsie¡¯s. The framed personal portraits hanging on the walls were of Elsie. Even the thick carpet covering the staircase was there to keep Elsie from falling. As for her old room on the second floor, it was now, of course, Elsie¡¯s. It had the best sunlight and the best view¨Cthere was no way they would leave it empty for three years.


    Sure enough, Gianna led her to a small room. Yunice remembered it had been converted from a walk-in closet, slightly better than a maid¡¯s quarters.


    As for Gianna, Yunice didn¡¯t recognize her. She must have been hired after Yunice was sent to the psychiatric hospital.


    When she entered the room, Yunice instinctively nced at a hidden surveince camera in the corner of the wall. Without showing any reaction, she asked, ¡°Gianna, what happened to the former housekeeper?¡±


    ¡°Oh, she went back to her hometown three years ago. I heard her husband found a younger woman, and she wasn¡¯t happy about it, so she went back to stir things up,¡± Gianna said with a sneer. ¡°What man doesn¡¯t cheat? If she makes a scene like that, it only affects his ego more.¡±


    Yunice shot her a nce but didn¡¯t respond. Seeing that Yunice didn¡¯t like the topic, Gianna chuckled and went into the bathroom to run the bathwater.


    Meanwhile, Yunice took the opportunity to rummage through the drawers. This room had clearly been hastily arranged; there was not a single electronic device.


    She looked up at the surveince camera again. On her way in, she had noticed that there were now many of these cameras installed throughout the house. They were obviously meant for her. They all thought she was crazy, afraid that she might harm Elsie, so they needed to monitor her at all times. If they are this wary of me, why even bother bringing me back from the psychiatric hospital?


    Suspicious, Yunice saw Gianna step out of the bathroom, so she quickly went inside and locked the door behind her.


    Gianna knocked on the door. ¡°Hey, why did you lock the door?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m taking a shower,¡± Yunice replied.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to lock the door for that!¡±


    Yunice countered, ¡°Do you not lock the door when you shower?¡±


    Gianna nced toward the bathroom, then reached for her work uniform. But when she was about to leave, she reached into her pocket and suddenly realized that her phone was gone.


    Inside the bathroom, Yunice swiftly disassembled Gianna¡¯s phone, removed the SIM card, set it aside, and disabled the location tracking.


    After that, she started typing rapidly on the phone¡¯s keyboard.


    Outside, Gianna pounded on the door. ¡°Did you take my phone?¡±


    Without turning around, Yunice replied, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it.¡±


    Gianna didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Open the door and let me in. I¡¯ll check.¡±


    Yunice dismissed her. ¡°Wait until I¡¯m done showering.¡±


    Unable to force the door open, Gianna was fuming. She shouted through the door, ¡°If you don¡¯t open up, that means you definitely stole it! Just wait! I¡¯m telling Mr. Owen!¡±


    Yunice ignored her, focusing solely on the phone screen. A momentter, the noise outside stopped. Gianna had likely left. Using Gianna¡¯s phone, Yunice essed the Saunders family¡¯s security cameras.


    On the screen, she saw Lily and Owen already inside the living room. Meanwhile, Paul had pulled Elsie aside and was speaking to her.


    With an affectionate look, Paul said, ¡°Elsie, we brought her back this time to talk about breaking off the engagement. You can¡¯t keep hesitating.¡±


    Elsie bit her lip, looking conflicted as she pushed Paul away. ¡°Your engagement is with the Saunders family. I¡¯m an outsider. How could I steal my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦? I can¡¯t betray Yunice!¡±


    Paul circled around to face her again, squatting down to look at her blushing face, and coaxed, ¡°Come on, it¡¯s the modern age. Arranged marriages are an outdated custom that should have been abolished long ago. Besides, our whole family agreed to call off the engagement. If it makes things easier, I can apologize to her. If she doesn¡¯t agree, she¡¯ll never see me again.¡±


    Watching the surveince footage, Yunice smirked coldly. So that was their n. No wonder they were so eager to get her out of the psychiatric hospital¡­ They wanted her to give up her fianc¨¦.


    She remembered that when Paul was born, he had been in a breech position, stuck in the birth canal. No hospital in Silverburgh dared to take him. It was her father who used an ancient remedy to keep his mother alive just long enough to give birth to him. His mother had survived a near-death experience and was so grateful that she arranged their engagement.


    And now, the Powell family wanted to hand over that gratitude to Elsie instead.


    Not long after, Gianna returned. She used a key to unlock the bathroom door and barged in without a shred of politeness. ¡°Ms. Saunders, stealing is a bad habit. If Mr. Owen finds out, he¡¯ll send you right back to the psychiatric hospital!¡±


    She was convinced Yunice had taken her phone. Reclining in the bathtub, Yunice turned her headzily to look at her and said tly, ¡°I didn¡¯t take it. Go ahead and report me.¡±


    Gianna was stunned for a moment. She hadn¡¯t expected Yunice to be this defiant.


    She knew Yunice had a mental illness, and crazy people couldn¡¯t be trusted. If she caught Yunice red-handed, she could go to Owen and earn some points. Once she proved that Yunice was a thief, any future thefts in the house could be med on her. After all, she was the crazy one.


    But in order to make an usation stick, she needed solid evidence. Earlier, she had checked the surveince footage but found nothing showing Yunice taking her phone.


    Even so, she was certain Yunice had stolen it. The bathroom was only so big. Where could she possibly have hidden it?

 Daghter 5

    <strong>Chapter 5 He¡¯s A Cripple</strong>


    Gianna forcefully dragged Yunice out of the bathtub. When she didn¡¯t find the phone on her, she began searching the rest of the bathroom. The moment she tried to open the toilet¡¯s water tank, Yunice rushed over and pressed the flush button!


    Seeing the nervous expression on Yunice¡¯s face, Gianna reacted quickly and lifted the toilet lid. But inside, aside from the powerful water flow, there was nothing else. The phone is flushed away?


    Gianna immediately seized this opportunity, gloating as she pointed at Yunice. ¡°Stealing? Mr. Owen won¡¯t let you off for this!¡± Excitedly, Gianna ran out to report her.


    Owen was sitting in his room, feeling unsettled. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Yunice had grown distant sinceing back, unlike before when she had been close to him. Feeling uneasy, he got up and took out a gift he had prepared for Yunice¨Ca ne.


    The year their father passed away, Yunice had lost interest in everything, except for this ne. But back then, he and Oscar were busy managing the family affairs, and no one had the time to fulfill her small request.


    Owen murmured to himself, ¡°If she still refuses to be nice after epting this gift, then she¡¯s just being ungrateful.¡±


    Just as he was about to go find Yunice, Gianna hurriedly approached, looking like she had something to say. But before she could speak, Lily grabbed Owen¡¯s arm anxiously. ¡°Owen, hurry! Go check on Elsie, she¡¯s having another attack!¡±


    Momentster, chaotic footsteps echoed outside, apanied by Lily¡¯s sobbing. After a few minutes, everything quieted down again.


    Yunice stepped out of her room with wet hair and bare feet. The entire vi was silent, so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat. She knew that tonight, no one would care about her return. Elsie was an expert at this¨Cwhenever something significant happened in Yunice¡¯s life, she would always have an ¡°episode¡± to steal everyone¡¯s attention.


    During Yunice¡¯s college entrance exam, Elsie identally spilled water on her exam admission ticket, got scared, and had an asthma attack. To rush Elsie to the hospital, Yunice was kicked out of the car, almost missing the exam. On Yunice¡¯sing-of-age ceremony, Elsie was so ¡°happy¡± for her that she had another attack. Yunice was abandoned at the banquet, left to endure the whispers and pointing of the guests alone.


    Even on the second anniversary of their father¡¯s death, Elsie made a spectacle of herself by kneeling before his grave, pping her own face, crying that it was all her fault for ruining their father¡¯s family, and then fainting from grief. After that, Oscar and Lily decided they wouldn¡¯t hold any more memorials to avoid bringing up sad memories.


    Yunice smirked coldly. No wonder the grass on her father¡¯s grave had grown so tall, since she was locked in the psychiatric hospital, no one had taken care of it. And today, Elsie had another attack just to prove that nothing had changed, even with Yunice¡¯s return.


    Lily¡¯s words about still being a family¡­ How funny.


    Back in the psychiatric hospital, Yunice had entertained many dark thoughts. What if Lily had never brought Elsie back? What if Lily had never been rescued?


    But over time, love faded, and hatred dulled. Eventually, she no longer wanted Oscar or Owen, nor did she want Paul. She just wanted to leave the psychiatric hospital and hold on to the few things her father had left behind.


    But first, she had to survive.


    Yunice looked toward the second floor, where her old room used to be. Her gaze darkened.


    ¡­


    At the pawnshop.


    The clerk passed a bank card through the window at lightning speed. ¡°Dead pawn, three months. No extension. There¡¯s 300,000 in the ount, no password.¡±


    Yunice quickly grabbed the card and clenched it in her palm. This was a ck-market pawnshop, hence, no ID was required, and no questions were asked about the source of the items. She gave something, they pawned it.


    She had pawned a bracelet¨Cone of her father¡¯s keepsakes. In three months, she needed 500,000 to buy it back.


    Oscar had manipted her household registration, recing her fingerprint records with Elsie¡¯s. So even if Yunice personally went to renew her ID, she wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    Without an ID, she couldn¡¯t even open a personal bank ount. This 300,000 dors was the only real money she had in her hands.


    After securing the card, Yunice covered her face with her scarf and asked, ¡°Have the Alphasirox pills been sold yet?¡±


    The clerk pointed toward an alley behind him. ¡°Still at the back.¡±


    Yunice thanked him and jogged toward the dark alley. Alphasirox pills were excellent for internal injuries, but since they were a newly tested drug not yet on the market, they were incredibly hard to find. The only ce to get them was the ck market.


    What she didn¡¯t expect was that, in her haste, she would run straight into someone¡¯s arms while rounding a corner.


    Already weak, she lost her bnce from the impact, and the card in her hand went flying.


    Panicked over her money, she was about to grab it when a pair of strong hands seized her arms. Before she could react, her back mmed against the rough brick wall. The impact made her gasp as pain red through her entire body.


    Just then, heavy and chaotic footsteps echoed through the alley. ¡°He ran this way! That cripple can¡¯t have gotten far!¡±


    Yunice stiffened and instinctively looked up at the man pinning her against the wall. He swiftly took off his jacket and tossed it into a dark corner.


    She then felt something hard pressing against her lower abdomen. It was a metallic cane.


    The man calmly finished disguising himself before lifting his eyes to nce at Yunice. A momentter, he frowned in disgust.


    Yunice¡¯s disguise was too thorough. She wore a thick knitted hat, her face was wrapped in a scarf, and she had even stolen Gianna¡¯s maid uniform. In a ce like the ck market, this kind of attire only made someone look undesirable.


    Wyatt Cooper scoffed. Using a maid as a cover was too obvious as it would only draw suspicion. His luck really was terrible tonight.


    As he was about to shove her aside, Yunice suddenly grabbed his cor with surprising force.


    In the next second, their positions flipped. Wyatt was now against the wall, and Yunice pulled down her hat and scarf. Her long hair fell around her face, partially veiling her delicate features. Wyatt froze for a moment.


    Without hesitation, Yunice yanked her pants down to her ankles with one hand and pulled her arm through the neckline of her shirt with the other, instantly transforming the maid uniform into a revealing off-shoulder outfit.


    Just then, the pursuers burst into the alley.


    Yunice pressed her hands against Wyatt¡¯s lower abdomen, her entire body swaying against his.


    ¡°Oh¡­ you¡¯re too good, I can¡¯t take any more¡­ ah¡­ you¡¯re ruining me¡­¡± Yunice moaned, tilting her head back as the alley light illuminated her face.


    The men hunting Wyatt shed their shlights toward them, scanning the scene. Wyatt instinctively raised a hand to block the light, concealing his face.


    The ck market was a filthy ce, full of addicts and pimps. Seeing a man ¡°having fun¡± with what looked like a streetwalker, the pursuers dismissed their suspicions. The man in front of them clearly wasn¡¯t the limping target they were after.


    Noticing his exposed abs pressed against the woman, they sneered and ran off in another direction.


    Once the footsteps faded, Yunice let out a few more exaggerated moans before cautiously ncing at where the pursuers had disappeared.


    Believing she had just sessfully escaped danger, she turned back, only to be met with a pair of sharp eyes.

 Daghter 6

    <strong>Chapter 6 Where Is The Wound? Show Me!</strong>


    That gaze from the man was too cold, filled with vignce and hostility, like a venomous snake lurking in the dark, assessing danger.


    I had clearly helped him, so why was he looking at her like that?


    Did he feel insulted, unable to endure the humiliation?


    Instinctively, Yunice stepped back, lowered her head to adjust her clothes, and deliberately ignored his gaze.


    Without her support, the man seemed unsteady on his feet and had to lean on the ck cane hidden behind him.


    Yunice had no intention of meddling, but the man exuded an air of nobility from head to toe. His status was clearly extraordinary.


    The people who had captured him obviously did not want any witnesses. That meant I, as an eyewitness, could also be implicated.


    I had sneaked out today and wanted nothing more than to avoid trouble, so helping him was, in a way, helping myself.


    Fortunately, the man was crippled. No matter what he nned to do, as long as I just grabbed the bank card and ran, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch me.


    As expected, he didn¡¯t chase after her.


    Yunice rxed her steps. Now, her mind finally had time to process what had happened. The man¡¯s face shed through her memory, and apart from feeling that he looked familiar, she noticed something else.


    ¡­ There was something off about the herbal scent on him.


    Yunice didn¡¯t dwell on it, though. Instead, she rushed to the auction house to grab a box of Alphasirox pills before buying a new phone and a SIM card that didn¡¯t require ID registration.


    At that moment, Owen and Lily were still at the hospital.


    In the hospital ward, Giana was tidying up daily necessities while muttering, ¡°If Ms. Saunders had returned earlier, Ms. Elsie wouldn¡¯t have fallen ill. Now she has to stay in the hospital for a few more days¡­¡±


    Owen frowned, looking toward the hallway, but Yunice was nowhere to be seen. Annoyed, he snapped, ¡°She¡¯s heartless! Just how precious are her legs that she won¡¯t evene visit?¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes were red from exhaustion. As she wiped Elsie¡¯s hands, she tried to defend Yunice, ¡°She just got home. Maybe she¡¯s tired. Don¡¯t be too harsh on her.¡±


    Owen scoffed, ¡°She had good food and sleep at the psychiatric hospital. How tired could she be?¡±


    In this household, the mother had to take care of everyone¡¯s daily needs; Elsie had to study and work in ce of her ipetent sister; Oscar was busy with research overseas and had no time to return home; and I myself had to manage the hospital and earn money for the family.


    None of us dared to say we were tired. Yet Yunice, who squandered the family¡¯s money whilezing around in a psychiatric hospital, had the nerve to call herself exhausted?


    Just then, Giana cheerfully walked over, holding a box. ¡°Mr. Owen, this ne must be worth a fortune! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡±


    She took the ne out of the box and turned to Elsie. ¡°Let me help you put it on!¡±


    Elsie, thinking it was for her, was overjoyed and sat up in delight.


    But before she could wear it, Owen suddenly realized something. Seeing the ne about to be ced around Elsie¡¯s neck, he blurted out, ¡°That¡¯s for Yunny!¡±


    Giana froze. Lily was first taken aback, then her brows furrowed slightly as if she had figured something out.


    Elsie¡¯s face turned beet red in embarrassment, and she hastily pushed Giana¡¯s hands away.


    Owen also felt awkward. To smooth things over, he said, ¡°Elsie, this one isn¡¯t valuable. I¡¯ll buy you a better one next time.¡±


    Elsie sighed enviously. ¡°It¡¯s not about the price; it¡¯s about the sentiment behind it. This pendant has three stars¡ªtwo big ones protecting a smaller one in the middle, just like how you and Oscar care for your sister¡­ I wish I could be part of that bond, but I will always be an outsider.¡±


    Owen flicked her forehead, coaxing her, ¡°Whypare yourself to her? Oscar and I care about you the most.¡±


    Elsie nced at the ne that Owen casually stuffed into his pocket, her expression darkening.


    If they truly cared about me, they would have given me the ne to make me happy.


    But Owen had already gotten up and called Giana outside.


    In the hallway, Owen coldly stared at Giana. ¡°You better remember¡ªyou¡¯re just a housekeeper. If you overstep again, pack your things and leave.¡±


    Giana felt wronged and tried to argue, ¡°But in the past, the gifts from you and Mr. Oscar were always for Ms. Elsie¡­¡±


    Owen cut her off sharply, ¡°Do I have only one sister?¡±


    Giana wanted to bring up how Yunice had stolen her phone, but Owen was already too irritated to listen. ¡°I¡¯m going home to grab some clothes for Elsie.¡±


    When he returned to the Saunders mansion, the lights were on, but Yunice was nowhere to be seen.


    Elsie was so ill, and yet Yunice could still sleep soundly?


    Owen went to knock on Yunice¡¯s door. He knocked for a full minute before it finally opened from the inside.


    Yunice was wearing an oversized T-shirt, still damp from a recent shower.


    Facing her up close, Owen finally noticed something off¡ª


    Yunice¡¯s face was unnaturally pale, and she had lost weight. The oversized T-shirt draped over her, making her look like a fragile paper doll.


    Then something crosses his mind.


    There was a faint air of decay lingering around her.


    A twenty-year-old girl should be vibrant. The hair is smooth and flowing, the movements are light and lively, the face is warm with a gentle smile, and there is a pair of bright eyes.


    Like Elsie.


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t like that. She walked sluggishly, barely lifting her feet, her gaze downcast. Her hands hesitantly pressed against her stomach, her back hunched. Even a seventy-year-old woman had more energy than her.


    Elsie¡¯s graceful image shed through Owen¡¯s mind, and he snapped in frustration, ¡°This isn¡¯t a psychiatric hospital. Stop acting like an olddy out for a walk! Straighten your back!¡±


    Yunice frowned. My internal injuries were already causing pain, and moving only worsened it. Earlier at the ck market, I had pushed myself too hard to cooperate with that man¡¯s act. It was already in agony.


    She tried to exin, ¡°I can¡¯t straighten up; it¡¯s too¡ª¡±


    Before she could finish saying ¡°painful,¡± Owen grabbed her shoulders and forcibly straightened her posture, refusing to let her hold her stomach.


    Watching her face turn pale from pain, struggling against him, Owen still wouldn¡¯t let go. He stubbornly wanted to force her back to her old, confident self.


    ¡°I said it hurts! It hurts!¡± Yunice shoved Owen away, panting, her eyes cold.


    Owen stumbled back two steps, startled as he grabbed the doorframe for support.


    ¡°Owen! Yunice! Don¡¯t fight!¡± Elsie coughed into her hands as she hurried over with Lily¡¯s help.


    Owen came to his senses and snapped at Yunice, ¡°Where does it hurt? Your arms? Your legs? Show everyone! Otherwise, people will think I¡¯m bullying you!¡±


    Yunice had no visible wounds.


    The psychiatric hospital was skilled at tormenting people without leaving external injuries, ensuring that family members wouldn¡¯t notice.


    Yunice replied coldly, ¡°I have internal injuries causing slow hemorrhaging. If you want to see my wounds, you¡¯d have to slice me open and pull them out for disy.¡±


    She raised her gaze, her eyes freezing over. ¡°Would you dare look?¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes immediately reddened. Choking up, she said, ¡°Yunny, your brother cares about you. He¡¯d never hurt you. Saying such things will only break his heart!¡±


    Tears welled up as she instructed Giana, ¡°Prepare the car. We¡¯re taking Yunny to the hospital, just in case she really is unwell.¡±


    Unexpectedly, Owen was still stubborn. ¡°Yunice, our family owns a hospital. Think before you lie! Internal bleeding causes unbearable pain, yet you haven¡¯t even cried out once and still have the strength to push me? I think you¡¯re just making things up!¡±

 Daghter 7

    <strong>Chapter 7 She Still Didn¡¯t Speak Up</strong>


    Yunice¡¯s gaze remained calm. ¡°What if I¡¯m used to enduring pain?¡±


    Owen was taken aback. What did she mean by being used to pain? If it hurt, she should say so. Why endure it?


    Yunice continued, ¡°Because saying it hurts doesn¡¯t help. So I can only endure. And after enduring for long enough, you get used to it.¡±


    Owen was skeptical. ¡°I sent you to a proper psychiatric hospital. They treat all patients the same. Many of our hospital¡¯s cases are well cared for there.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°That¡¯s because their families pay bribes and visit them regrly. But for those of us with no one to look after us, even if we get beaten, there¡¯s no consequence.¡±


    Owen felt a deep difort. He used her, ¡°Are you saying all this just to me us for not visiting you? If you want to make us feel guilty, at least make your lies believable! Even if you were bullied, how could that causepression injuries? Did they run you over with a car?¡±


    Yunice found it amusing. ¡°A psychiatric hospital isn¡¯t the same as a regr hospital. They have strict rules for managing the insane. We weren¡¯t allowed to use chopsticks or forks¡ªanything that could be a weapon. We were squatting on the ground, using our hands to eat. For showers, they locked us in cages and hosed us down with high-pressure water jets. There was no studying. Apart from eating and sleeping, we wandered around the yard all day. There were no recreational facilities, so we invented our own games. Like pulling someone¡¯s limbs in different directions at the same time. Grabbing someone¡¯s hair and riding them like a horse. Tying someone to an electric fence and shocking them over and over. But their favorite game was stacking people¡ªpiling on top of each other in a high stack, chasing the thrill of suffocation and dizziness. Last year, someone died ying this game. The first person jumped onto the pile and crushed the ribs of the one below. As more people piled on, broken ribs pierced his heart. It took ten minutes before they realized he was dead.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He leaned back instinctively.


    Something clicked in his mind.


    A year ago, I had signed a death certificate for someone. I had even seen the body.


    The corpse had clear signs of internal organ punctures, a ruptured spleen, and multiple fractures in the pelvis and sternum. But what stood out was that the person had not died from blood loss¡ªbut from mechanical asphyxiation. She had struggled for at least ten minutes, suffocating in excruciating pain before she died.


    Back then, I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the case. I only remembered that the family refused an autopsy and had received argepensation payout.


    Could that unfortunate girl have been¡­


    Lily clutched her face, trembling with fear at the imagery. She sobbed uncontrobly. Her voice was hoarse as she asked, ¡°Yunny, did they do that to you too?¡±


    When Yunice had been sent to the psychiatric hospital, she had only been eighteen. A quiet and delicate young girl¡ªhow could she not have been bullied?


    Owen¡¯s eyes reddened, his throat tightening as if something sharp were lodged there. The pain was suffocating.


    Seeing his conflicted expression, Yunice spoke for him. ¡°You¡¯re trying to say that¡¯s just how psychiatric hospitals are, right? That crazy people don¡¯t understand boundaries? That if anyone is to me, it¡¯s me¡ªfor being selfish and intolerant, for wanting to hurt Elsie, which is why I was sent there? That I should be grateful I wasn¡¯t sent to prison instead?¡±


    Owen opened his mouth, but when she hit the nail on the head, he felt defensive. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡±


    But Yunice ignored him and looked directly at Lily, her words carrying a deeper meaning. ¡°Mom, was it really me who hurt your daughter?¡±


    Lily froze. A flicker of panic shed in her tear-streaked eyes. But she quickly covered her face again and broke down. ¡°Stop arguing! It¡¯s all my fault! If I had just died in that mountain, none of this would have happened!¡±


    She sobbed so hard her body trembled, nearly copsing.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    Owen and Elsie hurried to support Lily, helping her onto the couch.


    Yunice stood by the door without moving. She was in too much pain to walk.


    But to everyone else, she appeared cold and unfeeling.


    Owen grew angrier by the second. He snapped at Yunice, ¡°What did Mom ever do to you?! What did Elsie ever do wrong?! Was it Mom¡¯s fault she was kidnapped? Was it Elsie¡¯s fault she was born into that family?! You act like the victim, but in reality, you¡¯re just resentful! Mom and Elsie had no choice in their lives, but you did! You have family, status, and wealth¡ªeverything good in the world revolves around you! Yet you insist on envying Elsie, who has nothing! You¡¯re standing here perfectly fine, while Elsie has to take medication for the rest of her life! And you still think the whole world owes you!¡±


    At these words, Lily lowered her head, while Elsie bit her lip, worried Lily might say something she shouldn¡¯t.


    Yunice, however, kept her gaze on Lily, even though the woman refused to meet her eyes.


    Three years ago, Lily had seen everything. She knew Elsie had staged the incident herself. She knew I was innocent.


    But she had chosen to stay silent¡ªbecause she didn¡¯t want everyone to hate Elsie, didn¡¯t want her to be driven out of the Saunders family. So she had knelt before me, begging me to take the me for hurting Elsie.


    Lily¡¯s exact words were, ¡°You¡¯re still a Saunders. Even if you make a mistake, you won¡¯t be punished. But Elsie is different. If she leaves the Saunders family, she¡¯ll have nothing.¡±


    I refused.


    So Lily had testified falsely, iming that I had stabbed Elsie.


    With her statement, Oscar and Owen had believed it.


    Because in their hearts, both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh. Their mother would never take sides.


    But they had forgotten¡ªpalms are flesh, but the palm has more flesh than the back of the hand. And the palm is always protected.


    Elsie was the daughter Lily had personally raised for fifteen years, her dearest treasure. I, Yunice, on the other hand, had never even been held by her mother at birth. How could the feelings be the same?


    Before long, Lily clutched her chest, gasping for breath. ¡°Stop fighting. It¡¯ste. Everyone, go to bed.¡±


    Owen red at Yunice before helping Elsie escort Lily back to her room.


    Only then did Yunice exhale deeply and curl up on her bed.


    I had long stopped expecting anything from them. I didn¡¯t even hope they would take me to the hospital.


    My injuries were chronic. Even if I went to a hospital, the scans might not detect them. And even if they did, I wouldn¡¯t dare go on the operating table.


    Elsie wanted nothing more than for me to disappear. If I were sedated on the operating table, I might never wake up again.


    Fortunately, I know some pharmacology. I could nurse myself back to health.


    Once I was healed, I would settle things with this family once and for all.


    Yunice did not want to get into trouble, so he rarely left the room for the next few days.


    When Giana came to clean up the room, she found Alphasirox pills under the bed.


    With a twinkle in her eye, she photographed the pillbox and took it to Elsie.


    In the evening, Owen, who had been out socializing all day, drank some wine and was sent home by Paul.


    The two came in through the door and saw Giana, who was talking to Elsie, wipe her tears and end the conversation.


    Paul looked around and didn¡¯t see Yunice, making him feel a little ufortable.


    In the past, every time I came, Yunice would be like a cat, hearing the sound of movement and looking over to talk to me.


    But I have beening to the Saunders mansion frequently in the past two days, but I haven¡¯t seen her once.


    Elsie noticed Paul¡¯s absentmindedness, and she also noticed that he seemed to being especially oftentely and would always be distracted.


    She couldn¡¯t help but have a bad feeling in her heart.


    So she instructed Giana, ¡°Go and pour a cup of honey water for Owen; he will feel better if he drinks it.¡±


    Owen sat disheveled on the sofa, blocking his face with his arm. He was in a bad mood today as he was disappointed in the workce.


    He was already annoyed; who knew that the next second a hot stream poured violently on his legs!

 Daghter 8

    <strong>Chapter 8 Taking Without Asking Is Stealing</strong>


    Owen let out a sharp hiss, startling Paul and Elsie, who were engaged in conversation.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± Owen reprimanded.


    Giana, her eyes red, hurriedly apologized while frantically wiping up the spilled water.


    Owen impatiently pushed her away. ¡°Move aside.¡±


    Seeing this, Elsie quickly interjected with kindness, ¡°Owen, Giana surely didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Don¡¯t me her.¡±


    She then turned to Giana and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been distractedtely, and I¡¯ve even seen you crying in secret a few times. Do you have something on your mind?¡±


    At this, Giana became even more upset and covered her face, sobbing. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to reach my family for days. I miss my child¡­¡±


    Elsie was puzzled. ¡°How could you not reach them? Haven¡¯t they called you?¡±


    Hearing this, Giana hesitantly nced at Owen before whispering, ¡°I¡¯m afraid to say¡­¡±


    Paul leaned back against the sofa behind Elsie, an amused and entertained expression on his face as he observed the drama unfold.


    Elsie frowned. ¡°Stop ying riddles with Owen. Just say it already.¡±


    Summoning her courage, Giana finally broke down and cried out to Owen, ¡°Mr. Owen, it was Ms. Yunice who stole my phone! When I caught her, she got angry and flushed it down the drain! My son must be so worried, not being able to reach me. Boohoo¡­¡±


    Paul narrowed his eyes, giving Giana a second look.


    She said Yunice stole her phone? Ridiculous.


    Yunice might have lost her mind, but she wasn¡¯t destitute. Why would she steal a maid¡¯s phone and then get so enraged about it?


    Owen clearly had the same thought, but at the same time, he doubted that Giana would make up such an outrageous lie.


    So, he asked, ¡°Do you have any proof?¡±


    Giana sobbed, ¡°I saw it with my own eyes! What more proof do you need?¡±


    Paul looked her up and down with disdain. ¡°Your word alone isn¡¯t enough. Do you have any other evidence¡±?


    Elsie discreetly nced at Paul. Owen hadn¡¯t even spoken yet, so why was Paul defending Yunice first?


    At that moment, Giana had a sudden realization. ¡°If we dig up the drainage system, we¡¯ll find my phone and prove I¡¯m not lying!¡±


    Digging up the pipes? It had been so long that even if the phone had been flushed, who knew where it had ended up by now?


    Elsie generously said, ¡°It¡¯s just a phone; no need to make such a fuss. Giana, I¡¯ll buy you a new one.¡±


    She pulled out her phone to ce an order, but Giana protested, ¡°Ms. Elsie, it¡¯s not about the phone¡ªI just need the contacts stored in it¡­¡±


    Owen, growing increasingly irritated, ordered, ¡°Check the surveince footage.¡±


    Every corner of the house was under surveince. It would be easy to find out the truth.


    Giana, however, was relentless. ¡°But there are no cameras in the bathroom! Ms. Yunice exploited this loophole so the footage won¡¯t show anything.¡±


    A brief silence followed.


    Paul clenched his fingers slightly and suggested, ¡°Then why don¡¯t we just ask Yunice herself?¡±


    Owen, his face grim, agreed. ¡°Go call Yunice.¡±


    A few minutester, Yunice sluggishly emerged from her room.


    Paul turned his head and saw her hair tied in a ponytail, dressed simply in a white T-shirt. It reminded him of their school days when they used to sit together.


    The nostalgia softened his emotions, and he instinctively wanted to greet her casually when she passed by.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t even spare him a nce.


    His smile stiffened at the corners of his lips. Feeling ignored, Paul¡¯s expression darkened as he turned back to sit properly.


    Owen didn¡¯t wait for Yunice to get closer before demanding harshly, ¡°Have you ever gone without food or clothing in this house? Why did you steal Giana¡¯s phone!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s steps faltered as she realized Owen hadn¡¯t even given her the chance to sit.


    Everyone else satfortably while she and Giana stood under judgment.


    Yunice sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it.¡±


    Owen continued to ask, ¡°So you¡¯re saying you¡¯ve been falsely used? Why would Giana use you and no one else?¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    ¡°Since you won¡¯t say it, I will,¡± Owen continued. ¡°You stole it because I didn¡¯t prepare a phone for you, so you wanted to humiliate me!¡±


    It had just dawned on Owen that he hadn¡¯t arranged for Yunice¡¯s daily necessities.


    His voice turned even colder. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that after three years, your grudge is still this strong. If someone doesn¡¯t give you something, you¡¯d rather destroy it.¡±


    Elsie got up and patted Owen¡¯s back to calm him down, speaking to Yunice with concern. ¡°Yunice, Owen works hard to support the family. He¡¯s just been too busy to think about these things. Don¡¯t be mad at him.¡±


    Hearing this, Owen sighed. If only Yunice were half as considerate as Elsie.


    Giana, however, refused to let it go. ¡°Ms. Elsie, you shouldn¡¯t cover for Ms. Yunice! She has to admit her mistake today, or else the whole Saunders family will be cleaned out!¡±


    Owen turned to her and asked coldly, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Elsie hesitated, as if she didn¡¯t want Giana to say more, but Giana righteously dered, ¡°If I was wronged about my phone, then what about Ms. Elsie¡¯s bracelet worth a million? Will Ms. Yunice deny taking that too?¡±


    Paul nced at Elsie biting her lip, his gaze darkening. Yunice still hadn¡¯t changed her habit of stealing?


    Three years ago, gifts I had given Elsie would frequently disappear, only to show up in Yunice¡¯s possession.


    At first, I didn¡¯t believe Yunice would steal. But after it happened repeatedly, I realized that Yunice wasn¡¯t stealing out of greed¡ªshe was jealous.


    At first, I found the possessiveness endearing. But over time, I felt she was too controlling, and my heart gradually leaned towards the kinder, more considerate Elsie.


    And since Yunice only ever took Elsie¡¯s things, Paul hadn¡¯t thought much about it.


    But now, this was different.


    Ignoring the contemptuous looks from the others, Yunice turned to Elsie and asked, ¡°What did your bracelet look like?¡±


    Giana immediately chimed in, ¡°It was an eighteen-bead bracelet made of rare jade!¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes flickered slightly, and Yunice mused, ¡°Were the beads also engraved with the Confucian ssics?¡±


    Giana¡¯s eyes lit up. She pointed at Yunice and eximed, ¡°See, Mr. Owen! She must have stolen it¡ªhow else would she know such details?¡±


    Paul, irritated by Giana¡¯s shrill usations, scoffed, ¡°Because the bracelet was hers to begin with. Of course, she knows what it looks like.¡±


    Elsie looked at Paul in surprise. Why was he defending Yunice again?


    And if even Paul knew the truth, then Owen certainly did as well.


    That bracelet had been gifted to Yunice by Dad years ago, when she had suffered from a severe fever. It was meant as a talisman for her safety.


    Realizing the shift in momentum, Giana quickly changed her argument. ¡°Even if it was hers, she should have asked Ms. Elsie before taking it! Her things were in Ms. Elsie¡¯s room. Taking without asking is stealing!¡±


    At these words, the room fell into dead silence.


    Because everyone knew.


    Not only did the bracelet belong to Yunice, but the room had originally been hers too.


    How could taking one¡¯s own belongings from their own room be considered stealing?

 Daghter 9

    <strong>Chapter 9 He Got Rejected by Yunice</strong>


    Elsie swept a nce over the silent crowd and took the initiative to say, ¡°That room originally belonged to Yunice. I was already nning to switch rooms with her tonight.¡±


    Owen frowned. ¡°You have asthma and need to stay in a room with better air quality.¡±


    Then, he looked at Yunice, his tone softening. ¡°You can take my room, but you have to promise not to use such methods to attract attention again.¡±


    Owen assumed that Yunice had stolen something just to express her dissatisfaction with her room being taken over, hoping to make everyone notice her¡ªlike a neglected kitten deliberately making a mess.


    Hearing that Owen was willing to take the smaller room, Elsie immediately objected, ¡°Owen, you workte every night. The small room is too cramped and won¡¯t help you rx. I¡¯ll switch with my sister instead!¡±


    Owen was touched. Elsie was the only one in this family who understood my hard work, unlike someone who just wore a long face and vented her frustrations every day.


    Sensing Owen¡¯s hostility, Yunice finally spoke. ¡°I never intended to switch rooms. I was simply stating that I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡±


    Her voice was calm, each sentence a t statement of fact, making Owen and the others seem unreasonable inparison.


    Paul stood to the side, feeling an inexplicable sense of frustration.


    Yunice raised her gaze, a flicker of sharpness shing in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Giana lost her phone, but the jade bracelet is very important to me. Now that it¡¯s gone, please call the police for me.¡±


    Giana and Elsie exchanged nces. Was Yunice really that bold?


    They knew very well that both the phone and the bracelet had indeed gone missing, and Yunice had definitely taken them.


    If she dared to call the police, what was she nning?


    Family matters shouldn¡¯t be aired in public. Regardless of whether Yunice stole the items or not, Owen didn¡¯t want to involve the authorities.


    He stood up. ¡°There¡¯s no need for the police.¡±


    With that, he retrieved hisptop and pulled up the house¡¯s surveince footage.


    Yunice had only been home for two or three days. The security system automatically captured movement, and with so few people in the house, it was easy to check.


    Yet, after reviewing the footage at high speed, Owen found that only Giana and Elsie had entered the second-floor rooms in that time. Yunice had mostly stayed in her small room, rarely stepping out.


    Owen¡¯s gaze darkened as he turned to Giana. ¡°You were the only one who entered Elsie¡¯s room in the past few days.¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t turn invisible. How could she have passed through the security system undetected?


    Yunice curled her lips slightly. No one in this room would ever guess that I knew programming, would they?


    In the eyes of the public, a lunatic was just someone with a mental disorder. But they forgot one thing¡ªthere¡¯s a fine line between genius and madness.


    Psychiatric hospitals housed both the insane and the misunderstood geniuses.


    I had entered the institution at eighteen, right after finishing my college entrance exams, just as my life was supposed to begin.


    They all saw me as a worthless failure. Who would have thought that I¡¯d learn anything inside that ce, let alone manipte the house¡¯s surveince system?


    Giana gaped at the footage, struggling for words before finally blurting out, ¡°The cameras must be malfunctioning! Yes, that¡¯s it! I didn¡¯t steal anything! I swear!¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a loud ringtone of a phone red through the air.


    Giana watched in horror as Owen bent down and pulled a phone out from between the sofa cushions.


    It was mine¡ªthe very phone I imed Yunice had stolen and thrown into the sewer.


    Owen¡¯s expression turned dark. Through gritted teeth, he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Yunice took your phone and tossed it into the drain?¡±


    So why was it perfectly intact here?


    Giana was too stunned to argue. Only then did she realize she had been set up.


    Elsie, who had initially wanted to defend Giana, immediately fell silent when the phone was discovered.


    Yunice¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°Next time you lose something, try looking for it first before using someone.¡±


    Then she turned to Elsie. ¡°And please help me look for my bracelet. It¡¯s very important to me.¡±


    Elsie was speechless.


    Without saying another word, Yunice left the living room and returned to her small room.


    The others sat in awkward silence.


    After a moment, Owen spoke. ¡°Elsie, are you sure the bracelet is missing?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elsie hadn¡¯t expected to be questioned so suddenly and failed to respond immediately.


    Owen didn¡¯t seem to care about her answer. He stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s search your room again. Maybe it just fell somewhere.¡±


    Since we had wronged Yunice today, we had to find the bracelet and return it to her.


    As Owen and Giana went upstairs to search, Paul turned to look at the small room.


    He hesitated before finally walking over and knocking on Yunice¡¯s door.


    She had been back for so long yet hadn¡¯t spoken a single word to me.


    After a long pause, the door finally opened.


    Yunice stood in the doorway. Seeing him, she asked, ¡°Yes?¡±


    Paul suddenly felt awkward. His eyes drifted past her to the tiny room behind her.


    It was so small.


    Even the maids¡¯ quarters in my house were bigger than this.


    Yunice was still the eldest daughter of the Saunders family. How could they treat her like this?


    A dull ache tugged at his chest. After a long moment, he finally understood what he was feeling.


    Rage.


    I could bully Yunice, but I wouldn¡¯t allow anyone else to.


    We had grown up together, and she had always been my shadow. I had even once boasted that anyone who wanted to bully my ¡°little fianc¨¦e¡± would have to go through me first!


    How had things changed so much in just three years?


    Feigning nonchnce, Paul stepped forward. ¡°Are you really going to make me stand here? Aren¡¯t you going to invite me in?¡±


    Yunice blocked the doorway. ¡°It¡¯s dirty in here. Mr. Paul, you shouldn¡¯t sit down.¡±


    Paul froze. Mr. Paul?


    It was the first time Yunice had ever addressed me as ¡°Mr. Paul.¡±


    His expression stiffened, and he tried to exin, ¡°Are you mad? I wasn¡¯t looking down on you the other day. You misunderstood.¡±


    I had, in fact, looked down on her. Butter, I realized I had been too harsh.


    Yunice is my best friend. I shouldn¡¯t have treated her that way.


    Yet, she still wouldn¡¯t let him in. ¡°Mr. Paul, we¡¯re adults now. We should keep our distance. What would people think if they saw you in my room?¡±


    Paul nced upstairs, then scoffed, ¡°I used to visit your room all the time. Besides, we¡¯re engaged.¡±


    ¡°Childhood engagements are outdated and meaningless. Besides, I have a mental illness¡ªit might even be hereditary. I¡¯ll speak to your parents soon and annul our engagement.¡± Yunice said.


    Paul was dumbfounded.


    Did Yunice want to break off the engagement?


    Me? Rejected?


    Paul¡¯s ego took a hit. I had wanted to end things myself, but only I could be the one to initiate it!


    Just as he was about to argue, Yunice shut the door in his face.


    Paul was left standing there, rejected once again.


    At that moment, Owen came downstairs and saw Paul by Yunice¡¯s door.


    Paul, feeling guilty, changed the subject. ¡°Did you find the bracelet?¡±


    Owen wasn¡¯t so easily fooled. He gave Paul a wary look. ¡°What are you doing outside Yunice¡¯s room?¡±

 Daghter 10

    <strong>Chapter 10 I Can No Longer Call You Brother</strong>


    Owen warned Paul, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you¡¯re the one who wanted to break off the engagement to marry Elsie. If you waver now, how will Elsie face others in the future?¡±


    Paul retorted, ¡°Yes, I want to break off the engagement, but that doesn¡¯t mean Yunice and I have to sever all ties. After all, we¡¯ll still be seeing each other often¡­¡±


    Before Paul could finish, Owen cut him off coldly. ¡°You and Yunny can only sever all ties. You know better than anyone that Yunny is possessive and vengeful. In her mind, you belong to her. If you marry Elsie, she will only take her resentment out on her.¡±


    Owen exhaled heavily. ¡°I just hope you and Elsie get married as soon as possible. Once she moves into your family, I won¡¯t have to worry every single day.¡±


    But Paul barely registered thetter half of Owen¡¯s words. His mind was still stuck on one sentence¡ª¡±You belong to her.¡±


    That was what I used to believe, too. But now Yunice wanted to break off the engagement¡­


    After speaking for a while, Owen realized Paul wasn¡¯t responding at all. He raised a hand and punched him lightly. ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about Yunny, aren¡¯t you!¡±


    I had already noticed it earlier. When we were in the living room, Paul sat next to Elsie, but his eyes were fixed on Yunny the whole time.


    This bastard¡ªdoes he think he¡¯s the next romantic tragic hero?


    Paul, growing impatient, rubbed his shoulder and countered, ¡°I just think you¡¯re all being too cruel to Yunice. Don¡¯t forget, she¡¯s a Saunders too. Yet you won¡¯t even give her a proper room in her own home, and even a housekeeper can falsely use her of theft.¡±


    The Saunders mansion was a standalone vi with plenty of rooms. Even Oscar¡¯s room on the second floor was empty¡ªwhy couldn¡¯t they spare a decent room for Yunice?


    Owen¡¯s face turned red with frustration as he blurted out, ¡°And are you any better? You rejected Yunny because you thought she was mentally ill and were afraid it would be a disgrace if word got out. That¡¯s why you chose to marry Elsie instead, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Paul choked on his words, irritated, and went home.


    That night, Owen tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Paul¡¯s words echoed in his mind.


    Staring at the ceiling, he thought, this was the home where Yunice had lived for eighteen years.


    Before Dad passed away, he had grasped mine and Oscar¡¯s hands, his final words urging us to take good care of their little sister.


    But now, not only had I failed to care for her, I had treated her worse and worse¡ªso much so that even Paul, a privileged yboy, could criticize him.


    Owen calcted in his mind. There were four rooms with good lighting, upied by myself, Oscar, Yunice, and Dad¡¯s master bedroom.


    After Dad passed away, Elsie and her mother had shared the master bedroom for two years. Only when Yunice was sent to the psychiatric hospital did Elsie finally get her own private space.


    Who should switch rooms with Yunice?


    Elsie had asthma and was the youngest in the family¡ªshe couldn¡¯t be made to suffer.


    Mom was an elder, so it was out of the question for a younger member to take her room.


    Oscar, as the eldest, couldn¡¯t be expected to stay in a smaller room.


    And I had too many office supplies¡ªthere was no way a small room could amodate them.


    Turning over and over, he still couldn¡¯t sleep.


    Finally, he got up and turned on hisputer.


    After searching for a while, he found a death certificate from a year ago.


    Lauren Drake, female, 19. Admitted to Silverburgh Psychiatric Hospital. Died from mechanical asphyxiation due to an ident.


    His hand, gripping the mouse, trembled slightly. Owen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t lied¡ªthe psychiatric hospital was a ce where wills caused people to die.


    The thought of Yunice, frail and defenseless, having her hair yanked, her spine crushed under a knee, her delicate fingers scratching at the floor in agony¡ªit made Owen breathless.


    Emotion surged through him. He reached for the kettle to pour himself a ss of water to calm down, but the scalding liquid sshed onto his hand. The sharp pain made his scalp tingle, and he couldn¡¯t help but cry out.


    As he checked his reddened skin irritably, an image suddenly surfaced in his mind, Yunice plunging her hand into the burning coals that day.


    He stared at his own hand, his eyes filled with shock.


    So this is how much a burn hurts.


    My skin was merely reddened, and yet the pain was unbearable. But Yunice¡¯s palms had been burned to the point of raw flesh and blood, and though she had trembled all over, breaking out in cold sweat, she had not made a single sound.


    Owen parted his lips slightly. Only now did he finally understand what it meant to be ustomed to pain.


    She must have suffered so much at the psychiatric hospital, so much that, eventually, she had grown numb.


    His eyes burned red with heartache, but the next second, anger surged through him. He furiously wiped his tears away, ming Yunice for being so stubborn!


    Why hadn¡¯t she sought help from the nurses when she was bullied at the hospital?


    Why hadn¡¯t she called her family to stand up for her?


    She was just holding a grudge against them, refusing to bow her head to her own family. That¡¯s why she had endured so much suffering in silence.


    He simply couldn¡¯t understand¡ªwhat had the family done so wrong to make her resist them so much?


    What was she holding onto?


    ¡­


    At dawn, someone knocked on Yunice¡¯s door.


    Owen stood at the entrance, one hand in his pocket, his brows furrowed as he listened to the slow movements inside.


    When Yunice opened the door, Owen scrutinized her. She looked much better than she had the previous days. Remembering her injuries, he softened his tone. ¡°Get ready. We¡¯re going to the hospital for a full check-up.¡±


    Yunny replied, ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t have an ID. I can¡¯t register.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our own hospital; rules don¡¯t apply.¡± Owen observed her and felt she was just being stubborn.


    His gazended on her hanging hands. Restraining his temper, he said, ¡°I haven¡¯t found your bracelet yet, but I¡¯ll return it once I do. Mom and Oscar¡¯s rooms aren¡¯t an option, but don¡¯t worry; just wait for me. I¡¯ll buy you your own estate once the hospital¡¯s monthly earnings are settled.¡±


    Wait?


    He wanted me to wait again?


    I had been fooled by this word too many times. When Elsie first arrived at the Saunders family, they had coaxed me, saying, ¡°Just wait a little longer; Elsie will stop taking Mom away from you. Just wait a little longer; she¡¯ll be more considerate. Just wait, and she¡¯ll be close to you.¡±


    I will no longer believe in their empty promises.


    And I knew Owen wouldn¡¯t buy me a house. By tomorrow, he¡¯d be using the same promise to cate Elsie instead.


    Owen waited for a reaction. In the past, if I mentioned giving her gifts, she¡¯d smile no matter how angry she was. I was offering her a house now¡ªshe should be happy, right?


    But Yunice still didn¡¯t look pleased.


    Owen was baffled. ¡°I promised you a room and your bracelet¡ªwhat more do you want?¡±


    Yuniceughed. ¡°Those were mine to begin with. Are they rewards now¡±?


    Owen was asked; he was embarrassed and found something else wrong with Yunice, ¡°You haven¡¯t even called me brother since you came back; are you going to break ties with your family?¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to break ties; it¡¯s that I can no longer call you brother.¡±


    Owen¡¯s brows wrinkled. What does she mean?


    He didn¡¯t understand. Soon, Yunice let him hear it, ¡°You said you¡¯re going to take me to the hospital, so when the subordinates ask about me, how are you going to introduce me?¡±


    Owen was about to speak; Yunice interrupted, ¡°Elsie went to school for me, interned at my family¡¯s hospital for me, and studied for my postgraduate degree; her social circle has long been fused with Yunice¡¯s name, and anyone who recognizes her will only recognize her and not me.¡±


    Yunice looked at Owen and analyzed, ¡°You took me to the hospital; surely you can¡¯t say my real identity. You can only say that I¡¯m one of your younger sisters, or else Elsie¡¯s identity that has been operated on for all these years will be worn out. You also don¡¯t want Elsie to be misunderstood as an impostor and liar, right?¡±

 Daghter 11

    <strong>Chapter 11 Get Out Of This House</strong>


    Yunice¡¯s concern was something Owen had never considered, but he knew very well in his heart.


    Yunice is right.


    In front of outsiders, Yunice couldn¡¯t call herself Yunice and couldn¡¯t admit her rtionship with the Saunders family; otherwise, Elsie would be swept up in the whirlpool of public opinion.


    One identity cannot be used by two people at the same time.


    Just now, Owen had been angry at Yunice for her bad attitude, but now his tone weakened a bit. ¡°Elsie is still in graduate school. You don¡¯t need your ID anyway, so why not lend it to someone who does? Once she starts working, she¡¯ll return it to you.¡±


    Yunice sneered at herself. Always waiting.


    Owen patted her shoulder, softening his tone. ¡°You have food and drink at home; no need to study or work. Do you know how many people would kill for a life like this?¡±


    His tone suggested that Yunice was being ungrateful.


    She said nothing, but when she saw Elsie approaching, she mocked, ¡°So this is a good life? Then why make Elsie work so hard? Is the family unwilling to support her?¡±


    Owen caught the sarcasm in her words; his face darkened, but he couldn¡¯t refute her.


    Everyone knew that having ability was better than being a failure. But Yunice¡¯s history of mental illness was now on her record, leaving her with no future.


    It was a waste to let the identity of a Saunders daughter go unused. Letting Elsie borrow it to bring honor to the family¡ªwhat was wrong with that?


    Yet, Owen knew the truth. Yunice had never been mentally ill. The only reason they had dered her so was to prevent her from having a criminal record.


    Elsie had originallye to call them for dinner but happened to overhear Yunice¡¯s sarcastic remark.


    She pretended not to hear and reached out sweetly to take Owen¡¯s arm, only for him to avoid her.


    In truth, Owen held some resentment toward Elsie. Kindness itself wasn¡¯t wrong, but reckless kindness only caused trouble for others.


    Three years ago, if she hadn¡¯t rushed into the fire, I wouldn¡¯t have had to make that impossible choice, and Yunice wouldn¡¯t have been pushed to the point of attacking someone.


    Sensing Owen¡¯s irritation, Elsie¡¯s mind turned. She realized he was feeling guilty toward Yunice.


    ¡°Yunice, Owen cares about you the most. He¡¯s been so busy these days, but he still found time to prepare a gift for you,¡± Elsie said before turning to Owen. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ying the peacemaker, Elsie was giving Owen an out.


    Owen tossed out a ne, his expression cold. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡±


    Yunice looked at the pendant¡ªtworge stars protecting a smaller one in the middle.


    It was the gift I had wanted three years ago. But now, finally having received it, I felt nothing.


    People change. Three years ago, I had cherished family and love. Now, those were the things I despised most.


    But if I refused the ne, Owen would definitely get angry.


    She didn¡¯t want to suffer needlessly. Just as she reached for it, Owen, irritated, shoved the ne into Elsie¡¯s hands instead.


    ¡°So hesitant and unwilling. If you don¡¯t want it, then don¡¯t take it! Giving it to Elsie is better than wasting it on you!¡±


    Elsie froze, looking embarrassed.


    Owen hadn¡¯t truly wanted to give the ne to me. He was just using it to provoke Yunice.


    Since when did he care so much about Yunice¡¯s reaction?


    Sensing danger, Elsie hesitated before saying, ¡°Then I¡¯ll hold onto it for Yunice. If she wants itter, I¡¯ll give it to her.¡±


    Owen waved her off. ¡°No need. Giving it to her is a waste of emotions!¡±


    After Owen left, Elsie nced at Yunice before quickly following him.


    Yunice thought for a moment and decided to follow as well.


    In the dining room, Owen noticed Elsie had arrived alone. He was about to criticize Yunice for skipping dinner when she walked in.


    Elsie looked slightly surprised. Yunice had learned her lesson.


    If she had arrived a secondter, I would have told Owen that Yunice didn¡¯t want to eat. Given Owen¡¯s personality, he would have immediately banned her from joining meals in the future.


    But Yunice had long since seen through Elsie¡¯s tricks.


    A crying child gets more attention. In the past, I had suffered because I didn¡¯t know when to yield. That wouldn¡¯t happen anymore.


    I no longer had expectations for this family, nor did I hope they wouldfort me.


    Living under someone else¡¯s roof, what¡¯s wrong with bowing my head?


    Once I reimed my identity, I would leave the Saunders family.


    The dining table was long. Lily and Owen sat on one side, while Elsie sat across from Lily.


    By this arrangement, Yunice should sit behind Elsie.


    But the thought disgusted her, so she left an empty seat between them and sat further away.


    Owen¡¯s lips tightened in displeasure, irritation brewing inside him.


    Lily stood up and gently ced a piece of chicken in Yunice¡¯s bowl.


    Yunice¡¯s gaze flickered over the others¡¯ bowls¡ªboth Owen and Elsie had drumsticks.


    I already knew how things worked, but seeing tangible proof of myck of importance still felt like being cut by a dull knife.


    I had been born during the worst period of fighting between my parents.


    My mother had refused to hold me out of spite. Then she ran away and disappeared.


    As a child from a single-parent home, I had always been burdened with cruelty and rumors.


    ¡°Your mom ran away with another man.¡±


    ¡°She abandoned you because she hated you.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t she run away when she had your two brothers? She left only after having you. It must be your fault.¡±


    These words had followed me all through my childhood.


    Yet, no matter what others said, I had still held onto hope for my mother. Now, that childhood dream was simply broken.


    Lost in thought, she was startled when a drumstick was tossed into her bowl.


    She looked up in surprise. Owen nced at her before pulling back his chopsticks.


    Seeing this, Elsie immediately smiled and ced her own drumstick in Owen¡¯s bowl. ¡°Owen, you can have mine.¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression softened into a warm smile. Lily¡¯s eyes reddened with emotion. ¡°Seeing you siblings care for each other like this makes me so happy.¡±


    As the three of themughed together, Yunice found the drumstick in her bowl particrly ironic.


    Was a drumstick such a precious thing? Did they have to pass it around just to prove they cared?


    No, they had never considered preparing one for me initially.


    At the table, the three of them chatted about their ns for the day. Elsie brought up the bracelet incident again, kindly vouching for Giana, insisting she couldn¡¯t have stolen it.


    ¡°I must have misced it. I¡¯ll save up and buy Yunice a new one.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even look up, simply humming in acknowledgment.


    But to others, her response seemed perfunctory.


    Owen looked over at her, sitting apart from the rest as if trying to distance herself from the family. Then he nced at her untouched food.


    A surge of anger erupted within him. Suddenly, he shot up and mmed her bowl to the floor!


    Rice was scattered everywhere, even onto Yunice¡¯s clothes, but she didn¡¯t move to brush it off.


    Shocked, she looked at Owen, not knowing what had provoked him this time.


    He snapped, ¡°Elsie apologized, and you ignored her. Mom and I gave you food, and you didn¡¯t eat a bite. We all bend over backwards to please you, and yet you act so high and mighty¡ªwho do you think you are?!¡±


    With that, he kicked her bowl away and dered coldly, ¡°If you can¡¯t stand us so much, then get out of this house! No one will stop you!¡±

 Daghter 12

    Chapter 12 The Two Families Discuss The Annulment


    Yunice gazed at Owen <b>in </b>sorrow, her eyes filled with a tangled mix of resentment and grievance.


    This house <b>was </b>left behind by Dad!


    I was a daughter of the Saunders family also! What right did Owen have to drive me out?


    No one had the right to throw me out of Dad¡¯s house!


    +8 Pearls


    Because Dad had made a will, dividing the family assets into three parts, real estate belonged to me, savings went to Oscar, and hospital


    Ito shares were given to Ouren


    Dad had said that since I¡¯m a girl, I would need a house as a foundation when I married Oscar, with cash in hand, could fund his new drug research, while Owen, with his medical connections, could boost pharmaceutical sales. Yenice, in turn, could provide insights for Oscar¡¯s drug development


    The three of us were supposed toplement each other in a virtuous cycle. Now that they <b>had </b>achieved <b>sess</b>, they saw me as useless and decided to cast me aside?


    Yunice <b>was </b>so furious that she could hardly breathe. She clenched her palms tightly <b>and </b>locked eyes with Owen in a heated re.


    She wanted tosh out, but reason held her back¨Cshe couldn¡¯t fight head¨Con.


    Right now, I couldn¡¯t even prove my identity. Bringing up the will recklessly would only benefit Elsie.


    Moreover, after three years in <i>the </i>psychiatric hospital. I had lost my connections and resources. Without money or support, who would help me fight awsuit?


    Yunice shut her eyes in frustration. Powerless rage was useless. Confronting them head¨Con would only get me sent back to the pychiatric hospital


    When she reopened her eyes, all emotion <b>had </b>vanished from them. She <b>wiped </b>away the rice grains from her face with her


    <b>am </b>


    Then, she swiftly crouched down and picked up the chicken drumstick from the floor. She hesitated for a brief moment at <b>the </b>sight of the bright red chili oil on it.


    But only for a moment. She then took a big bite and swallowed mechanically like a lifeless doll.


    Everyone <b>was </b>stunned. Elsie put on <b>a </b>show <b>of </b>concern and eximed, ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t eat that; it¡¯s dirty..¡±


    Owen was also taken <b>aback</b>¨Che hadn¡¯t expected <b>Yunice </b>to pick up food from the floor and eat it.


    At that moment, <b>a </b>shocked voice came from the doorway. ¡°What <b>is </b><b>going </b>on here?¡±


    Margaret Grant, who is Paul¡¯s mother, was so stunned that she forgot her manners and strode in.


    It wasn¡¯t until she saw <b>Yunice </b>actually eating off the floor that she turned to Owen and Lily with <b>an </b>indescribable expression.


    y immediately turned her head away in shame.


    Lily


    Owen stepped forward to greet her. ¡°<b>Madam </b>Margaret, what brings you here?¡±


    Margaret raised her <b>hand </b>to <b>brush </b>him off. She had intended to question Owen, but upon seeing Yunice squatting there. numbly eating the drumstick<b>, </b>she rushed over and snatched it away.


    Her voice <b>trembled </b>with distress<b>. </b>¡°Don¡¯t eat that! It¡¯s too spicy! <b>You </b><b>have </b><b>a </b>gastric disease! How can you handle such spicy


    food¡±


    Owen had assumed Margaret <b>was </b>upset because <b>Yunice </b>ate off the floor, but upon hearing about her gastric disease, he was


    10:45 AM c.


    Chapter 12 The Two Families Discuss The Annulment


    Yunice, now supported by Margaret, <b>turned </b>to Owen and asked, ¡°I finished eating. Are you pleased <b>now</b>!


    Owen was at a loss for words.


    That wasn¡¯t that I meant. I had assumed she was deliberately only eating in rice.


    ¡°If your stomach was unwell, why didn¡¯t you say anything?¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice replied. ¡°I did. But you said Mom worked hard to cook and told me not to be fussy. You said eating one bite wouldn¡¯t


    kill me.¡±


    In the mountains, resources were scarce, and people preferred spicy food. Having lived there for fifteen years, Lily and Elsie had long since adapted to eating spicy dishes.


    After returning home, Lily, wanting to make it up to her children, frequently cooked feasts of spicy food.


    Elsie naturally enjoyed it, and both of her brothers weren¡¯t picky eaters. But I couldn¡¯t handle <b>spice </b>at all


    When I was young, Dad had to y both parental roles. Unable to always tend to me personally, he had hired a nanny to care for me. However, the nanny had been negligent, leaving me hungry to the point of developing a chronic stomach condition.


    After that, no matter where Dad went, on business trips or meetings, he always took me along, ensuring my health improved.


    But in the three years I spent in the psychiatric hospital, I had been deprived of proper meals and grew even more sensitive to spicy food<b>. </b>


    ¡°If she can¡¯t eat it, she can¡¯t eat it. How is that being fussy?¡± Margaret scanned the table full of spicy dishes and directed her anger at Lily. ¡°You¡¯re a mother. How <b>hard </b>is it to ask your daughter <b>what </b>she wants to <b>eat</b>?


    ¡°1¡± Lily¡¯s eyes reddened as she lowered her head and wiped away tears.


    Owen unable to bear seeing his mother upset, frowned and said, ¡°Madam Margaret, she didn¡¯t say anything. How were supposed to know?¡±


    Margaret held Yunice protectively. ¡°Even I knew, so doesn¡¯t <b>that </b>mean you should be reflecting on yourselves<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen fell silent.


    Yunice felt a stabbing pain in her stomach<b>. </b>Pressing her hand against it, she endured the difort.


    Noticing this<b>. </b>Margaret <b>quickly </b>supported her and turned to the others. ¡°I¡¯m taking Yunny with me. Owen instinctively wanted to stop her.


    <b>we </b>


    But Yunice looked him in the eye <b>and </b><b>said </b>firmly, ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll do everything you ask. But I won¡¯t exin myself to you ever again


    Watching Yunice¡¯s unsteady steps as she followed Margaret away, Owen looked at the scattered rice and chili kes on the floor, a deep turmoil in his heart.


    I hadn¡¯t expected things to turn out like this¡­


    Earlier, Hanser had asked if I was pleased.


    Now could he be pleased? For what? She was my own sister; seeing her in pain only made my heart ache.


    Yanur had done exactly as I had asked. When I told her to hold the burning charcoal, she did. When I told her to stand straight, she When I told her in eat, she ate<ol><li>un) happy. This man the <b>oue </b>I had wanted. I just <b>wanted </b>Yanice to be obedient, to <b>get </b>along with the family without</li></ol>


    10 <b>45 </b>AM


    Chapter 12 The Two Families Discuss The Annulment


    ¡°Huh?¡± Lily flinched, her eyes darting around nervously before she finally murmured. ¡°She never told me.¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Having endured <b>much </b>hardship, Lily was deeply respected by both Owen and Oscar. They had never raised their voices at


    ber


    But today. Owen <b>broke </b><b>that </b>rule. Despite Lily¡¯s difort, he <b>pressed </b>on. Then did you ever ask her what she likes to eat?¡±


    Lily hesitated before stammering. ¡°Maybe because I didn¡¯t raise her when she was <b>young</b><b>, </b>she doesn¡¯t feel close to me. She doesn¡¯t talk to <b>me </b>much..


    <b>Owen¡¯s </b>expression darkened. I could tell she was lying


    I had watched Yunice grow up. As a child, every birthday wish she made was for our mother toe back and hold her.


    The first night Mom was rescued and brought home. Yunice had eagerly wanted to share a room with her, saying she had a lifetime of things to talk about.


    But what had our mother said?


    She had said that Elsie was afraid and needed her, that the bed wasn¡¯t big enough for three people, and had told Yunice to sleep alone.


    For the first time, Owen realized that maybe their mother had never truly cared about Yunice.


    And at the door, Paul <b>had </b>witnessed it all. He hade with Margaret.


    Margaret was Paul¡¯s mother, and she had watched Yunice grow up. The two got along well.


    Paul hade to the Saunders mansion today because his father wanted both families to have a meal together and formally discuss the annulment


    Margaret had worried that the annulment would be another blow to Yunice, so she hade personally to <b>take </b>Yunice away, hoping to prepare her in advance.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 13

    Chapter 13 He Is Wyatt Cooper


    +8 Pearls


    Inside the car, Margaret twisted open a boule of water <b>and </b>handed it to Yunice. ¡°Be <b>good</b>, drink some water. You¡¯ll feel


    better¡­


    Thank you. Madam Margaret.¡±


    Seeing Yunice looking so weak, Margaret¡¯s eyes welled up with tears.


    She dabbed her eyes with a tissue before starting the car and heading to a pharmacy to buy some stomach medicine for Yunice.


    Yunice remained silent and <b>distant </b>from Margaret.


    Her gaze was fixed on the scenery outside the car window, like a caged bird longing for something beyond its reach.


    Margaret sniffled and spoke while driving. ¡°Yunny, do <b>you </b>me me for not visiting you?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyshes trembled slightly at these words. She lowered her eyes and replied, ¡°No.¡±


    Margaret was Paul¡¯s mother, not mine. I had no right to expect kindness from her.


    Berides, the Powell family teas about to annul the engagement. Soon, Margaret would be Elsie¡¯s husband¡¯s mother.


    <i>If </i><i>I </i>didn¡¯t know my ce, things would only be more awkward


    I had <b>no </b><b>desire </b>to maintain these superficial rtionships anymore. All I wanted now was a secure identity I could rely on


    Margaret wiped her tears and sighed. ¡°Yunny, I won¡¯t lie to you. I made a poor <b>choice </b>in marriage and have only been living at facade of happiness. I¡¯ve spent most of the past few <b>years </b>abroad and rarely returned¡­ I have little say in major family


    <b>Yunice </b>understood the implication behind Margaret¡¯s words. The major matter¡± she referred to was undoubtedly the annulment of my engagement to Paul


    After a moment of thought, Yunice turned to Margaret ¡°Did Paul not tell you that I already agreed to break off the engagement?¡±


    The car suddenly sped up before Margaret steadied herself and raised her voice. ¡°You agreed?¡±


    Yunice hummed in response <b>and </b><b>said </b>seriously, ¡°Paul and Elsie love each other. I¡¯m willing to step aside for them.¡±


    Why hold on to a man who had already strayed?


    Margaret still found it <b>hard </b>to believe. ¡°But you love <b>Paul </b>so much. Are you really willing to let go?¡±


    She just hoped Yunice <b>wasn¡¯t </b>suppressing her <b>emotions </b>and nning something drastic<b>. </b>


    It wasn¡¯t <b>that </b>Margaret was wary of Yunice, but the events from three years ago had been <b>too </b>extreme. She didn¡¯t want history to repeat itself.


    Loving someone deeply for so long and then suddenly iming to have <b>no </b>feelings¨Cit <b>was </b>hard to believe,


    Yunice responded, ¡°I was only with Paul to give my father peace of mind. In truth, I¡¯ve always seen him as an older brother. I never intended to marry him.


    Margaret was momentarily stunned and nced at Yunice with uncertainty.


    Her gaze was clear<b>, </b>carrying <b>a </b>soft indifference, with no <b>trace </b><b>of </b><b>heartbreak</b><b>. </b>


    Seeing this, Margaret asked no further questions. No matter what, Yunice agreeing to the annulment was beneficial to <b>everyone</b>.


    1046 AM c


    Chapter 13 He Is Wyatt Cooper


    +8 Pearls


    Margaret stepped forward and yanked the tag off, making it impossible to return. That brat wronged you so badly. What¡¯s wrong with his <b>mother </b>spending a little money on his behalf?¡±


    Yunice exhaled slowly. After enduring for so long, even the smallest kindness made me uneary.


    Margaret then personally did Yunice¡¯s makeup before taking her to <b>the </b>private dining room.


    As the elevator doors opened and Yunice was about to step in, she felt Margaret suddenly freeze beside her.


    Then, Margaret spoke in an uneasy tone, ¡°Wyatt?¡±


    Yunice lifted her head and first saw a ck cane and polished leather shoes. Her heart skipped a beat.


    When she looked up at his face, she immediately averted her gaze, avoiding eye contact.


    It was the man from the alley that night.


    I hadn¡¯t seen his face clearly back then, but I recognized that cane.


    Wyatt swept his atmused gaze over Yunice before speaking to Margaret. ¡°What a coincidence. You¡¯re here <b>too</b>, Margaret?¡±


    Margaret felt apprehensive around Wyatt. She knew his words weren¡¯t directed at her, so she simply replied in a low <b>voice</b>, ¡°Your brother is having dinner with the Saunders family.¡±


    Wyatt let out an ¡°Oh¡± and made <b>a </b>thoughtful gesture. ¡°The Saunders family¡­ It must be <b>about </b>the annulment, right? I heard the Saunders girl has <b>a </b>mental illness. My brother is such a proud man¨Chow could he ever ept someone like that into our <b>family</b>!¡±


    Talking about someone like this to <b>her </b>face¨Cbow shameless.


    as


    <b>Margaret </b>nced awkwardly at Yunice before saying. ¡°That¡¯s just a rumor. Ms. Saunders is perfectly fine. Your brother is very happy with this marriage.¡±


    Wyatt smirked. ¡°So tonight¡¯s dinner is for discussing the wedding? Congrattions.¡±


    He stepped out of the elevator, his cane making a dull thud against the marble floor.


    Only then did Margaret pull Yunice into the elevator.


    As the doors closed, Yunice stared at the man¡¯s towering figure and instinctively asked, ¡°He¡¯s Wyatt Cooper?¡±


    Sensing Yunice¡¯s curiosity, <b>Margaret </b>warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by his looks. He¡¯s a bad guy.¡±


    Yunice had heard of Wyan¡¯s notorious reputation since childhood.


    At a Powell family banquet I attended as a child, I had witnessed him knocking over an entire champagne tower, causing a huge scene.


    Back then, Wyatt had been a rebellious teenager without a disability, already disying his defiant nature.


    No wonder I had found him familiar in the alley. I had met him before.


    As for Wyatt¡¯s position, Paul had to call him ¡°Uncle,¡± though he never did, nor did he acknowledge any rtionship with Wyatt.


    After all, Wyatt was an illegitimate son. The Powell family had wanted him to change his surname to Powell, but he refused, insisting on keeping his mother¡¯s surname. As a result, the Powell family never epted him.


    But judging by Margaret¡¯s reaction earlier, the power dynamics in the Powell family seemed to <b>be </b>shifting.


    The elevator chimed, snapping Yunice out of her thoughts. She followed Margaret into the private dining room.


    Not long after, Owen and Lily arrived.


    10:46 AM


    Chapter 13 He Is Wyatt Cooper


    Today, Elsie is the main focus.


    +8 Pearls


    Margaret held Yunice¡¯s hand and said to Owen, ¡°I just <b>wanted </b>Yunny to chat with me. Do you have a problem with that? If not for Yunny¡¯s father, we wouldn¡¯t even be sitting at the same table. Don¡¯t forget your roots, Mr. Owen¡±


    Margaret¡¯s words made Lily lower her head, while Owen¡¯s face darkened in silence.


    Because of the power of the Powell family, he couldn¡¯t argue with Margaret when she was <b>defending </b>Yunice.


    A whileter. <b>Paul¡¯s </b>father, Jensen Powell, arrived with a young woman.


    Everyone immediately stood up, and Yunice looked at the <b>unfamiliar </b>woman beside Jensen in confusion. I had never seen her before.


    Noticing the sudden change in Margaret¡¯s expression, Yunice finally understood what she meant by ¡°having a difficult life.¡±


    The woman took her seat next to Jensen, smiling graciously at Margaret before turning her attention to Lily.


    These powerful figures were masters at maintaining a perfect facade, hiding the storm brewing beneath the surface.


    Yunice onlyter learned that Jensen had been with <b>this </b><b>woman </b>for years. Margaret had endured the humiliation and divorced him three years ago.


    I


    Paul entered the room holding Elsie¡¯s hand <b>and </b>addressed everyone, ¡®Elsie and I were just ordering food. Sorry to keep you all waiting


    Jensen¡¯s new <b>wife </b>smiled warmly. ¡°And this must be Yunny? She¡¯s so graceful and refined. No wonder Paul adores her.¡±

 Daghter 14

    Chapter 14 No Grudges, Why Is He After Me?


    Jensen frowned and pulled his arm away from the woman beside him.


    It was obvious he found her clinging too tant, embarrassing even.


    +8 Pearls


    Everyone at the table had known each other for over twenty years. No one was ignorant of each other¡¯s dirtyundry. She wasn¡¯t even trying to hide it¨Calmost as if she was unting her status <b>as </b>a mistress.


    An awkward silence fell over the room. <b>Paul </b>tugged Elsie to <b>a </b>seat but didn¡¯t bother introducing her.


    Owen watched their intertwined hands with growing irritation. The engagement with Yunice wasn¡¯t even officially annulled yet, and he was <b>already </b>so rager?


    Noticing the shift in Owen¡¯s expression, Elsie instinctively tried to pull her hand away.


    But <b>Paul</b>, as if deliberately trying to provoke, tightened his grip and ced their joined hands openly on the table for jeveryone to see<b>. </b>


    Naturally, this action drew attention to Yunice.


    Several gazes fell upon her, but she remained seated,posed, her eyes downcast <b>in </b>quiet detachment. It was <b>as </b>if the world. around her didn¡¯t exist.


    Both Owen and Lily sighed in relief. Finally, Yunice was acting sensibly. She should know when to let go if she couldn¡¯t hold on


    But Paul¡¯s face darkened.


    Why wasn¡¯t she reacting? Why wasn¡¯t she making a scene?


    <b>Did </b>the not care about me at all?


    Yunice seemed like nothing more than an extra at the table. She paid attention to neither the conversations nor the unfolding drama. It <b>was </b><b>as </b>if she was there merely to have a meal.


    And truthfully, no one <b>was </b>speaking to her either.


    Soon, <b>the </b>waitstaff arrived with the dishes. Margaret didn¡¯t <b>bother </b>with formalities; she picked up her chopsticks immediately.


    She served herself, then ced food onto <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>te, whispering. ¡°Eat up. If nothing <b>else</b>, at least <b>don¡¯t </b>wrong yourself.¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t say she wasn¡¯t touched. Betrayed by both family and fianc¨¦, she had long stopped cing expectations on


    anyone<b>. </b>


    So Margaret¡¯s warmth made her feel a little bitter.


    Quietly, she ate the light, refreshing dishes, boding her stomach <b>finally </b>at <b>ease</b>.


    Once thest dish was served, a server smiled <b>and </b>announced, ¡°Ladies and gentlemen<b>, </b>all dishes have been <b>brought </b>out. If you need anything else, please call my employee number.¡±


    ¡°My number is 1030¡±


    Chatter


    The sound of tes knocking and chairs scraping against the floor merged as Yunice abruptly shot up, her voice trembling as the instinctively responded. ¡°Present!¡±


    Her reaction was so sudden <b>that </b>everyone flinched in shock, especially Lily, who clutched her chest as if she might faint.


    ment. I neina his nati


    estienza ha stand <b>un </b>and


    Chapter 14 No Grudges, Why Is He After Me?


    Without a word, she turned and left.


    Why stay and endure their contemper til rather have some peace outside.


    Ironically, as she left in embarrassment, not a single person <b>spoke </b>up.


    <b>Just </b>when she thought she was <b>finally </b>out of it, Jensen¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°Hold on.¡±


    Yunice stopped and turned around.


    She saw Jensen exchange a look with the woman beside him, who then retrieved a red envelope from her bag.


    Both Yunice and Paul recognized it instantly; it was their engagement contract.


    +8 Pearls


    Jensen¡¯s imposing gaze bore into Yunice. ¡°You know why you¡¯re here today. <b>Do </b>I need to spell it out? Sign off and leave,¡±


    Yunice stepped forward, took the document, and nced at it.


    Paul suddenly tensed. If she signed, the contract would be void. Surely, Yanice wouldn¡¯t go through with it? <i>If </i>she truly wanted to break it off why had she been acting so indifferent toward me? Hisn¡¯t it just a ploy to get my attention?


    Now that she was about to lose me as herst bargaining chip, she wouldn¡¯t keep up the act, would she? Maybe <i>she¡¯d </i>even beg us to


    Just as Paul was imagining Yunice breaking down in regret, her calm voice cut through <b>his </b>thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯ve signed.¡±


    ¡°What


    Paul shot to his feet.


    Now I <b>was </b>everyone else¡¯s turn to give him odd looks.


    Wasn¡¯t he the one demanding the breakup? hy was he so agitated note!


    Yunite ced the annulled engagement contract neatly on the table and left.


    But once outside, she had nowhere to go. She leaned <b>against </b>the railing, staring at the red <b>ink </b>on her fingertip, feeling a Krange emptiness.


    <i>He </i>had been my fance for over ten years. It was impossible not to feel anything as our bond was officially severed.


    I didn¡¯t know who else I could rely on. I felt like a floating weed, with no ce to call home.


    Just then, a waiter approached her kindly and said that ady <b>inside </b>had asked her to return to the room and wait instead of


    andering around.


    11 uur produ?y Margaret.


    Taking the key card, Yunice started heading <b>back</b>.


    tou went to the ck market that night. Does your family know!¡±


    A yful voice rang out behind her, making Yunice stiffen


    She turned around auffly and met Wyatt¡¯s gaze.


    Wyatt stood with his hands resting atop a cane, his sharply tailored trousers fitting his long, straight legs. When motionless, his limp <b>was </b>almost imperceptible


    There were endless numors in Silverbureh alwus lum Watt¡¯s lee had been indored


    Chapter 14 No Grudges, Why Is He After Me?


    +8 Pearls


    No one knew the truth about his leg, but everyone knew about his notorious reputation. Half the people in Silverburgh avoided him, while the other half wished they could take him down for good.


    Yunice¡¯s expression turned wary. Nothing good ever came from dealing with him


    Noticing her guarded stance, Wyatt raised <b>his </b>wrist and smirked. ¡°Did you steal this from home too?¡±


    Seeing the jade bracelet <b>on </b><b>his </b>wrist, Yunice¡¯s breath caught. She lunged forward, reaching for it. ¡°That¡¯s mine! How did bracelet end up with you?¡±


    Wyatt lifted his hand above his head. Given their height difference, even on tiptoes, Yunice couldn¡¯t reach.


    Jumping twice only left her gasping in pain.


    Wyatt tilted his <b>head</b><b>, </b>watching her struggle. ¡°Is it yours? I thought it belonged to the pawn shop.¡±


    Yunice <b>red </b>up at him. ¡°You investigated me?¡±


    I <b>had </b>pawned the bracelet before running into him. For him to have it now meant he had looked into me after the fact.


    ¡°But pawn shops have confidentiality policies-


    Wyatt cut in indifferently. ¡°Policies bend to money. Do you think buying your bracelet was difficult?¡±


    Yunice had no counterargument. After <b>a </b>pause, she closed her eyes, resigned.


    Talking about rules in <b>a </b>ck market¨Conly a fool would do that.


    I had nned to buy back the bracelet in three months once I had saved 70,000 dors. Now, even if I had the money, the shop would just im it was lost and throw me somepensation to shut me up


    Regret washed over her. But soon, another question dawned on her.


    I and Wyatt had no grievances. If anything, I had saved his life that night. Though the situation had been less than dignified, it wasn¡¯t enough reason for him to chase me down for revenge.


    Maybe I had judged him unfairly<b>. </b>Just because others called him a viin didn¡¯t mean I should assume the same.


    So, with a sincere expression, she asked, ¡°Did you redeem my bracelet to repay your debt for me saving your life?¡±


    Send Gifts


    :19

 Daghter 15

    Chapter 15 Your Fianc¨¦e Sure Knows a Lot


    ¡°Huh?¡± Wyatt found it utterly <b>amusing</b>, raising <b>an </b>eyebrow. ¡°Do you take me for a saint?¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    The rumors about him being born wicked weren¡¯t unjustified<b>. </b>


    Yunice had lost her <b>naivery</b>. She frowned and asked, ¡°What will it take for you to return it?¡±


    With his status, he certainly wasn¡¯t after money. It was most likely just for his own amusement.


    Wyatt seemed undecided about his terms and remained silent for a moment.


    <b>Just </b>then, the private room door behind <b>him </b>opened from the inside, signaling the end of the gathering. Owen was the first to step out, his expression grim.


    Paul followed closely behind, about to speak to Owen when his gaze unexpectedlynded on Yunice.


    His heart clenched when he saw the man standing opposite her. He rushed forward and pulled Yunice behind him, snapping at Wyatt, ¡°<b>What </b>are you doing standing with her?!¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t yelled, it would¡¯ve been fine. But his outburst immediately drew the attention of everyone emerging from the private room


    Seeing Paul clutching Yunice, Jensen¡¯s face darkened.


    I had just helped him get rid of this burden, yet here he was, entangling himself with her again!


    An absolute fool, just like his mother, driven by emotions.


    Meanwhile, Owen instinctively looked at Elsie. As expected, she appeared dejected, her eyes red, yet she still spoke kindly on their behalf. ¡°<b>Paul </b>is standing up for <b>Yunice</b>. It shows that he¡¯s a man of loyalty.¡±


    Paul might <i>be </i>loyal, but Yunice had no sense of propriety. Was she still hoping to marry into the Powell family?


    Did she even look at herself in the mirror to see if she was worthy!


    Earlier in the private room, Yunice had signed the annulment papers. However, Jensen had not allowed Paul and Elsie to sign their engagement papers, using Paul¡¯s uncle, Wyatt Cooper, as an excuse to dy the marriage.


    It <b>was </b>clear that the Powell family <b>had </b>no interest in either of the Saunders daughters. Their talk of swapping fianc¨¦es <b>had </b>merely been a tactic <b>to </b><b>push </b>for the annulment.


    Owen had lost significant face in the private room. Now, looking at Yunice, he could barely contain his anger.


    <i>If </i><i>it </i>weren¡¯t for her mental illness, <i>if </i>she hadn¡¯t stood up and embarrassed herself, how could Jensen have developed such a poor impression of our family


    Elie hadn¡¯t secured the engagement with the Powells because Yunice had deliberately sabotaged it!


    Not wanting to linger in disgrace<b>, </b>Owen strode forward and <b>dragged </b>Yunice away.


    Yunice stumbled as she was pulled along, ncing back repeatedly at Wyatt¡¯s sleeve, my bracelet!


    Lily and Elsie followed closely behind. Paul, wanting to exin, <b>hesitated </b>as Elsie <b>cast </b>him a wounded look before leaving as


    well.


    Wyatt took in the <b>scene </b>and smirked. ¡°I heard the Powell family is celebrating an uing wedding. I haven¡¯t had the chance to congratte you, brother.¡±


    and </b>didn¡¯t hethar rarnaroline. He cimnlu tank his neut seife nudst feat


    Chapter 15 Your Fianc¨¦e Sure Knows a Lot


    Margaret could tell it wasn¡¯t apliment but wasn¡¯t sure if Wyatt was referring to Yunice or Elsie.


    +8 Pearls


    Hyatt was no longer the pitiable outcast everyone could step on. <i>He </i>yed both sides and made money in all kinds of ways. His influence more far exceeded that of the Powell Corporation.


    Jensen had felt the pressure, which was why he wanted Paul to marry someone who could benefit the family. The Saunders family¡­ simply didn¡¯t make the cut.


    Margaret had no patience for Wyatt¡¯s affairs. She frowned <b>and </b>asked Paul, ¡°What is


    ¡°What decision?¡± Paul didn¡¯t understand.


    ¡°Between Yunny and that Elsie, Who are you <b>choosing</b>? Margaret asked again.


    ¡­Of course. I choose Elsie.¡± Paul replied.


    ¡°Then stay away from Yunny. Don¡¯t cause her trouble.¡±


    Paul remained silent<b>. </b>


    your decision?¡±


    to marry Elsie, but I couldn¡¯t stand how cold Yumer was toward me. Did our fifteen years together mean nothing to her!


    How could she just annul the engagement so easily?!


    Back at the Saunders mansion, Yunice was dragged home by an enraged Owen, with Lily and Elsie hurrying behind them.


    The moment they stepped into the living room, Owen flung her hand away and vented his fury. ¡°Will you only be satisfied if this family falls apart?!¡±


    Yunice steadied herself against the sofa, confused about what had triggered his anger this time. She had done exactly what he had asked of her today.


    Owen pointed at her, yelling, ¡°Don¡¯t y innocent! You stood up at the dining table just to embarrass us and sabotage Elsie¡¯s engagement! If I had known you were <b>this </b>intolerable, I never should¡¯ve brought you back from that psychiatric hospital!¡±


    Elsie, heartbroken, could barely stand. Lily held onto her, tears falling as <b>she </b>pleaded, ¡°Yunny, I know you resent your sister, but Paul chose to marry her. She knew you loved him and rejected his countless times over the past <b>three </b>years. But today¡­ Today, <b>you </b>made <b>things </b>so difficult for her¡­


    Yunice <b>was </b>momentarily stunned before she realized the truth. Elsie had likely been rejected by the Powells, and Owen was taking his frustration out on me.


    She let out a silentugh and asked, ¡°<b>You </b>only noticed that I suddenly stood up, but did <b>you </b>ever <b>ask </b>why I did? Do you know what 1030 represents? 1030 was my number <b>in </b>the <b>psychiatric </b><b>hospital</b>. For three years, I had no name. 1030 was my identity<b>.</b>¡±


    Looking toward Owen, she continued. ¡°You me me for standing up suddenly, but did you consider why? <b>That </b>number triggers <b>a </b>conditioned response in me. Do you know what kind of punishment I would receive in the psychiatric hospital ift was even one secondte in standing up<b>? </b>Do you know what it feels like to <b>have </b>electric mps on your fingers? Have you ever experienced incontinence? Tell me, who, after countless electric shocks, wouldn¡¯t react as I did?¡±


    Owen don¡¯t know. He knew nothing. He didn¡¯t know 1030 was my number. <i>He </i>didn¡¯t know I had been subjected to electric shocks.


    As a medical professional, Owen was well <b>aware </b>of how caregivers secretly <b>abused </b>patients. If this happened even in hospitals, kot much patience would a psychiatric institution have for the mentally ill


    Yunice continued, ¡°That <b>massive </b>hotel had numerous waitstaff, yet they just happened to assign someone with the ID 1030


    serve <b>us </b>


    Owen caught the implication and turned to <b>Elsie </b>with suspicion.


    to


    Chapter 15 Your fianc¨¦e Sure knows a tot


    Lo


    nowed


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    In the past when Yabely she would only argue with Oreen, Maming him for his bias Now she had learned to redirect the me hgscally and persuasively


    People act rationally when cotional Vinice had one cared too much about family, which led her toin and argue ¡ú never focusing on the key points Owen had always dismissed her as unreasonable.


    ¨C


    bagger picture


    longer had expectations for <b>him</b><b>. </b>She <b>had </b>aletached herself, bing an observer, and could finally see the


    Realizing Owen was doubting her, her quickly protested, ¡°Tad ordered the food; I wasn¡¯t involved. And the server¡¯s ID was defonely just a coincidence How could Paul deliberately torment my sister?¡±


    With, that, she shifted the me to Paul


    2o Owen wonted to get to the bottom of it, he would have to confront Paul


    Bar Onen valued kas jose, he wouldn¡¯t pursue the matter.


    Send Gifts

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    Chapter 16 How to Get the Bracelet Back?


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    As expected. Owen turned his attention back to Yunice. ¡°Electroshock therapy is a standard treatment for mental illness. It¡¯s not unreasonable for them to use it on you. What¡¯s unreasonable is you. If you¡¯re cured, then you should correct your <b>bad </b>habits. Do you really think that the number 1030 is going to avoid you forever?¡±


    The moment Owen mentioned 1030, Yunice felt an involuntary jolt in her knee, but she gritted her teeth <b>and </b>forced herself to stay still, biting <b>into </b>the meat in her mouth<b>. </b>The metallic taste of blood spread across her tongue. Yunice¡¯s gaze steadied. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ill change.¡±


    Elsie, thinking she <b>had </b>turned the situation in her favor, smirked <b>slightly</b>, but before she could bask in her victory, Yunice spoke again. ¡°But do you all really think the Powell family rejected Elsie just because of my outburst?¡±


    Owen¡¯s tone was indifferent. ¡°Isn¡¯t that the <b>reason</b>?¡±


    Yunice <b>chuckled</b><b>. </b>¡°I¡¯ve been ¡®crazy¡® for a long time. This isn¡¯t news. The Powell family has always known about my condition. yet they still agreed to Elsie and Paul¡¯s engagement. That means, <b>as </b>long <b>as </b>it¡¯s <b>not </b>me marrying into their family, they don¡¯t care about my illness¡® Am I wrong?¡±


    No one could refute her. Yunice¡¯s mental illness had been a known fact for years. Three years ago, she was already cast aside. There was no reason for the Powell family to suddenly act differently now.


    She continued, ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t contrast supposed to make the flower look more beautiful? If I lost myposure, wouldn¡¯t that make Elsie seem even more poised? If Mr. Jensen was truly satisfied with her, my presence should¡¯ve only made him. appreciate her more, not less.¡±


    Owen choked on his words.


    Elsie clenched her fingers anxiously, while Lily¡¯s expression turned sour. She shot Yunice a sharp nce.


    Noticing Lily¡¯s subile movements, Yunice smirked inwardly. This woman had always believed she raised a beloved and admired rose, one that everyone should cherish.


    Fine Then let¡¯s shatter that illusion.


    ¡°The Powell family isn¡¯t just <b>a </b>wealthy family. They are the elite of the elite. Their chosen partners must be wless in every way Appearance, family background, demeanor. Each trait must be impable, leaving no room for criticism. So tell me, do you really <b>think </b>a counterfeit heiress who gets asthma attacks whenever she¡¯s too hot, too cold, <b>too </b>excited, too <b>frightened</b>, or whenever the air quality isn¡¯t perfect is suitable <b>to </b><b>stand </b>in the spotlight at high¨Csociety banquets?¡±


    Owen froze.


    Elsie turned red with rage and stomped on her own <b>mother¡¯s </b><b>foot</b><b>. </b>


    <b>Lily </b>protested, ¡°Yunice, how could you belittle your own <b>sister </b>like this? Owen truly loves Elsie. He doesn¡¯t care about these things<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice did not hesitate to strike at the heart of the issue. ¡°Is the Powell family run by Paul or by his father?¡±


    Lily tried to argue. ¡°Paul will persuade


    ¡°Mom¡± Owen interrupted her. Lily might not understand how the <b>world </b>worked, but Owen did.


    Junior was right<b>. </b>Jensen was then who made the decisions. Love did not matter. Paul could not go against his father. And Elsie¡¯s illness


    ackground! Those were hidden risks Jensen, that old for, would never take such a gamble


    Owen pressed a hand to his forehead, suddenly feeling irritable Why had he not thought of this before!


    Just when he thought the conversation could not get any more painful, Yunice delivered the final blow. ¡°If the Saunders family¡¯s status were powerful enough, then none of these hidden issues would be a problem. But unfortunately, in Mr. Jensens eyes, we are utterly insignificant <b>What </b>he wants from a <b>marriage </b>alliance is a family that brings gold by the millions. not a charity case


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    Chapter 16 How to Get the Bracelet Back?


    +B Pearls


    for us¡±


    Owen straightened his back<b>, </b>ring at Yunice with even more hostility.


    That¡¯s right. How dare she criticize met She was the most useless one in the family!


    <b>Watching </b>the <b>three </b>of them re at her like angry roosters, Yunice found the situation amusing.


    No one likes to <b>hear </b>the truth. Owen, especially, lived <b>in </b><b>a </b>bubble of ttery, indulging in <b>his </b>own delusions. No wonder the Saunders family <b>kept </b>declining


    She <b>did </b>not bother arguing further as it <b>would </b><b>only </b>be a waste of breath.


    Elsie, however, took the opportunity to dere, ¡°Owen, I will find a way to cure my illness and restore our <b>family¡¯s </b>reputation


    Seeing Elsie¡¯s determined expression, Owen felt a wave of <b>warmth </b>in <b>his </b>chest.


    Yes. This was what a caring younger sister <b>should </b>be like. Unlike <b>Yunice</b>, toho only knee how to stab her family where it hurt!


    With Elsie by his side, Owen found Yunice even more insufferable.


    Elsieforted him while heading upstairs, throwing a nce at Lily on the way.


    Understanding the silent message. Lily headed to the kitchen to prepare a te of fruit for the two of them.


    And so, Yunice was left alone <b>again</b>. But she did not feel lonely. In fact, she felt more <b>at </b>peace this way.


    Resting her chin on her <b>hand</b>, she sat downstairs, <b>lost </b>in thought.


    A face shed through her mind. It <b>was </b>Wyatt.


    She had to get her father¡¯s bracelet <b>back</b>. It was one of the few things in this world that still meant something to <b>her</b>.


    a


    Everyone in Silverburgh knew <b>Wyatt </b><b>was </b><b>a </b>cruel man with a twisted sense of humor. He found pleasure in watching others.


    For the stingy, he would lure them <b>into </b>gambling, reveling in their downfalls they lost everything.


    For insecure women, he would provide money, fueling their obsession with stic surgery¨Cuntil they butchered their own faces beyond recognition. Then, he would cut them off, leaving them no room for regret.


    For the devoted, he would deliberately send people to tempt them, watching as they spiraled into utter <b>ruin </b>before finally king interest


    Thest of has amusements was long. It seemed he was <b>just </b>a man who enjoyed <b>causing </b>harm for no benefit of his own.


    After gathering enough information on him, Yunice noticed <b>a </b>pattern.


    Wyatt¡¯s targets were random, but he had a preference. He liked destroying things that were beautiful. He took <b>pleasure </b>in


    urning people into the very thing they hated mont


    And now, Yunice suspected she was his next ything


    But what could possibly interest him about t


    She was already ruined. No family, no love, no wealth, no future What <b>was </b>there left for him to break? She could <b>not </b>figure it


    but one thing was certain. If anyone belonged La mental hospital, it


    10:46 AM <b>? </b>


    Chapter 16 How to Get the Bracelet Back?


    She looked


    up <b>and </b>saw Paul.


    +8 Pearls


    After <b>today¡¯s </b>disastrous gathering, she figured he was here tofort Elsie.


    Without hesitation, she pointed upstairs. ¡°They¡¯re all up there.¡± Then, she lowered her gaze again, continuing to ponder her thoughts.


    But <b>Paul </b>did not <b>leave</b>.


    Instead, he scoffed. ¡°Yunice, do you <b>think </b>this is fun?¡±


    She blinked. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    <b>Paul </b>stiffened. ¡°You¡¯re ignoring me on purpose. You canceled the engagement just to y hard to get and make me <b>chase </b>after you, <b>right</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Yunice was a little confused about what Paul was <b>thinking</b>. He would not have wanted it if she were to keep <b>holding </b>on to their past, but now that she was letting go, he seemed unhappy


    What do you want?


    ¡°Oh. I get it now. You wanted me to beg you to <b>stay </b>so <b>you </b>could dramatically reject me, making yourself look even more desirable: Yunice smirked.


    ¡°You!¡± Pau! stammered, suddenly unsure of himself.


    Yunice leaned backzily. ¡°You¡¯re just mad <b>that </b>I let you go too easily. Your ego couldn¡¯t handle it, so now you¡¯re here to <b>make </b>trouble.


    Paul clenched his jaw. ¡°You. You got it wrong! I dumped <b>you </b>first!¡±


    Yurice tilted her head. Then why do you seem like the one who can¡¯t move on?¡±


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    Chapter 17 This Is My Life¨CSaving Medicine


    Paul was momentarily stunned before immediately refuting. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I only <b>like </b>Elsie!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression was unreadable, but her fingers twitched involuntarily.


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    Even though she had long epted that there <b>was </b>no future between her <b>and </b>Paul, every time she saw someone she once cherished choose Elsie with unwavering certainty, a sharp pain still stabbed through her heart.


    <b>Upstairs</b>. Laly <b>was </b>flipping through <b>medical </b><b>books </b>by the bookshelf. Elsie and Owen sat <b>across </b>from each other, both absorbed in browsing through websites on their devices.


    Owen was distracted, his mind <b>reying </b>Yunice¡¯s scathing words.


    The Powell family wants an alliance that brings gold <i>by </i>the millions, not a charity case.


    At the time, he had only felt humiliated <b>and </b><b>furious </b>at Yunice, but now <b>that </b>he was sitting here in silence, he could not deny the truth in her words.


    For the past three years, Oscar¡¯s research had stagnated. The hospital had failed to introduce any new drugs, <b>leading </b>significant loss of patients. Financially, the hospital¡¯s annual report was bleak.


    The Saunders <b>family </b>had always been at a disadvantagepared to the Powell <b>family</b>. If it were not for Yunice¡¯s engagement, they would not have had any connection with them in the first ce.


    Awork is only <b>valuable </b>when both parties benefit. If only one side is taking advantage of the other, <b>it¡¯s </b>called ¡®clinging In <b>Jensen¡¯s </b>eyes, the Saunders <b>family </b>was nothing more than a poor rtive trying to get a free ride.


    The broken engagement was not Yunice¡¯s fault. It was merely because of the Saunders family¡¯sck of power.


    Owen <b>nced </b>at Elsie, who <b>was </b>earnestly browsing the web with her mother, searching for a miracle cure for asthma.


    He sighed inwardly. His naive little sister still believed that if she could just cure her illness, the Powell family would ept


    her


    <b>Not </b>wanting to dampen her hopes, he started typing on <b>his </b>keyboard, intending to help find thetest special medication. However, his fingers subconsciously typed ¡®Common treatments for mental illness


    Perhaps it was the lingering resentment from his earlier argument with Yunice, but a sense of unease pricked at him. Especially after learning that Yunice had undergone electroshock therapy, that difort became even harder to ignore.


    More than anyone, he knew Yunice waspletely sane because he was the one who had forged her medical records. But he had done it for her own good. At least by being sent to a mental institution<b>, </b><b>she </b>had avoided <b>prison</b>.


    He had only meant to give her a minor punishment, not to have her suffer abuse!


    Owen clenched his fists. If he found out <b>that </b>the hospital had engaged in excessive or violent treatment, he would not let it


    As he sat there, tense with conflicting emotions, a pop¨Cup appeared on his screen. It was an image of a patient strapped to a <b>chair</b>, writhing in pain during electroshock therapy. Instinctively, he closed it.


    Then he taw an article stating that electroconvulsive therapy was <b>a </b>standard medical procedure for treating psychiatric disorders. His furrowed brows rted.


    Feeling relieved, he reassured himself.


    an approved medical treatment, then it morant abused. Since it¡¯s used on humans, it couldn¡¯t possibly be harmful


    With that thought, any lingering guilt he felt for <b>Yunice </b>vanished


    ¡°Owen! Look what I found!¡± <b>Elur </b>suddenly stood <b>up </b>exciterly, turning herptop towards Owen.


    Chapter 17 This Is My Life¨CSaving Medicine


    Lily was so overwhelmed with joy that she burst into tears, hugging Elsie tightly. ¡°My poor Elsie is <b>finally </b>saved!¡±


    Downstairs, Lily¡¯s sudden outburst of sobs was so jarring that even <b>Paul </b>and Yunice were startled.


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    Paul instinctively wanted to check on the situation upstairs, but before he could <b>move</b>, Owen, Lily<b>, </b><b>and </b>Elsie were already hurrying downstairs in his direction.


    <b>Just </b>as Paul was about to speak, Owen and Lily brushed past him, heading straight for Yunice. Only Elsie lingered, her voice trembling with sorrow as she asked. ¡°Did youe to see my sister, or did youe to see me?¡±


    A flicker of guilt crossed Paul¡¯s face, but he quickly masked it ¡°Of course, I came to see you.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes reddened again, her <b>voice </bced with hurt. ¡°You forgot there are surveince cameras all over the house¡­.


    Every moment he spent here, every person he spoke to. It was all recorded.


    Before Paul could exin, Elsie lowered her head and walked away, her posture dejected


    Paul stood there, awkward and <b>embarrassed</b>, feeling as if he had been caught sneaking around. He rubbed his forehead, then hurried after Elsie, just in time to hear Owen questioning Yunice.


    ¡°Yunny, the Alphasirox pills <b>can </b>cure Elsie¡¯s illness. Why didn¡¯t you take them out sooner?¡±


    <i>The </i>Alphasira pillst


    Lily grasped Yunice¡¯s hands, tears of joy streaming down her face. ¡°Yunny, <b>I </b>always knew you were a good child! You¡¯ve been thinking of Elsie <b>all </b>along, even getting this medicine for her. I don¡¯t even <b>know </b>how to thank you¡­¡°


    Owen, bearning with relief, <b>reassured </b>her. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re family. <b>There¡¯s </b>no need for gratitude. It¡¯s only right for Yunice to help Elsic¡±


    Yunice¡¯s gaze bypassed the overly dramatic pair andnded on Elsie.


    Meeting her eyes, <b>Elsie </b>smiled gently. ¡°Sister, thank you for preparing the Alphasirox pills for me.¡±


    Paul, still confused, pulled Elsie aside and asked, ¡°Alphasirox pills?¡±


    Owen answered, ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b><b>a </b>newly developed special medication for <b>asthma</b><b>. </b>With this, Elsie will finally be able to live like a normal person.¡±


    But Paul frowned. ¡°The Alphasirox pills aren¡¯t avable for sale yet. Even my family¡¯s hospital can¡¯t get them. How would Yunice have them? You must be <b>mistaken</b>.¡±


    Yunice remained silent, her gaze lowered.


    The moment Owen mentioned the pills, she knew this was <b>Elsie¡¯s </b>scheme. She could not deny having them because she really did.


    <b>Sure </b>enough, Giana had already rushed to her room to


    search<b>. </b>


    Her room <b>was </b>not big. Nothing could be hidden for long-


    ¡°Found at I found the medicine?¡± Giana came running <b>back</b>, waving the pillbox triumphantly.


    Owen¡¯s and Paul¡¯s attention snapped to the box. No one seemed to notice Giana¡¯s tant invasion of privacy.


    When <b>Giana </b>handed the pillbox to Owen, she deliberately shot Yunice <b>a </b>triumphant nce, a <b>smug </b>satisfaction gleaming in hereyes


    Yunice fixed her gaze on the pillbox <b>as </b>she saw them taking it away, her voice trembling as <b>she </b>slowly stood up ¡°That¡¯s my life¨Csaving medicine. It¡¯s not for Elsie¡±


    Chapter 17 This Is My Life¨CSaving Medicine


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    Back upstairs, when Elsie mentioned <b>that </b>Yunice had the medicine, he <b>had </b><b>not </b>given it much thought. But now, with Paul¡¯s reminder, Owen suddenly found himself questioning it.


    As Paul had pointed out, this medication had yet to hit the market. Even the powerful Powell family <b>could </b><b>not </b>get their hands <b>on </b>it. So how could Yunice, who rarely even stepped outside, possibly have it?


    Paul studied the box for a while before turning to Yunice, his gaze sharp and probing. ¡°Where did you get this medicine?¡±


    Owen caught onto something. ¡°So, this is <b>real</b>?¡±


    Paul gave a slight nod. ¡°A friend of mine asked me to source <b>a </b>box, but no matter how many connections I used, I couldn¡¯t get


    one.¡±


    His gaze toward Yunice grew even moreplex.


    But Owen had no interest in these details. His only concern was whether the medicine was genuine.


    Snatching the box from <b>Paul¡¯s </b>hands, he shoved it into Elsie¡¯s grasp. ¡°Elsie, hurry! Take it now! Once you do, your illness will Jbe cured!¡±


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    Chapter 18 From Now On, She Lived for Herself!


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    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>gaze followed the small box of medicine as itnded in Elsie¡¯s hands, a flicker of disappointment shing across her


    face


    Lily noticed her reaction and quickly grabbed her hand with a bright smile. ¡°Yunny, Morn will make something delicious for you tonight <b>as </bpensation<b>. </b><b>What </b>would you like? Chicken drumsticks, perhaps?¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, she made the decision on Yunice¡¯s behalf. <b>In </b>a cheerful tone, she called out, ¡°Giana, go buy some chicken drumsticks. Oh, and pick up some candy for Elsie too. She can¡¯t stand the bitterness of medicine.¡±


    Yunce stared at Lily¡¯s smiling face, but all she felt was an abyss in her chest, a gaping void where icy winds howled, freezing her to the bone, The pain was sharp, slicing deep-


    Her <b>daughter </b>was going to get better, and she was overjoyed. Not once did she consider <b>that </b>her other daughter would lose her only lifeline in the process.


    <b>Yunice </b>had just learned something new. Chicken drumsticks could be used as rewards. Her life <b>was </b>worth nothing more <b>than </b>a few pieces of chicken. Ha.


    Her <b>gaze </b>shifted to Owen.


    And him. He was the same as always. So good at being generous with things <b>that </b>were not his. Every time, with his ¡®kindness, he made decisions on her behalf, giving away everything that belonged to her to Elsie.


    Her dresses. Her <b>gifts</b>. Her room. Her identity. Now, even her life¨Csaving medicine.


    Maybe her stare was too sharp because Owen finally frowned at <b>her</b>. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    It was just a box of medicine, yet she was acting as if the whole world had betrayed her. How childish.


    Owen took <b>a </b>deep breath, trying to be patient. ¡°Yes, the medicine is <b>yours</b>, but Elsie¡¯s condition worsened because of you. Even if she doesn¡¯t me you, you <b>should </b><b>at </b>least show some remorse.¡±


    Elsie bit her lip, looking pitiful. ¡°Forget it, Owen. Maybe Yunice needs it more than I do. I can <b>wait</b>..¡±


    At those words, Owen¡¯s expression <b>darkened</b>. ¡°Wait? For how long? Do you think your body can afford to wait? You heard Paul just now. <b>This </b>medicine <b>is </b>rare!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always thinking about others,¡± he sneered, casting a nce at Yunice. But do you think some people even


    appreciate


    Yunice did not argue or justify herself. She merely waited for Owen to finish his lecture, then <b>said </b>calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. I <b>have </bpression injuries. This medicine is for my treatment. I can¡¯t give it away.¡±


    Owen let out a mockingugh, as if she had just told the most ridiculous joke. ¡°You eat well, sleep well, and have enough energy to argue with the entire family. How do you look like someone who needs treatment?¡±


    Yunice opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off with a wave of his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me another sob story abour time in the mental hospital. I¡¯ve checked. It was <b>all </b><b>standard </b>treatment. Stop using cheap tricks to make us feel guilty ¡°Guilty?¡± Yunice let out a self¨Cdeprecating chuckle, turning to Lily. ¡°Do you even know what guilt feels like? You used me of hurting Elne and sentenced me to ¡®atonement by locking me away for three years. Have I <b>not </b>paid enough?¡±


    your


    Laly averted her eyes, unable to meet Yunice¡¯s gaze. Only <b>she </b>knew the truth. Yunice had been innocent all along.


    Caught in the silence. Lily suddenly dropped to her knees before Yunice. <b>She </b>clutched at <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>clothes, tears streaming down her face. ¡°me it on me! It¡¯s all my fault! Just don¡¯t take it out on your sister, <b>okay</b>? I¡¯ll kneel, I¡¯ll beg if <b>that¡¯s </b>what <b>you </b>


    She knelt so decisively that even Owen was stunned. Ehie immediately followed suit, throwing herself into Lily¡¯s <b>arms</b>.


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    Chapter 18 From Now On, She Lived for Herself!


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    Owen¡¯s <b>vision </b>blurred with tears, his chest tightening until he felt like he might explode. In his rage, he grabbed Yunice by the cor and lifted her off the ground.


    Her feet barely touched the floor, her <b>breath </b>caught in her throat as her face turned red from the pressure. Yet she refused to look away, refused to back down. Her eyes locked onto Owen¡¯s, unyielding and sharp, as if <b>to </b>say, ¡°I will not apologize. I am not wrong. Regardless of the <b>pain</b>. Regardless if it kills me. I. Am. Not. <b>Wrong </b>


    Owen¡¯s jaw clenched, his teeth grinding audibly. ¡°How could you make Mom and Elsie kneel for you?! They didn¡¯t owe you anything!¡±


    Yunice struggled against his grip, trying to pry his fingers loose, but he refused to let her speak.


    Paul finally stepped in, peeling Owen¡¯s hand away. ¡°Let go. Are you trying to strangle her?¡±


    With a forceful <b>shove</b>, Owen flung Yunice onto the <b>couch</b>. She hit hard, her body jolting with pain <b>so </b>intense it felt like her insides were being torn apart. She clutched at her chest, gasping for air.


    Owen hesitated when he saw how pale she had <b>turned</b>, but before he could react, Paul had already moved to help Elsie and Lily.


    Seeing Lily crying too hard <b>to </b>stand, Owen had no choice but to focus onforting her instead.


    Yunice pushed herself up, her expression cold as she stared at them. Her voice <b>was </b>eerily calm. ¡°<b>Fine</b>. Take the medicine. But I suggest you have it tested first. If anything goes wrong, don¡¯t me me for poisoning her.¡±


    Elsie rolled her eyes but said nothing.


    Owen ignored the jab. He had gotten what he wanted.


    Yunice <b>was </b>in too much pain to care anymore. No one would protect her, so she swallowed down the blood rising in her <b>throat</b>, steadied herself, <b>and </b>forced her aching body toward her room.


    She did not want to show <b>weakness</b>. Tears were only useful when shed for those who truly cared.


    <b>As </b>for them? Even if she cried, they would <b>only </b>call her tears fake.


    She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling, the curve of her lips cold and empty.


    Everyone was celebrating Elsie¡¯s recovery, but only <b>Paul </b>spared her a nce.


    Watching her frail figure retreat<b>, </b>a strange feeling tightened in his chest. Almost instinctively, he called out, ¡°Yunice?¡±


    She <b>paused</b>. Without knowing why, he blurted <b>out</b>, ¡°When I manage to get the medicine, I¡¯ll rece the one Elsie took.


    Yunice walked away


    If he could get the medicine, he wouldn¡¯t have taken mine to begin with. Did he even believe his own words? But they all loved to make promiars. Tomorros, someday, in the future


    Good thing Elie had helped her see clearly. Otherwise, she might have wasted her whole life giving to the Saunders family.


    Fortunately, she now saw everything clearly. Completely and utterly. Any lingering <b>ties </b>to the Saunders family were severed


    in her heart


    Siblinghood Shared burdens! Mutual interests<b>? </b>Supporting each other?


    Those lofty principles their father had always preached to the three siblings, she would no <b>longer </b>abide by.


    She would still bear the surname Saunders, but she would no longer be the same Saunders <b>as </b>them.


    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 19 A Bloodsucking Leech.


    The living room was filled withughter and joy.


    +8 Pearls


    Owen went to pour himself a ss of water while Lily opened the medicine box. As she picked up a pill, she frowned. ¡°Why are there two missing?¡±


    Paul¡¯s gaze flickered. Had Yunice taken them?


    Lily, however, didn¡¯t overthink it. She only felt a pang of pain in her heart for the missing pills. ¡°I just hope this little bit of medicine is enough to cure your illness¡­. Never mind. I¡¯ll go beg Yuniceter and ask her to get you two more boxes.¡±


    Owen <b>scoffed</b>. ¡°As a member of the Saunders family, Yunice is supposed to contribute. Mom, don¡¯t spoil her.¡±


    Watching Elsie swallow the pill, Owen turned back, only to catch Paul heading toward Yunice¡¯s room. His hand shot out, gripping Paul¡¯s shoulder in warning. ¡°You still owe Elsie an exnation.¡±


    Was the Powell family going to go through with their marriage alliance with the Saunders family or not? And <b>if </b>so, which


    sister<b>? </b>


    The thought of Paul¡¯s lingering nces at Yunice made Owen¡¯s voice drop to a low warning. ¡°If you dare betray Elsie, I won¡¯t forgive you<b>!</b>¡±


    Elsie cast a sorrowful nce at Paul before lowering her head.


    Paul could never stand seeing her like this. Every time she acted <b>this </b>way, he felt like aplete scumbag.


    Compared to that, Yunice had always been easier to <b>handle</b>. Whenever <b>she </b>showed even a hint of dissatisfaction or tried to give him the cold shoulder, he could preemptively scold her, then pacify her with a few sweet words. Every single time, <b>she </b>would fall in line.


    But Elsie, he could not bear to speak harshly to her..


    A few murmured reassurances, and soon enough, Elsie was leaning sweetly into his embrace, <b>the </b>two of them slipping back into their affectionate <b>charade</b>. But through the reflection on her phone screen, Elsie caught sight of Paul¡¯s gaze drifting toward Yunice¡¯s room.


    An uneasy feeling crept into her chest. She had brought Yunice back from the <b>asylum </b>to secure her own high<b>¨C</b>status marriage, not to let her seduce her man.


    ¡°<b>Paul</b>, I¡¯m worried that my sister may have done something she shouldn¡¯t have. Elsie furrowed her brows, her face filled with concern for Yunice. ¡°Even <b>you </b>struggled to get the Alphasirox pills. If my sister, an ordinary woman, managed to acquire them, she <b>must </b>have paid <b>a </b>steep price. If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d rather not take them.¡±


    <b>For </b>a woman with no advantages, obtaining somethingpletely out of her reach, there was only one conceivable way she could have done it.


    The thought that Yunice might have traded her body for the pills made Paul¡¯s stomach churn with disgust. His tone turned <b>cold</b>. ¡°Once I get my hands on a new batch, don¡¯t take these anymore.¡±


    Elie obediently nodded.


    At the same time, Giana entered Yunice¡¯s room with a bowl of food, only to find it empty.


    Yunice had already slipped away while all eyes were on Elsie. She clutched <b>a </b>crumpled red banknote in her hand and hailed a cab straight to the Saunders family¡¯s private hospital


    By nightfall, the hospital lobby was sparsely popted with a few lingering patients.


    Yurce entered through the back door and took the elevator up. She knew the hospital inside and <b>out</b>. Its equipment and its vulnerabilities¡­.

 Daghter 19

    +8 Pearls


    Owen


    <b>At </b>first, Yunice did not understand, but then she recalled the discarded medication bottles in Owen¡¯s desk drawer.


    By


    hospital regtions, all used medication vials required thorough documentation and disposal. The fact that Owen had not done so meant those drugs were obtained through improper <b>channels</b>.


    Owen prided himself on his principles, except when it came to Elsie.


    Those discarded bottles had to be connected to her.


    ¡°Here you go with the Epinerate the pharmacist said, handing over the medication. ¡°Make sure to test for allergies first. We don¡¯t want another near¨Cident likest time with the Pentopex shot.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. She epted the package with a soft hum and carried the Epinerate back to Owen¡¯s office.


    Now she understood why it had been so easy to get the prescription filled. And she also understood why the Saunders family hospital had been gued by so many scandals in recent years.


    It all traced back to Owen¡¯s indulgence of Elsie.


    Elsie <b>had </b>entered the Saunders family at fourteen, illiterate and uneducated.


    Oscar and Owen, full of guilt and affection, had arranged a ce for her in school and forced Yunice to tutor her. But Elsie¡¯s foundation <b>was </b>too weak, and every exam she took was <b>a </b>disaster.


    Eventually, she started resenting school. To keep her motivated, Oscar and Owen forced Yunice to sign Elsie¡¯s name on her own test papers


    Elsie¡¯s ster grades were praised by the entire school, while Yunice, taking the fall for her, was publicly shamed for failing. But the brothers never once noticed Yunice¡¯s <b>humiliation</b>. They only felt that it was a great idea. They went on to make her publish medical papers under Elsie¡¯s name and forced her to let Elsie ept herpetition awards.


    All this while, they had been telling her that <b>Elsie </b><b>had </b>no citizenship, no official student status, <b>and </b>that Yunice needed to let go of her vanity for the <b>sake </b>of her sister¡¯s happiness.


    Looking bark <b>now</b>, Yunice realized Elsie had never actually cared about learning. Even after three years of university under Yunice¡¯s stolen identity, there was no way she had passed her courses.


    Oscar and Owen must <b>have </b>pulled strings to fabricate her academic sess.


    Now, Elsie was both a post¨Cgraduate student and <b>a </b>hospital intern, and Owen was surely still covering for her


    Those empty vials were proof that she <b>had </b>been practicing on real patients. And clearly, viting medical regtions <b>was </b>nothing new. It was practicallymon knowledge among the <b>hospital </b>staff.


    No wonder the Saunders family hospital¡¯s reputation had plummeted. It had been bled dry by Elsie.


    Before this, Yunice had assumed Elsie¡¯s actions stemmed from insecurity or jealousy. Now she saw the truth<b>. </b>Elsie was merely <b>a </b>parasite, a bloodsucking leech, feeding off the Saunders <b>family </b>to fatten herself.


    If this continued, Oscar and Owen would be dragged into prison along with her.


    Yunice injected herself with Epinerate. <b>As </b>the cold liquid seeped into her veins<b>, </b><b>she </b>thought to herself. She did not care <b>what </b>happened to Oscar and Owen. But her father¡¯s legacy? She would not let Elsie sink her fangs into that any longer.


    To seize power, she needed leverage


    After dropping <b>out </b>of school, Yunice had wasted three years. Her future was ruined.


    But she refused to despair. Her father once said. ¡°The best time to nt a <b>tree </b>was ten years ago. The second best time is


    10:46 AM ? ?


    Chapter 19 A Bloodsucking Leech


    Elie wanted to destroy me? Fine. Then I would rise beyond her reich.


    Yunice clenched the pill in her palm, her expression unreadable.


    If she wanted to escape the Saunders family¡¯s grip, <b>she </b>needed adder.


    The


    next morning, <b>she </b>finally returned home.


    +8 Pearls


    Owen was already fuming. The moment he saw her strolling leisurely through the door, he stormed toward her. <b>¡°</b>Yunice, you really think you¡¯re something, huh? Didn¡¯te home all night? I almost thought you were dead!¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 20

    Chapter 20 Surrounded and Ambushed


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice <b>knew </b>she <b>was </b>about to be scolded. Lowering her tone, she <b>said</b><b>, </b>¡°My brother, I just went out for some air.


    That single ¡°<b>Brother</b>¡® was enough to make Owen hesitate mid¨Ckick.


    She had been back for so long, yet this <b>was </b>the first time she had called me that,


    But he was not going to be fooled by her tricks. This was nothing more than an attempt to <b>avoid </b>punishment. Owen scoffed, ¡°For some air? Nice try. Looked more like you were taking a breather on some old man¡¯sp


    Seeing Yunice¡¯s stunned expression, he sneered. ¡°What? Gonna im I¡¯m falsely using you? Then tell me, where did you get the Alphasirox pills? Did you steal them, or did you pick them up off the ground?¡±


    ¡°Even the <b>Powell </b>family couldn¡¯t get their hands on them, yet you could? Must be a pretty powerful sugar daddy you¡¯ve got. Maybe one day, even my reputation will benefit from your connections!¡±


    His words were dripping with sarcasm. Yunice <b>simply </b>repeated, ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then where were youst night? As far as I know, you don¡¯t have any friends willing to take you in. You¡¯ve got no money and no ID. Where exactly did you stay?¡±


    Nom


    So he knew. Knew that I had no friends, no identity, no money. And because he was so certain I had nowhere to go, he felt entitled to bully


    Yunice replied evenly, ¡°The streets. Under a bridge. Plenty of <b>ces </b>can shelter someone for a night. They¡¯re just a bit cold.¡± She then added. ¡°As for the pills, they were <b>given </b>to me by Wyatt.


    That caught Owen off guard. But he recalled seeing her speaking with Wyatt the day before.


    If it was it, then yes, he could get the medicine.


    Owen¡¯s eyes scrutinized her, scanning her up and down. She lookedpletely ordinary. ¡°Why would he give them to you?¡±


    ¡°Tie mistook me for Paul¡¯s fianc¨¦e and wanted to mess with me. Giving me the pills was his way of setting up at misunderstanding¡±


    As Yunice spoke, she locked eyes with him. Her gaze practically said, See? You all fell for it.


    Owen <b>was </b>speechless. He had not expected this to backfire <b>on </b>him.


    If Wyatt had nned it that way, then Yunice was nothing more <b>than </b>a pawn. An instrument for Wyatt to provoke Paul. Wyatt had <b>always </b>shed with the Powell family. A natural¨Cborn troublemaker. This was exactly something he would do. Half convinced, Owen pressed on, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say so yesterday?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°First, if I had told you, it would¡¯ve stirred <i>up </i>a fight between Paul and Wyatt, which doesn¡¯t benefit me. Second, <b>Alphavirus </b>pills are good medicine. I wanted to keep them.¡±


    Now that sounded more like the Yunice he knew. A more self¨Cserving person.


    Seeing <b>that </b>he was no longer pressing her, Yunice returned to her room to catch up on sleep.


    Meanwhile, Owen had no intention of informing Paul about Wyatt¡¯s involvement. Their family had no desire to provoke <b>that </b>mad dog


    His real concern was <b>Yunice</b>. She was already an adult, headstrong and unpredictable. If they did not marry her off soon, who <b>knew </b>how much more trouble she would bring to the family?


    10:47 AM ?

 Daghter 21

    Margaret would visit from time to time, even deliberately giving her nutritional supplements in front of Lily. After more than a week of this, herplexion had significantly improved<b>. </b>


    One day, Margaret visited again, but this time, it <b>was </b>to say goodbye.


    After divorcing Jensen, she could no longer stay in the country. She was leaving for a long trip abroad.


    If it were not for Yunice¡¯s engagement issue, she would not havee back just to see the other woman unting her victory.


    ¡°I <b>advised </b>you to break off the engagement with Paul not because I look down on you,¡± Margaret said. ¡°The Powell family is tooplicated. Without <b>strong </b><b>backing</b>, you¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    Daughter¨Cinw and <b>mother</b><b>¨C</b><b>in</b>w were natural enemies. <b>And </b>now, there was a stepmother involved, making things even more precarious.


    Yunice was not sure <b>how </b>sincere Margaret was, but she <b>was </b>not wrong. The Powell family was embroiled in internal strife. There was no need for Yunice to be dragged into it.


    <b>Margaret </b>suddenly thought of something. ¡°By the way, do you remember Gill?¡±


    Gill had been a maid for the Saunders family. Margaret had introduced her back then, and when Elsie moved in, Gill had been the one who protected Yunice. But after Yunice was sent to the asylum, Gill had left the Saunders family <b>as </b>well.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Madam Margaret, do you know where <b>Gill </b>is?¡±


    Margaret smiled. ¡°She¡¯s looking after my house in Silverburgh


    She handed Yunice an address. ¡°This is my private residence. Not many people know about it. If you ever <b>have </b>nowhere to go, find Gill. She¡¯ll take care of you.¡±


    Tears welled in Yunice¡¯s eyes. She wanted nothing more than to rush to Gill¡¯s side immediately.


    Seeing her reaction, Margaret subtly hinted, ¡°Elsie and Owen <b>are </b>on a business trip. They won¡¯t be back for <b>a </b>week.¡±


    Was she suggesting I make <b>a </b>run for it?


    Yunice did not respond immediately. After everything she had been through, she found it difficult to trust people. Especially when Margaret was Paul¡¯s mother, it was even harder to simply ce trust in her.


    But Margaret did not mind. She was <b>leaving </b>soon. Whether Yunice trusted her or not did not matter<b>, </b>as long as she trusted Gill That will do.


    That night, after Margaret¡¯s flight took off, Yunice <b>hailed </b>a taxi to the private residence.


    Her phone number was not registered, so it <b>took </b>a while before she managed to find a cheap, off¨Cthe¨Cbooks cab.


    The <b>driver </b>was irritable, speeding recklessly down the <b>road</b>.


    Yunice was still reeling from the nausea of sudden eleration when the car screecheded to an abrupt stop.


    Thankfully, she was wearing a seatbelt, or she would have mmed into the dashboard.


    Before she could regain her senses, the sharp sound of tires skidding <b>across </b>pavement filled the air.


    More than one car. Engines roared. Tires burned rubber against the <b>road</b>. It sounded just like <b>a </b><b>racetrack</b>.


    The taxi driver swore. ¡°Damn it, <b>I </b>knew I should¡¯ve stayed home today!¡±


    Yunice nced at him. His forehead <b>was </b>bleeding, <b>his </b>hand pressed against the wound.


    Then she turned to look outside, <b>and </b>her breath caught in her throat.


    10:47 AM


    Chapter 20 Surrounded and Ambushed


    And aside from their decrepit taxi, one other car was caught in the middle.


    +8 Pearls


    Unlike their stopped cab, the other car fought desperately, its tires spinning frantically in search of an escape route.


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank. She knew they had been caught in a gang conflict.


    She bit her lip. Sometimes, she really wondered if she was cursed. What were the odds of getting tangled up in something like <b>this</b>?


    Just as she was calcting her chances of escape, the surrounding cars screeched to a halt.


    Their doors swung open in perfect <b>unison</b>, and dozens of men poured out like a tidal wave. They ripped the <b>struggling </b><b>car¡¯s </b>doors clean <b>off</b>, dragging its passengers out and tossing them onto the pavement.


    The agonized screams sounded eerily familiar.


    Just as Yunice leaned closer to the window to see who it was, she felt a presence. A gaze. Strong, piercing, and locked directly


    onto her.


    Her back hit the seat <b>as </b>she instinctively <b>shrank </b>away, trying to disappear from view.


    Chapter 21 Meeting Wyatt


    +8 Pearls


    With a click, the taxi driver opened the door and fled. No one dared <b>to </b>mess with these lunatics, running into them was just bad luck


    Yunice reacted quickly and immediately jumped out from the other side to escape, but her physical skills were too poor. Before she could even climb onto the hood of the luxury car, someone pulled her down from behind. Instinctively, she curled up, wrapping her arms around her head as she stumbled and was dragged back by the cor.


    When she finally steadied herself, her gaze lifted from the bottom of the ck cane, eventuallynding on Wyatt¡¯s face.


    The winter night¡¯s wind was cold. Wyatt wore a ck cashmere coat, and his long fingers rested on the silver handle of his cane¨Cthe only hint of brightness in his entire figure. Unlike their first encounter, Wyatt now had a slight smile, the corners of his mouth carrying an unreadable expression. At least his hostility wasn¡¯t as sharp, and Yunice¡¯s heartbeat slowed a little.


    The man who had been beaten to a pulp was being dragged away, his wails <b>and </b>groans sending chills down everyone¡¯s spine. Yunice recognized him¡­ It was the same man who had chased Wyatt in the alley back at the ck market. She didn¡¯t know what kind of grudge they had, but it confirmed one thing¨CWyatt always repaid his debts.


    So she had no idea what he wanted with her.


    Three years in the psychiatric hospital had ingrained obedience <b>into </b>Yunice. When she was beaten, she endured it. When faced with unknown dangers, she would remain numb and wait. <b>Any </b>resistance or trickery <b>would </b>only lead to more beatings from the orderlies. She knew this kind of passivity, just like 1030, was a bad habit, but she couldn¡¯t change it yet.


    Wyatt had never seen someone this dull before. She wasn¡¯t like those men who pissed themselves and begged for mercy. But calling her brave? She had the nerve to straddle him <b>and </b>grind before running off.


    Seeing her keeping her eyes <b>down </b>and avoiding his <b>gaze</b>, Wyatt tilted his head, deliberately shifting his <b>position </b>to catch her eyes from the side.


    Yunice¡¯s nervous gaze happened to meet his waiting one, and she immediately shrank back.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Wyant let out <b>a </b>satisfied chuckle and adjusted <b>to </b><b>a </b>more rxed stance.


    ¡°<b>Wyatt</b>,¡± a young man who looked like one of Wyatt¡¯s associates walked out from the shadows, wiping his hands.


    Noticing Wyatt standing next to <b>a </b>disheveled girl, he instinctively asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this<b>?</b>¡±


    His question was to determine whether she was an enemy or


    <b>or </b><b>an </b>


    ally


    Wyatt casually replied, ¡°Little rabbit.¡±


    Little rabbit?


    Jordan <b>took </b>another look at Yunice, his eyes shing briefly <b>as </b>if he realized something, but he <b>quickly </b>smirked and teased, ¡°Big bad wolves love little rabbits the most.¡±


    Seeing that Wyatt was about to leave, Jordan gestured toward Yunice. ¡°Little rabbit, Wyatt <b>is </b>inviting you for a drink<b>. </b>Show some appreciation¡±


    Yunice knew that rejecting a toast meant drinking <b>a </b>forfeit instead<b>, </b>but she still sincerely corrected him, ¡°My name is <b>Yunice</b><b>.</b>¡± Little rabbit. It sounded like some kind of ything.


    Jordan didn¡¯t care. I know <b>you</b>. Paul¡¯s soon¨Cto¨Cbe wife, <b>right</b><b>? </b>We met when we were kids.¡±


    Silverburgh¡¯s social circles were both big <b>and </b>small. Because of her ties <b>to </b>the Powell family and her father¡¯s status <b>as </b><b>a </b>legendary doctor, Yunice had many elite childhood friends <b>growing </b>up Jordan, as the <b>second </b>son of the Conrad family, was


    one of them.


    Maybe because they had met <b>as </b>kids, or maybe because Jordan seemed easygoing. Yunice subconsciously Call-


    10 <b>47 </b><b>AM </b>


    Chapter 21 Meeting Wyatt


    stronger. Yunice <b>could </b>even distinguish the differentponents in the smell.


    +8 Pearls


    <b>As </b><b>the </b>car started moving, she stole a nce at Wyatt, who sat one seat away from her. He paid her <b>no </b>attention. Noticing that he wasn¡¯t wearing his coat, Yunice grew a little bolder and looked at his wrist


    He was still wearing her bracelet.


    A pang of frustration hit <b>her</b>. She <b>had </b>been in such a rush when pawning it that she hadn¡¯t even gotten a <b>good </b>look at it. Now, it was on his wrist; not only out of her reach butpletely beyond her control.


    Feeling annoyed, yet not daring to act out, she could only pretend not to see it. Instead, she took advantage of the good lighting in the <b>car </b>and pulled out a notebook, quietly writing and drawing


    Wyatt nced over and saw her scribbling¨CAlphasirox pillsponent analysis. He watched for a while, noticing that she seemed uncertain about a few parts.


    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna ask where I¡¯m taking you?¡± Wyatt asked.


    Yunice replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t it for a drink?¡±


    Wyatt crossed his long legs <b>and </b>scoffed, ¡°You dare drink with us?¡±


    He might <b>as </b>well have asked if she wasn¡¯t afraid of being yed to death.

 Daghter 22

    Chapter 22 Identify Ingredients by Smell


    ¡°If I were scared, would you let me get out of the car?¡± Yunice countered.


    Seeing that Wyatt remained silent, she added, ¡°Besides, I want my bracelet back. I¡¯m waiting for you to name your conditions¡±


    This time. Wyatt said, ¡°I like the bracelet. I¡¯m keeping it. His tone was <b>calm</b>, yet there was no room for argument.


    Unwilling to give up. Yunice turned to face Wyatt and bargained. ¡°What if I can cure your leg?¡±


    +B Pearls:


    She wasn¡¯t sure if it was just her imagination, but the car noticeably swayed for a moment after she said that. Yunice nced at the driver and saw <b>that </b>he had nervously checked the rearview mirror.


    Did I say something wrong! For someone with a disability, their biggest taboo was having others bring up their pain. Wyatt was no <b>exception</b>. Besides, with Wyatt¡¯s status, he could have any doctor in the world kidnapped to treat him, yet he was still disabled. That meant he had repeatedly tried and failed. Most likely, he had lost faith and patience in doctors altogether.


    <b>Yunice </b><b>had </b>traveled with her father since childhood and <b>had </b>seen all kinds of patients, so she was familiar with this kind of mentality.


    ¡°There¡¯s Datura in the medication you <b>take </b>regrly. I can smell it,¡± Yunice dropped a bombshell before continuing, ¡°Your physical functions should be fine. Your mobility issues are probably due to nerve paralysis.


    She stole another <b>nce </b>at the driver and <b>saw </b><b>that </b>he lookedpletely numb, as if he had already given up on <b>saving </b>her.


    Tightening her grip on the ballpoint pen in her hand. Yunice held her breath and waited for Wyatt¡¯s reaction. She was taking a gamble.


    The <b>fact </b><b>that </b><b>Wyatt </b>hadn¡¯t handed her over to his subordinates meant there was something about her that interested <b>him</b>. This was her chance, and she had to seize it.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression darkened slightly, but he didn¡¯t get <b>angry</b>. ¡°You can identify the ingredients of medicine just by smell?¡±


    Yunice felt a twinge of disappointment because he hadn¡¯t followed her <b>lead </b>in the conversation. But at least, for now, she was


    ¡°I can recognize <b>most </b>traditional herbal medicines by scent, but I need instruments to analyze modern medicine, Yunice exined


    To prove her expertise, she introduced her notebook. ¡°Take Alphasirox pills, for example. I can roughly determine its <bposition </b>in proportional amounts.¡±


    She <b>spoke </b>without any sense of pride. <b>Instead</b><b>, </b>she looked troubled, ¡°I spent everything I had to buy this medicine to save a life, but after analyzing it. I discovered a fatal w. This drug <b>contains </b>Aconite<b>, </b>which causes irreversible heart damage. The people who spent their fortunes on it to save their lives would never expect that what they bought was a poison that kills <b>a </b>thousand while barely harming the enemy.


    Yunice noticed Wyatt¡¯s brow furrow slightly. This was her second move to corner him.


    Alplusirox pills came from Wellinges Pharma. They <b>had </b>been in development for over three years but had never been. officially released. Only <b>small </b><b>quantities </b>were circted in the ck market.


    Yunice suspected <b>that </b>the reason Alphasirox pills had not beenunched was that issues had been discovered during the canical trial phase, leading to continuous dys.


    Wyatt was the financial power behind Wellinges Pharma. If there <b>was </b><b>a </b>major w in the drug, no one would be more <b>anxious </b>than him. Her guess was spot on¨C<b>the </b>issues with the drug had a dyed onset.


    Initially, Wyatt had full confidence in Alsirox pills. The early trial results <b>had </b>been promising, prompting widespread media coverage that painted the drug <b>as </b>a medical <b>breakthrough</b>. Demand was boosted. Hospitals lined up to coborate. with Wellinges Pharma, and orders flooded in


    Chapter 22 Identify Ingredients by Smell


    +8 Pearls


    That was when Wyatt <b>realized </b>the problem. He had been stalling the drug¡¯s release, waiting for a solution. But the deadline for delivering the drug was fast <b>approaching</b>.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze toward Yunice turned scrutinizing. ¡°So what if you figured it out? You can¡¯t fix it¡®


    <b>Yunice </b>smiled. ¡°Not yet. But I lost 280,000 on this, so I¡¯ll keep testing it.¡±


    Wyatt let out a scoff, mocking her for overestimating herself. The car stopped <b>at </b>Star Coast. The driver swiftly got <b>out </b>and opened the door for <b>Wyatt</b>, Wyatt¡¯s ck cane touched the ground first, followed by <b>his </b><b>polished </b>leather shoes. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t invited her toe along. Yunice quickly put her notebook back in her bag and followed him. ¡°


    Jordan, walking behind her, chatted with her cheerfully for a few moments before heading to the front desk to arrange things with the manager.


    With no other choice, Yunice maintained a careful distance as she continued following Wyatt.


    At the entrance of the private lounge, the attendants opened the doors in two directions. The moment Wyatt stepped inside, Yunice, fearing she would be shut out, quickly followed him in


    She <b>hadn¡¯t </b>expected a familiar voice to suddenly ring out in the room. ¡°Yunice?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s back stiffened. She turned to look at Paul.

 Daghter 23

    +8 Pearls


    Paul was standing there, still in the middle of greeting Wyatt, but the moment he saw Yunice, his expressionpletely changed. Yunice could hear the pounding of her heart in her chest.


    Meanwhile. Wyatt had already taken a seat on the sofa <b>across </b>from them. When <b>Jordan </b>walked in <b>and </b>saw Yunice still standing there, he called out. ¡°Why are <b>you </b>just standing there? Go sit with Wyatt, Mr. Paul is treating us today¡±


    Yunice nced at Jordan, and she felt as if all the blood in her body had turned ice¨Ccold.


    Just because they had met a few times as children, she had felt a certain familiarity with Jordan, like running into someone from the same hometown<b>. </b>But now that she had been yed by both <b>him </b>and Wyatt, she realized she was the biggest fool in the world.


    She had thought she was scheming against Wyatt, but in reality<b>, </b>she was the one being yed.


    However, after the initial wave of shock, Yunice quickly regained herposure and walked straight over to sit on the sofa beside Wyatt.


    Paul¡¯s eyes widened instantly. It <b>was </b>already shocking enough <b>that </b>Yunice wasn¡¯t at the Saunders mansion but instead showed up <b>at </b>a club. Now, she was actually sitting next to Wyatt?


    Does she not know that Hyatt is the Porcell family¡¯s mortal enemy? She isn¡¯t standing with me? <b>Paul </b>was furious. He barked out, Yunice, do you have no shame? Get over here right now!¡±


    No shame? Yunice lifted her gaze. ¡°Mr. Paul, we are neither rted nor close. Don¡¯t raise your voice at me.¡±


    <b>Paul </b>knew she was reminding him that their engagement had been called off. <b>But </b>that didn¡¯t mean she could sit with <b>his </b>enemy! Did all the kindness he had shown her before mean nothing?


    Frowning. Paul said. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t n to marry you, I still have to keep <b>you </b><b>in </b>line. Do your brother and the Saunders family even know you¡¯re out thiste<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice clenched her fists. Just hearing the mention of her brother was enough to make her panic. But she knew no matter what she did. <b>Paul </b>would tell Owen about tonight. That meant she would be facing Owen¡¯s fury <b>and </b>imprisonment. After <b>that</b>, she <b>would </b>never be able to leave the Saunders mansion again.


    Digging her nails into her palm, Yunice <b>said</b>, ¡°I¡¯m already 21. I have my own freedom.¡±


    Paul sneered <b>and </b>ignored her. Instead, he strode forward, grabbed her wrish and turned to Wyatt. ¡°Wyatt, she must be crazy to run off with you. I¡¯m taking her out of here first, then we <b>can </b><b>talk</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Crazy! Just using the escase of mental illness, he <b>thought </b>he could take me away as he pleases? How long is he going to keep throwing this usation at me! Her eyes turned red with grievance and frustration. Struggling to free herself, Yunice protested, ¡°I¡¯m not <b>crazy</b>! You¡¯re falsely using me.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t be <b>taken </b>away. She hadn¡¯t done anything yet¡­


    Paul retorted, ¡°Not crazy? Then who <b>was </b>it that got sent to a psychiatric hospital?¡±


    Turning back to Wyatt, he added, ¡°Wyatt, her patient ID at the psychiatric <b>hospital </b>is 1030, You can check for yourself. I¡¯m taking her now before her family starts worrying¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face filled with panic, tears streaming down her cheeks. She couldn¡¯t break free from Paul¡¯s grip, so she could only Inok around the room, hoping for help.


    But when she scanned their faces, she realized that everyone here held significant <b>status</b>. Yet, they all remained indifferent and were watching coldly. No one <b>was </b>going to stand up for her.


    *I¡¯m not going back! I¡¯m not going back!¡± Yunice shook her head, struggling desperately against <b>Paul</b>.


    To his surprise, he couldn¡¯t drag her away Paul was <b>shocked </b>by her sudden burst of strength, but at the same time, he still


    10 47 AM


    Chapter 23 Siding With Wyatt.


    Suddenly, <b>Yunice </b>screamed, ¡°Wyatt¡­ <b>Wyatt</b>! I can neutralize the Aconite! I can neutralize the Aconite!¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Paul had no idea what nonsense Yunice was yelling. The others in the room didn¡¯t understand either; many of them <b>had </b>never <b>even </b>heard of Aconite before.


    But Wyatt understood.


    His gazended on Yunice¡¯s tear¨Cstreaked face, her expression crumpled in despair.


    She is crying. So annoying. Irritated, Wyatt shifted his gaze to <b>Paul </b>and said, ¡°Let go.¡±


    Paul hadn¡¯t even processed what was said before he felt Jordan¡¯s fingers <b>dig </b><b>into </b>his wrist. The sharp pain forced him to release Yunice. Immediately, she scrambled toward Wyatt, her <b>entire </b>body trembling uncontrobly from fear and distress


    Seeing her shaking so badly, Wyatt frowned. He reached out, pulled her over to his side, and grabbed a couple of tissues.


    Yunice was stunned when her chin was suddenly <b>lifted</b>. Her eyes were still wet with tears. Without hesitation, Wyatt started wiping her face <b>with </b>practiced case.


    Paul happened to witness the whole scene. What is Wyatt doing? Since when did Yunice get so close to Wyatt?


    For a moment, <b>Paul </b>was too stunned to react. But more than that, he found the sight downright unbearable. How dare Yunice be this intimate with another man right in front of me?


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 24

    +8 Pearls


    Paul walked over and grabbed Wyatt¡¯s hand, <b>which </b><b>was </b>wiping Yunice¡¯s tears. He said coldly. ¡°Wyatt, if you want to disgust me, at <b>least </b>use a smarter method. Chasing after a woman I don¡¯t want only makes you <b>look </b>cheaper.¡±


    Before Wyatt could <b>speak</b>, Yunice immediately countered, ¡°By that logic, if I chase after a man I don¡¯t want, wouldn¡¯t that make Elsie just <b>as </b><b>cheap</b>?¡±


    <b>Paul </b>looked at Yunice in surprise. She was <b>actually </b>defending Wyatt! Wyatt <b>nced </b>at <b>Paul </b><b>with </b>a mocking smirk, finished wiping Yunice¡¯s tears, and then casually held Yunice¡¯s trembling hand in his palm. Yunice¡¯s fingertips were cold, making Wyatt¡¯s hand feel burning hot inparison. She looked up at him uneasily but didn¡¯t pull her <b>hand </b>away.


    Paul¡¯s eyes burned with anger. Yunice isn¡¯t shaking Wyatt off. Does she really think Wyatt is a good person!


    She might <b>not </b>know what kind of person Wyatt was, but she knew he had helped her. If she didn¡¯t side with Wyatt, should she side with Paul instead?


    Paul stood frozen in ce. His rational mind told him that a heartless woman like her deserved whatever she got.


    <b>But </b>his eyes betrayed his unwillingness. So this <b>was </b>the kind of easy woman Yunice was? Just a few days after breaking off their engagement, she had already found a new man<b>? </b>


    ¡°Wyatt, Yunice is already discussing marriage. You¡¯d better <b>show </b>some respect, or if this gets to Grandpa, you won¡¯t get away


    with it


    Yunice frowned. ¡°Discussing marriage?¡±


    <b>Paul </b>said, ¡°Your mom and <b>brother </b>are arranging it for y you. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t <b>know</b>.¡±


    Yunice really didn¡¯t know. No one had told her anything. Seeing her pale face, Wyatt let out a shortugh. ¡°Even people who are engaged can cheat. If you can do it, why can¡¯t others?¡±


    Paul was speechless, his face turning red. He instinctively nced at <b>Yunice</b>, but she wasn¡¯t defending him like she used to. Dissatisfied, Paul was about to snap back at Wyait when he suddenly noticed something. He reached out and grabbed Wyatt¡¯s


    <b>Wrist </b>


    ¡°Why <b>is </b>the bracelet with you?¡± Paul¡¯s mind raced before he sneered at Yunice. ¡°So it was you¡­¡±


    ¡°You stole the bracelet and gave it away, then tried to frame Elsie? Do you know how guilty that made Elsie feel?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b><b>was </b>still thinking about Owen trying to marry her off and wasn¡¯t <b>even </b>listening to Paul¡¯s ranting. Seeing that Yunice <b>was </b>ignoring <b>him</b>, Paul shook his head. ¡°Yunice, do you know why I came here today? I <b>know </b>Alphasirox pills are important to you, so I humbled myself to <b>ask </b>for the medicine on your behalf. But you really let me down.¡±


    It sounded like Yunice was really in the wrong. But if Paul truly <b>had </b>good intentions, then why did he stay silent when Elsie <b>was </b>fighting her for the medicine?


    Yunice didn¡¯t want <b>to </b>argue with Paul in front of so many people. She had already drawn enough attention today. <b>Paul</b><b>, </b>seeing <b>no </b><b>reaction </b>from her, felt embarrassed and left in anger. But his departure didn¡¯t make Yunice feel any better.


    What <b>was </b>she supposed to do when Owen came back? What if the Saunders family forced her into marriage? Legally, she <b>was </b>ssified <b>as </b>mentally ill and needed to be controlled by her family. Even if she ran <b>away</b>, they could still bring her <b>back</b>. She hadn¡¯t even escaped the nightmare of her birth family yet, and now she <b>was </b>about to be thrown into the nightmare of marriage?


    Feeling the warmth on her wrist, Yunice snapped out of her thoughts. <b>She </b>saw Wyatt rubbing medicine between his hands to warm it up before gently applying it to her swollen wrist.


    Wyatt said, ¡°<b>I </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b>the one who called Paul here.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. Whether <b>Paul </b>was called here or <b>not </b>didn¡¯t matter. What <b>was </b>done was done. There was no point in


    10:47 AM


    Chapter 24 Licorice Root


    Yunice said, ¡°I did use some tricks with the Alphasirox pills, but I only wanted to show you my value. That¡¯s all,¡±


    +8 Pearls


    As long as she had value<b>, </b>as long as she <b>was </b>needed, she <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>be trapped in the Saunders family. Wyatt wasn¡¯t stupid. Being direct would make it easier for him to trust her.


    Yunice said, ¡°Solving the Aconite toxicity issue is simple. You can market Alphasirox pills as requiring a three¨Ccourse <b>treatment</b>. The first and second courses are taken alone, while the third is paired with Licorice Root.¡±


    ¡°Licorice Root?¡± Even people who weren¡¯t in medicine knew it was amon ingredient.


    ¡°Licorice Root detoxifies and neutralizes poison. The toxicity of the Aconite in Alphasirox pills has a dyed effect. We just need to neutralize it when it takes effect. Yunice continued, ¡°Wellinges Pharma must have already produced arge stock of the medicine. Destroying or recalling it would cause huge losses. Money is a small issue; Wellinges Pharma¡¯s reputation is what really matters.¡±


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 25

    edicine was a matter of life and death. Once trust copsed, apany would not be far from going bankrupt.


    Yunice said. ¡°<b>This </b>is the simplest solution I can think of right now, with the least loss,¡±


    Wyatt caught the underlying meaning. Without stopping, he asked, ¡°You have other solutions?¡±


    ¡°Clinical trials take at least three months. No matter whether <b>this </b>risky n works or not, it must eventually be reced by a more refined drug. Yumice said with certainty, ¡°I can create a better one.¡±


    Wyatt finished applying the medicine, pulled our a wet wipe to <b>clean </b>his hands, and asked, ¡°What do you want in return<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Hearing that, Yunice felt relieved and <b>said</b>, ¡°I want money. Cash:


    Wyatt nodded. ¡°That¡¯s easy. Then he asked. ¡°I thought you¡¯d want this.¡±


    Yunice looked at the bracelet on his wrist. She said, ¡°Even if you give it to me, I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it. It¡¯s safer with you.¡±


    The Saunders family was dangerous. If she took the bracelet back, it would only end up benefiting Elsie. Money was much more practical


    Wyatt nced at <b>Jordan </b><b>Jordan </b>understood and stepped forward. ¡°Little rabbit, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Seeing <b>that </b>Wyatt didn¡¯t move, Yunice knew this was his way of telling her to leave. She didn¡¯t say anything, got up, <b>and </b>followed Jordan out of the clubhouse. The moment they stepped outside, they heard the sound of rain hitting the windows. Yunice then realized it was raining.


    A valet pulled the car up to a dry spot. Jordan got into the driver¡¯s seat, and Yunice sat in the back.


    After a moment, someone knocked on the window.


    Jordan rolled it down, <b>and </b>the person outside tossed in a briefcase. It was not very big, but itnded on the seat with a heavy thud. Jordan rolled the window back up, turned the wheel, <b>and </b><b>said</b>, ¡°This is three <b>hundred </b>thousand in cash. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re giving you too little, it¡¯s that you wouldn¡¯t be able to carry more.


    Yunice opened the <b>case</b>. It was full of money.


    Jordan nced at the rearview mirror and saw Yunice holding the case tightly,ughing and crying at <b>the </b>same time.


    He <b>was </b>puzzled. She was, after all, the eldest <b>daughter </b>of the Saunders family. Why was she so happy over such a <b>small </b>amount of money?


    Jordan asked where she wanted to go. <b>Yunice </b>gave him <b>Gill¡¯s </b>address. She wasn¡¯t trying to hide it¨Cif Wyatt wanted to find out, she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it a secret anyway.


    The car moved through the rain, but the luxury vehicle¡¯s soundproofing was excellent. Yunice had never liked rainy days, but maybe because she was in a good mood <b>now</b>, even the <b>rain </b>felt gentle and lovely.


    She quietly rolled the window down a little and reached her fingers out. The raindrops hit her hand, cool and refreshing. On rainy <b>days</b>, would she meet a god with a soft heart?


    Looking at the neon lights reflected in the raindrops outside the window, Yunice felt as if the whole world hade <b>alive</b>.


    For the first time, she truly felt like she had escaped the psychiatric hospital.


    Jordan dropped her off and drove away. <b>Standing </b>at the door, Yunice¡¯s heart pounded. She hesitantly knocked. Soon, she heard the door open.


    Gill held the doorknob and let out <b>a </b>surprised ¡°<b>Ah</b>!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s hands loosened, and the <b>money </b>case fell to the round.


    <b>10:47 </b>AM


    Chapter 25 Remembering Her Father


    brought it inside.


    Yunice cried for several minutes, finally releasing all the emotions she had been holding back.


    As she gradually quieted down, Gill went to get her some water.


    Yunice sat on the couch, looking around. It was a small vi, with a garden on the terrace.


    Finished


    It was still raining outside, but under the glow of the ambient lights, she could see a


    rose tree swaying in the wind and rain. Because it was the wrong season, there were no flowers on the tree, only a few dried, dark red buds stubbornly clinging


    on


    Yunice stared at them for a long time, feeling an overwhelming sense of longing for her father.


    Gill followed her gaze out the window <b>and </b>said, ¡°Miss, does it look familiar?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>snapped out of her thoughts. Gill was only ten years older than her, so she was barely thirty now. She dressed simply but neatly


    She <b>had </be from a poor background, but she <b>was </b>hardworking. Ten years ago, Margaret had introduced her to the Saunders family as a housekeeper.


    To Yunice, Gill was more than just a ymate. She was family.


    Gill had been married, but Margaret had <b>told </b>Yunice that her husband had taken another wife in the countryside. She <b>had </b>tried to fight it, but it was useless. Margaret felt bad for her <b>and </b>let her take <b>care </b>of the house.


    <b>Now</b>, Gill lived alone in the vi, which was afortable arrangement.


    <b>Gill </b>also looked out the window and said, <b>¡°</b><b>That </b>rose tree was nted by your father himself. After Mr. Owen dug it up, I saved a few branches and rented them. In three years, it¡¯s grown this much.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart moved. Now, the only people left who still remembered her father were her and Gill.


    Gill squatted in front of Yunice and squeezed her arm. Even through the fabric, she could feel how <b>thin </b>she was.

 Daghter 26

    Finished


    Gill¡¯s eyes


    turned red instantly. Her voice broke as she <b>said</b>, ¡°Ms. Saunders, you¡¯ve suffered. I only hate that I was so useless, No one believed me back then. I was with you for so long. How could I <b>not </b>know if you <b>had </b>a mental illness or not?¡±


    Yuniceughed bitterly. Her own family didn¡¯t believe her, so how could they believe Cill?


    Gill gripped her hand and said through clenched teeth, ¡°Ms. Saunders, you can¡¯t lose. <b>I¡¯ve </b>lived for 30 years, and I¡¯ve finally figured it out that no one is reliable. A person <b>can </b>only rely on themselves! You have to work <b>hard</b>, buy a big house like this. <b>one</b>, move out of the Saunders family, and I¡¯ll take care of you. I¡¯ll be yourpanion! The Saunders family has long turned into a den of <b>jackals</b>. If you can¡¯t stand on your own, they¡¯ll tear you apart and swallow you whole!¡± Gill spoke with gritted teeth. She was truly afraid Yunice would never recover, but there was nothing she could do to he


    Yunice squeezed Gill¡¯s hand in return <b>and </b><b>said</b>, ¡°I will buy a big house in the future. We¡¯ll live together.¡±


    Hearing this, Gill immediately thought of something. ¡°I even saved something for you! When you were locked in the psychiatric hospital, Elsie wasted no time trying <b>to </b>get rid of your things. I secretly kept some for you. They¡¯re buried under <b>the </b>tree in the yard. Ms. Saunders, find a chance to dig them up. They mighte in handy!¡±


    The <b>rain </b>dripped outside. Yunice and Gill seemed to have endless things to say, but the sun would rise again, and people had to part eventually.


    No matter how much Yunice hated that house, she still had to go back.


    She knew Paul would definitely report her absencest night to Owen. Instead of rushing back, she boldly dyed her return until <bte </b><b>at </b>night. After all, Owen wouldn¡¯t be back for another six days. But the moment Yunice got home, she was suffocated¡­ Owen¡¯s car was parked in the driveway.


    Owen came back early? Is it because Paulined, and Owen rushed back overnight?


    Yunice knew Owen¡¯s temper. He was impulsive <b>and </b>quick to anger. The best choice when he was mad was to avoid him.


    She turned <b>around </b>immediately, <b>nning </b><b>to </b><b>stay </b><b>out </b>for six or <b>seven </b><b>days</b>. By then, maybe Owen¡¯s anger would have subsided.


    ¡°Yunice.¡± It <b>was </b>Paul¡¯s voice.


    Yunice turned <b>back</b>. Paul walked toward her from the living roon She didn¡¯t see Owen.


    Paul stopped in front of her, his eyes scanning her up and down, checking for any suspicious marks. Only after confirming there was nothing unusual did his expression rx. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell your brother about what you


    Yunice looked at Paul warily.


    <b>Paul </b>said. ¡°<b>You </b>used <b>to </b>take the fall for me, so I¡¯m helping you this time.¡±


    Paul had never been <b>an </b><b>easy </b>person. When they were kids, every time he got into <b>trouble</b>, he made Yunice cover for him.


    One year, Elsie was hanging <b>out </b>with a group of gangsters. Paul beat one of them <b>up</b><b>, </b>and he ended up at the police station. Paul <b>was </b>worried <b>about </b>Elsie¡¯s reputation, and made Yunice <b>say </b><b>she </b><b>was </b>the one being harassed by those <b>gangsters</b>. It <b>was </b><b>as </b>if her reputation didn¡¯t matter at all.


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond to Paul¡¯s goodwill. She just gave <b>a </b><b>short </b>¡°Mm¡± and walked toward the house.


    Paul followed. ¡°I helped you, and you¡¯re still ignoring me?¡±


    Yunice stopped, looking impatient. ¡°You¡¯re Elsie¡¯s boyfriend now. Is it appropriate for me to talk to you?¡±


    Paul grabbed her ¡®Stop using that <b>as </b><b>an </b>excuse. If you were really so loyal, would you have thrown yourself at Wyatt?¡±


    Yunice turned her head and looked at him coldly.


    the


    10:47 AM <b>d </b>


    Chapter 26 Indifference


    jealous.¡± Yunice continued. ¡°If I like someone else. I won¡¯t be in your and Elsie¡¯s way. You should be happy.¡±


    Instead of standing here lecturing her, acting <b>as </b>if she was the one who <b>had </b>cheated.


    <b>Yunice </b>walked into the living room. Paul didn¡¯t follow. He was probably too pissed off.


    Finished


    As soon as she stepped inside, Yunice noticed extra people in the house. On the sofa, Lilly was chatting <b>with </b><b>a </b>woman around <b>her </b>age


    Seeing Yunicee in. Lily smiled <b>and </b>said, ¡°Look, our Yunny is back. Yunny, say hello to Ms. Genna¡±


    Yunice had never heard of anyone named Genna being close to the family, but to avoid unnecessary trouble, she simply said, ¡°Hello, Ms. Genna.


    Looking up, she noticed the bangle on the woman¡¯s <b>wrist </b><b>had </b>good <b>quality</b>, but it wasn¡¯t a top¨Ctier piece. Most likely, she came. from <b>a </b>well¨Coff family but wasn¡¯t as wealthy as the Saunders family.


    After greeting her, Yunice didn¡¯t think anything good woulde from this conversation, so she turned to head upstairs.


    But unexpectedly, Genna reached out and pinched her butt hard, deliberately using a lot of force.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 27

    Chapter 27 Arranged Marriage


    Yunice was so shocked <b>that </b>she took a step back, but she didn¡¯t cry out.


    Genna was pleased with her reaction. She smiled and nodded at Lily. This girl is steady. She can live a good life.¡±


    Finished


    Hearing that, Lily¡¯s expression visibly <b>rxed</b>. She replied, ¡°She was raised infort. As long as you approve of her, that¡¯s good enough.¡±


    Genna grinned so wide that the flesh on her face trembled. ¡°She is good, just a little too skinny. Might not be <b>easy </b>for her to bear children<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice understood immediately. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked at Lily ¡°Mom, <b>who </b>is she?¡±


    Lily knew Yunice wasn¡¯t asking for a name. She reached out <b>to </b>soothe her. ¡°Your brother asked me to arrange your marriage. Genna is an old friend of mine, Her son is honest and dependable. If you marry him, you won¡¯t suffer.¡±


    Genna quickly chimed in. That¡¯s right! You won¡¯t have to do <b>anything </b>at my house. Just lie in bed and give birth to a son.


    Yunice turned around, her face cold. ¡°And what if I can¡¯t <b>have </b>a son?¡±


    Genna didn¡¯t realize she was being mocked <b>and </b>said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you have <b>a </b>daughter. Just keep having kids. You¡¯ll get a son eventually


    Alright. Yunice now understood exactly what kind of family this was. She nced at the coffee <b>table</b>, picked up the teapot, and poured it over Genna¡¯s head! The tea was at a drinkable temperature, but it still made Genna yelp as she iled her hands in the air.


    Yunice had no intention of stopping. She chased after her, pouring more tea <b>over </b>her head.


    Genna couldn¡¯t <b>sit </b>still anymore. She jumped up and ran while screaming, ¡°Lily! What¡¯s wrong with your daughter?!¡±


    Yunice said sharply. ¡°I have mental illness. Sorry, when I have an episode, I like to hit people. Please be understanding!¡±


    With that,


    sher


    grabbed a teacup from the table and smashed it near Genna¡¯s feet. Genna clutched her chest in fear <b>and </b>ran outside, yelling at Lily as she went. ¡°If she¡¯s mentally ill, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? Are you trying to make my son go crazy too: Lily, you¡¯re a fraud! I¡¯m going to expose you on the matchmaking site!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡°¡± Lily stood up anxiously. Yunice turned to <b>look </b>at her. Lily opened her mouth but hesitated, then sat back down on the couch, not daring to take a sound.


    Seeing that Lily didn¡¯t dare move and Giana wasn¡¯t home, Yunice went straight to the yard to find the tree Gill had mentioned. She then started digging.


    She knew that once Owen came back, she wouldn¡¯t escape a beating. So she figured, since she was already in <b>trouble</b>, she might as well get everything <b>done </b>in one go. The shovel hit something solid. Yunice crouched down, brushed away the dirt, and pulled out a stic box.


    She carried the box back to her room. Lily kept ncing at her but didn¡¯t <b>dare </b>intervene.


    Inside her room. Yunice threw a piece of clothing over the surveince camera, locked the door with a chain, then sat on the floor and started going through what Gill had left her.


    The stic box was filled with things wrapped in stic. The moment she opened it, a musty smell hit her. Most of it was old paper, notebooks<b>, </b>and random scribbles.


    Gall wasn¡¯t well¨Ceducated, but <b>she </b>knew Yunice treasured written records. So instead of keeping any <b>valuable </b>items, she <b>had </b>only saved these scraps of paper


    And it was precisely because they were worthless that the Saunders <b>family </b><b>hadn¡¯t </b>noticed them. But to Yunice, these tattered pages were priceless!


    10:48 AM


    Chapter 27 Arranged Marriage


    Finished


    She checked the surveince feed and saw Elsie¡¯s car pulling in. Owen stepped out, rubbing his temples, looking exhausted.


    Elsie, on the other hand, had reddened eyes and looked like she had done something wrong.


    ording to their original n, Owen and Elsie <b>were </b>supposed to be out discussing business deals. But not only had theye back early, they both looked troubled..


    What happened?


    Owen walked straight into the living room, with Elsie trailing behind, apologizing nonstop. ¡°Owen, it¡¯s all my fault. I was too eager to prove myself, too eager to help the <b>family</b>, and that¡¯s why things turned out like this. This ident <b>is </b>entirely my responsibility. I¡¯m willing to go to jail for it.


    Owen reassured her, ¡°No one goes through life without making mistakes. Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. I¡¯ll take care of


    of it.


    <b>stood </b>beside her, <b>holding </b>a te of food,


    As he spoke, he looked up <b>and </b>saw Lily sitting on the couch, wiping her tears, trying tofort her. Lily shook her head, a few tears falling as she said she couldn¡¯t eat.


    Owen quickly <b>walked </b>over. ¡°<b>Mom</b>, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lily shook her head and forced <b>a </b>smile. Tm fine.¡±


    Giana huffed. ¡°Fine? You¡¯ve been crying all day and haven¡¯t eaten a single bite.¡±


    Owen noticed the iPad next to Lily and picked it up. It was open to a matchmaking website. A post had been pinned to the top in bold, eye¨Ccatching letters¨CShameful Lily. She¡¯s a fraud! Beware!


    Owen clicked on: the post and read through the details. That was when he found out that Yunice had beaten up the mother of her matchmaking prospect!


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 28

    Chapter 28 Online Insults


    Finished


    The insults online were getting worse. It wasn¡¯t just Lily being cursed out¡­ Both Owen and Oscar were being dragged into it as wel. People were saying their whole family was dishonest for hiding a person¡¯s medical conditions


    Elsie was heartbroken. They¡¯re going too far. It¡¯s one thing to <b>insult </b>Mom, but why are they attacking Oscar and Owen too?¡±


    Owen gripped the iPad tightly. He didn¡¯t me <b>the </bizens. This was all Yunice¡¯s fault for being so rebellious. If she hadn¡¯t acted <b>out</b>, none of this would¡¯ve ended up online. He turned around and started pounding on Yunice¡¯s door.


    As soon as Yunice stepped out, Owen grabbed her. ¡°How much more trouble are you nning to cause this <b>family</b>?¡±


    Yunice looked at him. I¡¯m not getting married.


    ¡°What woman doesn¡¯t get married? You think you can just stay in this house forever?¡±


    Yunice remembered how Elsie had once yfully said she didn¡¯t want to get married. And what had Owen said back then? He had told her she didn¡¯t have to, <b>that </b>the family <b>could </b>afford to take care of her.


    Yuniceughed at herself. ¡°If you think I¡¯m a burden<b>, </b>I <b>can </b><b>move </b>out of the Saunders <b>family</b>¡±


    Owen said, ¡°You think it¡¯s that simple? If you move out, people will just say we abandoned you and kicked you out


    So they wanted to get rid of her, but they also wanted to keep up appearances. The only way to do both <b>was </b>to find a man to <b>take </b>her in. Yunice didn¡¯t respond. She just took the iPad from Elsie¡¯s hands, scrolled through thements, then turned the screen toward Owen ¡°So if you marry me off to a man with CAIS, that would make you all look good?¡±


    Owen froze. His eyesnded on one particrment. That woman isn¡¯t any better. Her son has CAIS, is prone to violence, and can¡¯t even have kids. <b>And </b>she still insists on a grandson? What a <b>joke</b>. No wonder they got kicked out


    Owen was shocked. He turned to Lily. ¡°Mom, <b>the </b>guy you picked for Yunice has CAIS?¡±


    <b>Lily </b>looked bewildered. I. I didn¡¯t know. But <b>Genna </b><b>is </b><b>a </b>nice person¡­¡±


    A woman who groped <b>people¡¯s </b>butts to test their obedience? How nice could she be?


    Lily still ined to justify it. ¡°Their family is well<b>¨C</b><b>off</b><b>, </b>and her husband works at the health bureau. Yunny isn¡¯t actually mentally ill. If we exin things properly, they won¡¯t <b>hold </b><b>it </b><b>against </b>her.¡±


    Yuniceughed. How little must Lily think of her, to believe that as long <b>as </b>others didn¡¯t look down on her, that was all that mattered, never once considering whether she looked down on <b>them</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice sneered. ¡°What¡¯s more important to you, Genna or the health bureau <b>that </b>can help Owen¡¯s career? As long as it benefits Owen, it¡¯s okay to marry me off to someone with CAIS <b>and </b>turn me into <b>a </b>baby¨Cmaking machine, right?¡±


    Lily¡¯s face burned with embarrassment.


    Elue immediately chimed in. ¡°If it helps Owen¡¯s career and benefits our family¡¯s hospital, then I¡¯d be willing to marry a disabled person and take care of them myself¡±


    Yunice shot her a look. Since you¡¯re so self¨Csacrificing, why don¡¯t you marry him?¡±


    <b>Pal</b><b>! </b>Owen pped Yunice <b>across </b>the face. The pain <b>was </b><b>sharp</b>. Yunice closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, her expressionpletely alm


    He <b>must </b>have been holding that p in for a long time. He had probably wanted to hit her before but had been suppressing it under a <b>fake </b>sense of morality. It was only now, in the midst of defending Elsie, that he finally let loose.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Mom <b>and </b>Owen picked such <b>a </b>great family. If Elsie marries into it, she¡¯ll be living the good life. Owen, why are you so mad! Shouldn¡¯t you be happy for her?¡±


    Owen was still furious. ¡°Are you evenparable to Elsie? She¡¯s in grad school and has won multiple provincial¨Clevel awards.


    1040 AM


    Chapter 28 Online Insults


    Finished


    Even though Yunice <b>had </b>told herself n


    to care about what anyone in the Saunders family said, words could still cut deep. <b>Even </b>knives stabbed into the bould hurt. She regretted trying to argue. Bias ran too deep¡­ People like Owen would never think they were wrong. To <b>them</b>, the only problem <b>was </b>that she didn¡¯t <b>know </b>her ce.


    Seeing that Owen had gone too far. Eksic tugged at <b>his </b>sleeve and gently said, ¡°Yunice, you really misunderstood Owen isn¡¯t forcing you to get married. It¡¯s just that business <b>is </b>tough. The hospital had a medical dispute, and the impact <b>has </b>been huge. Owen¡¯s been stressed about it for days.¡±


    A medical dispute? Before Yunice could ask what <b>had </b>happened, Owen pulled his arm away. ¡°<b>Why </b>are you telling her that? Someone as vicious as her would love to see the hospital shut down.


    With that, he stormed <b>upstairs</b>.


    Yunice <b>turned </b><b>a </b>scrutinizing gaze on Elsie. <b>Was </b>it your mistake that caused the ident?


    A flicker of guilt shed through Elsie¡¯s eyes before she turned and followed Owen.


    Yunice went back to her room and checked the news about Saunders Hospital on her phone.


    That was when she found out that Saunders Hospital had been exposed for surgical malpractice, leading to a patient¡¯s sudden cardiac arrest. Though the patient had been resuscitated, their family had set up banners outside the hospital, demanding an apology andpensation.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 29

    Chapter 29 Surgical Malpractice.


    Finisher


    What was even more terrifying was that this wasn¡¯t <b>the </b>first time something like this had happened. It was just that the previous incidents hadn¡¯t caused enough of a stir to <b>make </b>headlines.


    That <b>night</b><b>, </b>Owen knocked on <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>door again. This time, he came alone. His expression was exhausted, the excitement from a few hours agopletely gone. He had no other choice but toe to Yunice.


    Sitting <b>on </b><b>a </b>small stool in her room, Owen rested his head in his hands and sighed. ¡°Yunice, the hospital Dad built is in trouble¡±


    When the <b>hospital </b>was <b>making </b>money, it was all thanks to Owen. Now that there was a problem, he suddenly brought up their father to y <b>the </b>emotional <b>card</b>.


    Yunice scoffed internally. She already knew what he was going to say next.


    <b>She </b>asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Owen let out a <b>sigh</b><b>. </b>The nurse forgot to clear the air out of the <b>contrast </b>agent before injecting it, which caused the patient¡¯s heart to stop<ol><li>c. <b>wasn¡¯t </b>it?¡±</li></ol>


    Yunice sneered. ¡°<b>That </b>nurse was Elsie,


    Owen¡¯s brows furrowed tightly. He was unhappy with Yunice¡¯s attitude, but he couldn¡¯t refute her. If it had been anyone else, he could¡¯ve just thrown <b>them </b>under the bus and handled it. But it was Elsie. Elsie didn¡¯t have a medical license. Not even a proper intern permit. <b>At </b>best, she was just a hospital volunteer.


    If this got out, it wouldn¡¯t just affect the hospital. It would ruin Elsie¡¯s future. So no matter <b>what </b>it took, he had to protect her.


    Seeing <b>his </b>silence, Yunice felt her heart twist with anger. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Letting Elsie into the operating room was pure negligence!¡±


    Owen snapped impatiently, ¡°What¡¯s <b>the </b>point of saying this now? Do you know how hard it is to <b>train </b>a doctor? Once Elsie finishes her studies, I have a reliable right¨Chand person. Everyone is doing their part for the Saunders family¨Cexcept you. You do nothing butin about everything!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s <b>disappointment </b>deepened. ¡°Did <b>Dad </b><b>train </b>you the same way? By risking <b>lives</b><b>?</b>¡±


    She <b>thought </b>back to their childhood. All three siblings had been taught medical knowledge. Owen had always been bold- unce, he had tried practicing on a patient just by following diagrams in a texbook.


    Dad had <b>caught </b>him and beaten him severely, hanging him from a tree in the yard. Dad had <b>told </b>them that human life was <b>sacred</b>, and that they couldn¡¯t treat patients who trusted them like ythings.


    Even after that punishment, Owen <b>still </b>wanted to practice on someone. So Yunice had offered up her own arm, letting him use her <b>as </b>a test subject for free.


    Owen had no sense of restraint. He had even pierced through her veins <b>once</b>, and instead of feeling bad, he hadughed, <b>saying </b>that if he couldn¡¯t be a doctor, he could always be a tailor.


    Every time he practiced on her, her arm would be bruised for days. Once, he even used the wrong medication, causing her to fall into aa forseven days.


    And yet, back then<b>, </b>she had actually thought it <b>was </b>worth it. Yunice let out a self¨Cmockingugh. Owen must luve remembered too, because his face turned red. He lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, his fingernails digging into his palms.


    Even if he felt guilty, he still had to say what he came for. ¡°Yunny, <b>take </b>the me for Elsie


    Then he looked up and said as if it waspletely reasonable, ¡°Oscar can¡¯t afford to leave his research abroad. You don¡¯t want him toe <b>back </b>and deal with this<b>, </b>do you!¡±


    Owen studied Yunice¡¯s reaction. He <b>was </b>sure she would throw a fit, like she always did whenever the family tried to <b>push </b>


    B


    Chapter 29 Surgical Malpractice


    What Owen didn¡¯t realize was that Yunice was no longer the same person who <b>would </b>let things slide.


    Yunice said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll take the me but I want it officially documented in the newspaper, with my full identity.¡±


    Finished


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡± Owen immediately objected. ¡°Elsie is using your identity. If you go public, it¡¯ll confirm that she¡¯s been impersonating you!¡±


    So he wants all the benefits without any real consequences? Yunice said, ¡°This is for the hospital¡¯s <b>sake </b>too. If you want an apology to be <b>taken </b>seriously, it has to be done properly. Otherwise, how are you going to silence public opinion?¡±


    Ah, so that <b>was </b>her reasoning. Owen knew Yunice wasn¡¯t that smart.


    He said. ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of a <b>reason </b>for you. We¡¯ll say you barged into the operating room and disrupted the procedure. You have a documented history of mental illness, so you won¡¯t be held responsible or go to jail. <b>Taking </b>the me won¡¯t affect you at <b>all</b>.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s fingers trembled involuntarily. Her cold eyes locked onto Owen, and once <b>again</b>, she realized <b>just </b>how vicious he


    She took a few seconds to calm herself, but even she could hear the slight <b>shiver </b>in her voice when she spoke. ¡°Even if I were mentally ill, I¡¯d still need a name, wouldn¡¯t I? What identity am I supposed to use to take the <b>public¡¯s </b>me?¡±


    Owen¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. His heart skipped a beat and was filled with unease. ¡°You don¡¯t have to make it sound so bad. Ill say you¡¯re a poor orphan from the mountains that our family took in. As long <b>as </b>we paint your story as tragic enough, the public won¡¯t criticize you.¡±

 Daghter 30

    Chapter 30 Exchanging Identities?


    Finished


    Was he nning to swap Elsie¡¯s background with hers now? Yunice was the one being forced to take the fall, yet he was putting on a righteous act as if he was doing it for her sake.


    Yunice almost wanted to p for his hypocrisy.


    Owen knew she wouldn¡¯t <b>agree </b>so easily, so he raised the stakes ¡°As long as you help the family through this crisis, I won¡¯t force you to get married. You can stay at home as long as you want.¡±


    Yuniceughed mockingly. ¡°Whether I get married or not isn¡¯t up to <b>you</b>.¡±


    Owen stared at Yunice in <b>shock</b>, as if he hadn¡¯t expected her to defy him. In the <b>past</b>, she always did whatever he said. As long <b>as </b>it was for the family, she never refused.


    Unable to control her anymore, Owen¡¯s anger raised. ¡°Yunice, I¡¯m <b>finally </b>seeing your true <b>colors</b>. I almost fell for <b>your </b>act of being a good sister. Turns out, you¡¯re <b>the </b>most heartless one of all


    Yunice sneered. ¡°So in your eyes, a ¡®good sister¡® is someone <b>who </b>obeys without question, lets herself be manipted, and <b>has </b>no thoughts of her own¡°¡±


    Owen shot to his feet and said coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to help, then don¡¯t. No need to twist my words,¡±


    Leaving Yunice¡¯s room. Owen felt like he couldn¡¯t breathe properly. His chest was filled with anger, but he had nowhere to vent it. He turned back for a nce, but Yunice didn¡¯te after him.


    For some reason, he felt an unexpected sense of loss. He thought of three years ago, whenever he got mad, <b>Yunice </b>would chase after him to coax him, no matter how unwilling she was. In the end, she would always give in.


    He and Oscar were her only family. Who else could she rely on if not them? Owen had always assumed he could control Yunice for the rest of her life. But now, he felt a distance between <b>them</b>. The feeling <b>made </b>him uneasy,


    A part of him actually wished Yunice would smile at him again, grab <b>his </b>arm like she used to, and call his name. It had once been so normal. Why had things <b>changed</b><b>? </b>But what exactly had changed?


    As Owen was lost in thought, Elsie came running over happily, tugging at his sleeve. ¡°Owen, did Yunice agree?¡±


    Owen lowered his eyes and looked at the <b>hand </b>holding onto his sleeve. When he lifted his gaze again, Yunice¡¯s smiling face faded, reced by Elsie¡¯s. When had it changed? When had the persorbtugging at his sleeve stopped being Yunice and be Eine instead? instead?


    A strange emotion stirred in his heart. He sighed. ¡°She refused. Then he couldn¡¯t help but <b>ask</b>, ¡°Elsie, do you think Yunice is ming me


    Flue <b>froze</b>. Seeing the frustration on Owen¡¯s face, rm bells went off in her head.


    di Owen starting to feel guilty toward Yunice? She nced toward Yunice¡¯s room. How did Yunice suddenly get so sharp after just one trip to the pychiatric hospital


    ¡°Owen¡± Elur said gently ¡°You did <b>this </b>for the greater good. Even if there was a <b>mistake</b>, it was for the <b>sake </b>of the Saunders family. Besides, making this decision was hard for you too. What kind of <b>sister </b>would me her brother for that?¡±


    Yes. Did Yunice think he wanted to make this choice? If she had been morepetent and taken on the family¡¯s responsibilities, he wouldn¡¯t have had to <b>make </b>such a painful decision. He was struggling so much, yet instead of understanding ham, she was criticizing him?


    Owen¡¯s momentary guilt vanishedpletely. He straightened his <b>back</b>. ¡°The family won¡¯t fall apart without her. Even if she doesn¡¯t help, Ill still handle that


    Else <b>was </b>stunned. If Yunice didn¡¯t take the me, she¡¯d be exposed. That couldn¡¯t <b>happen</b>! But no matter what, Owen refused to beg Yunlce again.


    10:48 AM


    Chapter 30 Exchanging Identities?


    Finished


    interfere again. Before <b>leaving</b>, she squatted beside the box Yunice had dug out and casually flipped through a few sketches.


    They were drawings Yunice had done as a child, mostly portraits of women. The women were quiet and elegant, either sitting or standing gracefully. It was the very image of femininity. They were the kind of <b>drawings </b>Yunice had made whenever she missed Lily, copying from her photos.


    Gill <b>had </b>considered them precious and <b>kept </b>them <b>safe </b><b>all </b>these years. But Lily didn¡¯t see them that way. She casually set the old drawings on the floor, then gently sifted through the bottom of the box. When she didn¡¯t find <b>what </b>she <b>was </b>looking for. she seemed a little disappointed.


    Noticing Yunice¡¯s indifferent gaze, Lily asked without hesitation. ¡°Yunny, I remember Dad left behind a few ancient medical scripts. You have them, don¡¯t you?¡±

 Daghter 31

    Chapter 31 The Line Between Blood and Love


    Finished


    Worried that <b>Yunice </b>might be holding a grudge, Lily stood up and gently sat beside her bed. ¡°I haven¡¯t been sleeping well. these past few days. I keep dreaming about your father¡­


    As she <b>spoke</b>, she ced Yunice¡¯s hand into her own, her eyes <b>red</b><b>¨C</b><b>rimmed</b>. ¡°If only there was something of his left behind for me to remember him by.¡±


    ¡°<b>Mom</b>, didn¡¯t you give your blessing when the rose tree Father left you was cut down?¡± Yunice looked at her sincerely.


    Lily faltered under that gaze. For a moment, she actually felt guilty. ¡°I know you¡¯re upset,¡± she said <b>quickly</b>, ¡°but when you be a mother one day, you¡¯ll understand. A child¡¯s safety is more <b>important </b>than <b>anything</b>. I had no choice.¡±


    ¡°The book really isn¡¯t with me,¡± Yunice replied.


    Then, without warning, she leaned forward and rested her head against Lily¡¯s chest. ¡°Mom, if you miss Dad, just hold me. I¡¯m part of what he left behind too.¡±


    Lily had never hugged her before. The moment Yunice pressed close, she clearly felt Lily instinctively try to <b>push </b>her away,


    parent¡¯s love for their child runs deep


    But even as a daughter, that love had never been given to her.


    Even hearts grow crooked¨Chow could fairness exist?


    The hugsted only a few seconds before Lily stood up, clearly ufortable. I¡¯ll ask your brotherster. Maybe one of


    them <b>has </b>the book¡±


    Yunice smiled and softly hummed in acknowledgment, showing no hint of hurt.


    Lily bit her lip, her face clouded <b>with </b>unease as she left the room.


    Seeing her expression, Giana assumed Yunice must¡¯ve said something harsh.


    But Lily shook her head and muttered, conflicted, ¡°I just wonder am I <b>too </b>cold toward Yunny? But¡­ She nced at Giana, her voice tight with disgust. ¡°I <b>want </b>to treat her like <b>a </b><b>daughter</b>, but every time she gets <b>close</b>, I just feel so disgusted, so irritated I can¡¯t help wanting her to stay far <b>away</b>¡­


    She let out a long sigh, her face full of regret. ¡°If only Elsie <b>and </b><b>Yunice </b>had been switched. If Elsie were the real Saunders daughter<b>, </b>and Yunice had stayed <b>in </b>that mountain vige, I wouldn¡¯t be in this awkward position.¡±


    The <b>door </b>wasn¡¯t fully shut. A sliver of Yunice¡¯s clothes peeked through the gap¨Cunnoticed.


    She stood there, leaning silently against the wall, listening to her mother¡¯s words of rejection,


    Words that sharp should¡¯ve made her furious. But they didn¡¯t.


    She simply tilted her head back, resting it against the <b>wall</b>, her face nk and exhausted <b>as </b>she stared up at the ceiling.


    Her father¡¯s love had been enough. As for a mother¡­ she¡¯d never had one. <b>So </b>what was there to lose?


    It was <b>just </b>a beautiful childhood dream¨Cshattered, nothing <b>more</b>.


    Later <b>that </b>night, Owen got a call for an emergency case.


    Driving out through the wrought¨C<b>iron </b><b>gates </b>of the Saunders estate, he had <b>barely </b>turned onto the asphalt when he <b>caught </b>at glimpse <b>of </b><b>a </b><b>familiar </b>figure by the roadside.


    Chapter 31 The Line Between Blood and Love


    Owen frowned. What was she doing out thiste? He turned the wheel <b>and </b>began following her.


    Finished


    Inside the taxi, Yunice kept checking the time, her expression tense, eyes fixed on the passing streets. She <b>didn¡¯t </b>notice she was being followed.


    Eventually, the cab pulled to a stop. Yunice jumped out and ran to knock on the back gate of a house


    Owen¡¯s car stopped at a distance. He leaned forward to see more clearly.


    The Johnson family.


    That was the family his mother <b>had </b>arranged for Yunice to marry into.


    He looked back toward her. She was knocking at the Johnsons¡® rear gate. A housekeeper opened a small gap in the door. Yunice slipped inside.


    Seeing this, Owen¡¯s heart warmed. So she hadn¡¯t meant it when she said she <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>help Elsie. She was just being stubborn. trying to get more attention.


    Deep down, she still cared about the family. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of their father¡¯s hospital being dragged through the mud. She was here to plead on their behalf.


    Since <b>she¡¯s </b>being sensible, I¡¯ll go easier on her when <i>I </i>get back, he thought. No need to <b>hold </b>it against her.


    With that, Owen drove away from the Johnsons¡® house, in <b>good </b>spirits, waiting for tomorrow¡¯s good <b>news</b>.


    ¡°This way, Ms. Saunders!¡±


    A Johnson family maid rushed over at a jog. Yunice clutched her shoulder <b>bag </b>and ran so <b>fast </b><b>she </b>nearly passed the <b>maid</b>.


    But the quick pace left her breathless and cramping. She pressed a hand to her side <b>and </b>said nothing, forcing herself to keep running.


    Atst, they reached the back courtyard. The <b>maid </b>flung <b>the </b>door <b>open </b><b>and </b>stepped aside, urgently motioning. ¡°Ms. Saunders, quick¨Cgo in!¡±


    Yunice stepped over the threshold. Before she could even make out what <b>was </b>happening <b>inside</b>, she heard crying.


    ¡°What do we do? Is the olddy dying?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>hurried past the folding screen. The moment she entered, everyone inside turned to look at her.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 32

    Chapter 32 The Unwanted Savior


    Finished


    The man supporting the olddy on the bed looked up <b>when </b>he saw Yunice. Surprise shed across his face¨Cfollowed immediately by a <b>frown</b>.


    Yunice was equally shocked to find Wyatt here.


    But she quickly turned her attention to the <b>woman </b>lying in bed:


    <b>An </b>elderlydy, likely pushing seventy, was convulsing uncontrobly. Her eyes had rolled upward, dazed and unfocused.


    What made Yunice frown even more <b>was </b>that Wyatt had his wrist pressed to the old woman¡¯s mouth¨Calready bitten so hard it had left deep marks.


    <b>Wyatt¡¯s </b>expression was grim. He nced at Yunice once before snapping at the maids, ¡°Where the hell is the doctor!¡±


    The maid who had led Yunice in stammered. ¡°She¡¯s the doctor!¡±


    Wyatt shot Yunice a cold re, his anger only rising ¡°Her? A doctor? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡±


    Yunice flinched at his scolding, startled. For a second, she genuinely questioned whether this was the same man <b>who </b><b>had </b>gently applied medicated oil to her bruises just days ago.


    The old woman looked as though she might stop <b>breathing </b><b>at </b>any moment. Wyatt, unable to trust the maids, pulled out his phone <b>and </b><b>angrily </b>called Mengchu, demanding he find the best specialist immediately.


    Hanging up, he turned and tried to lift the old woman in his arms to take her to the hospital.


    It wasn¡¯t until <b>his </b>knees nearly buckled that he remembered¨CHe was crippled.


    -Without <b>his </b>cane, he couldn¡¯t move freely, let alone carry someone unconscious.


    His <b>face </b>was drained of color. He could almost hear the sound of his <b>pride </b>being crushed.


    As the woman continued to convulse, Wyatt lowered his head, shame darkening his expression. He was useless. Completely useless.


    But <b>just </b>as he sank into that thought, someone suddenly shoved <b>himh </b>aside.


    ¦¥¦°


    He <b>had </b>no support to brace himself, and the push sent him tumbling awkwardly onto the carpet.


    The two maids froze, staring at him in terrified silence.


    Wyan¡¯s eyes widened, ring furiously at <b>the </b>¡°little white rabbit¡± who had knocked him over.


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t even <b>looking </b>at him.


    Her <b>brows </b>were furrowed in concentration. She quickly turned the elderly woman onto her side, <b>swept </b>her mouth for obstructions<b>, </b><b>and </b>gently supported her chin so her neck could extend naturally.


    The olddy kept convulsing. Foam and saliva spilled from her mouth. She looked moments away from death.


    Yunice, calm <b>and </b>focused, <b>said </b><b>evenly</b>, ¡°She¡¯s seizing. You cannot let her airway get blocked.¡±


    She nced at Wyatt. ¡°Letting her bite your arm like that is dangerous. She could easily choke on the secretions and suffocate. That could kill her in minutes.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s anger began to fade as he listened..


    <b>Varner </b><b>acked </b>¡°How <b>Inne </b><b>has </b><b>the </b>heen seivina?¡±


    13 PM ? ?


    Chapter 32 The Unwanted Savior


    That meant she¡¯d been seizing for at least eight minutes.


    Finished


    Yunice¡¯s expression grew serious. ¡°That exins it. Regr seizuresst around five minutes. This was likely a febrile seizure triggered by a persistent high fever.¡±


    Wyatt struggled to his feet, voice strained with panic. ¡°Is that all you know how to do¨Ctalk theory?¡±


    Do something!


    ¡°You can¡¯t force a seizure to stop. You <b>have </b>to let it run its course, Yunice replied.


    ¡°<b>And </b>if it doesn¡¯t stop-


    Before he could finish, the old woman suddenly fell still.


    But just secondster, her hands shot up to clutch her throat. She gasped, mouth wide open, throat rattling with a choking sound like an old bellows¨Cas though something invisible were trying to strangle her.


    Wyatt and the two maids froze,pletely overwhelmed.


    Only Yunice acted.


    She calmly pulled a long cotton swab from her shoulder bag, soaked it in aromatic oil, then bent down and guided it carefully down the old woman¡¯s throat.


    She twisted it slightly.


    A harsh gurgle sound erupted from the woman¡¯s chest. Yunice withdrew the swab just in time.


    With it came a glob of something wet and foul¨Csttering squarely onto her chest.


    The two maids winced. It was phlegm. And they were clearly embarrassed on her behalf.


    Yunice didn¡¯t flinch. She wiped it off with a tissue, examining the color and texture carefully before wrapping it and tossing it in the trash


    On the bed, the old woman finally began to breathe normally. Her expression rxed, <b>and </b>her eyes fluttered open.


    -was Yunice.


    The first thing she saw¨Cwas


    But she couldn¡¯t stay awake for long. Her head tilted back, and she drifted off to sleep again.


    Wyatt¡¯s face was tight with concern. ¡°What now?¡± he asked.


    Yunice took out <b>a </b><b>small </b><b>notebook </b><b>and </b>calmly wrote, ¡°She¡¯s tired. She¡¯s just sleeping.¡±


    She was elderly, had seized for a long time, and had drained all her strength,


    Sleep <b>was </b>the only thing her body had left.

 Daghter 33

    Finished


    Yunice tore a page from her notebook <b>and </b>handed it to a maid. ¡°Please go to the pharmacy and get these medications.¡±


    One maid left to buy the medicine while the other fetched hot water<b>, </b>just as Yunice had instructed.


    Once <b>everything </b>was settled. Yunice turned to Wyatt, who was still half¨Ckneeling on the floor. She stepped forward and offered her hand. ¡°Let me help you.¡±


    Wyatt, ever prideful, didn¡¯t want to show weakness in front of others. But after a few futile attempts to stand on his own, he had no choice but to reluctantly extend his hand to her.


    He was tall¨Cnearly six¨Cfoot¨Cthree. At first, Yunice managed to pull his hand, but once he started rising, she had to brace herself against his chest like a human crutch, arms looped tightly to steady <b>him</b>.


    Wyatt lowered his head slightly and found her tousled hair brushing his chin. The sensation stirred something strange in him. He nced at her strained little face and quickly looked away.


    But even as he turned his gaze, he couldn¡¯t escape the faint, clean scenting from her.


    Oblivious, Yunice shifted her position to help bnce him. Wyatt managed to sit down against the bedside cab.


    Hot water arrived, and Yunice no longer paid Wyatt any mind. She wrung a towel and began carefully wiping down the old woman¡¯s hands, feet, and body.


    Once the medicine arrived, she prepared an IV and hooked it up.


    Watching the woman¡¯s vitals gradually stabilize, Wyatt made another call to Mengchu and told him not toe¨Cjust to keep the specialists on standby,


    By the time things <b>had </b>calmed down, it was already 2 a.m. The woman was resting peacefully, her fever finally subsiding.


    The two maids were <b>nodding </b>off nearby, and Yunice, too, rubbed her sleepy eyes.


    Wyatt sat calmly at the woman¡¯s bedside.


    He wasn¡¯t sleeping, so Yunice didn¡¯t dare lie down either. She noticed the deep bite marks on his wrist <b>and </b>hesitated. ¡°That wound it needs to be disinfected. <b>You </b>should get a tetanus shot.


    Human bites weren¡¯t always minor¨Cleft untreated, they could turn fatal.


    Wyatt nced at her. He didn¡¯t know how Yunice knew the old woman.


    Yunice,


    in turn<b>, </b>had no idea <b>what </b>Wyatt¡¯s connection to the old woman was.


    Out of respect for the elder, both chose not to pry.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t want to be scolded by the olddy, so he silently extended his arm, letting Yunice do <b>as </b>she pleased.


    The <b>wound </b>itself wasn¡¯t hard to clean. The issue was the injection.


    Yunice held the syringe and reminded him, ¡°You¡¯ll need to take off your jacket. I need your upper arm exposed.¡±


    Wyatt nced at her. ¡°Does it have to be the arm<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>Thigh </b>works too, Yunice replied.


    Wyatt was speechless.


    She <b>always </b>choke unflu


    unfly almost timidly¨Cbut her words were in shoundly serious it made neonle want to stranele her


    4.13 PM


    Chapter 33 Strangers and Misunderstandings


    Finished


    when <b>his </b>muscles flexed.


    He unfastened one cuff with a single hand and rolled up his sleeve, shooting her another nce.


    ¡°Is this good enough?¡±


    ¡°Mm Yunice nodded and lowered her head to insert the needle.


    To Wyatt, the pain was nothing less <b>than </b>a mosquito bite. What actually distracted him was a strange tickling sensation.


    Frowning slightly, he turned his head and <b>saw </b><b>her </b>other hand brushing faintly across his deltoid as she pushed the medication<b>. </b>


    ¡°What are you scratching at?¡± he asked tly.


    To him, it felt borderline inappropriate¨Cespecially given the terrible first impression she¡¯d left.


    Yunice realized he didn¡¯t like it and calmly exined, ¡°It¡¯s a technique to redirect pain.¡±


    Still, she stopped


    Once the injection was done, Yunice stepped aside. Wyatt rolled down his sleeve, but even then, he couldn¡¯t shake the odd sensation lingering on his skin¨Clike he could still feel her fingers brushing his arm.


    With nothing else to do, Yunice didn¡¯t dare sit on the bed beside Wyatt, so she settled cross¨Clegged on the carpet. The room was warm enough that it didn¡¯t feel cold..


    And there she stayed¨Cuntil sunrise.


    Wyatt was the first to notice the old woman stir.


    She smacked her lips, <b>seemingly </b>well¨Crested, Seeing Wyatt, she blinked and asked, ¡°Wyatt did <b>Mandy </be see me <bst </b><b>night</b><b>! </b>


    As she tried to sit up, Wyatt slipped a pillow behind her. ¡°You were dreaming. Mandy wasn¡¯t here.¡±


    The old woman didn¡¯t believe it. Her fast asleep.


    yes scanned the room¨Cuntil theynded on Yunice, who was curled <b>up </b><b>on </b>the floor,


    <b>She </b>squinted, clearly puzzled. ¡°Who¡¯s <b>that </b>girl?¡±


    Wyatt answered casually, ¡°She¡¯s the doctor you called. She¡¯s the one who saved your lifest night.¡±


    The old woman shot him a suspicious look. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool an olddy. Why would you bring some girl into my <b>room</b>?¡±


    A sharp gleam flickered in Wyatt¡¯s eyes.


    He and the old woman turned in unison to stare at the sleeping <b>Yunice</b>.


    She wasn¡¯t someone the olddy <b>invited</b>.


    <b>And </b>Wyatt certainly <b>hadn¡¯t </b>brought her.


    So then here had shee from?

 Daghter 34

    Chapter 34 Unwee and Unwanted.


    Finished


    The maid who had brought Yunice inst night looked stunned, ¡°She knocked at the door in the middle of the night <b>saying </b>she <b>was </b>here to treat Madam Johnson. I thought Mr. Wyatt had called her, <b>so </b>I let her in¡­¡±


    Only now did the maid realize she¡¯d likely made a mistake. But if Yunice hadn¡¯t been invited¨C<b>how </b>did she show up at just the right time to save the old woman?


    As this question lingered. Yunice¨Cnodding off¨Csuddenly jerked forward and snapped awake.


    Groggy, she opened her eyes and instinctively reached for the notebook <b>that </b>had fallen at her feet. As she looked up, she realized several pairs of eyes were locked onto her.


    Like she was something foreign, something unwee.


    Staring back at them. Yunice quietly picked up her notebook, got to her feet<b>, </b>and <b>walked </b>to the bedside with an obedient look on her face. ¡°<b>Madam</b>, are you feeling <b>any </b>difort?¡±


    Madam <b>Johnson </b>looked her up and down, her eyes narrowing. Yunice had the vague sense the old woman was sizing her up with something close to hostility.


    Sure enough, Madam Johnson frowned. ¡°Do I know <b>you</b>??


    ¡°No, ma¡¯am. But <b>you </b>knew my father¨CWill. He treated you five years ago.¡±


    The old woman remembered. Years ago, she¡¯d suffered unbearable headaches and no doctor could help. It had been Will who <b>finally </b>cured her.


    ¡°He passed away, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But before he died, he asked me to finish the treatments he couldn¡¯tplete. A few days ago, I went through his notes again and realized <b>your </b>symptoms would be ring up soon. That¡¯s why I camest night<b>.</b>¡±


    At her words, not only did Madam Johnson¡¯s face stiffen¨Ceven the maids <b>gave </b>Yunice looks of tant disbelief.


    That was a stretch. Her father had been dead five years¨Cwhat, had he sent her a message from the <b>afterlife</b><b>? </b>


    Plenty of people tried to cozy up to Madam <b>Johnson</b>. But none had evere up with something this far¨Cfetched.


    Yunice remainedposed. ¡°Madam, if you recall, my father once said youkcondition couldn¡¯t be cured in a single


    youk treatment. It would need to be reassessed in five years.¡±


    Wyatt <b>eyed </b>Yunice, trying to assess whether she was putting on another act.


    After all¨Cshe did have <b>a </b><b>history</b>.


    Madam Johnson¡¯s gaze wavered slightly. It was hard to remember exactly what Will had said back then. Once her symptoms were gone, who paid attention to follow¨Cup warnings?


    <b>Wyatt</b>, though, caught on to something. ¡°So you¡¯re saying this illness wille back?¡±


    Yunice replied without hesitation. ¡°It will. And it¡¯ll be worse than before.¡±


    Wyatt frowned, his expression <b>turning </b>grim.


    But <b>Madam </b>Johnson waved her hand, clearly impatient. ¡°Yuna, pay Ms. <b>Sauriders </b>for her visit. Let <b>her </b>go home and rest.¡±


    Her face <b>was </b>cold. It was obvious she didn¡¯t like Yunice.


    ¡°<b>Madam</b>, Yunice tried to <b>reason </b>with her. I¡¯m not exaggerating. Your <b>condition </b>hasn¡¯t been fully resolved-


    4:11 PM


    Chapter 34 Unwee and Unwanted


    At this point, Yunice could no longer insist on staying. She simply nodded and followed the maid¨CYuna¨Cout.


    As they walked. Yunice asked softly, ¡°Miss, if you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ What did I do to offend the Madam<b>?</b>¡±


    Finished


    She remembered visiting this house as a child with her father. Madam Johnson had been so kind to her then¨Cshe¡¯d even given her a small gift. Why the sudden change?


    Yuna had no real answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Madam¡¯s usually in a great mood. Maybe you were just unlucky today.¡±


    As she stepped out of the Johnson residence, Yunice paused <b>and </b>added, ¡°Here¡¯s my contact info. If there¡¯s any need, feel free


    to reach out.¡±


    Even though Madam Johnson had clearly disliked her, Yuna had seen Yunice work through a terrifying night and felt a certain admiration. She epted the note.


    But when she nced at it, she looked puzzled. Most people gave a phone number¨Cbut Yunice had written an email address.


    Yunice didn¡¯t <b>head </b>straight home. Instead, she walked slowly along the street, still troubled.


    chly to her?


    Why had <b>Madam </b>Johnson reacted so harshly to


    Could it be because she had rejected the arranged marriage with the Johnson family¡¯s grandson? Was the Madam simply taking offense on his behalf?


    But ording to what she¡¯d heard, Madam Johnson didn¡¯t get along with her son¡¯s family at all. Evenst night, when the woman was deathly ill, not a single member of the Johnsons had shown up. Wyatt had been the only one who truly cared.


    So what was Wyatt¡¯s connection to Madam Johnson?


    Yunice was still deep in <b>thought </b>when a startled voice called out nearby-¡°Hey, watch <b>out</b>!¡±


    Someone bumped into her. Her grip loosened, and her bag tumbled to the ground.

 Daghter 35

    Chapter 35 The Price of a Name


    Finished


    <b>¡°</b>Yunice?¡± Owen looked at her in surprise, then quickly reached out to steady a middle¨Caged man. ¡°Mr. Ford, are you alright?¡±


    Quinton Ford waved a hand, indicating he was fine, but then turned toward Yunice, eyeing her closely. ¡°What did you just <b>call </b>her, Mr. Saunders?¡±


    From behind Quinton, Elsie stepped forward quickly, casting a nervous nce at <b>Yunice</b>.


    She¡¯d been using Yunice¡¯s name in public. And now Owen had slipped up.


    Quinton Ford was a major pharmaceutical tycoon, someone Elsie had long hoped to coborate with. Thest thing she needed was for her identity <b>swap </b>to be exposed. ¡°Mr. Ford, my brother was calling me, she interjected quickly.


    Owen jumped in. That¡¯s <b>right</b><b>¡± </b>


    Quinton looked between the two, something about their story clearly off. He didn¡¯t press the issue, <b>but </b>instead bent down and picked <b>up </b>the canvas bag Yunice had dropped.


    As he did, an old notebook fell out, flipping open on the pavement. His eyes narrowed at the sight of its pages.


    He leaned down to take a closer look, <b>but </b>a pale, delicate hand quickly snatched both the notebook and the bag from his


    <b>grasp</b>.


    Quinton looked up to see Yunice, tense and on guard.


    ¡°You¡± Owen started, but caught himself. Nearly slipped again.


    He quickly changed his tone. ¡°Do you have any manners<b>?</b>¡±


    He turned to Quinton and offered an apologetic smile. ¡°Mr. Ford, she¡¯s just a distant cousin. A little¡­ unstable. Please don¡¯t take it personally.¡±


    And just to be sure Yunice didn¡¯t say anything more, Owen pinched the inside of her arm behind his back, <b>a </b>subtle but sharp warning


    The sudden sting made Yunice¡¯s eyes well with tears, but she stayed quiet, refusing to react.


    Elsie, all smiles, invited,


    ¡°Mr. Ford, <b>shall </b>we continue our discussion over here?¡±


    Once Quinton had walked off with Elsie, Owen turned back with a scowl. ¡°Elsic and I have work to do. Lao Liu will take you home.¡±


    Yunice clutched her bag tightly and looked up at the grand hotel behind them. Owen and Elsie stood proud, dressed in luxury, using the Saunders family name towork with powerhouses like Quinton Ford.


    And <b>her</b><b>! </b>


    <b>A </b>mentally ill distant cousin. Even after saving someone¡¯s life, she was met with nothing but coldness.


    Status really is everything.


    That night, Owen came home in high spirits and even asked Giana to prepare extra dishes.


    At the dinner table, he turned to Yunice with a smile. ¡°You don¡¯t like spicy food<b>, </b>so these milder ones were <b>made </b>just for you.¡±


    Chapter 35 The Price of a Name


    You two are both wonderful. Lily said happily. ¡°You¡¯re my greatest blessings.¡±


    Yunice ate the food Lily had served her, but every bite was vorless.


    No matter how <b>much </b>time passed, she still couldn¡¯t adjust to this environment.


    She knew she was the outsider, yet still found herself <b>caught </b>between numbness and silent resistance.


    She lowered her head and ate faster, hoping to disappear from their line of sight.


    But fate didn¡¯t let her.


    ¡°Yunice.¡± Owen said, ¡°that notebook you dropped earlier¨Cit looked like Dad¡¯s handwriting. Can I take a look?¡±


    Finished


    Lily froze. Her expression darkened as she turned <b>toward </b><b>Yunice</b>. ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t <b>have </b><b>any </b>of your father¡¯s things. Were you lying to <b>me</b>?¡±


    ¡°Lying?¡± Owen looked between the two, confused.


    Lily¡¯s gaze stayed fixed on Yunice, her voice filled with disappointment. These past few nights I¡¯ve been dreaming of your father. He kept telling me that he left important notes with <b>you</b>. He begged me to protect them. But when I asked, <b>you </b>told me they weren¡¯t in your possession.¡±


    She pressed her temples as if in pain. I haven¡¯t fulfilled your father¡¯s request. My head¡¯s been aching constantly ever since¡­¡±


    ¡°How could you¡± <b>Owen </b>mmed his hand on the table. ¡°Yunice, those were Dad¡¯s things¨Cthey should¡¯ve gone to Mom! What right do you have to keep them to yourself?¡±


    Thest bite of rice turned to ash in Yunice¡¯s mouth. She set down her chopsticks and said calmly. ¡°Dad didn¡¯t leave me anything. And if he did, they¡¯re not with <b>me</b>.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Lily snapped. ¡°I searched every corner of this house and couldn¡¯t find those books. Who else could¡¯ve taken


    them?¡±


    She sighed dramatically, holding her chest. I¡¯ve tried to be tolerant of you. You didn¡¯t have proper upbringing, but I still treated you kindly. And now¨Cnow you¡¯re lying to me? Even to me?¡±


    She clutched her chest again, as if the betrayal had left her breathless.

 Daghter 36

    Chapter 36 Up in mes


    Elsie anxiously rubbed Lily¡¯s <b>back</b>, trying to soothe her breathing, eyes welling up with tears.


    ¡°Sis, <b>look </b>what you¡¯ve done! You made Mom this mad¨Cjust apologize to her already!¡±


    Finished


    Owen mmed his hand down on the dining table. ¡°Yunice! Are you seriously not going to bring out Dad¡¯s things? Do you want to drive Mom to the hospital before you¡¯re satisfied?¡±


    Elsie was secretly delighted.


    Earlier at the hotel, Quinton had asked Yunice several times about the origin of that notebook¨Cit was clear he was very interested in the Saunders family¡¯s ancient texts.


    And if those texts ended up in her hands, there wasn¡¯t a single resource she wouldn¡¯t be able to trade them for. Even foreign hospitals had been trying to get their hands on the doctor¡¯s methods.


    While Lily wept and Owen fumed, Yunice remained calm andposed.


    That indifference only made their rage burn hotter.


    Before they could explode, Yunice turned to Lily and asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t Dad tell you where I hid the texts when he came to you in that dream<b>?</b>¡±


    Owen mmed the table again. ¡°Watch your tone, Yunice!¡±


    Yunice looked at him. ¡°Dad really did leave the texts to me. But three years ago, I was dragged straight from the <b>living </b>room to the <b>psych </b>ward. I didn¡¯t take a single thing from the house. It¡¯s been three years¨Chow would I know where the texts are


    now?


    Owen was momentarily <b>stunned</b>, his bluster dimming. ¡°Then <b>where </b>did you put them three years <b>ago</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Yunice nced at Elsie. ¡°In my room, of <b>COUTSC </b>


    That room was now Elsie¡¯s,


    As everyone turned to look at her, Yunice added, ¡°But it¡¯s been three years. Who knows if they disappeared like my old agarwood bracelet did?¡±


    Elsie quickly denied it, ¡°I¡¯ve never even seen those texts-


    Yunice cut her off with a coldugh. ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s not like anyone took inventory of my room back then. Who¡¯s to say <b>what¡¯s </b>missing or added now??


    Elsie was practically sobbing, tugging on Owen¡¯s sleeve with both <b>hands</b>. ¡°Owen, you believe me, right? I didn¡¯t steal anything!¡±


    Yunice spoke before Owen <b>could </b>defend her. ¡°There¡¯s security cameras in this house. Ever since I got back, I haven¡¯t <b>gone </b>upstairs, right?¡±


    Lilytched onto her point. ¡°But I saw you digging something up in the yard the other day¡­¡°.


    Yunice replied, ¡°<b>You </b>already checked that box. It was just my childhood doodles.¡±


    Lily¡¯s tears clung to hershes. She paused, then sighed. ¡°I know <b>you </b>can¡¯t bear to give the texts back to me. But what about the notebook Owen mentioned¨Ccan <b>you </b>at least let me take a look at that?¡±


    Her gazended on the crossbody bag Yunice always carried.


    Yunice¡¯s fingers tightened around the strap. Faced with <b>the </b><b>three </b>of them closing in, she forced a dry smile, swallowing her


    ?


    Chapter 36 Up in mes


    #Finished


    ust as Lily reached for it. Yunice opened it herself, showing them their father¡¯s handwriting. ¡°This is his collection of medical notes. He never let it out of his sight when he was alive. If he really came to you in a dream, I figure he just wants you to bum his and send it to him.¡±


    Lily, pleased by thepromise, nodded and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll offer it up to him right away so he can rest easy-


    she reached for the notebook, but Yunice pulled it back slightly.


    Then, holding one corner of the notebook in one hand. Yunice flicked on a lighter with the other. Before anyone could react. she touched the me to the edge of the rfotebook


    Elsie¡¯s smile vanished instantly. Just a second ago, she¡¯d been fantasizing about trading that notebook to make Quinton happy


    -now it was up in mes!


    She lunged, but Owen was even faster.


    Yunice let go before either of them could grab it. mes leapt high from the notebook, burning fast and hot.


    Owen tried to stomp it out, but the fire only grew wilder, nearly catching his pant leg.


    By the time the mes died down, Owen¨Cpale with rage¨Cpicked up what was left of the notebook and opened it, only to be stunned.


    Half of it had <b>burned</b>. The half that remained was entirely nk¨Cno writing at all


    He mmed the scorched remains on the table and shouted. ¡°Who told you to burn it! Mr. Ford was really interested in Dad¡¯s notes!<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice looked innocent. ¡°Mom said to burn it and send it to Dad. I was just doing what she said¡­ And you never told me Mr. Ford wanted it! If I¡¯d known. I wouldn¡¯t have burned it¡­.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying <b>that </b>now!¡± Owen fumed.


    Lily looked both regretful and angry. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>still shouldn¡¯t have burned it without asking!¡±


    Yunice replied sweetly, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want you to keep having headaches. I thought if I burned it early. Dad <b>would </b>stop bothering you.¡±

 Daghter 37

    Lily was so furious she couldn¡¯t even speak. She turned her head away, refusing to look at Yunice.


    Yunice let out a coldugh in her heart. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know how to y innocent¨Cthey¡¯re just not buying it.


    Now that they didn¡¯t get the notebook, they probably hated her even more.


    But what could they really me her for?


    Finished


    She was doing it for Lily¡¯s own good. No one had told her they were nning to trade the notebook for Quinton¡¯s favor.


    Their suspicion and hostility toward her only made their argument weaker.


    Elsie red at <b>Yunice </b>from behind Owen, fuming.


    She was sure now¨CYunice had gotten smarter. She¡¯d done it on purpose.


    At the same time, Elsie realized she¡¯d underestimated her. She¡¯d assumed Yunice wouldn¡¯t have the heart to destroy something that had belonged to her dead father. But it turned out Yunice was so jealous, she¡¯d rather burn it than give it up.


    Elsie wasn¡¯t ready to give up. ¡°Yunice. Quinton really cares about that notebook. Why don¡¯t you just write it out from memory? You don¡¯t want Owen to lose face, do you.


    Owen looked at Yunice again, clearly thinking that if she was willing to make up for it, he might let it slide.


    But Yunice looked troubled. ¡°I¡¯m not well¨Ceducated¨C1 only finished high <b>school</b>. Dad¡¯s notes were really dense. I couldn¡¯t <b>even </b>understand <b>half </b>of it, let alone memorize or rewrite it¡­¡±


    Hearing that, Owen pushed Elsie aside and faced Yunice head¨Con, full of anger. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose. You¡¯re mad. just because I didn¡¯t <b>introduce </b>you to Quinton today!¡±


    ¡°I never said you weren¡¯t my sister. At home, you get everything you¡¯re supposed to. But why do you insist on dragging <b>your </b>condition¨Cand my identity¨Cinto public conversations?¡±


    ¡°I kept my distance outside to protect your dignity!¡±


    ¡°So <b>what </b>are you angry about now? You¡¯re my sister¨Cyou should support me, think about me! If it were Elsie, she¡¯d never put me in this kind of spot!¡±


    But wasn¡¯t it Owen who had exposed her condition and humiliated her in the first ce?


    Yunice stared at him coldly. ¡°Then next time, just pretend you don¡¯t <b>know </b>me. That way, you won¡¯t be embarrassed, and I¡¯ll make <b>sure </b><b>not </b>to acknowledge any of you either.¡±


    Owen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He stared at Yunice in disbelief.


    She <b>was </b>really cutting ties with him?


    Ignoring his stunned expression, Yunice continued, ¡°Other than that notebook, I don¡¯t have a single thing from the Saunders <b>family</b>. If you don¡¯t believe me, go ahead and <b>search</b>.¡±


    She turned toward the door. ¡°I¡¯m leaving


    The more she <b>ignored </b>him, the angrier Owen got. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any manners? No one else has left yet, but you think <b>you¡¯re </b>special?¡±


    Yunice acted like she didn¡¯t hear a <b>thing </b>and closed the door behind her.


    n to calm Owen. ¡°Don¡¯t let her get to you, Owen. With her around, you and Mom can¡¯t even eat in peace.¡±


    Elsie stepped in


    Chapter 37 No Room for Sympathy


    Finished


    He sighed again. ¡°If Yunice could just get the Johnson family to help clear your bad press, we wouldn¡¯t have to keep sucking up to Quinton.¡±


    Elsie was skeptical. ¡°You really think she¡¯d help me?¡±


    ¡°I saw her go to the Johnsons myself.¡± Owen said. ¡°She¡¯s just too jealous to offer help. But I know she still cares about this family. She won¡¯t sit <b>back </b>and watch the hospital¡¯s reputation go down the drain.¡±


    Elsie scoffed inwardly. What can Yunice possibly do to get the Johnsons involved?


    Still, she had to admit¨CYunice wasn¡¯t as easy to deal with as she had been three years ago.


    The next morning, before heading to work, Owen handed Yunice a phone. ¡°Next time you go to the Johnsons, don¡¯t call a cab. Just ring Bobby and have him drive you<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice¡¯s chest tightened. He knows I went to the Johnsons?


    Seeing the flicker in her eyes, Owen patted her <b>head </b>and said, ¡°I know you still care about this family. Build a <b>good </b>rtionship with Mr. Johnson. They won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    A cold wind seemed to blow through her heart. So Owen still hadn¡¯t given up on marrying her off to that man.


    The Johnsons worked in the healthcare system. Getting in good with them would benefit the whole family¡¯s future.


    So what if it meant sacrificing just one person?


    Elsie stood beside Owen in a chic little Chanel¨Cinspired outfit, her jewelry sparkling. She offered sweetly, ¡°Yunice, <b>this </b><b>phone </b>was mine, but it¡¯s practically brand new. You don¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice turned firm as he chimed in, ¡°Even if it¡¯s used, it still cost real money. You don¡¯t have a job right now, so don¡¯t be picky.¡±


    The more someone feels guilty, the harder <b>they </b>try <b>to </b>act like they¡¯re not.


    Owen knew deep down he owed Yunice. But instead of facing it, he turned it around¨Cmaking it seem like she was the one being unreasonable.


    He was also trying to keep her in line, reminding her not to cause trouble.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 38

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Yunice epted the phone.


    Finished


    Elsie felt a surge of satisfaction. When she first joined the Saunders <b>family</b>, the <b>thing </b>that bothered her most was how Yunice. always gave her the best of <b>everything</b>. Now, finally, it was her turn to hand Yunice the unwanted scraps.


    After Yunice took the phone, Owen waited a few seconds¨Cbut she said nothing. No thanks, noints. Not a single word


    That wasn¡¯t like her at all. Yunice had always been the jealous type. In the past, even if she didn¡¯t argue, she¡¯d at least return the gift if she didn¡¯t like it. When <b>had </b>she ever epted something so quietly!


    Owen frowned<b>, </b>unsettled by the feeling that something was off. Just as he <b>was </b>about to say something. Yunice turned and went back to her room, closing the door behind her.


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. He kicked the door and shouted, ¡°Are you not even going to <b>say </b>thank you!¡±


    Inside the small room, Yunice sat at her desk, watching the security feed until Owen and Elsie had left.


    She picked up the phone Elsie <b>had </b>given her, turning it over in her hands.


    It had <b>a </b>SIM card¨CElsie¡¯s secondary number.


    Giving gifs for no reason¡­ There¡¯s always a catch. They¡¯d seen her visiting the Johnsons, and now they wanted to monitor her more closely!


    Yunice pulled open a drawer and tossed the phone inside.


    Owen and Elsie wouldn¡¯t be home for lunch. Lily usually went out every other day to y cards or have tea, so she wasn¡¯t around much either.


    But today, Lily had stayed for lunch¨Cand, unusually, started making small talk.


    ¡°I know you¡¯ve always had a knot in your heart about me cutting down those rose bushes your dad left behind,¡± Lily said as <b>she </b>ced food in Yunice¡¯s bowl ¡°Last night I talked to Owen. We¡¯re nning to turn over <b>the </b>soil in the yard and nt new roses. Elsie agreed, too


    Yunice¡¯s lips tugged into a smile. Now even decisions about the Saunders family need Elsie¡¯s approvalt


    The real <b>joke</b>, though, was that <b>no </b>matter what the decision <b>was</b>, she was <b>always </b><b>the </bst to <b>know</b>. Sometimes, not even worth informing <b>at </b>all.


    Noticing Lily watching her expression closely, <b>Yunice </b>quickly averted her eyes and offered a soft objection, Elsie¡¯s allergic to pollen. Maybe it¡¯s best not to <b>nt </b>anything.¡±


    Lily¡¯s gaze flickered. She knew full well Yunice didn¡¯t care a bit about <b>Elsie¡¯s </b>allergies. She <b>only </b><b>said </b>that to stop them from turning the soil.


    Lily was certain Will had buried the Saunders family¡¯s ancient texts <b>in </b>the yard, so she ignored Yunice¡¯s warning. After lunch, she ordered workers into the garden with an excavator to dig up the entire yard.


    The result? A mess of dirt, a torn¨Cup garden, and a few bottles of whiskey Will <b>had </b>buried for Yunice. Nothing else.


    Yunice picked up the bottles and carried them <b>back </b>to her room, ignoring Lily, who stood amid the wreckage, her face dark with rage.


    They hadn¡¯t found the texts, and the yard was now a disaster. Lily was probably fuming inside.


    <b>But </b><b>Yunice </b>didn¡¯t give her the <b>chance </b><b>to </b>vent. Carrying her few bottles of fine whiskey, she headed over to Gill¡¯s ce.


    D


    4:13 PM


    Chapter 38 Polsoned Gifts


    Yunice gave a bitter smile. She¡¯d never even imagined getting married.


    When even your own family is full of betrayal and maniption, how can you ever trust a man with your life?


    Chances were, those bottles would never be opened.


    After leaving Gill¡¯s, Yunice made a stop at the ck market.


    Finished


    She was still thinking about her lost agarwood bracelet. Holding onto a sliver of hope, she asked one of the shop guys if there <b>was </b>any <b>chance </b>she could get it back.


    Deep down, she already knew the truth¨Cif Wyatt had bought it, even if he tossed it aside, he¡¯d never return it.


    But just as she was preparing to hear ¡°no,¡± the clerk asked her to wait and dashed to the back.


    Yunice leaned toward the <b>small </b>window to get a better look inside¨Cand to her shock, the guy returned with several bodyguards, charging out from behind the counter and pinning her down.


    Panic surged. What is this¨Ca trafficking ring?


    Then she saw Jordan waving her over. Only then did she realize this was probably Wyatt¡¯s doing.


    The bodyguards backed off as soon as <b>Jordan </b>gave the signal.


    Yunice crossed her arms, ncing at Jordan before walking over.


    He was as casual as ever, pulling aside the curtain to the back room as he exined, ¡°Wyatt gave orders when he bought that bracelet¨Cif anyone matching your description showed up, we were to hold them here.¡±


    Back then, Wyatt hadn¡¯t known who she was, so he¡¯d made the call just in <b>case</b>.


    Behind the curtain was a whole other world. Jordan gave her a <b>nod</b>, motioning that she could


    go<ol><li>in.</li></ol>


    Yunice tightened her grip on her purse strap and stepped inside.


    The ce was filled with smoke and chaos. Laughter and shouting echoed everywhere.


    Someone had one foot on the table, the other on a stool, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he squinted at his hand <b>of </b>poker

 Daghter 39

    Chapter 39 The Stakes Are Bloody


    Someone nearby cursed under their breath, yelling at the guy to hurry up.


    <b>Yunice </b>looked around and figured this was probably some kind of upscale gambling den.


    Finished


    They walked all the way to the back. Jordan pulled back <b>a </b>curtain and stepped through first. <b>Just </b>as Yunice was about to follow, someone suddenly tumbled out at her feet.


    The man was curled up on the floor, screaming in pain, clutching his thumb¨Cwhich was gone, and gushing blood


    Yunice didn¡¯t even flinch. She hated being hit, but blood and gore didn¡¯t scare her.


    She calmly stepped over the injured man and stood behind Wyatt alongside Jordan, careful to avoid standing dead center and drawing attention.


    As her slight frame passed by, Wyatt¨Cseated at the card table¨Cnced at her out of the corner of his eye. He twirled a <b>domino </b>between his fingers, then set it aside and leaned back, finally looking at the man bleeding on the floor.


    Someone crouched down and yanked the guy¡¯s hair to force his head up. ¡°You knew the pill had side effects, and you still pushed Wyatt to sign off on it in bulk? How much did the Powell family pay you?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s fingers clenched<b>. </b>She instinctively nced at Wyatt. Am I even supposed to be hearing this?


    Wyatt didn¡¯t say a word¨Cjust watched, entertained.


    He <b>couldn¡¯t </b>stand up, let alone beat anyone himself. Stuff like this, he never got directly involved in.


    The guy on the ground sobbed and pleaded. ¡°No, Wyatt, I swear¨Cthere¡¯s no way I knew the Alphasirox pills had side effects


    Before he could finish, there was a sh of metal. He let out another blood¨Ccurdling scream¨Che was <b>no </b>longer clutching just his thumb, but his entire hand.


    Four fingers had been chopped clean off.


    And it wasn¡¯t over. The bald man with the knife grabbed the guy¡¯s other hand, clearly ready to do the same.


    The man broke down./¡±It <b>was </b>Jensen! Jensen gave me ten million!¡±


    The <b>bald </b>man pressed a foot down on the guy¡¯s one good hand, waiting for more.


    The man¡¯s face was ashen. He kept gasping, licking his lips between each word. ¡°Jensen told me to cover up the side effects¡­ Once the drug hit the market, Wyatt would be hit with massivewsuits, Huaxin¡¯s reputation would crash, and the old man would never acknowledge him as part of the Powell family¡­¡±


    Yunice looked at Wyatt again. So he¡¯s the old man¡¯s illegitimate son¨Cand Jensen¡¯s biggest threat.


    Jensen was pushing forty with a mediocre career, so of course he saw Wyatt as a thorn in his side.


    And Wyatt¨Cwhile sharp in business¨Cwas constantly backstabbed by his own people. He didn¡¯t know medicine, so he had to trust whatever the department heads told him. That¡¯s how he¡¯d almost walked <b>straight </b>into a trap.


    Once the guy had confessed, he was useless.


    The bald man hauled him up by the jaw and dragged him out.


    As the guy¡¯s terrified gaze briefly met hers, Yunice quickly turned her back so he couldn¡¯t see her face.


    The moment he was gone, a cleaning crew came in to mop up the blood. No one batted an eve. They just went right back to


    Finished


    Chapter 39 The Stakes Are Bloody


    Yunice nced at the dominoes on the table and shook her head.


    He didn¡¯t seem disappointed. Still loungingzily, he gestured toward the table. ¡°Help me draw.¡±


    The young man across from him grinned. ¡°Oh ho, Wyatt¡¯s had rotten luck all morning¨Cfinally switching it up for some lucky hands, <b>huh</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Women¡¯s hands are always lucky, right? Watch, next round Wyatt¡¯s gonna turn it around!¡±


    Another guy pulled up a chair for Yunice right beside <b>Wyatt</b>.


    She nced at him. He was looking down at his phone, clearly not paying attention to the game.


    When it was her turn to draw, she hesitated a moment, then picked two tiles and ced <b>them </b>face¨Cdown on the table..


    The other three yers used their fingertips to feel the dots on their tiles.


    Yunice pecked again at Wyatt¨Che <b>still </b>wasn¡¯t ying. So she quietly felt her way through her own tiles while reading the Jothers expressions.


    The loudest one flipped a tile with a dramatic ir. ¡°Nine! Who¡¯s raising?¡±


    Yunice was ying for Wyatt, so naturally she didn¡¯t add anything.


    After some joking and bickering, the other three all revealed their hands¨Cnothing impressive.


    Yunice nced at them, thenid down her two tiles before anyone else could. The three men paused, caught off guard.


    ¡°Double nines¡­ Not bad!¡± Two of them threw their own tiles in, then looked at thest


    guy<b>. </b>


    Seven¨Cseven, eight¨Ceight¨Cnot nine. If he had nines, he could¡¯ve <b>had </b>triple bottom, double nines, or even a king pair¨Call stronger than Yunice¡¯s hand.


    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, he sighed dramatically. ¡°Ugh, busted, busted.¡± Then he pushed his tiles away.


    ¡°All <b>that </b>noise and you pulled junk.¡±


    ¡°Pay up, pay up! Congrats to our boy Wyatt¨Cfinally got a win!¡±

 Daghter 40

    Chapter 40 A Dangerous Hand


    Finished


    The other two yers pushed their chips toward Yunice. The liveliest one¨CBale¨Cpped down a thick wad of cash in <b>front </b>of her, probably around thirty grand.


    That¡¯s when Wyatt finally sat up. He leaned his elbow against the armrest, tilted his head, and stared at the stack of cash in front of Yunice for a while.


    As the others reshuffled the tiles, Yunice reached out to <b>draw </b>a new <b>hand</b>¨C<b>but </b>Wyatt tapped her hand twice.


    She looked at him. With a cigarette between <b>his </b>teeth, Wyatt leaned forward and drew the tiles himself, leaving her on the sid?lines.


    They started a new round. Before long. Wyatt had lost all the money Yunice had just won.


    ¡°Man, Wyatt¡¯s luck is cursed today.¡±


    The other three raked in piles of winnings while Wyatt looked utterly unfazed.


    After a few more rounds, one of them excused himself to use the bathroom.


    Bale seized the opportunity to pull <b>Jordan </b>aside.


    In a quiet corner, Bale leaned in and asked, ¡°Jordan, who the hell is that <b>woman</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Jordan yed dumb. ¡°What woman?¡±


    ¡°Oh,e on. Drop the act. That chick cheated¨CWyatt caught it.¡±


    Jordan blinked, clearly surprised.


    Bale continued, ¡°I had a tile down on the table. She dropped the same tile in her hand. Where¡¯d herse from?¡±


    There was only one <b>answer</b>, Yunice had swapped tiles.


    And since she was ying for Wyatt, her cheating reflected on him, Bale had no choice but to swallow the loss and keep quiet.


    That wasn¡¯t the shocking part, though. What really blew his mind was that Wyatt noticed¨Cand said nothing.


    ¡°She cheated right in front of him,¡± Bale <b>said</b>, ¡°and all he did was tap her <b>hand </b>like a warning. That¡¯s not normal!¡±


    Anyone else pulling tricks at Wyatt¡¯s table would¡¯ve lost a few fingers by now.


    The more Bale thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. ¡°Jordan, you¡¯ve been with Wyatt the longest. So the rumor¡¯s true, <b>isn¡¯t </b>it?¡±


    Jordan gave him a pat on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t jump to conclusions.¡±


    But Bale raised a brow. If Jordan <b>wasn¡¯t </b>denying it, then it had to be true.


    By the time they returned to the game <b>room</b>, both Wyatt and Yunice were gone.


    Inside Wyatt¡¯s RV, Yunice stood beside the <b>sofa</b>, taking in the luxe interior.


    Wyatt settled into the seat, set his cane <b>aside</b>, then finally nced her way. ¡°You really tried cheating at my table? Not afraid of <b>losing </b>your hands?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice clutched her bag strap. ¡°I just wanted to <b>win </b>you a round.¡±


    Chapter 40 A Dangerous Hand


    Every time they met, she was either ttering someone or scheming something.


    thus with a motive.


    Finished


    Yumice didn¡¯t defend herself. Instead, she stepped forward and ced a bottle of pills on the table. These are my modified Alphasirox pills. I¡¯ve been testing them on myself for a week now. So far, no side effects. You can run a parallel trial if you


    want


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes changed. Human testing was no joke¨Cnew drugs were unpredictable, and the risks could be permanent eveni fatal.


    In the pharmaceutical world, volunteers had to be paid big money to take that risk


    For Yunice to try <b>them </b>herself she was either overconfident or proving her loyalty


    Wyatt narrowed his eyes. ¡°Risking this much?¡±


    Yumice said evenly, ¡°Wyatt. I cheated because I want a backer. Whether it¡¯s you or Madam Johnson. I¡¯m casting a wide- someone¡¯s bound to take me in, right?¡±


    That was Yunice¡¯s skill¨Cshe walked the line between clever and naive.


    Just smart enough but never too much.


    It gave the people in power the illusion that she was easy to control.


    The less they felt threatened, the less they kept their guard up.


    And cheating at the table? That had been a test¨Cto see how much Wyatt would tolerate her.


    Judging by the oue, she had some value.


    And value meant survival


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t surprised by her answer. Her ambition was practically written all over her face.


    He asked. ¡°Why not go with Paul?¡±


    Yunice replied. ¡°Betray me once, I won¡¯t trust you again. I¡¯m not here to be someone¡¯s pawn¡±


    The Powell family had never wanted her. They¡¯d made it clear she was disposable. So she had no reason to waste her time on


    them


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow, then made a decision. ¡°Fine. From now on, you¡¯re with me


    Joy hit up Yunice¡¯s face. For the first time, she felt a flicker of belonging.


    It meant she wasn¡¯t a tray anymore¨Cno longer chasing dead¨Cend favors.


    She stood there frozen, until Wyatt reached out and pulled her down beside him ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I meant


    His eyes were sharp, predatory. Yunice stiffened under his gaze.


    {Then it clicked¡ªhe said she could follow him, not sleep with him.


    One word off, but a world of difference

 Daghter 41

    Chapter 41 The Price of Following


    <b>When </b><b>a </b>man tells a woman to follow him, it usually means courtship.


    Wyatt asked, ¡°Have you ever kissed anyone?¡±


    Yunice instinctively backed away¨Cbut he pulled her down before she could escape.


    She stumbled, catching herself on the sofa¨Cthen <b>his </b>lips met hers.


    Warm breath brushed against her cheek. Her heart pounded so <b>hard </b>it felt like it might burst through her chest.


    Wyatt held the back of her neck, deepening the kiss before finally letting her go..


    ¡°You¡¯re not mine until I mark you.¡±


    Finished


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed a deep, furious red. She stared at Wyatt, both angry and humiliated. She¡¯de to him with her skills-


    not to sell herself.


    Wyatt found her harmless fury amusing. ¡°I¡¯m a man, not a <b>saint</b>.¡±


    That hit her like <b>cold </b>water.


    POTE


    She¡¯d only seen Wyatt a handful of times, but in those brief encounters, he¡¯d somehow given her the illusion that he wasn¡¯t as bad the rumors made him out to be.


    At least, with her, he¡¯d never crossed any lines.


    So she had let her guard down. She <b>never </b>even thought about things heading in that direction.


    She was in, had spent three years wasting away in a psych ward, and had nothing particrly attractive about her.


    Wyatt <b>was </b>a man with no moral boundaries¨Cmaybe he just hadn¡¯t met a woman like her before, and was curious.


    But this wasn¡¯t what she wanted.


    Yunice hade to build something of her own. She wanted to rise on her merit, find a mentor or benefactor, not be some man¡¯s essory,


    It she gave herself to Wyatt, even if it helped her escape the Saunders family, how would that be any different from jumping out of one fire pit and into another?


    She¡¯d still be at someone else¡¯s mercy<b>. </b>


    <b>Yunice </b><b>reached </b>for the pills she¡¯d brought and said tly, I¡¯m not working with you anymore.


    Then she opened the door and stepped our


    The moment her feet hit the ground, Wyatt¡¯s RV rolled past her, so close it nearly brushed her back.


    A cold wind swept past, <b>and </b>Yunice¡¯s heart sank halfway into her stomach. So this is what it feels like to fall from heaven to hell in a single breath.


    She¡¯d almost believed she had found stable <b>work</b>. A reliable ie. A direction.


    Now she was back to square one.


    But instead of breaking down, she took a deep breath. Wyatt¡¯s not the only powerful person in Silverbrough. There have to be decent


    ones out there.


    Chapter 41 The Price of Following


    From a distance, she saw the iron gates tightly shut.


    She called out at the gate, but no one responded from the guard booth.


    With no other option, she called Bobby, the driver.


    ¡°Ms. Yunice? The madam left on a trip. Didn¡¯t she tell you?¡±


    ¡°She went traveling?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Bobby replied. ¡°She said all the bad press around Ms. Elsie was too much, so she¡¯s taking her out to unwind.¡±


    Yunice was quiet for a few seconds. ¡°Then<b>¡­ </b>could youe back and unlock the gate for me?¡±


    Bobby hesitated. ¡°She gave me extended leave¨CI¡¯m back in my hometown now


    Finished


    Then, as if remembering something, he added, ¡°She probably left you some money, right? Maybe you can stay at a hotel for a few days?¡±


    Another pause from Yunice<b>. </b>Thank you, Bobby.¡±


    After hanging up. Bobby couldn¡¯t <b>shake </b>his unease. She must¡¯ve left her daughter some money, right?


    Still worried, he decided to transfer some <b>money </b>to Yunice.


    But when he entered the ount number, he realized¨CElsie had taken over that ount. Yunice wouldn¡¯t receive anything. So he gave up.


    Yunice stood outside the ornate <b>iron </b>gates of her own home.


    The wind bit into her, but she didn¡¯t feel cold.


    She¡¯d been through worse in the psych ward¨Cstarving, freezing, locked in cages and sted with ice water hoses during winter.


    This¡­ this didn¡¯tpare.


    What hurt more than the cold was being shut out of her own home.


    She knew exactly what <b>this </b>was, Lily¡¯s way of punishing her. <b>Retaliation </b>for not handing over the ancient texts.


    With a few <b>small </b>moves, they could strip her of even the right toe home.


    They wanted her sleeping on the streets. Once she¡¯d suffered enough, they expected her to learn her lesson ande crawling back obediently.


    Yunice stood there for half an hour.


    Through the narrow gap in the gates, she stared into the courtyard like an outsider.


    Only when the wind had numbed her to the bone did she finally turn and leave the Saunders family.


    She¡¯d remember this humiliation.


    Gill handed Yunice a steaming bowl of ginger soup. ¡°Drink up. Warm yourself.¡±


    ¡°<b>This </b>family. They¡¯re monsters everyst one of <b>them</b>!¡± <b>Gill </b>fumed.

 Daghter 42

    Chapter 42 Unwanted Daughter


    ¡°If I make <b>that </b>call toin, they¡¯ll just say I¡¯m stirring up trouble. Ruining family harmony. Everyone knows I¡¯m being mistreated, but the moment I speak up, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s ¡®being difficult


    Gill was so angry she nearly cried. ¡°She¡¯s your real mother, and she takes Elsie on vacation to rx while leaving you locked outside the house? What kind of mother does that!¡±


    Yunice suddenly remembered what Lily once said¨CIf only you had been the one born in the mountains.


    How much must she hate me to say something like that?


    Yunice clutched the bowl of ginger soup. The bowl was hot, <b>but </b>her heart felt cold.


    She still remembered when Lily had first returned to their lives¨Chow they had once shared a long, heartfelt conversation.


    Lily had sat at the edge of her bed and told her how she was kidnapped and trafficked into the mountains, how she was beaten and abused, how she¡¯d barely survived childbirth. How Elsie had be her only reason to live.


    She told Yunice that Elsie, born a girl and unwanted by her father, went unnamed for half a month. Lily had looked at the bright, full moon overhead and <b>given </b>her the name Elsie.


    Lily said Elsie was her hope¨Cher anchor. That it was Elsie who gave her the strength to escape the mountains and return to her family.


    That¡¯s why she hoped Yunice and Oscar and Owen would treat Elsie like a precious gem¨Cbecause it was the Saunders family that owed Elsie <b>a </b>debt


    Without Elsie, there wouldn¡¯t be a reunited family.


    At the time, Yunice had felt something wasn¡¯t quite right with that logic


    Elsie may <b>have </b>been Lily¡¯s emotional lifeline¡ªbut weren¡¯t she and her brothers also Lily¡¯s children?


    If Lily could cling to hope for Elsie, why had she never once missed her other children? Why hadn¡¯t she lived for them too? Elsie was pitiful, yes¨Cbut Yunice and her brothers were innocent. They had grown up without a drop of motherly love. So how did they end up owing Elsie something?


    But back then, both Oscar and Owen had already gone soft for Elsie. Yunice didn¡¯t <b>dare </b>say any of that out loud.


    Instead, she tried harder¨Cmore obedient, more sensible, more quiet. She thought maybe that way she could hold on to the love of her brothers.


    But in the end, she was the one who didn¡¯t belong.


    She blew gently on the ginger soup. Still too hot to sip.


    <b>Just </b>as she lifted the bowl to try, a knock sounded at the door<b>. </b>


    It <b>was </b><b>fast</b>, impatient.


    Gill frowned. Who would be knocking at this hour?


    Yunice checked the security monitor¨Cand nearly spilled the soup.


    On the screen stood Wyatt, <b>dressed </b>in ck, leaning on his cane with a tight, anxious expression.


    When no one answered, he grew impatient and motioned for his men to pick the lock<b>. </b>


    Finished


    Chapter 42 Unwanted Daughter


    Gill looked at her, confused but trusting. She opened it.


    Wyatt spotted Yunice instantly,


    She had already set the bowl down and slung her canvas bag over her shoulder. She jogged over. ¡°Let¡¯s <b>go</b>!¡±


    ¡°Wyatt <b>hadn¡¯t </b>even had time to exin why he came.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Miss</b>, your soup¨C1¡± Gill called out, worried.


    But Yunice had already stepped into the elevator. ¡°I¡¯ll drink it when I get <b>back</b>!¡±


    She jabbed the elevator button, then turned to Wyatt, her eyes urging him to hurry up.


    He stepped in with his cane. Standing close, all he had to do was lower his eyes to see the top of her soft, tousled head.


    <b>Yunice </b>confirmed her guess. ¡°Madam Johnson¡¯s having another episode!¡±


    Wyatt looked slightly surprised. How the hell did she know?


    Yunice continued, ¡°I told you her condition wasn¡¯t fully treated. If a normal hospital could help, she wouldn¡¯t <b>have </b>gone looking for my father back then.¡±


    Wyatt narrowed his eyes. ¡°If your dad couldn¡¯t fix it, you think you can?¡±


    Yunice nodded without hesitation. ¡°I can.¡±


    Her certainty was absolute. Just then, the elevator doors opened. Before Wyatt could say anything more, she stepped into his


    car.


    The heater was sting. As soon as she got in, her head buzzed from the heat, but she didn¡¯t stop toin. She immediately started sorting through her bag, double¨Cchecking that she had everything she needed.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t interrupt her. Instead, he tore a piece of paper from his notepad, scribbled a few lines, and folded it up. The car stopped at a private hospital. Because of his leg, Wyatt stayed behind while Yunice headed in alone. ¡°Go on ahead. If anyone stops you, give them this,¡± he said, handing her the note.


    She nodded and took off in the direction of the patient rooms listed.


    Watching her go, Jordan got out and chuckled. ¡°She moves fast.¡±


    She really <b>was </b>the capable type¨Csharp, efficient, focused.


    <b>Wyatt </b><b>said </bzily. ¡°Too picky, though.¡±


    Jordan teased, ¡°Talented people are hard to manage. Obedient ones aren¡¯t useful. If you can¡¯t keep her, she¡¯ll just end up in someone else¡¯s hands.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 43

    Chapter 43 Passcode


    Vyatt¡¯s eyes darkened, his expression sour.


    unice rushed out of the elevator, focused only on checking the room number. She didn¡¯t even notice Paul walking toward


    CT


    Yunice? What are you doing here?¡± Paul followed her gaze and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s sick?¡±


    the nced at him, but she was in <b>too </b>much of a hurry to answer. She shoved past him and made her way toward a hallway guarded by a bodyguard.


    The guard raised his arm to block her like a brute. Yunice quickly unfolded the letter of introduction Wyatt had given her and said anxiously, ¡°I have a letter! Wyatt sent me!¡±


    Her voice trembled¨Cshe clearly wasn¡¯t confident. It <b>was </b>just a piece of paper; would they really let her through?


    To her surprise, the guard scanned the paper, then stepped aside without hesitation. ¡°Go in.¡±


    She rushed inside. Paul, watching, tried to <b>follow</b>, but two guards immediately locked him out like a pair of airtight doors.


    He protested. ¡°Why can she go in and I can¡¯t!¡±


    The guard shot <b>back</b>. ¡°She has a letter from Wyatt. Do you?


    Yunice hadn¡¯t expected to get in so easily. As she ran, she peeked curiously at the note Wyatt <b>had </b>given her, thinking it might have some kind of symbol or details about her identity


    But there were only four simple words:


    ¡°Let her <b>through </b>


    It hit her like a shockwave¨Ccelebrity power, made real.


    A true power yer didn¡¯t need fancy tricks. His name alone was a pass.


    She had never experienced this kind of treatment before, not even as Paul¡¯spanion¨Ceven though the Powell family was top¨Ctier elite.


    Suppressing the <b>spark </b>of awe in her chest, Yunice stepped into Madam Johnson¡¯s room. The room was full of medical staff, and the moment they saw her, their eyes made it clear she wasn¡¯t wee.


    <b>So </b>she shed the letter again, <b>this </b>time with confidence. ¡°Wyatt sent me!¡±


    Outside the room, Paul was still arguing with the guards. What, Wyatt¡¯s such a big deal? He still answers to the Powell family:


    ¡°I¡¯m the rightful eldest grandson of the Powell family. I¡¯m not some mutt off the street. Believe it or not, I could have you <b>kicked </b>out of Silverburgh with a single word!¡±


    Just then, Jordan and Wyatt <b>turned </b>the corner.


    <b>Paul </b>scowled when he saw Wyatt. He stormed up to <b>him</b><b>, </b>shouting. ¡°I warned you to her anymore. so there¡¯s no point in chasing her!¡±


    Before he could get too close, Jordan stepped in and restrained him.


    ay away from <b>Yunice</b>! I don¡¯t even like


    Paul fought back<b>, </b>yelling. ¡°Jordan, you <b>too</b>? Giving up your status to be this cripple¡¯spdog? <b>You¡¯ve </b>gotta be cursed!¡±


    Jordan¡¯s jaw clenched, his <b>usually </b>calm voice sharm. ¡°Shure du


    Chapter 43 Passcode


    Finished


    He grabbed Jordan¡¯s cor and red at Wyatt like he wanted to burn him alive. To Paul, Wyatt was nothing but a thief who had wormed his way into the Powell family, stealing resources, buying off his old friend, blocking him at every turn¨Cand now, trying to steal <b>Yunice</b><b>. </b>


    ¡°You think Yunice would stay by your side if she knew all <b>the </b>crap you¡¯ve done?¡± he spat.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes went <b>cold</b>, silently warning him.


    But Paul was on a roll. ¡°What, you gonna hit me? Can you even stand on your own? Without these dogs protecting you, you¡¯d be crawling on the floor.¡±


    Jordan yanked him harder. ¡°You really looking to die?¡±


    Paul sneered. ¡°Touch me and see if my grandfather doesn¡¯t <b>have </b>you whipped right out of¡ª¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s anger faded into a quiet chill. Without acknowledging Paul, he bypassed the guards and entered Madam Johnson¡¯s


    Paul brushed off Jordan¡¯s grip, eyes burning. This wasn¡¯t over.


    He couldn¡¯t touch Wyatt, but Yunice? She was still within reach.


    If Wyatt thought he could take what was his dream on.


    Inside the hospital room, Yunice stood at the bedside, inserting silver needles into Madam Johnson¡¯s scalp.


    The other doctors and nurses had backed far away. They stood by the door, arms crossed, faces twisted with disapproval. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we step in: one of them asked. ¡°It is Madam Johnson, after all.¡±


    If they failed to save her, they¡¯d be held responsible.


    The neurology director scoffed, voice dripping with sarcasm. ¡°She¡¯s #jatt¡¯s miracle doctor. If we interfere and something goes wrong, who¡¯s taking the me? Be my guest.¡±


    That shut everyone up


    Yunice was far too young, and she was using one of the hardest techniques in traditional Chinese medicine.


    Most practitioners spend their lives learning only the basics. And yet, here she was, performing acupuncture on someone¡¯s bruin.


    But it was Madam Johnson, and no one wanted to risk being med. Finally, the director couldn¡¯t take it anymore. His voice turned cold.


    ¡°<b>Miss</b><b>, </b>we know you¡¯re trying to impress Wyatt, but you¡¯d better consider what it¡¯ll cost you to act tough.¡±

 Daghter 44

    Chapter 44 The Gamble


    A nurse spoke up in panic, ¡°Exactly! Madam Johnson means a lot to Wyatt. If anything happens to her, he¡¯ll make you pay with your life!


    Yunice didn¡¯t even turn her head. Her voice was <b>calm </b><b>and </b>steady. ¡°I know.¡±


    As she spoke, she ced another needle at the Shenting point on Madam Johnson¡¯s scalp. The director of neurology watched with growing anxiety, fists clenched in fury. ¡°You¡¯re ying with her life! If she dies from your random poking, we won¡¯t be able to save her even if we try!¡±


    ¡°Enough of this nonsense. Someone get her away from the patient and prep for a craniotomy immediately!¡±


    He¡¯d had enough. With one sharpmand, his assistants stepped forward to take action.


    Yunice shot them a cold re and snapped, ¡°If anything goes wrong, I¡¯ll take full responsibility. Can you say the same!¡±


    That single sentence made everyone freeze in hesitation.


    Madam Johnson was already elderly. The risks of surgery were exponentially higher¨Cespecially brain surgery. One slip and she could <b>end </b><b>up </b>in aa, or worse<b>, </b>die on the table.


    That was precisely why Wyatt hadn¡¯t wanted to take the risk¨Cwhy he had switched medical teams at thest minute.


    They had expected someone more professional, more authoritative not some arrogant little girl!


    The director flung his hands in the air, furious. Fine, let¡¯s see how this reckless kid ns to pay with her life.


    But the moment he turned around, he froze.


    Wyatt was standing at the doorway, cane in hand. Who knew how long he had been there?


    Realizing that Wyatt <b>must </b>have heard Yunice¡¯s bold words yet hadn¡¯t stepped in to <b>stop </b>her filled the director with frustration. If <b>she </b><b>failed</b>, wouldn¡¯t it be their mess to clean up?


    Wyatt must be out of his mind, getting yed by a woman like this.


    A crowd had gathered at the door, including Wyatt himself, all silently watching Yunice work.


    Yunice was still applying acupuncture. She¡¯d gone from standing to sitting at Madam Johnson¡¯s bedside. Her demeanor was caln: almost serenc¨Cless like someone trying to save a <b>life </b>and more like someone performing a wellness treatment.


    The silver needles remained in ce. Each time Yunice twisted or nudged one, Madam Johnson would twitch, her <b>fingers </b>sometimes curling into w¨Clike shapes. Every movement made the onlookers tense, terrified that the next twitch might be herst breath..


    But Yunice didn¡¯t seem fazed. She even began massaging the elderly woman¡¯s head and shoulders.


    The director couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Even with Wyatt watching, he exploded, ¡°Her problem is in the cerebral blood vessels! It¡¯s a blood clot, a cerebral infarction! What the hell are you doing!¡±


    ¡°Wyatt, if you let this continue, you¡¯ll be killing her! Is <b>that </b>what you want!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s brow furrowed, fingers unconsciously tightening around <b>his </b>cane. Of course he didn¡¯t want Madam Johnson to die- but somehow, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling


    That Yunice could do it.


    <b>This </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b>just <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>gamble¨Cit was his <b>too</b>.


    CHIANS BUThe Quingle


    and with the other pedig a venge bild with beer mesmo. She seed it to a vein and began to deve


    packed th back


    As the negative pressure pulled, and the conna, izrazenna appessed made the transparent extimize


    living


    It stretched slowly, be along thread, but didint fane Debito


    The director¡¯s eyes widened. He scrambled to has been a cow in the jugr ven¡°


    ver¡ªhow


    <b>That </b>kind of clot only usually forms trobes Baby hadnt even gong a needle yer¨Chow could ther beadot


    And it hashi¡¯t shown up in the pre¨Cop sam ekibert


    and genome alhead witch wegen tha hadden dior could¡¯ve made every


    twe went pale. This was a serious


    Cold sweat rolled down his back. For the first time, he was genuinely gave had to take wen


    d


    over


    Yunice nced at hun, as if she could see right through his though. She up and said. ¡°That was a blood d?r from the brain


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes softened. He ally stepped into the room, stooping beside them ¡°how be


    ¡°The blos kage is cleared. Yunice teplot. ¡°Let her rest for about a boum She walke


    Wyatt looked tow and the director who scrambled to the motors, checking the stalk and won dun that be wow let him stummed¨CMadam Johnson¡¯s vital signs were stabilizin


    Seeing the disbelief on the director¡¯sce. Wyatt fully let out a deep breach. The way the booked a Yer hadpleme changed.


    in


    He wasn¡¯t the only one. Even the director who had been moments in throwing en dat was now grabbing her sleeve in awe, eyes wide with alimiration. ¡°You mean to tell me you just used a few needles and a bit of mange to push the do the brain down to the jugr? How did you even-


    Yunice replied, ¡°All the vessels are connected. I just used pressthe points to guide then, Shaphying theplex. It¡¯s not some divine miracle¨Cjust forgotten medicine. Dhe new people remember it w


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 45

    Chapter 45 No Turning Back


    The director nodded repeatedly. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right. These days everyone worships Western medicine¨Ccut first, thinkter. But for someone Madam Johnson¡¯s age, that¡¯s basically dragging her to the gates of hell. I always wanted to study traditional medicine, but I never found the right teacher.¡±


    He hesitated, then steeled himself and asked awkwardly. ¡°Miss could you teach me a few techniques?¡±


    Worried she¡¯d refuse, he quickly added, ¡°I don¡¯t expect it for free. I¡¯ll serve tea and formally be your student if I <b>have </b>


    Yunice stared at the older man¨Csomeone old enough to be her father¨Cand blinked, caughtpletely off guard.


    Before she could figure out how to respond, Wyatt had already taken her hand and said to the director, <b>¡°</b><b>Just </b>focus on doing your own job


    The director looked longingly at Yunice, but under Wyatt¡¯s warning gaze, he could only grumble and go back to monitoring <b>Madam </b>Johnson.


    Wyatt moved forward with his cane.


    Yunice looked down at their joined hands. Remembering the way he¡¯d once spoken about her, she felt a wave of difort and tried to pull away


    Sensing her reaction. <b>Wyatt </b>only tightened his grip. His steps paused as he looked down at her and said. ¡°In Silverburgh<b>, </b>you won¡¯t find a better ally than me.¡±


    Yunice was just <b>about </b>to argue when she caught sight of someone standing at the end of the hallway¨CPaul.


    His eyes zeroed in on their sped hands, and his face twisted with anger as he stormed toward them.


    Yunice suddenly understood Wyatt was holding <b>her </b>hand to provoke Paul.


    Paul barked at her, ¡°Do you even know what time it is? Do the Saunders family have no shame left?¡±


    After they got engaged, Paul always held the upper hand. Over the years, he¡¯d grown used to controlling Yunice, refusing to tolerate anything he considered inappropriate.


    Even with the engagement long broken, Paul still believed Yunice should listen to him.


    After all, he¡¯d practically raised her. He was responsible for her safety.


    But even now, after everything<b>, </b>she still hadn¡¯t let go of Wyatt¡¯s hand.


    <b>Paul¡¯s </b>face turned red with fury. He raised his voice<b>, </b>scolding her again, ¡°Your brother already told you about the marriage arrangement with the Johnsons<b>, </b>and you even spent the night at their ce. Now you¡¯re doing this? Are you trying to let all of Silverburgh know just how shameless you are?¡±


    She spent the night at the Johnsons?


    How did Paul know that?


    <b>Yunice </b>quickly realized Owen and <b>Elsie </b>must¡¯ve told him. And judging by his tone, he clearly thought spending the night meant she had slept with Mr. Johnson.


    My own brother. My former fianc¨¦. Eighteen years.. and this is what they think of me


    They really believe it was fine for me to sleep with Mr. Johnson, but holding Hyatt¡¯s hand makes me a disgrace.


    It¡¯s not that they look down on Iyatt¨Cthey just hate that they <b>can¡¯t </b>co


    4:14 PM ch


    Chapter 45 No Turning Back


    Finished


    Paul¡¯s eyes burned with rage. ¡°<b>You </b><b>want </b>to be a <b>disgrace</b>? Fine. But if you drag <b>Elsie¡¯s </b>name into this. I won¡¯t let it slide!¡±


    He reached out and grabbed Yunice¡¯s wrist. ¡°You¡¯reing with me!¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t <b>break </b>free. She stumbled<b>, </b>yanked off bnce¨Cuntil Wyatt let go, stepped forward, and shoved Paul hard.


    Already fuming. <b>Paul </b>nearly fell. That push was thest spark¨Chis brain exploded with rage, logic and restraintpletely


    gone.


    He swung a punch at Wyatt. Wyatt <b>raised </b>his arm to block, but with his mobility issues, he couldn¡¯t react fast enough. <b>Paul </b>kicked his cane away


    Without support, Wyatt lost his bnce. His left knee mmed into the floor tiles.


    <b>Paul </b>was out of control now. He raised his fist again¨Caimed straight for Wyatt¡¯s face.


    Yunice instinctively stepped forward.


    The punchnded squarely on her.


    She didn¡¯t make a sound. Her face throbbed with numb, swelling pain, and she curled in on herself, body moving in pure self¨Cdefense.


    ¡°Yunice?¡± Wyatt struggled toward her, his voice sharp with concern.


    <b>Paul¡¯s </b>anger red again. ¡°I was going after him! Why¡¯d you get in the way!¡±


    He raised his fist again, not satisfied until he got in a few more hits.


    But he never got the chance. Wyatt¡¯s bodyguards had finally reacted¨Ctwo of them moved in from behind, grabbed Paul, and mmed him to the ground.


    Wyatt knelt beside Yunice, disheveled and aching. Gently, he pried her hands away from her face. His expression darkened instantly<b>. </b>


    He looked up and locked eyes with Paul.


    There was ice in his gaze now¨Cpure, calcted fury.


    Paul, suddenly uncertain, felt his stomach drop. Would that cripple actuallyy a hand on me?


    He got his answer a secondter.


    ¡°Hit him,¡± Wyatt said coldly.


    No hesitation. The guards¡® fistsnded <b>hard</b>.


    Paul curled into a ball shielding his head. ¡°You¡¯re dead, you hear me! Crippled bastard, I swear I¡¯ll get you for this!¡±

 Daghter 46

    Chapter 46 Burnt Bridges


    Wyatt ignored Paulpletely. He reached for his cane with some effort, <b>then </b>helped Yunice to her feet.


    Finished


    She clutched her head, dizzy and unsteady. The two of them looked just as battered¨Conly by leaning on each other could they stay upright.


    With one arm wrapped around her waist, Wyatt frowned and said in a low voice, ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Staggering and limping, the two of them made their way forward as Paul took his beating in silence.


    He shielded his head with both hands, but his eyes stayed fixed on Yunice¡¯s back, burning with resentment.


    He couldn¡¯t <b>understand </b>it. Why was Yunice leaving with that cripple? <i>Why </i>had she taken the hit for Wyatt? She used to shield him


    from harm¡­


    Did she really fall for Wyatt


    They¡¯d spent eighteen years side by side. How could she fall for someone else so easily?


    By the <b>time </b>Wyatt and Yunice reached their room, she was half¨Cunconscious.


    <b>Jordan </b>came running over, shocked. ¡°What happened to her!¡±


    Still holding Yunice up, Wyatt swiped the keycard with his free hand and <b>said</b>, ¡°Get the doctor.¡±


    Then he nudged the door open with his cane, <b>his </b>whole body straining to support her weight.


    Jordan hesitated. ¡°You sure you¡¯ve got her?¡±


    Wyatt turned back. ¡°Why are you still here? Go get the director. Him personally.¡±


    jordan <b>gave </b>up trying to help. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Only after he left did Wyatt get Yunice onto the bed.


    Her face was flushed, and her breathing fast. Wyatt sat beside her and touched her forehead.


    She was burning <b>hot</b>.


    He remembered the ginger soup she hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to drink. She must¡¯ve already beening down with something¨Cyet she still held it together long enough to save Madam <b>Johnson</b>.


    Wyatt¡¯s thoughts twisted into <b>knots </b>as he slipped off her shoes and tucked the <b>nket </b>around her.


    When Director Jake arrived to examine Yunice, Wyatt stepped out to talk with Jordan in the hallway.


    Jordan looked uneasy. ¡°<b>Paul </b>took <b>a </b>real <b>beating</b><b>. </b>Someone from the Powell family came to <b>pick </b>him up.¡± Wyatt still <b>hadn¡¯t </b>calmed down. If anything, he <b>thought </b>Paul got off too easy.


    <b>Jordan </b>offered a suggestion. ¡°Wyatt, maybe fake some injuries yourself. Otherwise, the Powell family¡±


    The Powell patriarch was fiercely protective of his bloodline. Paul was <b>his </b>only direct heir, and he¡¯d made it clear that all family assets would eventually be handed down to him.


    Wyatt might¡¯ve been Paul¡¯s uncle in name, but in that family, he was never wee.


    Finished


    Chapter 46 Burnt Bridges


    Jordan knew better than to push it. He let the subject drop.


    Over an hour passed before <b>Jake </b>finally came out of the room. ¡°Wyatt.¡±


    Both men looked at him<b>. </b>


    <b>Jake </b>nced at Wyatt¨Che¡¯d been standing the whole time?


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes grew impatient, so Jake cleared his thoughts <b>and </b>began his report. ¡°Ms. Saunders has a high fever from catching a chill. But I also found several untreated internal injuries. Honestly, they look like signs of long¨Cterm abuse.¡±


    Jake¡¯s voice hardened. At this point, he¡¯d gained a lot of respect for Yunice¨Cand the idea of her being mistreated genuinely pissed <b>him </b>off.


    ¡°Abuse?¡± Jordan looked skeptical. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with the Saunders family before. They spoil her rotten. I even brought gifts for her on Owen¡¯s behalf when I went to Ennd.¡±


    Jake shot back, ¡°Then where did all the injuriese from?¡±


    Jake


    He was certain¨Csomeone had abused her.


    Wyatt remained silent, eyes distant, cold.


    Jordan was still thinking it through. ¡°I heard she was in a psych hospital for a while, but the Saunders family probably pulled strings. No <b>way </b>they¡¯d let her be bullied. Maybe the injuries came from something else.¡±


    He looked at Wyatt. ¡°<b>Want </b>me to investigate?¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t answer the question. Instead, he asked Jake, ¡°Can she recover?¡±


    Jake understood he was asking about Yunice. ¡°With rest and care, yes.¡±


    Wyatt crushed his cigarette against the cobblestone. His voice turned dry and sharp. ¡°Madam Johnson was at death¡¯s door, and Morgan already went ahead to clear the path?¡±


    Jordan blinked. What? Weren¡¯t they just talking about Yunice? Why bring up Morgan now?


    Jake suddenly smacked his forehead. ¡°No one¡¯s keeping watch over Madam Johnson. Mr. Conrad, maybe <b>send </b>someone to fetch Mr Johnson.¡±


    Morgan was her biological grandson. He had time¨Che should¡¯ve been here.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 47

    Chapter 47 Lines Crossed


    Finished


    Wyatt had Morgane take <b>care </b>of Madam Johnson¨Cwhich meant he nned to stay and watch over Yunice himself.


    Jordan figured it out and made a quick call, ordering someone to drag Morgan out of the billiards hall and bring him over


    Morgan had a close¨Ccropped haircut dyed a reddish¨Cbrown <b>and </b>stood slouched in Madam Johnson¡¯s hospital room like he owned the ce. He didn¡¯t look like a privileged heir¨Cmore like a thug<b>. </b>


    Just a few days ago, he¡¯d been arrested for hitting a woman and got a beating from his dad for it. Still bitter, he¡¯d been hiding out in the pool hall ever since.


    Now that he heard his grandmother was stable, he felt emboldened again. Looking for trouble, he said, ¡°Where¡¯s Wyatt? Isn¡¯t he the one who loves pretending to be the devoted grandson? Finally couldn¡¯t keep up the act?¡±


    Jordan told him inly, ¡°Wyat¡¯s with Ms. Saunders.¡±


    Morgan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Which Ms. Saunders?¡±


    He knew the Saunders family had two daughters¨Cone a golden girl, the other a certified lunatic.


    What pissed him off most was that his idiotic parents had actually arranged for him to marry the lunatic.


    Jordan didn¡¯t sugarcoat it. The one they told you about. She¡¯s the one who saved <b>Madam </b>Johnson.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Morgan let out augh so loud he nearly doubled over. ¡°You expect me to believe a nutcase saved someone? That¡¯s the best joke I¡¯ve heard all year.¡±


    Jordan was about to exin that Yunice wasn¡¯t crazy anymore, but Morgan suddenly cut him off with a manic glint in his eye. ¡°Wait¡­ so Wyatt ditched my grandma to take care of her?¡±


    ¡°How precious. How rare. Morgan¡¯s expression twisted. ¡°<b>Hasn¡¯t </b>Wyatt sworn off women ever since he busted his leg? Uniess¡­ don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s actually fallen for that little nutjob? Hahaha!¡±


    <b>Jordan </b>rolled his eyes. No point arguing with this rabid dog.


    He had no idea why Wyatt bothered calling someone like Morgan in the first ce.


    Yunice woke not long after her fever broke.


    Her eyelids fluttered open, and the swollen pain in her cheek made itself known.


    Only then did she remember¨C<b>Paul </b>had hit <b>her</b><b>. </b>


    Looking around, she caught sight of Wyatt sitting across from her and froze.


    He didn¡¯t move. ¡°You want water?¡±


    Yunice slowly propped herself up and nodded.


    After a high <b>fever</b>, she was <b>parched</b>,


    Wyatt stood <b>and </b>went to pour her a ss.


    Seeing his back turned, Yunice let out a breath. When she first opened her eyes, it felt like he¡¯d been staring straight at her face¨Cand it made her skin crawl.


    She didn¡¯t even think she was pretty <b>Was </b>West¡¯s rade that nicka?


    Finished


    Chapter 47 Lines Crossed


    Paul had worn a diamond ring. When his fist hit, the ring acted like a de.


    A four¨Ccentimeter cut ran across Yunice¡¯s face¨Cdeep and ugly. No one could take that <b>easily</b>.


    ¡°Regretting it?¡± Wyatt held out the ss, watching her.


    If she had known she¡¯d be disfigured, would she still have jumped in to shield him?


    A woman¡¯s face was everything. Yunice was ambitious¨Chow could she show her face now?


    He was <b>certain </b>she¡¯d break down, cry, maybe even throw something


    But she didn¡¯t.


    She set down the mirror and took the ss from him, drinking slowly


    Wyatt found himself watching her more closely.


    Yunice cradled the ss in both hands and looked up ¡°The stitches are clean. If I make the right ointment, it shouldn¡¯t scar You don¡¯t need to feel guilty¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze wavered, then turned mocking. ¡°Now you¡¯reforting me?¡±


    ¡°IfI hadn¡¯t stepped in. Paul would¡¯ve hit the sphenoptine port near your temple That could¡¯ve killed you, Yunice said calmly, ¡°I didn¡¯t want you getting hurt.¡±


    For a second, something inside Wyatt shifted. But he hid it well, like always,


    Yunice realized how that must¡¯ve sounded and added. ¡°Madam Johnson is still recovering. If something happened to you, it could shock her. That would make all my efforts pointless¡±


    Now that sounded more like her.


    Wyatt scoffed. That exnation made more sense.


    Yunice went back to sipping her water, little by little.


    She knew full well you weren¡¯t supposed to drink in water afterdehydration. It needed salt or sugar¨Csomething to replenish electrolytes,


    But she didn¡¯t want to bother Wyatt, so this was the best she could manage to wet her lips.


    Steam rose from the cup, dampening her loweredshes.


    Wyatt looked down at her, gaze tracing from the slope of her nose to her mouth.


    Her lips were full and pink, glistening from the heat.


    The <b>water </b><b>was </b>still <b>warm</b>. Yunice blew on it gently, lips parting ever so slightly-

 Daghter 48

    Chapter 48 The Ugly Truth


    Wyatt frowned and looked away, clearly displeased.


    Yunice sensed the shift and looked up at him.


    He moved toward the window, opened it just a crack to let in some air, and didn¡¯t nce back <b>at </b>her once.


    Behind her, out of sight, his eyes were clouded <b>with </b>agitation. He couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d just reacted to Yunice like that.


    Yunice didn¡¯t understand. She was about to speak when someone knocked on the door.


    Jake peeked in, eyes bright as he looked at Yunice first, then said to Wyatt, ¡°Wyatt, Madam <b>Johnson¡¯s </b>awake. She wants to see


    you.¡±


    Wyatt gave a quiet response <b>and</b>, with the help of his cane, walked out of the room.


    Yunice sat up in bed, her eyes following the way he walked.


    ¡°Handsome, right?¡±


    She turned toward Jake, who was grinning like a gossiping aunt.


    ¡°Wyatt is the best¨Clooking man on a cane I¡¯ve ever seen,¡± Jake said. ¡°But don¡¯t stare too much. He¡¯s petty.¡±


    Yunice gave a small nod, grateful for the warning. She knew people with disabilities sometimes carried emotional wounds.


    too.


    Jake¡¯s gaze drifted to the gash on her face, and he sighed<b>. </b>¡°Don¡¯t worry about the scar. Even if it doesn¡¯t heal on its own, Wyatt will find the best stic surgeon to fix <b>it</b>.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yunice blinked, surprised.


    Thinking she didn¡¯t believe him, Jake added, ¡°He said so himself. I can tell¨Che treats you different<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Does he!¡±


    ¡°Definitely. He¡¯s not usually like this.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s he usually like, then?¡±


    ¡°He..¡°<b>Jake </b>stopped mid¨Csentence, realizing that if Wyatt did like her, he could <b>easily </b>screw it up by saying the wrong <b>thing</b>. ¡°He¡¯s usually cold. Real cold.¡±


    Yunice <b>was </b>a little disappointed she couldn¡¯t get more out of him.


    Just then<b>, </b><b>Jake </b>took a call. Whatever he heard made him nce at Yunice quickly and nod along.


    When he hung up, he said, ¡°Ms. Saunders, Madam Johnson wants to see you.¡±


    He rolled in <b>a </b>wheelchair. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take


    you over.¡±


    I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary¡­¡± Yunice was still a little dizzy and unsteady, but not so bad that she needed a chair. She could manage.


    Jake leaned in, lowering his voice. This isn¡¯t about the wheelchair. It¡¯s about appearances.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t like you. If you look pitiful, it¡¯s harder for her to stay cold.¡±


    0


    Chapter 48 The Ugly Truth


    Yunice gripped her sleeves tightly, feeling exposed as everyone turned to look.


    Madam Johnson rested in bed. Wyan stood beside her.


    Jordan was at the door. Jake stood at the back of the chair.


    Yunice was just taking in the room when a sharp face suddenly leaned in close. She pulled back instinctively.


    A red¨Chaired man scrunched his brow. ¡°Damn. That¡¯s ugly¡±


    Finished


    He stepped back dramatically, hands in his pockets, all arrogance. ¡°No way I¡¯m marrying that freak. Someone else can take


    her.


    Even if she hadn¡¯t seen him before, it wasn¡¯t <b>hard </b>to guess¨Cthis had to be Morgan, the man Lily had called a ¡°perfect match.¡±


    Seeing him stomp around like a lunatic, <b>Yunice </b>thought her injury had actuallye at the perfect time. He found her ugly. She didn¡¯t want to marry <b>him </b>anyway.


    But she didn¡¯t want to look too smug, so she lowered her eyes and let them go red <b>with </b>tears.


    Wyatt¡¯s face darkened. He looked at Morgan, eyes cold.


    What did this guy have that made Yunice work so hard just to marry into this family? She saved Madam Johnson, took the me, even risked her face.


    Madam Johnson finally told Morgan to <b>shut </b>up.


    Even if she didn¡¯t like Yunice, she¡¯d saved her life and taken a blow meant for Wyatt. It wasn¡¯t something she could ignore. She looked over at Yunice¡¯s face. The wound was long, the stitches visible. It was hard to look at,


    Even if she didn¡¯t want to admit it, the injury made her feel a chill in her chest.


    To take a hit like that for someone either the girl was stupid or she was tough.


    Madam Johnson¡¯s expression softened a little. ¡°Will her face recover?¡±


    Before Jake could respond. Jordan jumped in. ¡°The cut¡¯s too deep. Even the stic surgeons said it might not fully <b>heal</b>.¡± Morganughed out loud. ¡°That¡¯s great Grandma. I can¡¯t take this monster but in public. Why don¡¯t we just let Wyatt have heri

 Daghter 49

    Chapter 49 Misunderstood


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he minds at all. He stayed right by her side the whole time you were unconscious.¡±


    Whether it was Morgan¡¯s voice or his attitude, Madam Johnson¡¯s face turned even darker.


    She ignored him and looked at Yunice. ¡°Ms. Saunders, thank you for saving me again. I¡¯ll have Wyatt handle your consultation fee <bter</b>. You won¡¯t be shortchanged.¡±


    Finished


    Everyone in the room could hear what she meant. Madam Johnson only acknowledged the transaction¨Cnot the favor.


    Morgan propped his sneakers on the table and said smugly, ¡°Grandina, do you think the little nutjob even understands what you¡¯re saying<b>?</b>¡±


    Then he turned to Yunice, mocking, ¡°Hey, she means take the money and get as far away as possible. You¡¯d do everyone a favor if you just stayed locked up in the Saunders house forever.¡±


    ¡°Enough, Morgan, Madam Johnson snapped.


    He was about to argue back, but then caught Wyatt¡¯s stare. That shut him up real fast. He dropped his feet from the table and sat up straighter.


    Wyatt was crazier than he <b>was</b>¨Cand Morgan knew better than to poke that bear.


    Madam Johnson said, ¡°Everyone else out. Wyatt, stay


    Morgan had been waiting for <b>that</b><b>. </b>He got up with a theatrical stretch and strutted out like he owned the ce.


    Yunice let out a quiet breath. Morgan <b>not </b>liking her was the best oue she could ask for.


    But just outside the room, her wheelchair suddenly wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Morgan hadn¡¯t left. One of his sneakers was pressing down on the wheel, blocking her path. He leaned down toward her with


    a smirk


    Yunice shrank back, spine <b>tight </b><b>against </b>the chair. He clearly wouldn¡¯t touch her¨Che found her disgusting¨Cbut he wanted to intimidate her.


    He sneered. ¡°Your family really thought they could send you out to deal with me? I won¡¯t forget this insult. Go home and tell them¨Cif they want to kiss up to me, they better send your sister next time.¡±


    Yunice kept her expression frozen in fear, but inside she wasughing her head off.


    If Owen ever found out he tried to suck up to a guy like this, he¡¯d choke on regret.


    After Morgan finally left, Wyatt came to Yunice¡¯s room and handed her a <b>card</b>.


    ¡°There¡¯s a million in there. From Madam Johnson.¡±


    From Madam Johnsont


    Yunice held the card and read between the lines.


    So Wyatt was drawing a line¨Cwhat was hers from <b>Madam </b>Johnson <b>was </b>hers. But <b>what </b>about the <b>scar </b>on her face? Was he going to repay that? Or not at all!


    The second option seemed more likely. Wyatt had already said he wasn¡¯t some saint. He wasn¡¯t the type to repay favors. If he didn¡¯t backstab you, <b>that </b>was already generous.


    Just like in the ck market¨Cshe¡¯d saved his life, and be


    Finished


    Chapter 49 Misunderstood


    Yunice stood and went to close the door.


    When she returned, she looked at him and said, ¡°Roll up your pants.¡±


    ¡°That was blunt. Too blunt.


    <b>Wyatt¡¯s </b>eyes darkened at once. She exined, ¡°Your leg took a hit. If you don¡¯t deal with it, the tissue could start to die. You might <b>end </b>up stuck in a wheelchair.¡±


    Back during the fight with <b>Paul</b>, Wyatt had banged his leg hard.


    For someone already disabled, that kind of injury could be serious. Just looking at the way he walked, she could tell it was


    <b>bad</b>.


    But he hadn¡¯t rested. He was clearly pushing himself to hide it.


    Still, he didn¡¯t look moved by her concern. Instead, he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her close, sneering. ¡°You know it means something when <b>a </b>woman touches a man like that?¡±


    She ended up on tiptoe from the force. ¡°You¡¯re reading <b>too </b>much into it¡­¡±


    Wyatt narrowed his eyes. ¡°You were just jealous over Morgan. Now what¨C<b>can¡¯t </b>get him, so you¡¯re trying to hook me instead?¡± She was too obvious, always trying to curry favor with whoever held power. It was stupid and desperate.


    He let her go and added coldly. ¡°If you want to win me over, it¡¯s <b>not </b>that hard. You know <b>what </b>I want. y you protect you.¡±


    He¡¯d been alone too long. Having a woman who knew how to behave didn¡¯t sound so <b>bad</b>,


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯ve got it wrong.¡±


    <b>your </b>part, and I¡¯ll


    ¡°I never had any interest in Morgan. I don¡¯t trust romantic ties¨Cthey¡¯re the least stable thing in the world. That goes for him. and for you.¡±


    *1 treated Madam Johnson not to gain favor, but because my father left notes behind. He asked <b>me </b>to finish what he couldn¡¯t. Her condition was a mission, and an opportunity. I missed that opportunity, but that doesn¡¯t mean I was being maniptive.¡±


    All this time, they thought she was calcting. Like she was scheming for something. But she had never once asked for anything.


    Wyatt tuned out most of what she said.


    He only remembered two <b>words</b>.

 Daghter 50

    Chapter 50 A Clean Break


    Wyatt frowned, clearly irritated. ¡°What did you just call me?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t understand at first. After a pause, she hesitantly said, ¡°Wyan?¡±


    What was wrong with that?


    Everyone called him that¨Conly Jordan and people close to him used his given name directly.


    Wyatt¡¯s jaw tightened, clearly annoyed. ¡°I¡¯m only five years older than you.¡±


    ¡­ Respect didn¡¯t really have anything to do with age, though,


    Before the awkwardness could go on, someone knocked at the door¨Cloud and fast, like something urgent hade up.


    Wyatt¡¯s anger hadn¡¯t cooled. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Jordan stepped in, immediately sensing the tension. His eyes flicked to Yunice.


    She could tell Wyatt was fuming, but she had no idea why. The <b>man </b>was <b>impossible </b>to understand.


    Jordan leaned in and whispered something quickly.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression darkened further. He turned without a word. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The two men left in a hurry.


    Afterward, <b>Yunice </b>went to find Jake to say goodbye.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, <b>you </b>should rest! What¡¯s the rush?¡± <b>Jake </b>looked worried.


    Too many eyes at the hospital, Yunice didn¡¯t want to invite trouble.


    She said, ¡°Dr. Dawson, please don¡¯t tell anyone about my <b>medical </b>skills.¡±


    Jake wanted to ask why, but when he thought about it¨Cshe was young, talented, and vulnerable¨Che understood. Some people might target her for that.


    He nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t <b>say </b>a word.¡±


    Yunice handed him a slip of paper. ¡°If <b>you </b>ever need anything, you can message me.¡±


    Jake epted it with both hands, beaming. ¡°Then I¡¯ll be bothering you a lot in the future, Ms. Saunders.¡±


    After a beat, Yunice softened. She handed over <b>a </b>prescription. ¡°Dr. Dawson, Wyatt¡¯s leg took a hit. Have someone make this into a medicinal <b>paste</b>. Remind him to use it.


    <b>Jake </b>grinned. ¡°Ms. <b>Saunders </b>sure <b>cares </b>a lot about our Wyatt. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll deliver your heartfelt message.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell him it came from me,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be involved with him.¡±


    Madam Johnson¡¯s illness <b>had </b>been handled. She likely wouldn¡¯t cross paths with Wyatt <b>again</b>.


    After being discharged, Yunice went to stay with Gill to recover.


    When Gill saw th


    the wound on her face, she was beside herself with worry.


    Yunice <b>said </b>she¡¯d caught a fever and taken a fall on the sidewalk.


    Chapter 50 A Clean Break


    Finished


    Elsie and the others had returned from their trip. It was time for Yunice to pack up and go back to the Saunders household. Before leaving. Yunice gave Gill the bank card Madam Johnson had gifted her. ¡°Take the money out and invest it. Stocks, something with growth.¡±


    She didn¡¯t need it for now, and Gill could manage the funds in her name.


    Gill didn¡¯t want to let her go. ¡°Ms. Yunice, why go back there? You¡¯ve got medical skills. You can make money on your own. Why let them treat you like this?¡±


    Yunice <b>gave </b>her a gentle smile. ¡°I need to reim my name. I don¡¯t want to spend my life being a nobody with a mental health record.¡±


    Gill had no smile left. She couldn¡¯t help. She just stood there, quietly hurting.


    Yunice said goodbye. ¡°I¡¯m off.¡±


    She took a cab back to the Saunders residence. The moment she <b>arrived</b>, she saw several luxury cars parked in the yard.


    Not just Owen¡¯s and Elsie¡¯s¨Cthere was also one from the Powell family.


    Inside the living room, she found Paul already there.


    He and Elsie were sitting on the couch. No sign of Owen or Lily,


    Paul¡¯s face was mottled with bruises. Elsie dabbed ointment on his wounds with a cotton <b>swab </b>while he winced.


    Just then, Owen came down the stairs. He looked up. ready to snap at her.


    ¡°You finally decided toe-


    He stopped midsentence, his expression freezing.


    Then he rushed down the stairs three steps at a time, grabbing Yunice¡¯s arm in rm.


    ¡°What. What happened to your face?¡±


    Only now did Elsie and Paul notice her.


    Elsie stood up in <b>shock</b>, hurrying over to get a closer look.


    <b>She </b>was <b>so </b>focused on Yunice¡¯s face, she didn¡¯t notice Paul¡¯s reaction at all.


    He remained frozen on the couch, eyes lowered, unable to meet Yunice¡¯s gaze.


    Yunice understood immediately¨Che hadn¡¯t told them he was the one who hit her. <b>Owen¡¯s </b>grip tightened/ ¡°Say something! What happened to your face!¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>pressed her lips together and lied. ¡°I had a fever. Fell and hit the curb.¡±


    Paul stared at¨Cher, stunned.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 51

    Chapter 51 Cracks in the Surface


    <b>Paul </b>knew Yunice wasing back <b>today</b><b>, </b>so he rushed over to check on her injuries.


    He hadn¡¯t meant to hit her¨Che¡¯d just lost his temper.


    He was ready to apologize. What he didn¡¯t expect was for Yunice to cover for him.


    But instead of feeling relieved, Paul felt even more ashamed in front of her.


    Owen still had a firm grip on Yunice¡¯s arm<b>. </b>¡°You have a fever? How did that even happen?¡±


    Finished


    Yunice kept her eyes down. ¡°No one left me a key, so I had to wait outside. I guess being out in the cold for so long made met


    sick


    ¡°No one left you a key?¡± Owen looked baffled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just call Mom?¡±


    As soon as Lily¡¯s name came up, Elsie jumped in. ¡°<b>Yunice</b>, you¡¯re an adult. Use somemon sense. Did you really have to stand out in the cold like that?¡±


    Owen chimed in, clearly annoyed. ¡°Seriously. That was dumb. You couldn¡¯t find somewhere else to go?¡±


    She didn¡¯t have a ce to go or a dime <b>to </b>her name¨Cwhere was she supposed to stay for three days? If Gill <b>hadn¡¯t </b>taken her in. Yunice could¡¯ve died from her illness, and no one would¡¯ve even noticed.


    But none of them thought they were to me. To them, it was all just Yunice being stupid.


    Elsie pressed again. ¡°So, where exactly have you been staying? Owen <b>and </b>I went to the Johnsons, and they said they hadn¡¯t seen you at all.¡±


    Paul turned to Yunice when he heard that. He was certain she had been staying with Wyatt.


    The image of her throwing herself in front of danger for Wyatt made Paul¡¯s blood boil. The anger and guilt twisted inside


    him.


    Yunice knew Elsie was just being nosy, but she didn¡¯t give her what she wanted. ¡°I stayed with Madam Margaret,¡± she said.


    Paul¡¯s brow furrowed hard. She was lying!


    He shot up from his seat. ¡°Yunice!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t keep letting her get <b>away </b>with this. Owen needed to step up <b>and </b>put a stop to it.


    His sharp tone drew Owen¡¯s and Elsie¡¯s attention. Yunice looked past them and locked eyes with Paul.


    Her face <b>was </b>calm, <b>like </b>she couldn¡¯t care less if he exposed her.


    But when he looked <b>at </b>the scar on her face, <b>Paul </b>started to <b>back </b>down <b>again</b>.


    Elsie walked over, looking confused, <b>and </b>slipped her hand into Paul¡¯s. ¡°Paul, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    She¡¯d caught the <b>change </b>in his expression. Her eyes darted nervously between him and <b>Yunice</b>. Something wasn¡¯t right. It felt like the two of them were keeping something from her.


    <b>That¡¯s </b>when she noticed<b>. </b>She lifted <b>Paul¡¯s </b>hand and frowned. ¡°Wait¨Cwhy aren¡¯t you wearing the ring I gave you?¡±


    She <b>shot </b><b>a </b><b>quick </b>nce at Yunice, her gut telling her this had something to do with her. Paul taking off the ring¨Cit couldn¡¯t be a coincidence.


    Bark when Pand was still wearing the enzusement ring from Vonice Flcie <b>had </b>hated the sight of it. So she¡¯d mushed <b>to </b>out him


    4.15 <b>PM </b>


    Chapter 51 Cracks in the Surface


    Finished


    Owen didn¡¯t pay attention to the tension between them. His expression <b>was </b>tight as he pulled Yunice aside and led her over to where the light was better so he <b>could </b><b>get </b>a good look at her face. The more he looked, the more upset he got. His voice turned rough. ¡°Of <b>all </b>ces.. why your face?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer. He¡¯s <b>not </b>worried about me. <i>He¡¯s </i>just mad the scar¡¯s in <b>a </b>spot people will notice. That¡¯s why he¡¯s upset.


    Sure enough, Owen followed up with a sharp usation. ¡°Did you do this on purpose? You trying to get out of the engagement or something?¡± But right after he said it, he seemed to realize how dark that sounded. He quickly backpedaled. ¡°<b>You </b>should go lie down. I¡¯ll find someone who can help treat the scar.¡±


    Yunice said nothing and quietly went back to her room.


    <b>This </b>was <b>the </b>only room in the whole Saunders house where Yunice felt even remotely at ease.


    She sat at the desk, chin in hand, staring off nkly as she tried to figure out what to do next.


    That¡¯s <b>when </b>the old phone Elsie had given her suddenly started ringing.


    <b>Yunice </b>barely used that phone¨Cand she¡¯d never given the number to anyone. Who else would call her besides someone from the Saunders family?


    She stared at the screen as it buzzed. Right before the call ended, she picked it up.


    ¡°Hello?¡± A calm, steady male voice came through. Yunice <b>was </b>sure she¡¯d heard it somewhere before. When she stayed quiet, the man went on, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s Quinton Ford. We met at Hotel Marcellus. You remember me, right?¡±


    Back then, Owen had only introduced her <b>as </b>a distant rtive. So how did Quinton know she was part of the Saunders family?


    Yunice answered slowly. ¡°Hi¡±


    Quinton <b>clearly </b><b>hadn¡¯t </b>expected her to be so reserved and got straight to the point. ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. I¡¯m interested in the Saunders family¡¯s medical notes. But Ms. Yunice told me you burned them. Is <b>that </b>true?¡°Quinton had that sharp, impatient tone of someone used to being in charge¨Clike he was taking it out on Yunice, maybe even holding her responsible for what happened.


    And when Yunice heard him call Elsie by <b>her </b>name, her chest burned. Her fingers clenched tightly around the phone.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 52

    Chapter 52 Shadows at the Window


    Finished


    When Yunice still didn¡¯t answer, Quinton¡¯s voice turned colder, his patience wearing thin. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t know who you¡¯re dealing with, but I don¡¯t give up on things easily¨Cespecially not those medical notes. If you can rewrite them from memory. name your price¨Cwhatever you want.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Ms. Yunice said you have an exceptional memory,¡± he shot back. ¡°You just don¡¯t want to


    Yunice let out a <b>breath</b>. Of course. Elsie always finds a way to make my life harder.


    ¡°She lied. I¡¯ve got a terrible memory. I¡¯m mentally ill,¡± she said tly, her eyes drifting toward the window, brows slightly


    furrowed.


    She thought she¡¯d heard something earlier. Now, seeing the window shift slightly, she was sure something¨Cor someone out there.


    She set the phone down and moved toward the window quietly, missing Quinton¡¯s final threat as the call cut off.


    At the window, Yunice stood still as she watched a thin wire slip through the gap, hooking thetch <b>and </b>twisting until it snapped free.


    curity cameras were installed on the outside wall.


    The window wasn¡¯trge¨Cjust meant for venttion so no security


    Yunice had no idea <b>who </b>was trying to break in.


    Click The lock gave way. A secondter, the window was shoved open from the outside.


    Paul had one foot on the sill, both hands gripping the frame. He froze, startled by Yunice standing right there.


    But he recovered quickly and started to climb in


    <b>Yunice </b><b>moved </b>faster. She shoved against <b>him</b>. ¡°Get out!¡±


    <b>Paul </b>frowned and nced over his shoulder, then <b>said</b>, ¡°Someone¡¯sing. You really want them to see me climbing. through your window?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face tightened. <b>Paul </b><b>was </b>the one breaking the rules, but somehow she was the one getting cornered.


    Because everyone knew how things worked in the Saunders family¨Cno matter who messed up, the me alwaysnded on


    I¡¯m serious, someone¡¯sing!¡± Paul whispered, urgency creeping into <b>his </b><b>voice</b>.


    Yunice clenched her teeth, then stepped <b>aside</b>.


    Paul climbed in and shut the window behind him.


    Outude, Elie had followed and was pressed <b>against </b>the wall, eavesdropping.


    Inside, neither of them noticed. Yunice sat <b>back </b>at her desk with a cold expression and nced at her phone. Quinton had already hung up.


    Paul nced around, taking in the familiar setup of her room. He quietly drew in a breath<b>. </b>


    <b>That </b>faint scent lingering in <b>the </b>air¨Chers¨Cwas both distant and <b>familiar</b>. It reminded Paul of something he hadn¡¯t felt in at long time


    It wasn¡¯t sweet or particrly pleasant. More like herbs <b>and </b><b>old </b>wood, with that <b>sharp </b>medicinal edge. He used toin.


    4:15 PM d


    Chapter 52 Shadows at the Window


    #Finished


    He shook off the <b>thought</b>, slid one hand into his pocket, and walked over with practiced cool. Thanks for <b>not </b>throwing me


    under the bus with Owen earlier.¡±


    Yunice looked up at him.


    Even when he apologized, he did it like he was doing her a <b>favor</b>¨Chead up, chin lifted, looking <b>down </b>on her the whole time


    Paul had been with plenty of women over the years, but Yunice had only ever seen him let his guard down for one¨CElsie.


    When Elsie was mad, he¡¯d crouch in front of her. looking up just to meet her eyes¨Cdesperate for even a flicker of her


    attention


    When she smiled, he lit up like it was the only thing that mattered. His eyes never left her¨Cthey followed her like she was the


    center of his world.


    He <b>was </b>the ssic spoiled rich boy, through and through. And yet, he must really love Elsie¨C<b>because </b>he actually changed for


    her.


    Sometimes. Yunice had to admit it. Some people are just made to be loved, no matter how selfish or mean they are, even when they don¡¯t


    deserve it.


    Paul shifted ufortably when Yunice didn¡¯t respond. his eyesnding on the scar across her face. His expression twisted


    guilt mixed with unease.


    ¡°That scar¡­ He hesitated, clearly ufortable, then blurted out, ¡°If it ends up permanent¡­ I¡¯ll take responsibility. I¡¯ll take care of you.


    Yunice blinked, stunned for a second¨C<b>then </b>looked at him with <b>nothing </b>but contempt.


    Paul kept his chin up, still trying to y it cool. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that? I¡¯m only ever going to marry Elsie,¡± he <b>said</b>, then added casually. ¡°But I can still take care of you. Make sure you¡¯refortable¨Cyou wouldn¡¯t have to worry about a thing.¡±


    e your mistress?¡± Yunice shot back.


    ¡°So you want me to be


    Paul frowned. ¡°<b>You </b>seriously think you canpete with Elsie? You really think-


    ¡°Paul, are you really this clueless<b>!</b>¡± Yunice cut him off, her voice ice cold. ¡°I don¡¯t want you. Isn¡¯t that obvious? I hope you and Elsie stay tangled up forever¨Cjust keep me out of it.


    Paul stared at her, stunned. He didn¡¯t speak for a long moment before his expression twisted into anger.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me? What, you want Wyatt now?¡±


    ¡°Not your business.¡± Yunice¡¯s voice <b>was </b>cold


    <b>¡°</b><b>Oh</b>, drop the act, <b>Paul </b>snapped, straightening up as his frustration spilled over. ¡°This whole thing was just to get my attention, <b>wasn¡¯t </b>it? You let me hurt you so I¡¯d feel guilty. You covered for me so I¡¯d start thinking about you again. Don¡¯t tell me it wasn¡¯t all a setup to make me show up. And now that I¡¯m here, you¡¯re acting innocent? Like you¡¯re above it all? Please.¡±


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 53

    Chapter 53 Cold Eyes


    Yunice shot Paul a <b>cold </b>look, then stood up abruptly and walked toward the door.


    Finished


    <b>Paul </b>panicked and <b>rushed </b>after her, mming his arm <b>against </b>the door to block her path. He leaned in <b>close</b>, his voice low and tense. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°If you really think you¡¯ve got nothing to hide, then <b>what </b>are you so scared of?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t think he was wrong¨Che was just pissed that her words hit a nerve and made him look like an


    idiot


    She used to do whatever he said. Now, she challenged <b>him </b>at every turn. And he couldn¡¯t stand it. Who gave her the nerve?


    His tone turned jealous and bitter. ¡°You really think you¡¯re somebody now just because Wyatt¡¯s giving you attention?¡± <b>Paul </b>sneered. ¡°He¡¯s nothing. The Powell family only keeps him around when he¡¯s useful. The second he steps out of line, he¡¯s <b>out </b><b>You¡¯ll </b>see. Laying hands on me? Big mistake. He¡¯s not walking away from this¨Cjust watch.¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>blinked, caught off <b>guard</b>. To her, Wyatt didn¡¯t seem like someone the Powell family could control.


    Wyatt was ruthless, sharp, and strategic¨Cand in Silverbrough, his influence was already starting to surpass the Powell family¡¯s I didn¡¯t make sense¨Csomeone like him shouldn¡¯t be answering <b>to </b>anyone.


    She raised her chin, her voice <b>sharp</b>. ¡°Wyatt¡¯s just better than <b>you</b>. Face it.¡±


    She was baiting him. hoping to get him to spill something about the Powell family. But Paul didn¡¯t fall for it.


    But Paul didn¡¯t take the bait. Instead, he frowned deeply, like he genuinely couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Seriously? <b>You¡¯ve </b>barely <b>even </b>talked to <b>him</b>. <b>What¡¯s </b>so great about that guy? Oh, so that¡¯s your type now?¡±


    Yunice stayed silent.


    The truth was, their history went back further than anyone knew¨Cnot just to the ck market but to something buried in childhood.


    Wyatt was the product of one of Jackson Powell¡¯s drunken mistakes. From the moment he was born, he and his mother were tucked away in a back courtyard¨Ckept out of sight, out of mind.


    His mother didn¡¯t gain status from having <b>a </b>child. Because of that, both of them were treated like garbage. Everyone in the Powell family looked down on them.


    Paul, when he <b>was </b>just a spoiled little kid, used to sneak off with his buddies to mess with Wyatt. Yunice had tagged along


    They <b>brought </b><b>thick </b><b>snakes </b><b>and </b>shoved them through the crack <b>in </b><b>the </b>old wooden <b>gate</b>, snickering as they waited for someone


    inside to scream.


    One of the kids got nervous. ¡°What if the <b>snakes </b>bite them and they die? Won¡¯t we get in trouble?¡±


    <b>Paul </b>shrugged, all smug. ¡°So what if they die? My dad says they¡¯re worthless anyway. If they die, that just <b>saves </b>everyone the


    trouble.


    But they waited a long time, and nothing came from inside¨Cnot a sound. Eventually, one of the kids couldn¡¯t help himself and crouched down to peek through the crack in the gate.


    <b>No </b>one knew what he saw, but he let <b>out </b>a scream and fell straight back onto the ground.


    Yunice, heart pounding, stepped closer and looked for herself.


    Inside, a boy not much older than them crouched on the ground, one hand pinning a <b>snake¡¯s </b>head, the other holding a rock.


    4:15 <b>PM </b>c


    Chapter 53 Cold Eyes


    Cold Eve


    Finished


    Then he tossed the rock aside and, in one swift motion, peeled the snake¡¯s skin off. The pale flesh twitched in his hands.


    The other kids¨Cpampered, sheltered¨Clost it. Some screamed. Others turned and <b>threw </b>up.


    Especially Paul¨Che gagged and shouted through the gate, ¡°You freak! That <b>was </b>my snake! I swear, one day I¡¯m going <b>to </b>kill


    you!¡±


    Yunice had been just <b>a </b>child herself, but even then, she knew Paul had crossed a line. She was about to tell him to stop <b>when </b>something made her freeze.


    She looked <b>through </b>the gate again¨Cand locked eyes with the boy inside.


    That was the first time Yunice and Wyatt made eye contact.


    He was standing in that run¨Cdown courtyard, and she was outside the gate¨Cin a world that looked nothing like his.


    His face was sttered with blood. In one hand, he held the freshly skinned snake. And even from that distance, his cold, steady stare pierced through her.


    The way he looked at her sent a chill down her spine¨Ccalm, emotionless, and far more unsettling than the snake in his hand.


    Yunice instinctively leaned back, her heart skipping a beat. She hadn¡¯t done anything¨Cbut for some reason, she felt guilty


    She hadn¡¯t taken part in <b>Paul¡¯s </b>little stunt. But she was the only one Wyatt had seen.


    Would he think I was part of it? That I was just like the rest of them?


    While her thoughts raced, Wyatt turned and walked <b>back </b>inside, <b>snake </b>still in <b>hand</b>.


    Paul wouldn¡¯t stop ranting, swearing he¡¯d make Wyatt pay for what happened.


    Yunice was supposed to go home after all that, but she stayed behind, worried Paul would <b>actually </b><b>do </b>something reckless. So instead, she quietly stayed hidden somewhere on the Powell estate.


    That <b>night</b>. Paul never showed up at the courtyard. But Yunice, peeking through a crack in the gate, saw Wyatt carrying a te of meat to his mother.


    ¡°<b>Mom</b>, we <b>have </b>meat <b>tonight</b><b>.</b>¡±


    She recognized it¨Cit was the same snake from earlier that day.


    Nothing else happened that night. Wyatt and his mom quietly sat down and, after gently urging each other to eat more, finished the te of snake meat together.


    That scene <b>stuck </b>with Yunice more than anything else. It left a mark.


    A few yearster, when Paul turned twelve, the Powell family threw an extravagant birthday party. It was over the top. Half of Silverbrough¡¯s elite showed <b>up</b><b>¨C</b><b>business </b>leaders, socialites, and anyone who mattered.


    The ballroom was pure luxury¨Cevery <b>detail </b>sleek, expensive, and meant to impress.


    Jackson and Jensen were the center of <b>attention</b>, <b>standing </b>under the lights while the city¡¯s elite circled <b>around </b>them, hanging on their every word

 Daghter 54

    Chapter 54 No More Obeying


    Later that evening a Powell family <b>butler </b>rushed over and whispered something to Jackson His expression changes instantly -brows furrowing as he gave the butler a sharps decisive look. Then, without missing a beat, he turned back to the crowd with a smooth, practiced simile, like nothing had happened.


    Twelve¨Cyear¨Cold Yumice followed behind the butler as he hurried out of the balloom. She quietly overheard him telling a maid to lock up the back courtyard¨Csomeone had jumped. They couldn¡¯t let the news get out and rum Mr. Paul¡¯s birthday party


    Yunice spun around and bolted toward the back county asi


    A womany t on the cold, stone tiles¨Cher body twisted, blood pooling beneath the <b>back </b>of her head and seeping into the cracks between the bricks


    She was still alive¨Cbarely. Blood ran from her mouth and ears, and her body witches weakly


    Yunice dropped to her knees and pulled a Woundis pill from her pocket, slipping it between the woman¡¯s lips


    But it was no use. Wyatt¡¯s mother died anyway.


    And now Paul had the nerve to ask her. ¡°What¡¯s so special about Wyatt anyway


    Maybe he¡¯d forgotten everything he did as a kid¨Chow he used to drag her along to mess with Wyan like it was some kind of


    Yunice had never touched Wyatt herself, but that didn¡¯t make her innocent. She¡¯d been there. And even now, all these years.ter, the guilt still clung to <b>her</b>.


    Maybe Wyatt didn¡¯t even remember seeing her back then.


    But Yunice hadn¡¯t. The way she looked out for him <b>now</b><b>, </b>the way she stood up for him, was really just her way of making up for the girl she used to be¨Cthe one who stayed quiet and did nothing


    The more she thought about it, the more hollow it all seemed.


    As if doing the right thing now could erase what she¡¯d let happen lock then. As if pretending it never happened would somehow make it disappear.


    She hated the old version of herself¨Cthe girl who obeyed every word, and followed every order.


    And she hated Paul even


    more.


    She shoved his arm off her corbone. She must¡¯ve hit a sore spot, because he <b>winced </b>and let <b>out </b><b>a </b><b>sharp </b>breath.


    ¡°Easy¡± That hurts¡± Paul snapped, <b>chitching </b>his arm. He frowned, then said. ¡°I know I was wrong to hit you. <b>And </b>that ring cut you! I¡¯m not wearing it anymore¡± He rolled up his sleeve and showed her the braise spreading across his arm. ¡°I didn¡¯t exactly walk away clean either. Can we just call it even


    He was clearly trying to smooth things over. And when Yunice didn¡¯t say anything, he did something rare for <b>him</b>¨Che actually tried to lighten the mood. ¡°My arm¡¯s killing me. Can you at least put some medicine on it? Yours always worked the


    back then. Yunice couldn¡¯t stand seethig him hurt. Even the smallest bump, and she¡¯d be chasing him around with <b>that </b>old jar of medicine, insisting on taking care of it.


    He used to find it annoying Called her a nag. He said she was <b>like </b><b>a </b>clingy <b>mom </b>


    But now, Yunice met his eyes without flinching, her face unreadable. ¡°What makes you think you can still tell me what to do?<b>¡± </b>she said, her voice calm but cold. Just because you¡¯re in pain, I¡¯m supposes to take care of you! Like I owe you something!


    Chapter 54 No More Obeying


    Something about the way she said it made Paul instinctively take <b>a </b>step


    back


    When did Yunice get like this? She used to trail after me, agreeing with everything I said. She never talked back¡ªever


    Kock, back


    Owen¡¯s voice followed the firm knock on the door behind her. Yunice, open up.


    Finished


    The tense standoff between them broke, but <b>Paul </b>didn¡¯t move. He stood there, waiting¨Choping Yunice would give in and say something to ease the tension.


    He didn¡¯t believe for a second that she was over him. In his mind, the anger, the way she snapped at him¨Cthat only proved she still cared. That she still had feelings for him.


    ¡°Yunice¡± Owen¡¯s voice came again, louder this time, as the knocking grew heavier.


    Yunice noticed Paul wasn¡¯t budging. The look on his face made it obvious¨Che wanted her to beg him to leave before Owen walked in and saw him there. That was what he wanted¨Cto see her flustered, to hear her plead. And once she did. he¡¯d only


    it further. Demand more.


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t that girl anymore. Without saying a word, she turned, grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door.


    Paul froze, then in one swin motion bolted for the window.


    In his rush, he smacked his shoulder against the frame, stumbling slightly before managing tounch himself outside. But as hended, still fuming, he spun around and threw a cigarette into her room<b>. </b>


    She acted like getting caught by Owen didn¡¯t bother her at all. Let¡¯s see how she talks her way out of this one.


    Only after Paul disappeared did Yunice fully open the door.


    Owen was already suspicious. His eyes immediately went to the open window across the room. ¡°Did I just hear a bang a second ago?¡± he asked, narrowing his eyes.


    Yunice staved calm. ¡°A dumb bird flew into the window. I just let it out.¡±


    That exined why she took so long to open the door. Owen¡¯s suspicion faded as he turned back around and dug into his pocket


    Yunice¡¯s eyes drifted downward¨Cand her breath caught.


    Right by his foot was the cigarette Paul had thrown.


    Owen hadn¡¯t noticed it. Still focused on his pocket, he pulled out a tube of ointment.


    ¡°Here. Use this for now. It¡¯s supposed to help with scars¡±


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 55

    Chapter 55 A Favor for Owen


    Finished


    <b>As </b>he spoke, Owen¡¯s eyes drified back to the scar on Yunice¡¯s face. His brows drew together. He was a doctor¨Che knew a scar like that would never fully go away.


    The Johnsons already had concerns about Yunice¡¯s mental health. Now, with a visible scar on her face..


    Owen sighed, trying to reassure himself. The Johnsons never nned to have Yunice in the spotlight anyway. And besides, she had already spent the night at their house¨Ccutting ties wouldn¡¯t be that easy for them now.


    ¡°Yunny, you and Mr. Morgan got along pretty well, right?¡±


    Yunice locked eyes with Owen, drawing his attention, and subtly slid one foot back to madge the cigarette Paul had thrown


    under the bed.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan¡¯s not interested in me,¡± she said with a guilty look.


    Owen <b>frowned</b>. ¡°Didn¡¯t you stay the night at his ce? If he wasn¡¯t into you, why would he let you stay?¡±


    Yunice repeated Morgan¡¯s words truthfully. ¡°Mr. Morgan told me he¡¯s actually into Elsie. And he said, you only tried to match. <b>him </b>with me because you don¡¯t respect him. He said one day he¡¯s going to make you pay for insulting him¡±


    ¡°<b>What</b>?¡± Owen¡¯s voice shot up. He was fuming. ¡°I haven¡¯t even said anything about his Andro¨CElevation Syndrome, and he¡¯s the one getting offended?¡±


    Just then, Lily¡¯s anxious voice called from outside the room. ¡°Owen? Owen!¡±


    Owen nced toward the door and quickly left without another word.


    The moment he stepped out, Yunice bent and picked up the cigarette from under the bed.


    When she walked out into the living room, she found looking anxious and defeated.


    lly sitting on the couch wiping tears, while Elsie stood off to the side


    Owen mmed his phone down and growled, ¡°I already paid to have the charges dropped¨Cwhy are they filing again?¡±


    Lily snapped, ¡°Let them sue! So <b>what </b>if there was a <b>mistake </b>during surgery? Nobody <b>died</b><b>, </b>we <b>paid </bpensation¨Cwhy can¡¯t they just let it go?¡±


    The <b>moment </b>Elsie heard <b>that</b>, she froze. If this went to court, officials would get involved¨Cand once they started digging. they¡¯d find out she¡¯d been treating patients <b>without </b>a medical license.


    Owen sat there in silence, his face tight, Clearly, he hadn¡¯te up with a solution yet.


    Then, Elsie spotted Yunice<b>, </b>and her eyes lit up.


    She rushed over, dropped to her knees in front of Yunice, and clutched her hand.


    ¡°<b>Yunice</b>, please help Owen,¡± she cried. ¡°Just talk to Mr. Morgan. <b>Ask </b>him to back off the investigation<b>. </b>He¡¯ll definitely listen to <b>you</b>!¡±


    Yunice let out a quiet, bitterugh. ssic Elsie¨Cacting like it was all for Owen, just to take the heat off herself. She didn¡¯t care about helping him. She just didn¡¯t want to get exposed. And if Yunice said no, she¡¯d be the one who looked heartless.


    If Yunice didn¡¯t step in, she¡¯d take the me¨Cand Elsie would walk away untouched.


    But <b>Yunice </b>wasn¡¯t falling for it this time<b>. </b>


    She reached out to help Elsie up, her tone full of sympathy. ¡°Elie, Mr. Morgan actually likes you. If you <b>ask </b>him. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll say yes


    Chapter 55 A Favor for Owen


    <b>me </b>he¡¯s only interested in Elsie. He said, he¡¯ll only help if she asks him herself.¡±


    Finished


    Lily froze <b>when </b>she heard that¨Cjust like Owen had. Then, almost instantly, <b>she </b>snapped. ¡°Who does Morgan think he is. going after Elsie?¡±


    But the second the words left her mouth, she realized she¡¯d slipped.


    Back <b>when </b><b>she </b>was <b>trying </b>to arrange Yunice¡¯s marriage, Lily had gone out of her way to praise the <b>Johnson </b>family. But now that Morgan was interested in Elsie, she was suddenly furious.


    She quickly covered her reaction with a handkerchief and stole a nervous <b>nce </b>at Owen.


    Sure enough. Owen was staring at her, surprised.


    Owen had always believed his mom arranged Yunice¡¯s match with the Johnsons because she didn¡¯t know any better¨Cbecause she didn¡¯t realize what kind of people they were. That she meant well


    <b>But </b>now it was obvious. She knew exactly what kind of family the Johnsons were. And she still pushed Yunice toward them.


    Owen had gone along with the marriage too, but in his eyes, Yunice was too good for them. The Johnsons were the ones getting a deal


    She had a history and no legal ID. That limited her options, but it didn¡¯t mean Morgan was the best she could get.


    Clearly, Lily didn¡¯t see it that way.


    For the first time, something stirred in Owen. Maybe just maybe¨Cnot all mothers actually loved their children.


    Lily<b>, </b>feeling the weight of his stare, rushed to change the subject. ¡°Owen, what are we going to do? That family¡¯s already blowing up online again. If this leads back to Elsie, what then?¡±


    Elsie was still <b>down </b>on the floor, where she¡¯d dropped <b>earlier</b>, while Lily and Owen were caught up in their own worries neither of them even thought to help her up.


    Her knees were sore, <b>and </b>she was just about to quietly push herself <b>up </b>when Yunice suddenly spoke.


    ¡°Eisie, why are <b>you </b>still here? Shouldn¡¯t you be talking to Mr. Morgan?¡± Yunice asked calmly. ¡°Or do you not want to help Owen<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Elsie froze.

 Daghter 56

    Finished


    Lily <b>quickly </b>stepped in front of Elsie, shielding her. ¡°Elsie <b>and </b>Paul are together. Are you seriously trying to break them up!


    <b>Yunice </b>stared at her mother¡¯s protective posture. Did she forget I¡¯m her daughter too?


    But Lily¡¯s favoritism was nothing new. Yunice had gotten used to it. Maybe it was because she¡¯d never <b>really </b>felt loved by her mother that walking away from that bond came so easily now,


    She didn¡¯t back down. ¡°I¡¯m not the one trying to break them up¨CMorgan is. I already did everything I could to win over the Johnsons. So why are you taking it out on me?¡±


    Lily shot back. ¡°How do I even know you really tried?¡±


    Even Owen looked ufortable hearing <b>that</b>.


    Yunice replied calmly, ¡°Morgan¡¯s not some puppet. You can¡¯t just hand him someone <b>and </b>expect him to fall for her. Elsie¡¯s smart and beautiful¨Cwhy wouldn¡¯t he <b>want </b>her instead?¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You-</b>¡°Lily opened her mouth to argue, but instead, she started to tear up. ¡°All I did was ask you <b>a </b><b>question</b><b>, </b>and <b>you </b>snapped at me? I didn¡¯t cause <b>that </b>scar on your face¨Cwhy are you so angry with me? How can you hold such a grudge against me?¡±


    Now Lily was crying. Then Elsie started crying too. It gave Owen a headache just listening to them.


    He dropped the hand that had been resting on his forehead and looked straight at Yunice. ¡°Yunice. Apologize to Mom.¡±


    There was weight in his voice now¨Ctight, controlled, on the edge of losing <b>patience</b>.


    So Yunice bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom.¡±


    But Lily <b>wasn¡¯t </b>done. She helped Elsie up with a cold scoff. ¡°Sorry doesn¡¯t help. You still can¡¯t help Elsie.¡±


    Owen cut in coldly. The Johnsons don¡¯t want her. What¡¯s Yunice supposed to <b>do </b>about that?¡±


    Lily froze, stunned. It took her a moment to realize¨COwen was ming her. He¡¯s ming me!


    He didn¡¯t even look at her. He was already done with the conversation.


    The only reason Owen agreed to let Yunice marry into the Johnson family was <b>because </b>Morgan¡¯s mom promised they¡¯d treat her well¨Cand with their money <b>and </b>status, it seemed like a smart <b>choice </b>back <b>then</b>.


    But now? It <b>was </b>obvious. They couldn¡¯t even keep Morgan in check.


    Owen made his decision then and there. ¡°If Morgan <b>doesn¡¯t </b>want Yunice, then the engagement¡¯s off


    ¡°But¨CLily started to object, but the seriousness in his tone stopped her cold. All she could do was throw a bitter nce.


    Yunice¡¯s <b>way</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice didn¡¯t crack a <b>smile</b>¨Cshe kept her thoughts to herself, <b>not </b>letting anyone read her.


    Owen stood up <b>and </b>headed for the stairs. ¡°Elsie. Come with me.¡±


    Yunice knew that tone. She knew Owen had already made up his mind.


    <b>And </b><b>this </b>time, even Owen wouldn¡¯t be able to protect her.


    Elsie knew it too. Tears welled in her eyes <b>as </b><b>she </b>clung desperately to Lily¡¯s <b>hand</b>.


    But no matter how much Lily cared, it wasn¡¯t <b>enough </b>to <b>change </b>Owen¡¯s mind.


    4:15 PM c


    Chapter 56 The Decision


    All three of them <b>looked </b>down at the same time.


    Owen stepped forward, picked it up¨Cand froze.


    It <b>was </b>a cigarette. Still warm.


    Finished


    His eyes widened in disbelief, then darkened fast. He clenched it in his fist, turned to Elsie, and snapped, ¡°Upstairs. Now¡±


    Elsie <b>flinched </b>but followed. Lily, panicked, rushed right behind.


    Yunice was the only one left standing in the living roompletely ignored.


    She reached up and lightly touched the bruise on her face, a faint smile tugging at her lips.


    She had to <b>thank </b>Paul¨Cnot just for blowing up the Johnson engagement but for leaving behind the cigarette <b>that </b>let the drama y out perfectly


    Upstairs


    Elsie stood stiff in <b>front </b>of Owen, her eyes wet, trembling under his re. Usually, if she looked <b>a </b>little pitiful, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to <b>raise </b>his <b>voice</b>.


    But not this time. Even with Lily right there trying to ease the tension, Owen¡¯s tone was sharp.


    He held up the cigarette between his fingers. ¡°This is Paul¡¯s. Don¡¯t lie to me. Just tell me the truth¨Cdid something happen between you two?¡±


    He knew that brand. Paul always smoked it.


    Elsie¡¯s face flushed as she fidgeted with her fingers, too embarrassed to look up.


    Lily jumped <b>in</b><b>, </b>scolding him. ¡°Owen! You <b>can¡¯t </b>talk to Elsie like that¨Cshe¡¯s a young woman. What kind of question is that? Don¡¯t you have any shame?¡±


    But Owen wasn¡¯t backing down. He raised his voice. ¡°<b>I </b>asked you¨Cdid something happen?¡±


    Elsie shrank <b>back</b>, panicked. She honestly didn¡¯t know how that cigarette had ended up in her clothes. Maybe it fell in while she and Paul were fooling around, maybe he tucked it there by ident¨Cbut there was no way she could admit that.


    But she couldn¡¯t admit that. No <b>way</b>.


    Eyes shifting<b>, </b>voice trembling, she blurted out. It wasn¡¯t mine¡­ Yunice must¡¯ve slipped it into my clothes. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯d do something like that, but it <b>wasn¡¯t </b>mine<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    She thought throwing Yunice under the bus would get her out of trouble. Maybe Owen would blow up at Yunice instead.


    But Owen didn¡¯t even react to the usation. He pulled out <b>his </b>phone instead. TIL just call Paul and ask him myself.¡±

 Daghter 57

    Chapter 57 Breaking Point


    Elsie panicked. ¡°Mom¡­¡± she whispered, her voice shaking as she turned toward Lily


    The second she spoke, both Lily and Owen stiffened.


    That one word said it all. Elsie <b>had </b>already slept with Paul.


    Owen stepped forward fast, eyes locked or her. ¡°Did he force you?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face twisted with shame,pletely lost for words. But to Owen, her silence said it all.


    Finished


    His face went pale with rage. ¡°How many times have I told <b>you</b>¨Cno sex before marriage. Not until you had that marriage certificate in hand. I thought you were the one I didn¡¯t have to worry about. I never imagined you¡¯d end up making the same


    mistake as the others.¡±


    Elsie had never been yelled at like that. She broke down in tears and curled up behind Lily.


    Lily, heart aching, jumped to her defense. ¡°So what if Elsie slept with Paul? It¡¯s not a big deal¨Cthis is how things are now, People have sex before marriage all the time. Owen, why are you acting more old¨Cschool than me?¡±


    Owen rubbed his temples, exhausted. It wasn¡¯t just her words¨Cit was the ignorance behind them that wore him down.


    He sighed. ¡°Mom,e on. You really don¡¯t see what¡¯s <b>happening</b>? The Powell family¡¯s been dragging their feet. They were never going to let her marry in. And now her reputation¡¯s on the line. <b>What </b>if Paul backs out? What happens to Eisie then?¡±


    Lily waved it off. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen. Paul¡¯s obsessed with her. Why would he walk away?¡±


    There was no point in arguing with her, so Owen turned back to Elsie


    Elsie bit her lip, tears streaming down her <b>face</b>. She <b>knew </b>it¨COwen didn¡¯t <b>see </b><b>her </b><b>the </b><b>same </b><b>anymore</b>. Whatever image he¡¯d had of her was shattered,


    Heartbroken, she turned to leave.


    Owen saw the shift in her expression and grabbed her arm. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    Through sobs, Elsie cried, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Owen. I embarrassed you. But don¡¯t worry¡­ I¡¯ll take care of it. I <b>won¡¯t </b><b>cause </b>you <b>any </b>


    more trouble.


    That hit Lily hard. She lunged forward and grabbed her <b>daughter</b>. ¡°Owen! Are you trying to push her over the edge?¡±


    Owen froze. That hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind. He stood there, stiff, caught off guard¨Cbut the truth <b>was</b><b>, </b>Elsie had messed up. Someone had to take responsibility.


    Still, she was <b>his </b>sister. What was done was done. <b>And </b>Elsie was quick to break under emotional weight¨Cfragile, easily shaken, and always taking things too personally. Now that he¡¯d exposed something so private, what if she couldn¡¯t handle it? What if she really did something reckless?


    Owen clenched his jaw. He made up his mind.


    ¡°Elsie, <b>this </b><b>isn¡¯t </b>your fault.¡± Then he turned to Lily. ¡°Keep an eye on her. Don¡¯t let her do anything stupid. I¡¯m going to <b>talk </b>to Paul. He <b>owes </b><b>us </b><b>an </b>exnation. He stormed downstairs and called out, ¡°Yunice! You¡¯reing with me¨Cto the Powell


    estate.


    Yunice looked up, startled. She¡¯d heard the yelling from upstairs, but she had no idea why she was being dragged into it. Shouldn¡¯t Elsie be the <b>one </b>going to confront Paul?


    Owen didn¡¯t exin. He just grabbed his <b>keys </b><b>and </b>walked out, motioning for her to follow.


    415 PM


    Chapter 57 Breaking Point.


    Finished


    Owen <b>nced </b>at her for a moment, then said quietly. ¡°You don¡¯t need the <b>mask</b>. We¡¯re not around strangers¨Cand it might just make the wound worse.¡±


    Yunice nced at the Powell staff walking back and forth, clearly ufortable.


    She used to visit this house all the time. Everyone here knew her.


    No one wanted to show their worst side in front of people who knew them.


    But Owen looked at her and didn¡¯t change his mind.


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank. <b>She </b>slowly pulled the mask down.


    It wouldn¡¯t be her first time being humiliated at the Powell <b>estate</b>. What was one more?


    Owen looked at the scar running across her check, and something twisted inside him. He knew what he was about to do would hurt her, but he didn¡¯t have a choice.


    Maybe to make himself feel better, he said something he never said. ¡°Yunny, after this just focus on healing. I won¡¯t push you to get married again¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brow twitched slightly. She knew Owen¨Che only made promises like that when he felt guilty. When he was about to do something he knew she wouldn¡¯t forgive.


    But what choice did she have? She <b>said </b>nothing and followed him inside.


    As they <b>walked </b>through the estate, the staff couldn¡¯t help but notice the scar on Yunice¡¯s face. But this was the Powell family- every maid followed strict rules. No matter <b>what </b>they were <b>thinking</b>, no one dared <b>to </b>say a word.


    The Powell estate wasid out like a privatepound, with each family member living in their own separate residence.


    <b>Paul </b>stayed at Maplecrest Manor, a quiet corner of the property surrounded by tall red maples.


    Near the trees was a small garden <b>pavilion</b>, built for greeting visitors.


    Owen motioned for Yunice <b>to </b>wait there, then headed into Maplecrest without another word.


    Yunice sat silently on the <b>cushioned </b>stone bench inside the pavilion, calm andposed¨Ceven <b>as </b><b>the </b>passing staff continued to nce her way.


    Send Gifts

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    Chapter 58 The Line He Crossed


    Finished


    Yunice rested her chin in her hand and, with a small, subtle movement, slipped an earbud into her ear, letting her hair fall to


    cover it.


    She¡¯d nted a bug on Owen before they left. So even though he¡¯d gone into Maplecrest Manor without her, she <b>wasn¡¯t </b>going to <b>miss </b>a single word of what went down inside.


    Owen didn¡¯t bother knocking. He stormed straight into Paul¡¯s room and, without a word, mmed a punch right into his jaw.


    Caught off guard, Paul crashed backward onto the <b>couch</b>.


    He jumped to his feet, furious, and grabbed at Owen. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?¡± he shouted, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth<b>. </b>¡°Sh1¨CTm bleeding¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°That was just the start. Owennded another punch, this time to the other side of <b>Paul¡¯s </b>face. ¡°Youid a hand on Elsie? Beating the crap out of you would still be going easy¡±


    Paul hit the couch again, groaning. ¡°F*ck!¡± he spat, but this time he didn¡¯t fight back. ¡°Are you insane? What the hell is your <b>problem</b>?¡± he snapped. ¡°I¡¯m dating Elsie. <b>What</b><b>, </b>I¡¯m not allowed to touch her now?¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice dropped low<b>, </b>dangerous. ¡°<b>You </b>know exactly what I mean.¡±


    Paul froze. At first, he hadn¡¯t thought much of it¡ªbut now, with the way Owen was looking at him, something shifted in his expression. A flicker of guilt.


    Owen saw it. He lunged forward, grabbed Paul by the cor, and pulled him close. ¡°<b>What </b>did you promise me? Huh? What did you swear to me?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. He <b>didn¡¯t </b>say a word.


    But Owen wasn¡¯t letting him off <b>easy</b>. ¡°You slept with Yunice. I let it slide¨Cbut I warned you. If you ever touched Elsie, I¡¯de for you. You said <b>she </b>was the one you cared about most, the one you couldn¡¯t <b>bring </b>yourself to hurt. And now? You¡¯ve screwed around with both of my sisters.¡±


    Paul¡¯s jaw tightened, the vein in his neck visibly pulsing. He looked like he wanted to fire back¨Cbut the words caught in his threat. After a long pause, he finally muttered, ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. Elsie and 1. we care about each other. It just happened. I didn¡¯t force her.


    Owen didn¡¯t buy it. He punched him again. ¡°Bullshit! You really expect me to believe that? You¡¯ve always been like this. Your probably pushed her into it. And she still covered for you this whole time. If she hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve been here a long time ago.¡±


    Paul spit blood to the side and red at him. ¡°Wait¨Cdid Elsie tell you I forced her?¡±


    ¡°Spare me the excuses,¡± Owen snapped. ¡°You touched her, now you take responsibility¡±


    Then he let go <b>of </b>Paul¡¯s shirt and pointed toward the door. His tone was bitter, like he didn¡¯t care how ugly this got. ¡°I brought Yunice with me. She¡¯s outside right now.¡±


    <b>Paul¡¯s </b>gaze <b>shifted </b>past him, <b>through </b>the open doors.


    There, beneath the canopy of red maples, sat Yunice¨Cquiet and still. Her ck hair draped softly over her shoulders as she sat in the <b>pavilion</b>, poised <b>like </b>a painting¨Celegant, distant<b>, </b>and untouchable.


    ¡°You hooked up <b>with </b>both of my sisters,¡± Owen said, his voice cold. ¡°Now be a <b>man </b>and make a choice. Take <b>responsibility</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Paul¡¯s temper red. He jumped to his feet. ¡°Are you kidding me right now? You think <b>this </b>is some kind of game show where I just point and <b>pick </b>a prize?¡±


    Chapter 58 The Line He Crossed


    #Finished


    Owen stepped in again, pressing harder. ¡°So what is this then? If you won¡¯t choose, <b>was </b>Elsie <b>just </b><b>a </b>fling? Something easy to toss once you got what you wanted?¡±


    ¡°Hell no!¡± Paul snapped. He and Owen had grown up together¨CYunice or not, they were close. Messing around was one thing, but not with Owen¡¯s sister. That was a hard line he never meant to <b>cross</b>.


    ¡°Then choose,¡± Owen growled, stepping aside and pointing toward the courtyard. ¡°Look at Yunice. Say it to her face. Let¡¯s see if you <b>can </b>live with your choice.¡±


    <b>Paul </b><b>couldn¡¯t </b>say a <b>word</b>. The truth <b>was</b><b>, </b>he still felt too young to be tied down. He really did care about Elsie¨Cbut getting married now? That wasn¡¯t in his ns.


    But after what happened, Owen <b>wasn¡¯t </b>going to let this go. He wanted <b>a </b>clear answer. Right now.


    His eyes drified out to the courtyard. Yunice <b>sat </b>quietly in the distance beneath the trees, calm and unreadable. His chest tightened. Elsie or Yunice?


    Owen¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You¡¯re hesitating. Unbelievable. Guess that says everything. If Elsie really mattered to you, you wouldn¡¯t <b>have </b>paused for even a second.¡±


    Paul clenched his fists. The words stung, and he fired back. ¡°You think I¡¯m like you? Just picking and choosing like it¡¯s <b>nothing</b>? You left your own sister to burn and walked away like it didn¡¯t matter!¡±


    Owen went still. That hit hard.


    Paul saw it and didn¡¯t let up. ¡°You act like some protective big brother, but let¡¯s be honest¨Cyou never really cared <b>about</b>: Yunice. You brought her here to use her. To back me into a corner. You know she¡¯s not ¡®good enough anymore¨Cher name¡¯s ruined, her face is scarred. And you made her sit outside in front of the staff just to humiliate her. Just to make sure, I¡¯d feel too ashamed to choose her over Elsie.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes flickered¨Cjust for a second. But Paul caught it.


    He let out a bitterugh. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb, Owen. We both know how this works. I see right through you.¡±

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    Chapter 59 Power Over Pride


    Owen¡¯s jaw tightened. This time, he was the one who went silent


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to back out,¡± Paul said. ¡°I¡¯ll marry Elsie. The only issue is my dad¨Che still has concerns.¡±


    Owen narrowed his eyes. ¡°What kind of concerns?¡±


    Paul scoffed. ¡°Same old problem. That loser¡¯s still in the way. My dad won¡¯t let me get married until he does.


    Owen¡¯s expression shifted. You mean Wyatt?¡±


    H


    Finished


    Paul snorted. ¡°Who else? He¡¯s never really been one of us. My dad doesn¡¯t trust him. If he ends up with someone powerful backing him, it¡¯s a threat. You think my dad¡¯s going to sit back and let that happen? No chance.¡±


    In the pavilion.


    Yunice rested her chin on her palm, listening through the earbud. She heard everything.


    So this was why Owen brought her here¨Cto pressure Paul into marrying Elsie


    He couldn¡¯t stand the thought of Elsie being embarrassed, so he let me take the hit


    He brought her along just to make Elsie look better next to her¨Cto put her scarred face on disy. A guy like Paul, who was always into pretty girls, <b>was </b>never going to pick someone like her. Of course, he¡¯d choose Elsie.


    She had to admit that Owen had thought it all through. He really was a good big brother.


    Just not to her.


    Inside Maplecrest Manor, the conversation continued. The gist <b>was </b>simple¨Cif Wyatt didn¡¯t get married. Paul couldn¡¯t either. And if Wyatt married someone powerful, Paul had to outmatch him


    Whatever happened. Paul had toe out on top of Wyan.


    And as far as the Powell family was concerned, the Saunders family brought nothing to the table.


    Outside, the sharp tap of a cane <b>echoed </b>against the stone path.


    Wyatt was walking slowly, cane in hand. Jordan followed beside him, and when he looked up, he paused. ¡°Wyatt, isn¡¯t that Yunice over there?¡± He frowned. ¡°Why¡¯s she just sitting out here in the cold?¡±


    The tapping stopped for a second. Wyatt nced once toward the pavilion, his expression unreadable. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    From where <b>she </b>sat, Yunice noticed Wyatt too.


    He was heading toward Longevity Springs, the part of the estate where Jackson lived.


    Not long after Wyatt disappeared, a servant hurried over to the pavilion with a scarf and a hand warmer.


    Yunice blinked, surprised. ¡°Who sent this?¡± she asked


    But the servant caught sight of Paul and Owen approaching from the manor and hurried off without answering


    Owen stepped onto the pavilion, eyes narrowing as he saw the scarf in herp Where¡¯d thate from?¡±


    Before Yunice could answer. Paul walked up behind him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we bring Yunice along?¡± he offered casually,


    Owen frowned. They were heading to Longevity Springs¨Cwhy bring her along?


    Chapter 59 Power Over Pride


    Finished


    Owen wasn¡¯t sure what Paul was up to.


    But <b>Paul </b><b>had </b>something else in mind. Yunice keeps saying Wyatt¡¯s better than me? Fine. Let her watch how the Powell family handles someone with no ce at the table.


    Owen was too focused on Elsie¡¯s engagement to care about Yunice, so he let <b>Paul </b>lead the way to Longevity Springs without saying a <b>word</b><b>. </b>


    They walked fast, easily keeping pace just behind Wyatt.


    Yunice trailed behind them, her view blocked by Owen and Paul¡¯s tall frames. She kept her head down, lost in her own thoughts¨Cuntil a sharp crack snapped her to attention.


    A sharp crash echoed ahead,


    She looked up just in time to see a teacup shatter at Wyatt¡¯s feet. The porcin burst into pieces on the stone floor¨Cright after mming against his shoulder.


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t even flinch. He stood there, motionless, steam rising from the shoulder of his ck coat. That tea had to be burning hot.


    Then came the voice from inside. ¡°Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s still in charge here.¡±


    Paul crossed his arms, smirking Jackson¡¯s been calling for him for days. Guess he finally <b>had </b>enough.¡±


    He turned to nce at Yunice, smug.


    Like Wyatt getting humiliated was something worth bragging about.


    Yunice ignored him. Instead, she looked to Owen.


    He stood off to the side, totally unfazed¨Clike <b>this </b>kind of thing happened all the time. Like there was nothing wrong with it at all. He and Paul were clearly on the same team. <b>And </b>the higher Paul climbed, the better it was for Elsie.


    Up ahead, Wyatt stepped over the shattered teacup. One hand braced against the doorframe as he crossed the threshold into. Longevity Springs


    Yunice paused. She remembered that entrance from when she was younger, It didn¡¯t used to be <b>that </b>high. d they rebuilt it that way on purpose?


    Wyatt already had trouble walking. That steep step was clearly designed to trip him up.


    If Wyatt fell at the door, it¡¯d be right in front of everyone¨Ct on the floor, humiliated, while all those eyes watched with nothing but judgment.

 Daghter 60

    Chapter 60 Price of Defiance


    What a twisted mind.


    Finished


    Yunice followed them into the main hall. Paul dropped into a chair off to the side, slouchingfortably against the backrest with his arms draped over the armrests. If Jackson weren¡¯t in the room, he probably would¡¯ve thrown a leg over the other knee like he owned the ce.


    Owen took the seat next to Paul.


    Even Yunice had a seat¨Cthough hers was set behind Owen, farther from the center.


    She hesitated before sitting down. When she looked up again, she realized there were no more empty chairs in sight.


    Wyatt <b>stood </b>alone in the center of the hall. No one <b>had </b>even thought to offer him a seat.


    Jackson took the main seat. Jensen wasn¡¯t around, but his young wife, Linda stood by Jackson¡¯s side, dabbing at her tears with <b>ja </b>handkerchief.


    The moment she saw Wyatt, Linda began scolding him. ¡°Wyatt, don¡¯t me Jackson for hitting you. You really crossed the line this time! You¡¯re older¨CPaul¡¯s your nephew. You¡¯re supposed to let things slide. How could you beat him so bad he can¡¯t even get out of bed?¡± Then she added, ¡°If you¡¯de back right away and apologized, Jackson wouldn¡¯t have been mad. But no¨Che sent people after you more than once, and you just ignored them. Isn¡¯t that just you deliberately trying to piss <b>him </b>off¡±


    Wyatt leaned on his cane, one shoulder lifting slightly as he shifted his weight to save his strength.


    As he listened to the usations Linda threw at him, a smirk tugged at his lips. His eyes and expression brimmed with mockery.


    He didn¡¯t even look directly at Jackson. Instead, his sideways nce happened tond on Yunice, sitting quietly in the farthest


    Maybe he hadn¡¯t expected her to be there. Something flickered <b>in </b>his eyes for just a second, but it vanished quickly. He turned his head and gave Linda a look of cold amusement


    ¡°All this effort just to put on a show? You really went all in to make your drama y out¡± Wyatt adjusted his cane and took a step closer to Jackson. He didn¡¯t even nce at Linda. His eyes locked on Jackson as <b>he </b>added with a cold smirk, ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, just say it. I¡¯m not here to y along with your drama.¡±


    4


    ¡°You arrogant punk!¡± <b>Jackson </b>mmed his hand on the table. With guests watching, he wasn¡¯t about to let Wyatt challenge him like that. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s time I reminded you who¡¯s in charge!¡±


    <b>Wyatt </b>didn¡¯t even flinch. He let <b>out </b><b>a </b><b>dry </b>chuckle. ¡°You forget who you¡¯re talking to? We <b>don¡¯t </b>even share the samest name. What makes you <b>think </b>you get to tell me <b>what </b>to do?¡±


    <b>Jackson¡¯s </b>eyes bulged with rage. He mmed the table <b>again </b><b>and </b><b>shot </b>to his feet. ¡°Bring in the rods! I¡¯m going to deal with this disgrace of a son right here, in front of <b>everyone</b><b>!</b>¡±


    Jackson was doing this on purpose¨Cputting on a show in front of outsiders so everyone would know that no matter how capable Wyatt was, he <b>still </b><b>had </b>to answer to the Powell family.


    He <b>wanted </b>to make sure Wyatt understood the price of going against him.


    As four men carrying heavy staffs marched into the hall, <b>Paul </b>felt a rush of excitement surge through him.


    He threw <b>a </b><b>quick </b>look at <b>Yunice</b>, <b>thinking</b>. Let¡¯s <i>see </i><i>if </i>she¡¯s still into Wyatt once he¡¯s on the ground, beaten like a dog.


    Yunice clutched the scarf <b>around </b>her shoulders, eyes locked on the four men approaching Wyatt.


    172


    Chapter 60 Price of Defiance


    When Wyatt showed no sign of backing down, Jackson exploded. ¡°Hit him! Don¡¯t stop until he gives inf


    Finished


    Wyatt red coldly at the men closing in. But no matter <b>how </b>tough you were, it was their turf¨Cand around here, the Powell family called the shots.


    No one was going to stand up for him.


    Two enforcers stepped forward, grabbed him by the shoulders, and started forcing him down.


    The


    veins on the back of his hands bulged as he clenched his jaw and fought back.


    But at the end of the day, he was still a cripple¨Chow long could he hold our?


    With a sharp crack, one of his knees hit the floor. Wyatt winced, his brow tightening¨Cbut that other leg held firm, refusing to give in.


    Yunice flinched at the sound.


    Paul sat back with a smug grin, chin tilted up like he <b>was </b>enjoying the show unfolding in front of him.


    Owen didn¡¯t react. He just watched <b>with </b>cold, detached eyes.


    Yunice tightened her grip on her scarf, eyes locked on Wyatt.


    Sweat clung to the tip of his nose. Even pinned down, he held his head high, his re locked on Jackson, seething with rage.


    Jackson stared right back. Father and son¨Cbut in that moment, they looked like enemies ready to kill.


    One of the men holding Wyatt stepped forward and kicked his cane to the side. Then, he nudged it even farther, making sure he couldn¡¯t reach it.


    The cane rattled across the floor,nding right at Yunice¡¯s feet.


    That finally drew Jackson¡¯s and <b>Linda¡¯s </b>attention to her¨Cbut neither of them seemed to care she was there. They looked away just as quickly.


    Wyatt had lost his only support


    Behind him, one of the men raised his staff high¨Cthen brought it crashing down across Wyatt¡¯s back with full force.

 Daghter 61

    Chapter 61 The Cane


    ÅÌ49.72%1


    Finished


    Wyatt didn¡¯t let out so <b>much </b>as a grunt. He braced his hands on the ground beside him, stubborn and silent, refusing to back down or <b>ask </b>for mercy.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes burned with rage. He wasn¡¯t stopping.


    Just as the second blow came down on Wyatt, Yunice reacted..


    If no one stepped in. Wyatt might not die, but he¡¯d be badly hurt.


    But before Yunice could even rise to her feet, someone mped a <b>hand </b>around her wrist.


    She whipped her head around in shock¨COwen.


    He sat there cool as ever, still gripping her wrist, brow furrowed, giving her a subtle <b>shake </b>of the head.


    He knew Yunice was too softhearted for this, that <b>the </b>sight <b>of </b>blood turned her stomach, and that s wanted to speak up for Wyatt,


    But this was the Powell family¡¯s show. It wasn¡¯t their ce to take the spotlight.


    No matter how hard it was to watch, Yunice had to hold it in. She couldn¡¯t risk bringing shame to the Saunders family,


    Yunice wavered, torn between staying quiet or breaking with Owen right then and rushing in to help Wyat


    But what could she actually do? She couldn¡¯t pull Wyatt out of this, <b>and </b>she couldn¡¯t clean up the mess. afterward.


    That one beat of hesitation was <b>all </b>it took¨Cthe third hitnded hard on Wyatt.


    He staggered forward, then straightened up again.


    His eyes locked onto Jackson¡¯s, cold and coiled like a viger. He dragged the back of his hand across his mouth.


    Something in that <b>re </b>made Jackson flinch for half a second. But he was Wyatt¡¯s father. What, was he supposed to let the boy <b>climb </b>on top of his head?


    Keep going. Keep beating him. Beat him until he breaks. Until he begs.


    Linda clutched her handkerchief so tightly her knuckles turned white. She watched each swing drop with barely concealed dread.


    She¡¯s scared. But not just for Wyatt.


    The Powell family¡¯s business was deeply tied to the Wellinges Group¨Cthepany Wyatt ran. If Wyatt got himself killed here, it would drag the Powell <b>family </b>own with him<b>. </b>


    But Jackson was too far gone, caten up by rage. Unless Wyatt gave in first, no <b>one </b>dared say a word.


    Just then, Linda¡¯s phone buzzed. She answered, listene silently, and then¨Cwith trembling hands¨Coffered


    1ÐM³¬972%ÈÕ


    Chapter of The Cane


    ¡°Mr, Jackson,¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s <b>Jensen</b>. He¡­ he¡¯s asking you to stop.


    Jackson gave Linda a suspicious look before taking the phone from her and pressing it to his ear.


    Finished


    Jensen said only a few words, and Jackson¡¯s face shifted His eyes snapped up to Wyatt, then he threw up at hand. ¡°Stop. That¡¯s enough.¡±


    Everyone turned to stare at him¨Cespecially Paul.


    No one could figure out what just happened or why Jackson suddenly changed course.


    Then Jackson stood with a heavy look and made his way down the steps. ¡°Paul, take Owen and feed the fishi


    our <b>back</b>.¡±


    He¡¯s sending them away.


    Owen, ever tactful


    as a guest, got up first.


    Paul looked like he wanted to argue but kept his mouth shut.


    Just as the two were about to step <b>away</b>, a flicker of pink crossed their path.


    It was Yunice. her soft <b>pink </b>scarf wrapped around her shoulders. She bent down, picked up Wyatt¡¯s cane, and¨Cunder everyone¡¯s watchful eyes¨Cheaded straight toward him.


    Owen instinctively reached out to stop her, but she slipped right past him.


    Yunice gripped the cane¨Ctall as her waist¨Cand strode up to Wyatt with zero hesitation.


    She crouched down in front of him, gently pried open his hand, and ced the cane into his palm..


    Wyatt stared at her, stunned. For a split second, his eyes went unfocused.


    Yunice knew there were people in that room who probably hated her right now. But she didn¡¯t care about their looks or their judgment. That crushing weight in her chest finally lifted.


    This is it. I finally made it right. I finally stood up and said no


    Linda gave Yunice a curious look. Jackson, on the other hand, shot her a cold re, his face dark as thunder.


    But that pink scarf she had on¡­ looked familiar somehow.


    Paul turned just in time to see Yunice clearly taking Wyatt¡¯s side. His fists clenched and his face twisted with rage.


    Why? Why did Wyatt take those brutal hits without flinching Why didn¡¯t he look broken?


    Was he not afraid of dying


    Damn it. He really pulled it off in front ofher.


    <b>2 </b>Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    Paul¡¯s expression tu


    ce only cared more


    now.


    17.02 Fri, Apr 18 G ?


    Chapter 61 The Cane


    ? 72<b>% </b>


    Finished


    Seeing that Yunice had just pissed off half the room, Owen jumped in fast. ¡°Mr. Jackson<b>, </b>Yunny¡¯s got a condition. Sometimes she she¡¯s not in the right state of mind. Please <b>don¡¯t </b>take it to heart.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face rxed a little. He <b>had </b>bigger things to worry about than picking a fight with her.


    Yunice stood up and left the hall without looking back,


    Owen rushed to catch up. <b>Once </b>they were alone in the courtyard, he grabbed her wrist and <b>hissed</b>, ¡°Do you even realize what you¡¯re doing? Who the heck do you think you are? This is the Powell family. This is not your <b>stage</b>.¡±


    Yunice turned her eyes toward the artificialke and didn¡¯t even acknowledge him.


    What do I have to be scared of? Jackson¡¯s not going to have me dragged out and beaten in front of everyone.


    And if the Powell family wants to take it out on someone, it¡¯ll be the whole Saunders family. Honestly? I¡¯d love to see

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    Chapter 62 No Longer Jackson¡¯s Pawn


    Finished


    Owen clenched his jaw so hard it felt like his mrs might crack. ¡°Elsie¡¯s about to marry into the Powell family. If you screw this up on purpose again, then as far as I¡¯m concerned¨Cyou¡¯re not my sister.¡±


    Yunice, holding the bowl of fish food, flung a whole handful into the pond like she was chucking her anger right in with it. She clearly didn¡¯t give a damn about Owen¡¯s threat.


    I had nothing to lose. Bring it on. I wasn¡¯t scared of anyone dress shoes when I was already barefoot.


    Owen didn¡¯t bother <b>arguing </b>anymore. He turned back toward the hall.


    Paul was at the doorway, pacing like a gossiping hen. Every few seconds, he stuck his neck out, trying <b>to </b>eavesdrop on whatever was going on inside.


    Everyone was dying to know what the heck had gone down in there¨C<b>what </b>could¡¯ve made Jackson do a full 180 and suddenly let Wyatt off the hook?


    Inside the main <b>hall</b>, Jackson told Linda to shut the doors.


    The crystal chandelier cast a sharp glow over everything as Jackson stepped forward, his figure dark and looming over Wyatt. His voice was low, suspicious. ¡°<b>You </b><b>took </b>the Western Suburbs deal?¡±


    That patch ofnd was chaospletelywless. Silverburgh¡¯s power yers had been fighting over it for years. Everyone wanted it and no one could take it.


    And yet somehow, Wyatt had pulled it off.


    The Wellinges Group was already <b>celebrating </b>with champagne. The Powell family? Deadst to hear about.


    iL


    Jackson locked eyes with Wyatt and felt a chill work its way down his spine.


    He¡¯s got that same cold fire I had at his age.


    But it didn¡¯t matter how sharp or ruthless Wyatt was. The Powell family would only ever have one heir.


    Let the side branches grow too tall and they start choking the crown. Jensen¨Chis eldest¨Chad already lost to Wyatt one time too many.


    And now Wyatt had gone and imed the Western Suburbs <b>too</b>¡­.


    Wyatt caught the scheming in Jackson¡¯s eyes and let out a dryugh. ¡°You¡¯re trying to have me killed so you <b>can </b>take the Western Suburbsnd <b>for </b>yourself?¡±


    Jackson didn¡¯t say a word. No guilt. No denial.


    Still kneeling, Wyatt leaned back with that signature devil¨Cmay¨Ccare attitude. ¡°Without me, you really think that loser Jensen <b>can </b>handle the Western Suburbs¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes twitched. Behind his back, his fist clenched until the joints cracked.


    Wyatt smirked. ¡°Whoever takes the Western Suburbs bes a target. I was willing to risk it. You people. at the Powell house? You¡¯d never dare.¡±


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    Chapter 62 No Longer Jackson¡¯s Pawn


    Finished


    Jackson¡¯s face went pale. Wyatt had nothing to lose. But the Powell empire? It was too bloated, too big to gamble like that.


    Wyatt saw him falter. With no rush, he grabbed his cane <b>and </b>pushed himself up from the ground¨Cslow, deliberate, unshaken.


    He was young. Jackson wasn¡¯t. No matter how fierce Jackson had been in his heyday, time <b>had </b>curved his spine. And now Wyatt stood tall, looking down at him.


    Jackson¡¯s jaw was <b>tight</b>. Even knowing the Powell family was <b>now </b>at a disadvantage, he still <b>had </b>the audacity to propose terms.


    ¡°Hand the Western Suburbs over to Jensen<b>. </b>You can support him from the side.¡±


    Wyatt scoffed and rolled up his sleeves. ¡°You¡¯re out of your damn mind<b>.</b>¡±


    I nearly died getting thatnd. And now I¡¯m supposed to gift wrap it for Jensen?


    Jackson¡¯s eyes sharpened with menace. ¡°What about the stuff you left with me? You ready to lose that?¡±


    Wyatt shrugged. ¡°You¡¯ve been holding that over me for <b>years</b>. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s time you found a new


    move:


    Jackson blinked, stunned. He never thought Wyatt would stop flinching at that particr threat.


    Panic crept in fast. He couldn¡¯t get rid of Wyatt, but he couldn¡¯t control him anymore either.


    And now the whole situation was slipping out of his <b>hands</b>.


    Wyatt saw it hit him and grinned. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t let Paulnd in myp. Or I¡¯ll make sure he learns what it¡¯s like to walk with a limp.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face went stone¨Ccold. Not a word in return.


    He <b>got </b>it now. The days of keeping Wyatt under his heel were gone¨Cand they weren¡¯ting back.


    Jackson watched Wyatt walk away¨Ccalm, unshaken, every step <b>solid</b>.


    Panic finally set in.


    He yelled, desperate now. <b>¡°</b>Forget the Western Suburbs for a second. But your marriage? Tharneeds to happen! Paul¡¯s already <b>grown</b><b>. </b>He can¡¯t get married before his own uncle!¡±


    Wyatt gave a dry scoff, never slowing down<b>. </b>¡°Paul¡¯s love life isn¡¯t my darn problem.¡±


    Jackson was out of cards <b>and </b>still went all in. ¡°If you go get married¨Cget the papers signed¨CI¡¯ll return what¡¯s yours


    Wyatt stopped for the briefest moment, then answered without even looking back. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    The heavy front <b>doors </b>swung open. Bright light poured in and lit him up.


    Jordan stood waiting outside. He flicked out his zer and gentlyid it across Wyatt¡¯s back, covering the bruises as they walked on,


    17:02¡ä Fri, Apr 18 G ¡¤


    Chapter 62 No Longer Jackson¡¯s Pawn


    Paul stood there with his arms crossed, cold¨Ceyed <b>and </b>tewing.


    1972%•þ


    Finished


    Wyatt <b>hadn¡¯t </b>even looked at him on the way out¨Cand that stung worse than a p


    He turned to Linda. ¡°Madam Linda, what did Grandpa say to him?¡±


    Linda usually bent over backward for Paul. She rarely said no to him. But this time, <b>she </b>just gave a small. shake of her head.


    Jackson <b>had </b>sent her away too. Whatever went down in that room¨Cshe didn¡¯t hear it either.


    Paul¡¯s stomach twisted with frustration. Next time, I swear, I¡¯m gonna make Wyatt eat dirt in front of everyone.


    <b>W </b>


    17.02 Fri, Apr 18 G


    The Daughter in the Shad

 Daghter 63

    Chapter 63 Old Debts


    @K 72%


    #Finished


    ¡°Mr. Jackson. Linda¡¯s reminder snapped everyone to attention as Jackson finally stepped out.


    ¡°Grandpa¡­ Paul was just about to cozy up to him, but to his surprise, Jackson walked right past and headed straight for Yunice.


    Yunice had long since finished feeding the fish. She leaned on the railing, staring nkly at theke. A few koi fish clustered near her, their round mouths pecking gently at the surface,


    Jackson¡¯s sudden attention pulled Yunice out of her daze. She turned to face <b>him </b><b>and </b>stood properly.


    Even if she couldn¡¯t stand him deep down, appearances still had to be kept up. Owen¡¯s worried gaze flicked between Jackson and Yunice; he feared Jackson might hold a grudge and jeopardize Elsie¡¯s marriage. Just as he was about to say something to smooth things over-


    Jackson raised a hand, signaling him to stop. His eyesnded on the scarf around Yunice¡¯s neck.


    Embroidered at the end was a koi fish; he hadn¡¯t seen wrong¨Cthis was the same scarf from his memories.


    Looking up. Jackson¡¯s face softened into a kind smile as he focused on Yunice¡¯s face, speaking warmly. ¡°What happened to your face:


    Yunice replied, ¡°Just bumped into something.¡±


    Behind him. Paul turned his head awkwardly, clearly uneasy.


    Jackson nodded. ¡°You¡¯re young, and in good shape; this kind of injury¡¯s nothing.


    Then he added, ¡°About your engagement to Paul¡­ I¡¯ve always felt I <b>owe </b>you. That¡¯s a debt I need to repay?


    Yunice¡¯s expression was nk, but her stomach knotted up. What¡¯s this old for ying at <b>now</b>?


    But as <b>soon </b>as Owen heard the word ¡°repay,¡± his face lit up with joy. Looked like Jackson had more of a conscience than Jensen¨C<b>finally</b>, he <b>was </b>thinking aboutpensating the Saunders family.


    If Yunice would speak up for Elsie, then arranging <b>the </b>marriage between her and Paul would be even


    casier


    After exchanging a few vague pleasantries with Yunice Jackson <b>suddenly </b>acted tired and asked Linda to see the guests out


    Once Owen and Yunice had left, Paul blocked Jackson¡¯s way, blurting out, ¡°Grandpa, what <b>did </b>you mean by repaying a debt? You¡¯re not thinking of making me and Yunice-


    Jackson cut him off before he could finish. ¡°You¡¯ll find out in a few days.¡±


    If he didn¡¯t want to say,


    one was getting it out of him.


    Something else came to mind; Jackson paused <b>mid</b>¨Cstep and warned, ¡°You better rein it in. Stay away from that mad dog


    TUZZ


    Chapter 63 Old Debts


    One of these days, I¡¯m going to break Byatt¡¯s other leg, let¡¯s see how he keeps yapping after that.


    In the car, Owen seemed in high spirits¨Cprobably because of Jackson¡¯s promise to repay the debt.


    Yunice patted herself down and suddenly said, ¡°Owen, think you grabbed the wrong phone.¡±


    ¡°Did ¡± Owen reached into his pocket and, sure enough, pulled our Elsic¡¯s old phone.


    The very one Yunice had been using.


    ¡°How¡¯d your phone end up with me?¡± Owen handed it back.


    Yunice took it. ¡°I left it on the center console, you must¡¯ve grabbed it by habit.¡±


    Finished


    Owen remembered that he did have a habit of grabbing things for Elsie without thinking, so he didn¡¯t question it.


    Feeling victorious, he sped up on the way back to the Saunders mansion.


    As soon as his car pulled in, Lily and Elsie rushed out to greet him, both anxious to hear what kind of oue Owen had brought back from the Powell family.


    Faced with their anxious faces, Owen looked like a triumphant general, nodding at both of them.


    Knowing the marriage was all but secured, Elsie felt a wave of relief wash over her. Lily sped her hands together <b>and </b>thanked Buddha for the blessing.


    That¡¯s when Elsie noticed Yunice trailing behind them. Her <b>pink </b>scarf looked¡­ unusual.


    She frowned slightly. ¡°Yunice, your scart is really pretty don¡¯t remember you wearing it when you left.¡±


    Owen chuckled. ¡°Probably from Mr. Jackson. He¡¯s still looking out for her.¡±


    ofhea


    With that, he took his seat <b>and </b>poured himself a cup of tea.


    Elsie¡¯s eyes stayed locked on Yunice¡¯s scarf, filled <b>with </b>jealousy. Mr. Jackson gave her that<i>? </i>Does that mean he hasn¡¯tpletely written her off?


    Owen sipped his tea and set down the cup; after a moment¡¯s thought, he turned to Yunice and said bluntly, ¡°Yunice, back at Maplecrest Manor, <b>Paul </b>begged me¨Cbe insisted on marrying Elsie. I could tell he¡¯s really over you. Whatever messy history you two had three years ago, he¡¯s not taking responsibility


    anymore.¡±


    At that, both Elsie and Lily looked at Yunice with a mix of pity and uncase.


    Three years ago¡­ <b>back </b>then, word had spread that Pau and Yunice had gone too far. <b>But </b>since they were engaged, no one made a public fuss <b>about </b>it.

 Daghter 64

    Chapter 64 Nothing Left to Give


    72%ˆD


    Finished


    Jackson had said he owed her a debt¨Cbut this was the debt, her reputation gone, the engagement broken. Both of them had made mistakes, yet Paul was still in demand while Yunice had be secondhand goods.


    Owen had agreed to let Yunice marry into the Johnson family, but deep down, he had already lost respect for her. With her tarnished name, what respectable family redd still want her?


    The Johnson family <b>had </b>been her best option¨Cand now even they didn¡¯t want her.


    All Owen could do was ce his hopes on Elsie, praying her future would be brighter.


    But he <b>feared </b>Yunice might grow bitter and sabotage


    So he <b>kept </b>trying to persuade her. ¡°Owen gave Paul a good beating for <b>what </b>he did to you, but he still wouldn¡¯t budge. Yunice, listen to Owen, don¡¯t waste your energy on someone <b>who¡¯s </b>not worth it. Let him<ol><li>go.</li></ol>


    Yunice almostughed. She wanted nothing more than to throw Elsie¡¯s phone right at Owen¡¯s <b>face</b>, make him take a <b>good </b>look.


    Elsie had bugged her phone: Yunice had long since reced the receiver.


    There was no way Owen could¡¯ve known <b>that </b>he¡¯d been carrying Elsie¡¯s old phone¨Cand everything he and <b>Paul </b>said had already been heard loud and clear by Yunice.


    Sure, he beat Paul up¨Cbut it wasn¡¯t for her. Everything he said, every word of concern, had been about


    Elsie.


    He¡¯d even used her as a pawn to pressure Paul, letting <b>her </b>sit at the door <b>and </b>get humiliated just to force Paul¡¯s hand! Even the so¨C<b>called </b>guilt Paul owed her ended up getting repaid¨Cto Elsiel


    Paul had already failed her.


    Now he is going to fail Elsie too? What a joke. Why did my suffering have to be doubled and handed to Elsie aspensation? And what about me? Am <i>I </i>just born to pave the way for Elsie? Yunice had once thought Owen, for all his bias, still had <b>a </b><b>shred </b>of decency.


    If she hadn¡¯t overheard the truth this time, she never would¡¯ve realized just how good he was at ying the good guy. She wanted so badly to throw that bug right in his face and watch his expression as the mask


    cracked


    But she <b>was </b>curious to see what else he was nning.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t want him anymore when signed the cancetion papers. I even wished him and Eisie a lifetime of entanglement.¡±


    She said exactly what Owen wanted to hear, but the way she said it¨Cit stung.


    Owen frowned, ¡°You¡¯re not a <b>kid </b>anymore; can¡¯t you watch your mouth? ¡®Entanglement? It¡¯s called a happy union.


    Even Lily shot Yunice a disapproving <b>nce</b>, probably thinking she was being spiteful.


    17:02 Fri, Apr 18 G @ ¡¤


    Chapter 64 Nothing Left to Give


    ?? 72%


    #Finished


    Still. Owen let it go, figuring she didn¡¯t <b>know </b>any better. He simply asked. ¡°So you¡¯re okay with Elsie and Paul getting married!¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it.


    Owen jumped in right away. Then I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be willing to put in a good word for Paul with Mr. Jackson?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression chilled¨Cclearly, she hadn¡¯t expected Owen to wring out even the <bst </b>bit of usefulness she <b>had</b>, just for Elste.


    Sure, Jackson felt a little guilty toward her¨Cbut anyone with <b>any </b>sense knew this would be thest time Yunice could make a request of the Powell family.


    Once it was used, they¡¯d never show her that courtesy again. And even this one shot¨Cshe wasn¡¯t allowed to use it for herself.


    Owen didn¡¯t wait for her to decline. He cut her off, <b>saying</b>, ¡°No need to talk to Mr. Jackson now. Wait few days, follow my lead


    Yunice¡¯s eyes shed with surprise. hy wait a few day Did Owen and Paul have something nned that I have already missed?


    Owen stood and patted her shoulder, trying tofort her. ¡°Yunny, once Elsie gets married, you¡¯ll be the only sister Owen has left. From then on, I treat you Better than anyone.¡±


    He made it sound like reassurance, but it was more for himself¨Cas if saying it out loud could soothe his own conscience


    Of course, Yunice saw through it.


    She sneered. That¡¯s a funny thing to say¨Clike Elsie stops being your sister the moment she gets married. Are you saying you won¡¯t treat her well anymore?


    Owen froze, instinctively ncing at Elsie.


    Sure enough, her eyes welled <b>up</b>. ¡°Owen, is that really how you feel?¡±


    ¡°Owen faltered.


    But the words were already out. He couldn¡¯t take them back. Instead, he turned and red at Yanice, convinced she was just bitter and trying to stir up trouble.


    So much for him meaning to make it up to her. looks ke he¡¯d wasted his kindness for nothing!


    Whatever guilt he¡¯d still had for Yunice <b>vanished</b>. Furious, he snapped, ¡°Nobody asked you to talk! From now on, stay out of the Saunders family¡¯s business. Goto your room and think about how to speak properly!¡±


    With that, he ignored herpletely, shutting the door behind him as he went off with Elsie and Lily to


    uss the next steps.

 Daghter 65

    ÅÌʽÆø:72%ÈÕ


    Finished


    Everything Owen had just said felt like a cruel joke.


    He¡¯d told Yunice not to interfere with the Saunders family¡¯s affairs, but he¡¯d never given her a chance to be involved in the first ce,


    Yunice didn¡¯t care what schemes they were <b>cooking </b>up to get Elsie married into the Powell <b>family</b>.


    She actually couldn¡¯t wait to see what kind of life that pathetic couple would end up living after their wedding


    Yunice didn¡¯t bother snooping on whatever ns Elsie was whispering <b>about </b>upstairs, even though she could¡¯ve easily pulled the surveince footage from the study.


    What had her attention right now <b>was </b>Jackson. What exactly is he up to


    Only someone as naive as Owen <b>would </b>actually believe Jackson felt guilty.


    Jackson had treated his own son <b>with </b>ruthless coldness; he wouldn¡¯t have shown mercy to Yunice.


    People like Jackson never made a <b>move </b>unless there was something in it for them. The shift in his attitude had to be about some hidden benefit. Yet even Yunice couldn¡¯t figure out what value she still had left.


    Just then, a faint vibration buzzed at her side.


    It was a spare phone Yunice had bought off the ck market¨Cshe always kept it close, hidden from the rest of the Saunders <b>family</b>.


    Only two people ever messaged her at that number¨CGill and Joe.


    She hadn¡¯t saved Joe¡¯s number, and this text was from an unknown sender: ¡°Ms. Saunders, <b>this </b>is Joe. Sorry to bother you, but do <b>you </b>happen to know <b>any </b>remedies for external injuries?¡±


    External injuries? Joe was a renowned doctor¨Ctreating wounds was routine for him.


    He was probably asking for something to ease pain and make the process more tolerable for his patient..


    Yunice actually knew a few remedies, <b>so </b>she texted back: ¡°Mix equal parts of frankincense and myrrh, <b>grind </b>them into a fine powder, and apply it directly to the wound. It¡¯ll help clean out dead tissue, promot? healing, relieve pain, and stop the bleeding.


    Joe replied quickly: ¡°Thank <b>you</b>.¡±


    <b>Just </b>then, Owen and Elsie came down the <b>stairs</b>.


    Owen spoke in a low <b>voice </b>to her, ¡°Don¡¯t go to the hospital for now<b>; </b>it¡¯ll look bad.¡±


    He¡¯d spent another chunk of money to temporarily pacify <b>that </b>family, but there was no telling if it would be enough next time.


    Unless Elsie got her medical license, she <b>really </b>couldn¡¯t keep using patients to <b>practice</b>.


    Elsie pouted. ¡°But what about my internship, Owen? Am I supposed to dy graduation now.¡±


    Chapter 65 The Bitter Joke


    10? 72%


    Finished


    Owen reassured her. ¡°Just treat it as a break. Focus on getting things settled <b>with </b>Paul. Once you¡¯re part of the Powell family, their resources will be yours to use¨Cgraduating will be a breeze.¡±


    Hearing that, Elsie brightened again.


    Owen sighed with relief. ¡°Thank God Yunice still holds some leverage with Mr. Jackson, otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t <b>have </b>had a <b>way </b>to cover for you.¡±


    The thought of marrying into the Powell family and rising above the entire Saunders n made Elsie so giddy she clung to Owen¡¯s arm and beamed, ¡°You¡¯re the best, Owen. I wouldn¡¯t have known what to do without your help.


    Owen looked at her fondly. ¡°You were smart enough to <b>act </b>when it mattered. If <b>you </b>hadn¡¯t taken that step with Paul, he wouldn¡¯t havemitted so soon.


    They walked through the living room without even noticing Yunice standing silently in the tea room.


    She lowered her gaze and quietly set her ss down.


    Owen¡¯s words were like a dull de, slicing through her chest.


    When she and Paul had been caught, Owen hadn¡¯t said anything like this. Her father had just passed, and she had only <b>been </b>seventeen.


    At a Powell family banquet. Paul had shown up dressed to the nines¨Conly for someone to spot the love


    bites on his neck.


    Everyone hadughed and joked about how passionate the young couple <b>was</b>; they¡¯d called them a perfect match, full of youthful fire. It was only natural for things to happen.


    Jackson had smiled and called Yunice a good girl, but his gaze had shifted¨Clike he thought she¡¯d deliberately seduced <b>Paul </b>and exposed their <b>affair</b>.


    After that, the Powell family¡¯s attitude toward her changed, and so did the Saunders family¡¯s.


    Owen had made her kneel for three days at her father¡¯s grave, demanding <b>she </b>repent for her shameful behavior.


    She could still see the disgust and fury on his face. But how, when the same thing happened with Elsie, he acted like a different man¨Cfull of praise.


    You were smart enough to act when it mattered. How could have raised such a filthy sister! You¡¯ve shamed mepletely! The same <b>voice</b>, the same mouth¨Cyet <b>such </b>drastically different words. They echoed back <b>and </b>forth in Yunice¡¯s mind, shredding the <b>part </b>of her heart she thought had already gone numb


    Even after everything, it still hurt. She was angry at their bias; angry at the injustice of it all.


    Yunice clenched the ss in her hand until her nails lost color from the pressure. Only after forcing herself to calm down did she return to her room¨Cwhere she picked up that <b>pink </b>cashmere scarf¡­


    1/02 Fri, Apr. 18


    The Daughter in the Shadows

 Daghter 66

    Chapter 66 The Scarf and The Trap


    Yunice thought. The next time I go to the Powell mansion, vill have to return the scarf.


    Finished


    Elsie was prone to jealousy, and the way she had looked at this scarf earlier, it was as if she wanted to set it on fire. I had to be careful not to give Elsie the opportunity to damage


    As she folded the scarf. Yunice noticed a <b>fish </b>at the end that reminded her of the fish in Jackson¡¯s yard.


    It wasmon knowledge that Jackson loved fish. The ones his pond were specially bred tinum Arowana, worth millions each.


    If the scarf had a fish embroidered on it, could it really belong to Mr. Jackson?


    After some thought. Yunice still couldn¡¯t decide where to put the scarf.


    It was too big and too conspicuous.


    I had no privacy in the Saunders mansion, and Giana often immaged through my things¡­


    With that in mind. Yunice simply wrapped the scarf around her neck again. Keeping it with me was the safest


    option.


    Her cell phone buzzed against her lower back


    Yunice hopped off the <b>stool </b>and checked her phone, tuning her back to the surveince camera.


    Another message from Joe: ¡°Ms. Saunders, can youe to the <b>hospital</b><b>? </b>I¡¯m begging you!¡±


    Bale had been a doctor for too long; why was he always telling things halfway?


    He didn¡¯t exin what was wrong or what he wanted me to do; he just asked me to go to the hospital.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Yunice decided to go. I had nothing else to do, and Bale had helped me before. This could be a way of returning the favor


    Gathering her things and adjusting her scarf, Yunice left the Saunders mansion <b>and </b>hailed a cab.


    ¡°Silverburgh Hospital, she <b>said </b>as she got in.


    The driver grunted in acknowledgement, locked the doors, and began to drive.


    Yunice noticed something odd, the driver hadn¡¯t turned on the meter.


    She looked at him suspiciously and reminded him, ¡°Sir you forgot to start the meter.


    The driver let out an ¡°Oh <b>and </b>fumbled with the device <b>Yunice </b>frowned. ¡°<b>Are </b><b>you </b>new to <b>this </b>job?¡±


    The driver turned his head and grinned. ¡°Yeah, just started a few days ago. Still getting the hang of it. Please stay seated,¡±


    Only then did Yunice release her grip on the door handle.


    Half an hourter, the cab pulled up near the hospital.


    Chapter 66 The Scarf and The Trap


    Yunice


    ed the driver a hundred¨Cdor bill and got out.


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    72%


    Finished


    The moment her feet hit the ground, a bag was thrown over her head. Before she could <b>make </b>a sound, <b>a </b>hand was mped over her mouth, <b>and </b>she was shoved into another car!


    <b>Back </b>at the Saunders mansion, it <b>was </b>business as usual


    <b>It </b>wasn¡¯t until dinner that Owen realized Yunice wasn home. He put down his tableware in a huff.


    Lily reassured him, ¡°Yunice probably has her own friends. Maybe she lost track of time while she was having fun.¡±


    Owen scowled. I hope they¡¯re not some shady characters, or I¡¯ll break their legs.¡±


    Then he turned to Elsie. ¡°Did you finish discussing if with Paul?¡±


    Elsie blushed and nodded. ¡°We agreed to go to the City Hall tomorrow.¡±


    Owen smiled approvingly. ¡°You¡¯re always so reliable.


    Unlike Yunice, who never did anything to my satisfaction.


    That night, no one noticed that Yunice hadn¡¯te home.


    The next morning. Elsie dressed carefully and went downstairs.


    Lily stood at the foot of the stairs, her eyes filled with admiration. In her heart, Elsie was her greatest masterpiece.


    ¡°Mom,¡± Elsie said shyly.


    Lily¡¯s eyes reddened as she adjusted Elsie¡¯s white blouse cor, her voice choked with emotion. The thought of you going to another family¡­ I can¡¯t bear it


    Owen teased, ¡°<b>Mom</b>, <b>Elsie </b>will <b>have </b>a good life with the Powells<b>. </b><b>It¡¯s </b><b>a </b>happy asion.¡±


    Elsie looked <b>around </b><b>and </b>asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Yunice? Is she upset <b>that </b>I¡¯m getting married?¡±


    Only then did the <b>others </b>realize that someone was missing. But Owen quickly shrugged it off. ¡°It¡¯s better if she doesn¡¯te. Less chance of her <b>causing </b>trouble. Il make sure your marriage to Paul goes smoothly.¡±


    Elsie smiled sweetly and nodded.


    At the City Hall, Paul absentmindedly flipped through the household register in his hands.


    This was <b>Owen¡¯s </b><b>idea </b>to steal the register and marry Elsie without the <b>Powell </b>family¡¯s consent.


    By the time his father and grandfather found out, it would be toote for them to object.


    Paul hadn¡¯t slept all night. He didn¡¯t know why he was to restless. Marrying Elsie had always been my ultimate ¡°goal, hadn¡¯t it?


    Nos that it sove kancumbu cheed of schedule I should the murinned


    17:02¡ä Fri, Apr <b>18 </b>


    Chapter 66 The Scarf and The Trap


    While he was lost in thought, Elsie <b>and </b>the others approached.


    Elste twisted her fingers shyly <b>and </b>stole nces at Paul


    E


    Finished


    Owen chuckled <b>at </b>his sister¡¯s innocence and patted Paul on the back. ¡°I¡¯m entrusting Elsie to you. If I find out you¡¯ve mistreated her, I won¡¯t let you off the hook!


    Lily beamed. ¡°Go on, it¡¯s your turn now.¡±

 Daghter 67

    Finished


    Chapter 67 The Failed Wedding Registration.


    Elsie happily pulled Paul¡¯s hand as they stood in line for the marriage license.


    Paul¡¯s gaze, however, drifted past the three people behind them: Yunice <b>wasn¡¯t </b>there.


    Aside from Oscar, who was still out of the country. Yunice was the only one of the Saunders family missing.


    hy hadn¡¯t sheet


    Did she still have feelings for me? Was that why she couldn¡¯t bear to see me and Elsie married?


    Paul¡¯s thoughts spun around before he turned his attention back to Elsie.


    For today¡¯s official photo, Elsie had applied light makeup and looked especially pure and beautiful. <b>Paul </b>still felt his heart flutter when he looked at her.


    He calmed himself. There was no point in dwelling on the past with Yunice. After all, I could never marry her


    Soon it was her turn. Hand in hand, they smiled and handed over their household registries and IDs.


    But the clerk pushed the documents back and said matter¨Cof¨Cfactly. ¡°The groom isn¡¯t twenty¨C<b>two </b>yet. I can¡¯t process this.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Elsie and Paul eximed in unison.


    The clerk raised an eyebrow. ¡°The groom has to be at least twenty¨Ctwo, and the bride has to be at least Twenty. Don¡¯t you know the basics?¡±


    Elsie panicked. ¡°But he¡¯ll be twenty¨Ctwo in six months! <b>Can¡¯t </b><b>you </b>make an exception?¡±


    The clerk was firm. ¡°Not even one day short.


    Elsie refused to give up. ¡°Please, Miss<b>, </b>can¡¯t you bend the rules just this once?¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t my personal business. What do <b>you </b>expect me to do?¡± The clerk rolled her eyes and motioned. for them <b>to </b>step aside so the next couple could proceed.


    The rejection filled Elsie with <b>unease</b>. She tugged pitifully at Paul¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Paul, say something¡­


    Unlike her, Paul <b>wasn¡¯t </b>too upset. He chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all right. We¡¯ll just wait six months. It¡¯s <b>not </b>like I¡¯m going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Seeing how casually Paul took it, Elsie became even more <b>anxious</b>. Her voice trembled. ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­really want to marry <b>me</b>?¡±


    Paul found <b>this </b><b>amusing</b>. ¡°If I didn¡¯t, why would I have solen the household register<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Elsie¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°I gave <b>myself </b>to you¡­ <b>Are </b>you saying you don¡¯t <b>want </b>to take responsibility now!


    Paul sighed and tried to calm her down. ¡°It¡¯s not that on¡¯t want to. Thew won¡¯t let me.


    1/02 Fri, Apr 18


    Chapter 67 The Failed Wedding Registration:


    Paul, fell silent.


    I had to admit, when the clerk had turned me down, a part ofine had felt¡­ relieved.


    I love Elsie, but I¡¯m still young. Im not ready to be tied down by marriage.


    Finished


    When Elsie saw his hesitation, she knew she¡¯d hit the rl on the head. Sheined, ¡°You didn¡¯t talk like that when <b>we </b>made love¡­.


    <b>Paul </b>was taken aback by her persistence. Without thinking, he replied, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who slept with me?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Th¨CThat¡¯s not the point! Anyway, in the one at a disadvantage here. Shouldn¡¯t youpensate me?¡±


    <b>Paul </b>frowned. Maybe it was my imagination, but Elsie had ever been this unreasonable before,


    Then Owen¡¯s words shed through his mind. His tone became stiff. ¡°Elsie, tell me the truth. Did you tell your brother that I made you do it?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s cheeks burned. She hadn¡¯t expected the question. Her eyes flickered with guilt before she quickly defended herself. ¡°I never said that! Owen just assumed it, and no matter how much I exined, he wouldn¡¯t listen.¡±


    Afraid that Paul wouldn¡¯t believe her, she added seriously. ¡°I can confront him right now, tell him I was the one who forced you.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Enough.¡± Paul held her back, forcing her to be patient. Who would believe a girl forced a guy? Stop overthinking. I¡¯m not running away from responsibility


    Elsie realized she¡¯d pushed too hard and softened her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Paul¡­. I just love you so much. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of¡­¡±


    Paul understood. In a way, her possessiveness was endearing


    Just then, Owen and Lily approached. Seeing no marriage license in their <b>hands</b>, they quickly learned about Paul¡¯s age problem.


    Owen had nned for everything¨Cexcept this. Fearing that dys would causeplications, he blurted. <b>out</b>. ¡°<b>Isn¡¯t </b>there another way? Paul, just fake your <b>age</b>.¡±


    This ignited Paul¡¯s temper. ¡°Owen, who do you think In? I already stole the damn register for you, and now <b>you </b>want me tomit fraud? Do you really think I¡¯m <b>that </b>irresponsible?¡±


    As the tension red, Elsie quickly stepped between them. ¡°Owen, don¡¯t me Paul. It¡¯s not his fault.¡±

 Daghter 68

    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 68 The Unexpected Proposal


    72%


    Finished


    Seeing Elsie¡¯s subtle head shake, Owen quickly regained hisposure.


    Asking Paul to fake his age had been impulsive


    Paul was rebellious by nature: pushing him too hard would only backfire.


    At most, they will have to wait another six months. As Elsie¡¯s other, I can keep a closer eye <b>on </b>Paul until then.


    Nevertheless, Paul stormed off, leaving both parties in an awkward silence.


    The joy with which Elsie and her family had arrived was now reced by disappointment when they returned home<b>. </b>


    Owen. in particr, med himself for overlooking such a crucial detail and missing this golden opportunity.


    My original n had been simple, <i>let </i>Elsie and Paul register their marriage first, then reveal it to Jackson. The old man would be furious, but with Yunice¡¯s debt of gratitude, she could plead Elsie¡¯s case, forcing the Powells to ept the


    marriage.


    Even with this setback, the n wasn¡¯tpletely ruined. Yunice¡¯s favor with the Powells hadn¡¯t expired.


    As Owen drove back home, Giana rushed out, her plump body jiggling with excitement.


    ¡°Madam Lily, Mr. Owen, Ms. Elsie!¡± she beamed. ¡°The Powells are here! They say they have good news and insisted on waiting for you to return!¡±


    The Powells


    Owen and Elsie exchanged looks.


    The <i>Powells </i>prided themselves on their elite status. Despite their involvement with the Saunders, they had never visited in person. What was going on?


    As they entered the living room, the Powell family butler greeted them politely. ¡°Mr. Owen, Madam Lily, Ms. Elsie.


    The title ¡°Ms. Elsie¡± soured Elsie¡¯s mood. Even though <i>I </i>had taken Yunice¡¯s ce, the Powells still refused to acknowledge me as a Saunders.


    Owen and Lily, however, noticed thevish gifts piled in the room, far more than was necessary.


    Sitting on the sofa, <b>Linda </b>turned to them with a <b>smile</b>. ¡°You¡¯re back? We¡¯ve been <b>waiting</b>.¡±


    Though Landa <b>was </b>only Jensen¡¯s second wife, she was their elder.


    Owen spoke respectfully. ¡°Madam <b>Linda</b>, what brings you here?¡±


    His gaze lingered on the gifts, already suspecting their purpose.


    The open jewelry box on the table confirmed it, a set bridal essories of pure gold.


    1/02 Fri, Apr 18


    Chapter 68 The Unexpected Proposal


    Lily¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy as she discreetly squeezed Elsie¡¯s hand in excitement.


    #Finished


    Sure enough, Linda smiled warmly. ¡°Mr. Owen, I¡¯m sure you can guess. I¡¯m here with a proposal of


    marriage¡±


    Ise but her lip, her cheeks flushing with shy joy.


    Linda noticed her reaction and smiled <b>knowingly</b>.


    Lily naturally assumed that the proposal was for Elsiend yfully scolded, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Paul <b>mention </b>this before Such a tease¡­


    Elsie sweetly defended him, Mom, don¡¯t me Paul. He probably just wanted to surprise us.¡±


    Lily chuckled ¡°Look <b>at </b>you, taking his side before the wedding.¡±


    Elsie looked shyly at Linda. ¡°Mom, Madam Linda willugh at me.¡±


    Linda rested her arm on the sofa and smiled withoutment.


    Meanwhile, Owen, after his initial excitement, adopted a stern tone. ¡°Madam Linda, my father died early. so as Elsies brother. I am in charge of her marital affairs, I hope Mr. Jensen doesn¡¯t mind?¡±


    Linda replied smoothly. ¡°Not just Mr. Jensen, even Jackson has given his approval<b>. </b>


    Owen remained cautious. ¡°Mr. Jensen was against this marriage before. Why the sudden change?¡±


    Even Elsie sensed something was wrong


    Should Owen be happy about the proposal? I hy was he heng so confrontational?


    Before she could intervene, Lily pulled her aside and whispered, ¡°A bride¡¯s family must hold their head high, while the groom¡¯s family must lower theirs. Your brother is asserting dominance so the Powells won¡¯t bully youter¡°,


    Elsie hesitated. ¡°Our family asserting dominance over the Powells?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that reckless<b>? </b>What if the deal fell through?


    Lily added. ¡°Your brother is upset. Traditionally, the groom¡¯s parents shoulde in person to show their sincerity. Even if Jackson didn¡¯te, at least Jensen and Paul should have. What is <b>Linda¡¯s </b>status?¡±


    At best, she was a second wife, at worst, just a mistress.


    Sending her to propose was a p in the face to the Saunder


    Hearing this, Elsie¡¯s gaze turned icy on Linda.


    212

 Daghter 69

    69 The Missing Bride.


    Her blessing would mean so much to me.¡±


    Finished


    Owen sighed. ¡°She¡¯s not like you, kindhearted. I don¡¯t expect her blessing. I just hope she doesn¡¯t cause any trouble.¡±


    Sull, he added cautiously. ¡°But we¡¯d better find her. Thest thing we need is a scandal to ruin <b>your </b>wedding.


    The searchsted <b>well </b>into the night, <b>but </b>Yunice was nowhere to be found.


    Owen finally called Paul<b>, </b>asking him. ¡°Hadn¡¯t Yunice mentioned that Margaret had a friend <b>who </b>would take her in?¡±


    But Paul knew there was <b>no </b>such friend.


    As he wondered where Yunice could be, Wyatt came to <b>mind</b>.


    Hyatt had just been disciplined by Jackson and hospitalized. Was Yunice looking after him?


    The thought of Yunice doting on Wyatt made Paul¡¯s stomach churn with jealousy..


    She wouldn¡¯t even put ointment on me, yet she eagerly served that cripple?


    How pathetic.


    Paul grabbed his jacket <b>and </b>headed out, growling into the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll find her myself.


    After hanging up, he rushed to Silverburgh Hospital.


    In Wyatt¡¯s room, he pushed past Jordan, who tried to stop him, and kicked the door open.


    Wyatt sat <b>on </b>the bed, his gaze icy as itnded on Paul.


    I¡¯d warned him before, don¡¯t fall into my hands again.


    <b>Paul </b>ignored the threat. Scanning the room <b>and </b><b>finding </b><b>no </b>one, he stormed into the bathroom <b>and </b>checked every possible hiding ce. Still no Yunice.


    He marched back to Wyatt and demanded, ¡°Where are you hiding Yunice?¡±


    <b>Jordan </b>rushed in and tugged at Paul. ¡°<b>Yunice </b>isn¡¯t here! <b>Paul </b>shook him off, fixating <b>on </b>Wyatt. ¡°We¡¯ve searched all <b>of </b><b>Silverburgh</b><b>. </b>If she¡¯s not with you, where else would she be?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Yunice is missing<b>?</b>¡±


    Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed his cane and swung his injured leg off the bed.


    <b>Jordan </b>frowned. ¡°Wyatt! Let me do this. You <b>shouldn¡¯t </b>be moving around¡­¡±


    Paul finally realized that Yunice really <b>wasn¡¯t </b>here. But where else could she be?


    If Wyatt didn¡¯t have her. I¡¯d look somewhere else.


    Just as he turned to leave, Wyatt¡¯s voice cut through the air.


    17:03 HI, APE 18

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    Chapter 70 The Captive¡¯s Gambit


    ?? 72%


    Finished


    Paul barely had time to <b>react </b>before his arms were <b>twiged </b>behind his back, forcing <b>him </b>face first to the


    floor


    Wyatt¡¯s cane whipped past him as Paul struggled, his face <b>flushed with </b>anger. ¡°Wyatt Cooper!¡±


    The door mmed shut, trapping Paul inside.


    Outside, Jordan rushed ahead, arranging transportation as he made calls.


    After hanging up, he reported. ¡°Ms. Saunders isn¡¯t at Gill¡¯s either.¡±


    Thatplicated things. Silverburgh had countless hiding ces


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°Activate Skt,


    Jordan hesitated. Skt surveince required approval from several high¨Clevel departments¨Csomething they avoided unless abstely necessary. But now Wyatt was going to use it just <b>to </b>find a girl?


    I¡¯d assumed Wyatt¡¯s interest in Yunice was fleeting. <b><i>Had </i></b>that changed?


    Skt quickly retrieved <b>data</b>, but Jordan fell silent after reviewing it.


    ¡°Wyatt, Yunice¡¯s identity is being used by Elsie. All the travel records we¡¯re pulling belong


    to Elsic¡­¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face darkened. Even Jordan found it unbelievable. How could two persons have the same identification?


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on that.


    A new alert appeared, and Jordan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Found her!¡±


    Traffic cameras <b>show </b>Yunice leaving the Saunders mansion in an unregistered taxi at 11:00 yesterday morning. When she got out near Silverburgh Hospital, she was abducted by a <b>van</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt stared at the <b>screenshot </b>on his phone, Yunice, hooded with a sack. His face is stormy.


    Almost two days had passed since her abduction, and no one had noticed.


    A young girl like Yunice in the hands of criminals¨Cno good coulde <i>of </i><i>it</i>.


    Bang


    The deafening crash of a gong jolted Yunice awake.


    Her eyes widened as she stared at the <b>nk </b>paper <b>and </b>pen in front of her.


    Erin what appeared to be a warehouse, windowless, with corrugated metal <b>walls</b>. The only lightes from a single bulb dangling overhead.


    The room is empty except for the chair and table on which I s


    17:03 Fri Apr 18 G


    Chapter 0 The Captive¡¯s Gambit


    2372%


    Finished


    <b>She </b>only knew that every time exhaustion caused her eyelids to droop, the man behind her would strike the gong. bringing her back to consciousness.


    After more than a dozen cycles, Yunice¡¯s head was throbbing. Irritation simmered beneath her skin.


    She dug her fingers into her hair, clutching her forehead in frustration.


    The man watching her spoke. ¡°Ms. Saunders, as soon as you transcribe the medical records, we will release


    <b>you </b>


    Yunice gritted her teeth. ¡°My <b>head </b>hurts. I <b>can¡¯t </b>write. Let me sleep.


    ¡°Write first, then sleep¡±


    She red at him, knowing Quinton <b>was </b>trying to break her. If this continued, I¡¯d copse from exhaustion.


    Her eyes drifted to the lone light above. Trapped here, no one would ever find me¡­. No, that wasn¡¯t quite right.


    No one <b>would </b>even look for me.


    In this world, no one cared about me except Dad.


    No one would notice that I¡¯d been kidnapped. No one


    we woulde for me.


    I can die quietly here, my body encased in concrete, buried where no one would find me for decades.


    But I refused to die like that.


    Swallowing her difort, she propped her head up with one hand and scribbled on the paper with <b>the </b>other.


    When she was done, she turned <b>the </b>paper <b>over </b>and tossed it to her captor. ¡°Take this to your boss.¡±


    <b>A </b>new guard reced the old one <b>as </b>the first one left to deliver the message.


    Inside a Vertex, Quinton unfolded Yunice¡¯s note, Only few <b>hastily </b>scribbled words stared back at him.


    ¡°Draw a tiger with a cat <b>as </b>a model. Live to <b>make </b>use of it.¡±


    The messenger assumed <b>Yunice </b><b>was </b>mocking Quinton and tensed. ¡°Mr. Quinton, I will interrogate her properly this <b>time</b>!¡±


    ¡°Wait¡± Quinton raised <b>his </b><b>hand</b><b>, </b><b>still </b>studying the words


    Why those words?


    Bark in the warehouse, <b>Yunice </b>was dozing again when footsteps approached.


    She forced her bloodshot eyes open as polished dress shoes stopped in front of her.


    Quinton ced the note in front of her. ¡°What does this mean


    Yunice leaned back in her chair, irritation sharp her voice. ¡°You want my notes. But could you even understand them? Could you use them?¡±


    1703 Fri, Apr 18


    The Daughter in the Shadows

 Daghter 71

    Yunice tapped her chest emphatically. ¡°The real value is in me, the person.¡±


    Quinton scoffed. ¡°<b>What </b>can a mentally ill girl do?¡± He was convinced she was bluffing to get away.


    <b>Yunice </b>closed her eyes. If you have a terminal illness, just <b>tell </b>me. I <b>guarantee </b>it¡¯ll be more effective <b>than </b>your current brutal methods.¡±


    The moment her eyelids closed, the guard beside her struck the gong again with a deafening ng


    ¡°Enough!¡± <b>Yunice </b>snapped her eyes open, ring with murderous intent.


    Quinton watched in fascination. This fragile, unstable girl seemed to have another side to her, one I hadn¡¯t expected.


    His interest piqued, he pulled up a chair and sat across <b>from </b>her. ¡°You can treat illnesses?¡±


    Yunice studied his face for a moment. ¡°You don¡¯t sleep well, do you? Three hours a night at most.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s normal for someone like me. That proved nothing.


    Tunice held out her hand. ¡°Give me your wrist.¡±


    Quintonplied.


    Leaning forward, she pressed her fingers to his pulse. In less than thirty seconds, she confirmed her suspicion. ¡°You <b>have </b>a tumor on your pancreas.


    Quinton froze.


    I¡¯d had <i>a </i>full body scan just two weeks ago. How could she be so sure of this?


    Yunice leaned <b>back</b>. ¡°Believe it or not. It¡¯s not my problem if your stomach condition goes untreated.¡±


    Quinton¡¯s eyes narrowed. I did <b>suffer </b>from chronic stomach problems, but <b>no </b>tests had ever pinpointed the cause


    Could the girl actually diagnose diseases<b>? </b>


    Yunice then looked at the guard <b>holding </b>the gong <b>and </b>scoffed. ¡°Stop overusing that hand. You won¡¯t grow a second one when it¡¯s ruined.¡±


    The man flushed.


    Quinton realized she¡¯d lut the mark again.


    If Yunice really had this ability¡­.


    His expression darkened. Did this mean I really <b>had </b>a tumor?


    Quinton looked at her with newfound seriousness. ¡°Can you apply all the cases from the medical notebook?


    Yunice yawned. ¡°I can, but traditional medicine require flexibility based on the individual. Even with the


    Chapter 71 The Doctor¡¯s Gambit


    She Jocked eyes with him. ¡°A millimeter¡¯s deviation<b>¡­</b>¡±


    Her voice sharpened. leads to a <b>thousand</b>¨Cmile error


    Medicine did not tolerate carelessness. In the terong contert, life¨Csaving remedy could be dispos


    a


    Quinton¡¯s face tightened. For the first time, he saw <b>real </b>sharpness in Yunice¡¯s gaze.


    Finished


    She was far more fascinating than Elsie.


    ¡°Mr. Quinton. An underling rushed in and whispered to him.


    Quinton¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°What¡¯s he doing here?¡±


    Seeing his sudden tension. Yunice braced herself, but trapped in the chair, she was powerless


    Then, with a metallic crash, the warehouse door was kicked open.


    Quinton¡¯s expression darkened. He motioned to his men and slipped out a side exit.


    The remaining guard fumbled with Yunice¡¯s bonds, but before he could unlock them, a boot mmed into his side, sending him sprawling.


    Taking advantage of the chaos, the man scrambled to his feet and fled, leaving Yunice behind.


    Dazed. Yunice looked up to see <b>Jordan </b>working on her locks.


    Everything happened too fast; it felt surreal, like a dream.


    Only then did it dawn on her. Someone hade to rescu mel


    As she opened her mouth to ask how Jordan had found her, a tall figure stepped through the doorway backlit by the harsh outside light.


    His strides were long butbored, his shadow stretching ominously across the floor.


    Wyatt¡¯s chest heaved violently. Only when he saw Yunice unharmed did his breathing calm.


    Yunice noticed his pallor, the sweat beading at his temples, and the exhaustion weighing on his eyshes. He was clearly at the end of his rope.


    Her heart clenched. Had hee here¡­ for me?


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, can you walk?¡± Jordan asked, offering a Hand after he had freed her.


    Yunice stood quickly. ¡°I can.¡±


    Jordan exhaled in relief. ¡°Good Let¡¯s get you out. The moment she took a step, darkness swallowed her vision. Her knees buckled.


    Jordan caught her instinctively, then tensed. I shouldn¡¯t have touched her


    His eyes darted to Wyatt. ¡°Wyatt, L


    Wyatt was vilent for a moment before etendur mile ake her lock <b>fires</b>?


    17.05 FIL, ALL TO


    Chapter 71 The Doctor¡¯s Gambit


    #Finished


    Nodding Jordan carefully guided Yunice by the arm, keeping his g


    respectful.<ul><li></li></ul>


    17.03 Fri Apr 18 G ¡¤


    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 72 The Broken Heir

 Daghter 72

    Chapter 72 The Broken Heir


    Wyatt fell behind and lifted his hand with a bitter smile


    I¡¯m a cripple. I can¡¯t even <b>protect </b>myself, let alone carry someone else.


    Inside the car, Yunice wasid down on the back seat.


    Jordan <b>said</b>. ¡°Wyatt, she¡¯s just tired. No injuries.¡±


    149718


    Finished


    Then he asked tentatively, ¡°Should we take her to the hospital or send her back to the Saunders mansion?¡±


    ¡°The Saunders? They may not <b>care</b>, but there are plenty of people who do. Whoever finds her gets to keep <b>her</b>. Wyatt let out a coldugh..


    ¡°Not giving her back. Wyatt tossed out the words and get into the car.


    The ride was smooth.


    But Yunice was clearly exhausted. She <b>was </b>sitting back at first, but soon enough, her head tilted and rested on Wyatt¡¯s shoulder.


    By the time they arrived at the hospital <b>and </b>Jordan opened the car door, her head had already slid down onto Wyatt¡¯s <bp</b>.,


    No one could tell if she moved there herself or if Wyatt had shifted <b>her</b><b>. </b>


    Wyatt brought Yunice back to his own hospital room and let her sleep in <b>his </b>bed.


    Paul was still tied <b>to </b>a chair and hadn¡¯t been released.


    His hands were bound tightly behind him, like a crab trussed up for dinner.


    When he <b>saw </b>Yunice beingid on Wyatt¡¯s bed, he exploded. ¡°Wyatt Cooper! And you say you didn¡¯t hide her!¡±


    He struggled against the ropes. ¡°I¡¯m warning <b>you</b>, let us go <b>now</b>!¡±


    Wyatt walked over and sat down next to Yunice, <b>casually </b>setting his cane aside.


    Seeing him so close to her, Paul roared, ¡°Stay away from her!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes were mocking. ¡°And <b>what </b>does how close tam to her have <b>to </b>do with you?¡±


    Paul snapped back. ¡°She¡¯s got nothing to do with you either! If she were awake, she wouldn¡¯t want to be near a cripple like you!¡±


    The noise pulled Yunice slightly from sleep. She frowned <b>and </b>rolled over, her hand falling naturally onto Wyatt¡¯s leg


    Paul lost it. ¡°Yunice, have you no shame?


    a


    He suddenly broke free from the rope on his wrist, jumped to his feet, and lunged at Wyatt with <b>a </b>punch!


    Chapter 72 The Broken Heir


    After <b>all</b>, Wyatt couldn¡¯t hit back, and no one stood up for him


    Bullying him came without consequence


    That¡¯s how the Powell family had always treated him.


    Paul thought he could do the same this time.


    Finished


    But the sharp pain in his wrist hit before lie even realized what was happening. The next thing he knew, he was yanked forward.


    <b>And </b>terrifyingly, Wyatt had a knife in his other hand¨Cits tip pointed straight at Paul¡¯s eye.


    He <b>was </b>about to <b>crash </b>into it, right into <b>his </b><b>face</b>!


    ¡°<b>Aahh</b>!!¡± Paul¡¯s eyes flew open in panic. The de hovered just millimeters from his cornea, its cold edge making his pupil tremble.


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± Jordan rushed forward, grabbing Wyatt¡¯s hand with the <b>knife</b>. His voice shook. ¡°Wyatt, let him go just this once. He won¡¯t dare touch you <b>again</b><b>!</b>¡±


    Paul <b>was </b>paralyzed with fear. His lips trembled nonstop, <b>but </b>he didn¡¯t move an <b>inch</b><b>, </b>terrified the de would cut his <b>eye</b>.


    He looked at Wyatt <b>with </b>terror. The look in Hyatt¡¯s eyes made it clear¨Che really could¡¯ve killed me just now.


    People in Silverburgh called Wyatt a <b>madman</b>. Only now did Paul truly understand why.


    He didn¡¯t care about anything <b>at </b>all.


    ¡°Wyatt¡­¡± Jordan was genuinely afraid that Wyatt would kill Paul.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t let go. Paul didn¡¯t dare <b>move</b>.


    Then came the voice of Jensen Powell. ¡°Wyatt Cooper, what are you doing!¡±


    Wyatt turned his head, eyes locked on the man <b>who </b>had rushed in. He clenched his teeth. ¡°What do you think? I want to kill him.¡±


    Jensen had originally nned to suppress Wyatt with his status, but recalling Wyatt¡¯s capabilities now, he softened. ¡°Paul is still <b>young</b>. As his uncle, do you really need to go that far?¡±


    Wyatt sneered. ¡°He¡¯s twenty¨Cone. Still young? Why don¡¯t you take <b>him </b>home and let him suck on a bottle?¡±


    Paul swallowed hard. Emboldened by his father¡¯s presence, he snapped, ¡°Watch how you talk to my dad, Wyatt Cooper!


    To his surprise, Jensen <b>shot </b>him a re, signaling him to shut up.


    Paul didn¡¯t understand. Why would Dad back down to #yart?


    With his son in Wyatt¡¯s hands, Jensen had no choice bu to soften his tone. ¡°Taking Paul home was MrJackson¡¯s wish. You¡¯re not going to disrespect him, are you?¡±


    ¡°Of course n?


    nor¡± Wyair smirked and finally let po


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    Chapter 72 The Broken Heir


    <b>71</b><b>% </b>


    Finished


    Paul, scrambled to his feet. Now that he was free, he tried to regain his pride with a few harsh words.


    But before he could open his mouth. Wyatt grabbed his cane and swung it straight at Paul¡¯s knee.


    Crack


    The sound of bones breaking rang out clear and sharp

 Daghter 73

    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 73 The Broken Heir¡¯s Reckoning


    Wyatt nced sideways at Jensen with a smug look. ¡°This is the face I¡¯m giving.


    Paul was on his knees, clutching his leg. The pain was so intense, he couldn¡¯t even scream.


    <b>£¤</b>371%


    Finished


    Jensen¡¯s face had gone pale. His expression was filled with hatred, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say a single harsh word.


    He stepped forward and helped his son up, then left the hospital room with his injured son in tow,


    Jordan finally let out a long breath.


    He turned to look behind <b>Wyatt </b>and noticed a faint damp spot on his ck coat.


    ¡°Wyatt, your wound¡­¡±


    Every time Jackson beat him, it was brutal. And now, after at this struggling, the stitches had probably torn open again.


    Wyatt raised a hand, cutting him off. ¡°Get out.¡±


    Once the door was shut and no one was around to disturb him. Wyatt turned slightly and reached for the soft pink scarf that still wrapped around his neck.


    At Longevity Springs, in the Powell Residence, Jensen was red with anger.


    ¡°Dad, are you really going to let Wyatt walk all over us like this? You¡¯re not punishing him, and now you¡¯re arranging a marriage for him?¡±


    Jackson stood by the <bke</b>, brushing fish food crumbs of his hands, looking unconcerned. ¡°What else do you suggest? If you¡¯ve got the skills, go win me that plot in the Western Suburbs.¡±


    Jensen fell silent.¡±


    I still couldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°He broke Paul¡¯s leg this time. Next time, he won¡¯t hesitate toe for me!¡±


    If we didn¡¯t handle him now, who knew what Wyatt might do next?


    Jensen¡¯s <b>eyes </b>turned <b>cold</b>. ¡°Maybe I should deal with the one in the guest house too¡­.¡±


    Before he could <b>finish</b><b>, </b>Jackson shot <b>him </b>a <b>re</b>.


    ¡°If the one in the guest house could¡¯ve held him back, that plot in the Western Suburbs would¡¯ve been yours already


    Jensen choked on his words. Is Wyatt no longer looking after that person?


    All these years, the Powell family had relied on that person in the guest house to manipte <b>Wyatt</b>, making him work for them willingly.


    <b>Jackson </b>snorted. We were all fooled. He made it look like we <b>had </b>control, but he¡¯s been using our


    TWE


    Chapter 73 The Broken Heir¡¯s Reckoning


    K 71%a


    Finished


    Jensen turned pale. If that person in the guest house had ju been a smokescreen all along¡­ then the Powell family hadpletely lost their grip on valt.


    He noticed Jackson staring <b>into </b>theke at the kol. Jensen stepped closer and peered down.


    These fish they look smaller


    Jackson¡¯s <b>face </b>instantly darkened. ¡°You can¡¯t tell they¡¯ve been swapped?


    He muttered with frustration, ¡°These tinum Arowana could only survive in the ancestral pond¨Csaid to be blessed for generations. That idiot from the Saunders family actually managed to overfeed them to death.¡±


    Jensen blinked, then suddenly understood. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re trying to match Yunice and Wyatt.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°Ajinx and a bringer of doom. Perfect match.


    I had always worried that Wyatt would marry someone powerful to back him. That face of his was good at fooling people


    Jensen continued saying, ¡°Can¡¯t believe I never thought of that useless girl from the Saunders family. Dad, your move is <b>brilliant</b><b>. </b>If Wyatt marries her and cuts ties with the Powell family, then he¡¯ll have nowhere. else to turn.¡±


    That was exactly the n. If <b>we </b>couldn¡¯t control Wyatt, then we¡¯d weaken him<b>. </b>There was no way <i>we¡¯d </i>let him overpower the Powell family.


    Jackson added, ¡°Paul still needs to grow. This injury should serve as a wake¨Cup call. He needs to understand what it means to be the heir of the Powell family.¡±


    Jensen flushed. My own son was useless, spending all his time <b>chasing </b>women. No wonder Jackson didn¡¯t support him


    this time.


    He didn¡¯t dare bring up <b>Paul¡¯s </b><b>injury </b><b>again</b>. Worried that Wyatt might refuse to marry <b>Yunice</b>, he said cautiously, ¡°Yunice doesn¡¯t have any official records. Should I get someone to forge her an identity?¡±


    The <b>old </b>man waved a <b>hand</b>. I¡¯ve already arranged everything. <b>You </b>don¡¯t need to worry about that.<b>¡± </b>


    Meanwhile, Yunice felt something was off. The pillow beneath her head was too firm.


    She stirred only when the smell of medicine reached her <b>nose</b>.


    As she opened her eyes, the first thing she <b>saw </b>was a ck silk <b>shirt</b>.


    Its obsidian buttons shimmered mysteriously under the light.


    Realizing she was lying in a man¡¯s <b>arms</b>, Yunice jolted <b>upright</b>.


    Wyatt was lying on his <b>side</b>. Seeing her awake, he propped his <b>head </b>up with the arm that <b>had </b>served as her pillow. He lookedpletely at case.


    Yunice quickly scanned her surroundings. No one else was in the <b>room </b>except Wyatt.


    She reached for her cor, buttoned all the way to the top. Safe..


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    Chapter 73 The Broken Heir¡¯s Reckoning


    Noticing her subtle movement. Wyatt mocked, ¡°You think I can touch you?¡±


    I¡¯m a cripple. That thing might as well not exist.


    K 371%a


    Finished


    ¡°No¡­¡± Yunice hadn¡¯t been thinking that. She rummaged under the <b>nket</b>, growing <b>anxious</b>. ¡°Have you seen my scarf? The pink one with the fish¡­¡±


    Wyatt paused, watching how much she cared about it. Then he pointed toward the nightstand. ¡°It¡¯s right


    there¡±


    The Daughter in the Shadows

 Daghter 74

    Chapter 74 A Scar Beneath The Scarf


    Finished


    Yumice stood barefoot on the carpet, picked up her scarf, and carefully inspected it. ¡°Good thing it¡¯s not damaged. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be <b>able </b>to return <b>it </b>


    Wyatt cut in.


    You don¡¯t need to return t


    Yunice looked at him. She was about to ask why but then remembered something more important.


    ¡°Let me check your back,¡± she said.


    I still remembered how pale he looked before I fell asleep. It must¡¯ve been from the wound,


    Wyatt sat up without resistance, and Yunice reached out to unbutton his shirt.


    She had grown up around medicine with her father, so she had seen both men and women. To her, there was no sense of taboo. Undressing someone for treatment didn¡¯t feel inappropriate at <b>all</b>.


    But when her knuckle brushed against Wyatt¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple by ident, a strange tremor ran through her.


    Something flickered in her mind. Her face warmed, but she forced herself to stayposed. Thank you for saving me today.


    Wyatt corrected her. ¡®Not today. Yesterday. You¡¯ve been asleep for seven hours.¡±


    It had just passed midnight, so technically, it was the day before.


    Normally, that wouldn¡¯t matter. But as he spoke, the vibrations from his voice resonated through his throat, and Yunice felt it on her fingers.


    She tensed again. ¡°How <b>did </b><b>you </b>even find me?¡±


    Yunice had thought, no one would notice my disappearance, much lesse to rescue me.


    <b>So </b>when someone actually rushed in for me. I was stunned. My nose stang, and tears nearly welled up.


    It had been so long since anyone cared.


    They say people who grow up unloved are the easiest to fall for even the smallest act of kindness. I didn¡¯t want to let my quard down in front of Hyatt.


    She swiftly undid the <b>buttons </b>on his shirt, then walked around to his <b>back</b>. Her hands reached in from the cor, spreading the fabric open along his shoulders.


    His back was wrapped in gauze, <b>and </b>a


    bloodstain had spread through it. Just looking at it made her frown


    It <b>was </b><b>Paul </b>He thought you were with me. Wyatt exined.


    Yunice touched the gauze gently. It was unbearable. Si immediately moved to undo it and clean the <b>wound </b>properly.


    Just then. Wyatt turned his head slightly, casting a nce at her from the corner of his eye. ¡°I heard <b>Paul¡¯s </b>


    1204¨CFTI, Apr 18


    Chapter 74 A Scar Beneath The Scart


    ¡°<b>Injured</b>!¡± Yunice¡¯s expression changed. Her hand froze How bad? Is he dead?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°No.¡±


    BK71%Ê©


    Finished


    ¡°Oh Yunice gave <b>a </b>short <b>reply </b>and went back to unwrapping the gauze. ¡°With an injury thisrge, keeping it wrapped only slows healing. The constant friction makes it worse.¡±


    Wyatt was momentarily stunned. I thought Yunice would rush to Paul first.


    They had nearly twenty years of history. How could she just walk away?


    He frowned agam: she might just want to deal with me first before heading over


    Yunice kept working on the gauze. Because of the blood and fluid, parts of it had stuck to his wound. Peeling it off was like tearing through stitches¨Cit hurt.


    Even though she was as gentle as possible, some pain was unavoidable. She nced up at Wyatt and found him cold¨Cfaced, silent, bearing the pain without a sound.


    So Yunice decided to stop holding back. She figured it was better to get it over with quickly.


    She unraveled the gauze in a single motion, then reached around his chest to pull thest bit across and handed it to her other hand.


    Wyatt had broad shoulders <b>and </b>arge frame. Compared to Yunice¡¯s size, the contrast was sharp.


    And the way she moved the gauze meant she had to reach around him like she was hugging him. Every time her hands passed in front of <b>him</b>, her body leaned in closer.


    Her breath brushed against his raw, <b>aching </b>skin, making him ufortable in ways he didn¡¯t expect.


    Feeling his body tense, Wyatt suddenly grabbed her hand that was resting on his chest.


    ¡°If you¡¯re in such a rush to see Paul, just go. You <b>don¡¯t </b>have to pretend with me.¡±


    Yunice blinked, unsure <b>what </b>she¡¯d done wrong. She replied calmly, ¡°Who said I wanted to see him?¡±


    She pulled her hand back and continued unwrapping the gauze. ¡°Plenty of people will visit him, He


    doesn¡¯t need me.¡±


    Only I and Wyatt are the type nobody cared about. Even <i>if </i>we died, no one would notice.


    Thinking of <b>that</b>, Yunice felt a strange sense of kinship with Wyatt.


    He reminded me of a stray dog, mistreated for so long that any act of kindness would make him bare his teeth first, not wog his toil.


    The image of a muddy, rain¨Csoaked dog popped into her head. Instead of being scared of him, <b>Yunice </b>found it kind of funny.


    Wyatt had no idea what she wasughing about. He frowned and muttered, ¡°Can¡¯t you be <b>gentler</b>? I swear Paul must¡¯ve sent y


    Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.

 Daghter 75

    Chapter 75 Pain Is Real


    Yunice finally caught on and asked, ¡°You can feel paint


    Wyatt turned to re at her. ¡°Can¡¯t you?¡±


    Yunice fell silent.


    @%


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    <b>Seeing </b><b>that </b><b>she </b>still didn¡¯t get it. Wyatt added. ¡°You coul Lat least do what you didst time when you gave me the shot. Distracting me is better ihan yanking it like this.¡±


    Yanice nced at him and thought, back at the Johnson residence, when <i>I </i>had to give him an injection, I¡¯d lightly scratched near the injection site to avoid upsetting him, though he still snapped at me afterward


    Now he wanted me to use the same trick again. His temper was impossible to figure out.


    But Yunice had long since grown used to patients being <b>moody</b>.


    She said, ¡°Your wound is toorge. That trick won¡¯t work. But you could ask Dr. Joe to give <b>you </b>some anesthesia for the pain<b>¡­</b>¡±


    Speak of the devil. Joe pushed the door open with a stethoscope <b>around </b><b>his </b>neck, just in time to <b>hear </b>Yunice mention anesthesia.


    ¡°Anesthesia? Mr. Cooper never takes <b>that </b>stuff. Says it dulls the brain<b>.</b>¡±


    Yunice was surprised. ¡°No anesthesia? Then <b>how </b><b>do </b>you manage the pain?¡±


    Joe shrugged like it was no big deal. ¡°He just toughs it out.¡±


    Yunice turned <b>to </b><b>look </b>at Wyatt. Then why had he <b>acted </b>like the gauze change earlier was unbearable?


    Joe suddenly felt a <b>chill </b>down his spine. He met Wyatt¡¯s cold stare and immediately shut his mouth tight.


    <b>Did </b>I say something wrong?


    Wyatt snapped at him, ¡°What are you standing there for? You were the one who changed my dressing. Get over here <b>and </b>fix it¡±


    Alright.¡± Joe rushed over and took Yunice¡¯s ce.


    With nothing left to do, Yunice walked over to the window and looked out.


    It was still <b>early </b><b>morning</b>, but the streets outside were already bustling.


    This seas the third day I¡¯d gonepletely missing, and no one from the Saunders family hade looking


    Yurier thought to herself. If it weren¡¯t for Wyatt, I¡¯d still be locked up in that warehouse suffering.


    ¡°Mr. Cooper, <b>Paul¡¯s </b>leg is fractured. They ve already given <b>him </b><b>anesthesia </b><b>three </b>times. Still hurts so bad he can¡¯t sleep. Joe <b>said </b>casually as he worked.


    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>ears twitched. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had happened while she was being held.


    Chapter 75 Paints Real


    #Finished


    Elsie, hovered by his bedside, running <b>back </b>and forth in distress. ¡°Paul, have some water. It¡¯ll help with the pain.¡±


    Then she offered him some grapes. ¡°Paul, eat a grape. It¡¯ll make you feel better.¡±


    <b>Paul </b>was losing his <b>mind</b>. He¡¯d never realized just how talkative Elsie could be.


    This wasn¡¯t some mild cold or fever. My bone was shattered¨Cit hurt like hell!


    He swallowed his frustration and said patiently, ¡°Elsie. Im in too much pain to eat or drink. Just get me another painkiller.¡±


    I¡¯d been pampered my whole life, raised with four or five nannies hovering around me from the moment I could walk. I¡¯d never even <b>scraped </b>a knee before. How could I handle something like this?


    <b>But </b>Elsie, eyes red, replied tearfully, ¡°You already took too many. The doctor said, <b>You </b>can¡¯t <b>have </b>any


    more¡±


    <b>Paul </b>grew irritated, ¡°But I¡¯m in serious pain!¡±


    Elsie hesitated. Paul thought she was finally softening, ready to bring him the medicine. He was relieved.


    But instead, <b>Elsie </b>leaned in and kissed his lips gently, then smiled sweetly. <b>¡°</b><b>A </b>kiss will <b>make </b>it all better.


    Paul¡¯s entire expression twisted like he¡¯d swallowed a fly. He waspletely numb and wanted to scream.


    Elsie looked at <b>him</b>, confused. Normally, when he got sick and I kissed him, he¡¯d be all smiles.


    Paul tried to stay calm and said, ¡®Elsie, you study medicine. Can¡¯t you think of anything else for the <b>pain</b>?¡±


    ¡°Anything else¡­ Elsie racked her brain<b>. </b>¡°But this is how they treat everyone. We all go through the same thing


    That¡¯s not true. Yuni¡­ Paul was <b>about </b><b>to </b>argue when Jensen walked in.


    <b>His </b>father¡¯s face was stern. Seeing Paul in such a pathetic state made him <b>furious</b>. ¡°Just endure it, <b>Crying </b>over a little fracture¨Chow do you expect to achieve anything?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face turned bright red. Shamed into silence, he clenched his jaw and didn¡¯t say a <b>word</b>.


    <b>Elsie </b>hadn¡¯t <b>seen </b><b>much </b>of Jensen before. The moment he entered, she quickly tried to y nice. ¡°Dad, Paul¡¯s really <b>strong</b>. Please don¡¯t be mad at him.¡±


    Jensen cut her off with a cold re. ¡°Who told you to be here? Get <b>out</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Huh?¡± <b>Elsie </b>froze<i>. </i>Hadn¡¯t the Powell family already proposed to me? Why was the future daughter¨Cin¨C<bw </b>being told to leaver


    She had no idea what she¡¯d done wrong. Instinctively, she turned to Paul for help.

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    Chapter 76 Love Means Nothing Here


    But to Elsie¡¯s surprise, Paul actually avoided her gaze and did not speak up for her.


    Finished


    Jensen had never liked her family background to begin with, and here she was deliberately calling him ¡°Dad? Was she asking for trouble?


    Seeing that even Paul would not defend her, Elsie wiped away her tears <b>and </b>fled the hospital room. looking utterly wronged.


    Jensen watched her leave with a look of utter contempt in his eyes. Then he turned back to look at his disappointing son, <b>his </b>voice cold as ice. ¡°If you¡¯re just ying around with her, fine. <b>But </b>if you¡¯re serious, don¡¯t me me for cutting all father¨Cson ties.¡±


    <b>Paul </b><b>looked </b>at him in shock. Cut ties? How?


    Jensen sneered, I¡¯m still young. I can have another son


    Paul¡¯s face went pale.


    Jensen continued, ¡°If you still want to stay in your grandfather¡¯s good graces, then go bring the Powell family a real ally¡±


    Paul knew full well that his father looked down <b>on </b>Elsies humble background, but still he said, ¡°I can¡¯t betray Elsie


    Hearing this, Jensen¡¯s gaze turned sharp. He grabbed Paul by the cor and growled, ¡°Your grandfather has already arranged for Wyatt to marry Yunice. That¡¯s our only <b>chance </b>to catch up to them! And what will marrying Elsie get you, apart from a flock of freeloading rtives?¡±


    Then, he pressed down <b>hard </b>on Paul¡¯s injured leg


    Paul cried out in agony. But Jensen didn¡¯t <b>show </b>the slightest bit of mercy. ¡°If <b>you </b>don¡¯t get your act together, the pain will only get worse.¡±


    The veins on Paul¡¯s forehead bulged from the pain. He could not even find the strength to argue


    After leaving the room, Jensen ordered the bodyguards outside. ¡°No more painkillers for him.¡±


    ¡°<b>Yes</b>, sir!¡± The bodyguards replied in unison.


    Inside, Pauly drenched in cold sweat, slumped on the bed. Maybe the pain had numbed him, or maybe he was just delirious, but his mind began to wander.


    Who did Father say Hyatt was going to marry?


    The pain was unbearable that he had not caught the name clearly.


    Clutching his injured leg. Paul gritted his teeth. Jensen was truly ruthless. The wound was already bleeding


    again.


    <b>Frustrated </b><b>and </b>furious, he called for a doctor for Elsie. but no one came.


    Jensen clearly intended to grind him down.


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    Chapter 76 Love Means Nothing Here


    Finished


    After half an hour of shouting. Paul finally gave in. slumping against the headboard


    Unable to sleep from the pain, his mind wandered again. To Elsie and to Yunice<b>. </b>


    Elsie had said injuries just needed <b>to </b>be endured, but that was not true.


    <b>Back </b>in middle school, he had fractured a bone ying basketball. Yunice had made him a crude¨Clooking herbal ster. It was ugly and old¨Cfashioned, but it worked better than any medicine from the <b>hospital</b>. It had not hurt at all.


    Paul nced at the door. Yunice was in this hospital too. Why had she note to see him?


    Meanwhile, Wyatt was changing his bandages in another room, while Yunice was wandering the hallway outside.


    From a distance, the voices of Owen <b>and </b>Elsie approached.


    Owen was saying. ¡°The Saunders family does have a form for pain relief, but only Yunice knows how to make it.


    Elsie added anxiously, ¡°Maybe we should call the police find Yunice, and get her to treat <b>Paul</b>. That is the priority right now.


    Owen waved her off. ¡°Forget it. She probably heard about your engagement and deliberately hid herself. thinking it would make us anxious. If we ignore her, she¡¯lle crawling back in a few days¡±


    Elsie sighed. ¡°If only I could make that pain¨Crelieving medicine. I¡¯d definitely give the form to you. It¡¯d be such a boost <b>for </b>your hospital!¡±


    Her <b>words </b>sparked a <b>thought </b>in Owen


    A technical monopoly was <b>the </b>ultimate <b>advantage </b>for anypany. So far, no <b>hospital </b>had managed to develop a painkiller without side effects.


    Yunice clearly <b>had </b>such an effective form; why was he not <b>helping </b><b>his </b>hospital ger through its current


    crisis!


    As he was thinking this, they rounded a corner, and there she was.


    <b>Owen </b>stopped in surprise. ¡°Yunice?¡±


    Leaning against the wall, Yunice looked utterly unsurprised to see them.


    Funny, wasn¡¯t it? She <b>had </b>been missing for three days, yet her dear brother had not even bothered to call the police. He had <b>even </b>found time to visit <b>Paul </b>


    But she was not disappointed. Not anymore. From the moment Owen had left her in <b>that </b>burning building, she has realized that her life meant absolutely <b>nothing </b>to him<b>. </b>


    Yunice! 1 finally found you!¡± Elsie eximed. genuinely overjoyed<b>. </b>¡°We¡¯ve all been worried sick these past few days.


    Worried sick?¡± Yunice sneered, her voiceced with sarcasm ¡°Worried <b>how</b><b>, </b>exactly? nketing the streets with missing person posters? Going door to door asking for me?¡±


    1704 Fri, Apr 18 GO


    Chapter 76 Love Means Nothing Here


    Finished


    Owen¡¯s face darkened at her mocking tone. The whole family¡¯s busy preparing for Elsie¡¯s wedding. If you don¡¯t <b>care</b>, fine. But <b>you </b>expect us to drop everything just to look for you?¡±


    Then he added angrily, ¡°Look at you, perfectly fine. Clearly you went missing deliberately, <b>just </b>to get attention. And I actually wasted my time worrying about <b>you</b>¡±


    Yunice let out a coldugh.


    ¡°You better worry about the Powell family¡¯s precious son. If he ends up crippled and impotent, wouldn¡¯t Elsie basically be a living widow?

 Daghter 77

    Your Owen had not expected Yunice¡¯s words to be so sharp. His face darkened, and he raised his fist. ready to teach her a lesson.


    But Elsie hurriedly grabbed his arm, trying to calm him down. ¡°Owen, don¡¯t hit Yunice! She¡¯s just harsh with her words, but deep down, she already prepared medicine for Paul!¡±


    True enough. If Yunice showed up at the hospital and even knew Paul¡¯s leg was injured, then she must havee to deliver medicine.


    Owen lowered his fist, turning his palm upwards instead. ¡°Hand the medicine to Elsie


    Yunice¡¯s expression was cold. ¡°Why should I give it to her?¡±


    ¡°You think you can just waltz in there yourself? Owen sapped impatiently. ¡°Paul belongs to Elsie. You¡¯re <b>just </b>going to barge in like the main character, ogling his bare leg! Do you have no shame!¡±


    Yunice shot back without hesitation. ¡°If just seeing his leg is shameless, then when Elsie helped him take off his pants, shouldn¡¯t the two of them have been dragged off to be drowned in a pig <b>cage</b>?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face flushed <b>hot</b>. ¡°This is the kind of <b>filthy </b><b>talk </b>you learned while you were away?¡± His anger surged, and once again, he raised his <b>hand </b>to strike her


    ¡°Mr. <b>Owen</b>¡± A cold voice cut through the air.


    All three of them turned toward the source of the voice


    It was Wyatt. He had changed into <b>a </b><b>dark </b>red dress shirt, the sleeves casually rolled up, revealing his <b>lean</b>, powerful forearms. When he tightened his grip on his cane, the veins on the back of his hand stood <b>out</b>. radiating strength


    Elsie¡¯s gaze swept over Wyatt. She had rarely seen him before. All she had heard was that Wyatt <b>was </b><b>a </b>cripple. But standing here now, he exuded a presence even moremanding than Jensen. The oppressive aura around <b>him </b>made people instinctively forget his inconvenient limp.


    Why was he speaking to Owen?


    Owen was also sizing him up, his eyes guarded. He had grown up on the same side as Paul. What <b>could </b>Wyatt possibly have to say to him?


    Was it because Wyatt had been beatenst time and seen by me and now he wanted revenge


    Countless thoughts ran through his <b>mind</b>, yet not one of them was prepared for what happened next.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze passed straight over him andnded on Yunice.


    Wyatt beckoned lightly. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Yunice nced at Owen, then at Wyatt, and without hesitation, she ran toward him.


    Wyatt <b>sneered </b>at Owen as he reached out and pulled Yonice behind him, shreiding her without the slightest disguise.


    17.04 Fri, Apr 18 G


    Chapter 77 The Sister You Failed to Protect


    Owen was stunned, <b>thinking </b>Wyatt <b>had </b>misunderstood. ¡°She¡¯s my sister!¡±


    6715


    Finished


    He quickly called out to Yunice, his voice tight with concern. Yunice,e to me.¡±


    As her brother, wasn¡¯t it my responsibility to protect her from someone like Wyatt


    Wyatt¡¯s <b>voice </b>was calm but cutting. So she cane back to you and get beaten again?*


    Owen choked, instinctively looking at Yunice. But she kept her head down, refusing to meet his gaze.


    Still, Owen felt justified. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with a brother disciplining his sister?¡±


    It was not like he would actually hit her. How could Yunice turn her back on him and stand on someone else¡¯s side


    ¡°Sister?¡± Wyatt sneered, biting down on the word like it was poison. ¡°When your sister was kidnapped, where was this brother of hers¡±


    Owen froze. His gaze shot first to Elsie, then to Yunice Both his sisters were standing right here. When had there been a kidnapping!


    No, wait!


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened <b>in </b><b>shock </b>as he stared at Yunice. Could it be that in the days she¡¯d disappeared¡­


    Yunice lifted her eyes, standing coldly behind Wyatt, her voice like ice. I¡¯m self¨Caware enough not to hide on purpose and make <b>you </b>worry. After all, I know better than anyone that none of you care whether I live or die.¡±


    Owen opened his mouth, but his throat felt tight, almost painful. For a moment, he did not know what to


    His voice trembled slightly. ¡°You¡­ you were really kidnapped? By who?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s frosty gaze fell directly on Elsie. She spoke two words, each one clear and sharp. ¡°Quinton Ford¡±


    Owen <b>shook </b>his head in disbelief, unwilling to ept. ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Mr. Quinton doesn¡¯t even <b>know </b>you. Why would he kidnap you?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice was cold as steel. ¡°Because your dear little sister told Quinton I could recite Father¡¯s medical notes from memory. His greed got the better of him. So he had me kidnapped and tortured, trying force me to copy them <b>down</b>.


    At her words, Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept over to Yunice, <b>his </b>eyes darkening slightly.


    to


    Elsie¡¯s face wentpletely pale. She stepped forward in panic. ¡°That¡¯s not what happened!¡±


    ¡°Owen, you know how badly Mr. Quinton wanted those notes. I only said that to help you maintain your partnership <b>with </b>him! Elsie¡¯s voice shook as she looked pleadingly at Yunice. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d actually kidnap you. If I <b>had </b>known. I never would¡¯ve said it!


    So it was true. Yunice had really been kidnapped.


    17.04 Fri, Apr 18 G?


    The Daughter in the Shadows

 Daghter 78

    Finished


    Owen¡¯s face turned ashen. His eyes reddened, and he looked at Yunice with a pained expression, his voice trembling. ¡°Are <b>you </b>hurt? Did Quinton do anything to you?¡±


    He was frantic, stepping forward as if to pull Yunice out and check her for injuries


    But Wyatt deliberately stepped aside, positioning himself just in front of Owen. His mocking gaze made it impossible for anyone to meet his eyes.


    Owen swallowed <b>hard</b>, his throat tightening. He did not dare move closer. What troubled him even more <b>was </b>Yunice¡¯s attitude.


    Yunice maintained her distance, coldly regarding him. What¡¯s the point of your fake sympathy now? If it weren¡¯t <b>for </b>Mr. Cooper saving me by <b>chance</b>, by the time you came to look for me, I¡¯d either be dead or


    mad¡±


    Her <b>wordy </b>were like a de cutting into Owen¡¯s heart. She was ming him.


    His eyes reddened further, his chest tightening with guilt. He had dealt with Quinton before and knew the man would never treat Yunice kindly <b>to </b>achieve his goals. Yet, he <b>had </b>allowed her to suffer alone for three <b>days </b>without even bothering to search for her.


    Seeing Owen¡¯s agonized expression. Yunice could not help butugh. ¡°Are you trying to put on an act of guilt? Or do you <b>want </b>me tofort you, tell you that Tan line, and it¡¯s not your fault?¡±


    Owen froze, his <b>eyes </b><b>wide</b>, <b>his </b>confusion <b>making </b>him look almostic


    But Yunice remained unmoved. Her expression remained as cold <b>as </b><b>ice</b>. ¡°Are you angry now? Do you feel hurt because you think I¡¯m trying to read your thought?¡±


    Owen gritted his teeth, clearly feeling exactly that


    He felt guilty. He <b>was </b>upset for her. Yet, she used him of merely performing. Did she not have a heart at


    ally


    Yunice sneered, her voice icy. ¡°But <b>haven¡¯t </b>you always done the same to me? When I told <b>you </b>about the suffering I endured in the asylum, you used me of trying to make everyone feel guilty. When <b>I </b><b>said </b>I was kidnapped, you used me of hiding to make everyone anxious¡­


    Her eyes locked onto Owen¡¯s, a malicious smile on her lips. ¡°It turns out that only when the knife is plunged into your heart can you truly feel the pain.¡±


    <b>Owen </b>stumbled backward, his face copsing in utter defeat


    Have I really been treating Yunice like this all along? Could my offhand words truly have hurt her so much? But that was casual wunds. I still care about her.


    Yunice seemed to see straight through him. She continged, her voice biting. ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel guilty, though<b>. </b>After all, this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve abandoned me. Remember the gas mask you snatched three years ago! How well is Elsie using it now?¡±


    The sound of Owen¡¯s heart shattering <b>was </b>almost audible in his ears. His face burned with humiliation as he looked first <b>at </b>Wyatt, then at Elsie. It felt like his darkest secrets were being exposed in front of


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    He had always considered himself to be fair, giving Yunice enough tolerance and care. Yet, when it came to this, it seemed like anyone could bring it up and pierce him.


    Under the collective gaze, Owen feltpletely exposed, his guilt and shame overwhelming him. Finally, he steeled himself and said firmly, ¡°Yunny, I¡¯ll make sure to get justice for you regarding your kidnapping!¡±


    Without waiting for a response, he turned and strode out of the hospital.


    No one knew what he intended to do, and Yunice could not have cared less. She had no time or e worry about people who did not matter.


    energy to


    Elsie stood awkwardly in ce. She had nned to chase after Owen, but upon hearing Yunice bring up the past, she knew if she went after him now, Owen would just take out his anger on her. So, she hesitated. and stopped.


    At that moment, she noticed the figure of a wheelchair turning the corner of the hall, and a thought struck her.


    ¡°Yunice, Paul is really in a lot of pain. Please, just give the medicine back to me! Elsie¡¯s voice was filled. with emotion, her performance so convincing it almost seemed real


    Since it was a performance, there had to be someone watching


    Yunice turned her head and, just as expected, saw the wheelchair stopped at the corner of the hall.


    Paul was gripping the armrests tightly, his face contorted with righteous indignation.


    Elsie continued her <b>act</b>, her voice full of drama. ¡°Yunice, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll even kneel to <b>you</b>!¡± She dropped to her knees as though to beg


    Yunice did not stop her, <b>and </b>neither did Wyatt. Only Pl, seething with anger, controlled the wheelchair, wheeling <b>himself </b>forward.


    ¡°Elsie, don¡¯t kneel to her!¡± Paul growled, <b>his </b>anger evident.


    Elsie quickly straightened up, and the moment she saw <b>Paul</b>, her tears flowed freely, as though a <b>dam </b>had broken. ¡°<b>Paul</b>, I have to kneel, or Yunice won¡¯t give me back the medicine!¡±


    Paul narrowed his eyes. ¡°What medicine?¡±


    <b>Elsie </b>sobbed. The medicine that can cure your leg pain I made it myself, but Yunice¡­


    Listening to Elsie¡¯s usations and then looking at Wyant standing in front of Yunice, Paul understood everything.


    His lips trembled with fury, and he spat out, ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯re truly vicious! You won¡¯t even let Yunice give me the medicine, just so I <b>can </b>suffer more!¡±


    He had assumed that Yunice had taken the medicine from Elsie to please him, only to be threatened by Wyatt in the process.


    O


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    Paul was filled with righteous indignation. ¡°Yunice, dont be afraid of him. Come to my side, and I¡¯ll see he dares to <by </b>a finger on you!¡±


    Yunice was speechless. She had always known Paul to be a fool, but she <b>had </b>not realized he could be this naive. No wonder Elsie had him wrapped around her finger.


    She shot him <b>a </b>cold nce, and for a brief moment, the air grew heavy with awkwardness.


    Paul flushed red, <b>his </b>gaze fixed on her. It was only now that he realized it wasn¡¯t Wyatt¡¯s doing. It <b>was </b>simply because Yunice did not want to get involved with him.


    Seeing the hurt and disappointment on Paul¡¯s face. Yunice found it rather amusing.


    Had they lived in a past life as goldfish, with memoriessting only seven seconds?


    Every time she showed the slightest dissatisfaction, they thought she was being unreasonable and ungrateful. <b>As </b>if they were the ones who were wronged.


    if


    Yunice decided to remind him. ¡°<b>Paul</b><b>, </b><b>when </b>you deliberately left the cigarette in my room, you must have known what consequences that would bring, right?


    Paul froze. That day, he had acted in a fit of anger, trying to trip Yunice up.


    If Owen found his cigarette, he would definitely think that Yunice was misbehaving and trying to seduce <b>Paul</b>. That way, Owen would punish her.


    But after throwing it, he regretted it


    He did not even know why he had <b>done </b>it. He was supposed to marry Elsie, so why did his mind keep getting disturbed by Yunice? Like <b>any </b>man, his pride just could not stand Yunice¡¯s elevation of Wyatt.


    After nothing had happened. Paul assumed the matter was over.


    But then Yunice continued, ¡°I¡¯ve already returned that cigarette to Elsie


    Paul¡¯s face heated up, as though he had been caught in a scandal. He could not bring himself to look at Elsie.


    Elsie, <b>on </b>the other <b>hand</b>, suddenly seemed to realize something. ¡°So, the cigarette I found in my clothes that day <b>was </b>really left by you!¡±


    Yunice smiled mockingly.


    Paul waspletely confused.


    What are they talking about?


    Elsie¡¯s eyes filled with tears. her voice filled with grievance. ¡°Paul, it was her who caused this. She put <b>your </b><b>cigarette </b>in my clothes, and that¡¯s why Owen scolded ..


    After a moment. <b>Paul </b><b>finally </b>had a moment of rity. He was shocked as he looked at Yunice, disbelief in his eyes. So, it was you who set this up, to force Owen to push me into marriage?¡±


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    Yungre¡¯s tone was sharp. You and Elsie are in love, and you¡¯re determined to marry her. How could this be considered forcing a marriage? Have you never actually thought about marrying her!¡±


    Elsie looked anxiously at <b>Paul</b>, who suddenly averted his gaze. Yunice, stop trying to sow discord!¡±


    Seeing the disdain on Yunice¡¯s face, Paul¡¯s grip on the armrests of the wheelchair tightened to the point of <b>cracking</b>.


    He had thought that Yunice still cared about him. But to his surprise, she had schemed against him. pushing him toward another woman.


    Had she reallye to despise me so much?


    His hand slowly rxed, and with a defeated sigh, he resigned himself to the truth. ¡°Even if you hadn¡¯t pushed me, I would have married Elsie. Did you think I needed you to meddle?¡±


    <b>But </b>he was <b>not </b>willing to let it end there. He turned to defend Elsie. I won¡¯t hold this against you, but you need to return <b>what </b>you took from Elsie!


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did I take from her?¡°.


    Elsie answered, ¡°The medicine I mude to treat Paul¡¯s leg injuries¡±


    Though Elsie <b>was </b>not sure if Yunice had it, she knew Yunice could definitely make it. After all, there were no cameras in this hallway Who would know if Yunice had been wrongfully used? If she could not hand over the medicine, she would just <b>have </b>to <b>make </b>it again. And once she did, it would be the perfect remedy for Paul¡¯s injury.


    By then, Paul would only remember that the medicine had been begged for by Elsie, while Yunice would be the one causing <b>him </b>pain


    Paul red at Yunice, <b>his </b>voice icy, ¡°Give it back to her


    Elsie wouldn¡¯t lie. If she said Yunice took it, then Yunice must have taken it


    Yunice sneered at Elsie. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you made the medicine for leg injuries<b>?</b>¡±


    Elsie nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a family recipe passed down in the Saunders family. It¡¯s not your exclusive property. You¡¯re not the only <b>one </b>allowed to make it.


    The more she tried to emphasize it, the more insecure she seemed. How afraid was Elsie that I could do <i>it </i>better than she could?


    Yunice¡¯s eyes narrowed in amusement as she smiled gently. ¡°If you have time to argue with me here, why don¡¯t you go <b>back </b><b>and </b>make a new batch for him? Otherwise, he¡¯ll be in pain.¡±


    Wyatt let out a soft chuckle. Seeing that the farce was over, he prepared to leave.


    Seeing this, Yunice was about to follow Wyatt when an idea struck her. She turned back and, with at mischievous smile, raised <b>an </b>eyebrow at Elsie. ¡°By the way, that medicine isn¡¯t called leg injuries medicine. It¡¯s called ¡®Beloved, and 1 personally developed it


    With a mockingugh, she turned to catch up with Wyatt


    <b>Paul </b>stood there, his eyes locked on Yunice¡¯s retreating figure.


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    ¡°Beloved. His expressioni grew despondent, as though long¨Cforgotten memory <b>had </b>been stirred.


    Yunice followed Wyatt back to the hospital room.


    Finished


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    Joe diligently prepared the ster, and upon seeing Yurice, he casually greeted her. ¡°Ms. Saunde forgot to askst time. What¡¯s the name of this ster?¡±


    Yunice <b>froze </b>for a moment, a strange expression crossing her face.


    I


    Joe immediately realized his mistake, covering his mouth as he remembered that Yunice had specifically told him not to mention it to Wyatt thest time she wrote the prescription


    Wyatt nced at the medicine in Joe¡¯s hands and immediately recognized it as the same ster he had been using recently for his leg. With a sarcastic tone, he <b>said</b>. ¡°It¡¯s called ¡®Beloved, right?¡±


    Joe, <b>thinking </b>Wyatt was teasing Yunice, was surprised by his sudden yful demeanor but stillplimented him. That¡¯s a good name!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed, but she said nothing. She had actuallye here to thank Wyatt properly, then head <b>home</b>. After all, Wyatt was not a close rtive, so she could not just linger around his ce, could <b>she</b>?


    Standing like a good student, she sincerely expressed her thanks, and Wyatt <b>simply </b>acknowledged her with a grupi


    Nothing more was said.


    Yunice understood his unpredictable temperament, so she did not push for more conversation. Instead, after a brief nce at Wyatt, she turned on her heels and hurried over to the dresser, clutching the pink scarf to her chest.


    Noticing Wyatt looking her way, she quickly bowed in gratitude once <b>more </b>before turning to leave.


    Joe teased, ¡°Ms. Saunders really is something, acting like a schoolgirl bowing to her elders¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s <b>face </b>darkened as <b>he </b>casually knocked over a bottle of medicine on the counter.


    Joe quickly retracted his grin, realizing his mistake. ¡°Mr. Cooper, don¡¯t pour poison into ¡®<b>Beloved </b>now!¡±


    Seeing Joe still joking, Wyatt picked up the bottle with his fingers, preparing to silence him. Joe hurriedly waved his hands and stepped back. ¡°Mr. Cooper, please please, no need for that¡­


    As Yunice left the hospital, a figure approached her from the front.


    After her kidnapping ordeal, Yunice still carried some lingering fear. So, when she <b>saw </b>someone walking toward her, her first <b>instinct </b>was to retreat.


    However, the person immediately stopped and, holding up their phone, said. ¡°Ms. Saunders, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here on Mr. Cooper¡¯s orders.¡±


    The <b>phone </b><b>was </b>still on call, and Wyatt¡¯s voice came through the speaker, ¡°Get in the car.


    It <b>was </b>clear that he was talking to Yunice


    Yunice btedly murmured an ¡°Oh, though it seemed the other side did not hear her, as Wyatt hung up immediately afterward


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    The silence in the enclosed space made it easy for ones mind to wander, to lose focus. Yunice leaned <b>back</b><b>. </b>against <b>the </b>seat, unknowingly thinking of Wyatt


    Why did he always get angry for no reason? Could it be a midlife crisis for men?


    In <b>Paul¡¯s </b>hospital room, he sat on the bed in a daze after Elsie pushed him back. She spoke to him, but he did not respond, as though he had not heard her.


    Elsie thought he was too pained to focus and decided to turn around and get him some painkillers.


    Left in peace, <b>Paul </b>finally turned his gaze to the window, his mind upied with Yunice¡¯s words, ¡®Beloved.


    nago, when he had injured his leg, it had been Yunice who stayed by his bedside, repeatedly making and testing the medicine.


    At that time, he had been impatient with the pain, annoyed by her presence, even scolding her.


    Then she had stepped back, avoiding him while making the medicine. Two dayster, she returned with dark circles under her eyes, her body covered in scrapes, but with a new <b>batch </b>of medicine. Once applied, the <b>pain </b>faded.


    It was only afterward that he learned Yunice had not slept those two tights, trying various concoctions and searching every pharmacy in the city for a rare ingredient. She even fell injuring her <b>hands </b>in the process.


    Back then, young and pure in his feelings. Paul could not help but be <b>moved </b>by Yunice¡¯s dedication. Proud of his devoted little wife, he had impulsively suggested naming the medicine Beloved as a reward for her.


    He even boasted about opening a hospital for Yunice to run as the head, where she could <b>spread </b>her medicine <b>and </b>where ¡®Beloved would symbolize their perfect love for all eternity.


    He still remembered her expression when he said it. Arrirst, she had frowned at the name, <b>but </b>after hearing his lofty ambitions, she smiled, seemingly touched.


    Paul chuckled to himself, recalling <b>that </b>moment. But afterughing aloud, he suddenly froze.


    What am I <b>doing</b>? Am I going nuts? Why am I thinking about the past now


    Yunice no longer liked him. She even hated him, wishing he would stay far away from her. She had even resorted <b>to </b>scheming, deliberately pushing him toward Elsie.


    Paul clenched his fist, still unwilling to ept it. Even though he had not married her as promised<b>, </b>did the twenty years they had spent together not <b>deserve </b>to make them friends?<ol start="4"><li>Fr, Apt 18 GS</li></ol>

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    Why <b>was </b><b>Yunice </b>being so heartless toward him? Not even willing to give him the medicine.


    ¡°Paull¡± Elsie ran over, holding a new batch of ster, proudly announcing. Tve made you a fresh batch of medicine. I guarantee it¡¯ll relieve the pain the moment you apply it


    Of course, Elve did not know how to make real ster, All she did was spray a topical anesthetic <b>on </b><b>an </b>ordinary ster.


    ¡°Take it away, I don¡¯t need it. <b>Paul </b>snapped, not even sure who he was angry at, his tone venomous. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that bastard can endure the pain while I can¡¯t


    He <b>was </b>determined to show Yunice that he was no worse than Wyatt.


    When Yunice returned to the Saunders mansion, the door was not locked because Elsie and Owen had not returned yet.


    It <b>was </b>already close to 3 a.m., and Lily had long since gone to bed.


    The lights in the living room were on, and as soon as Yunice walked in, she saw gifts piled on the floor. She paused for a moment, and when she saw the white dove sticker on the intricate wooden box, she immediately knew whose it was.


    Engagement gifts were only left <b>out </b>in the living room when there were too many to fit anywhere else.


    Paul was clearly still quite attentive toward Elsie.


    Yunice returned to her room, but despite lying in bed, she could <b>not </b>fall asleep


    Elsie <b>marrying </b>into the Powell family <b>would </b>only further steal her identity.


    So, what should my next move be? Perhaps Quinton would be the breakthrough I needed


    Her <b>intuition </b>told her that Quinton would definitely seek her out again.


    The next morning. Yunice slept inte. After all, no one in this house would care about her.


    When she left her room, she <b>saw </b>Lily sitting in the living room. Yunice immediately turned to go back to her room.


    Unexpectedly, <b>Lily</b>, for the first time ever, called out to her, ¡°Yunny,e here.¡±


    Lily rarely smiled so gently at her; her eyes were shining with a maternal glow.


    <b>Yunice </b>was momentarily stunned and, almost by instinct, walked over.


    Laly patted the seat next to her, pulling Yunice down beside her. They sat close together, <b>and </b>Yunice could even feel the warmth of Lily¡¯s body. The maternal love the had longed <b>for </b>so much seemed to be right there, yet it made her feel as if she were sitting on pins and needles.


    Unaware of Yunice¡¯s difort, Lily flipped through a fashion magazine in front of her and asked, Yunny, do you think this wedding dress is beautiful?¡±


    2: The Warmth That Burns


    #Finished


    Seging her approval, Lily¡¯s expression softened. She turned her body, gently taking Yunice¡¯s hand and cing it in her own. With a hint of guilt, she said. ¡°Yunny, you must not know yet, but Elsie is getting marned¡±


    Yunice did not know what she was trying to say, but she felt numb as Lily held her hand. Lily had purposely left the engagement gifts out, hoping to prepare Yunice for the news when she came home


    The past few days had been restless for her. At first, she was happy for Elsie, but gradually, a sense of emptiness started to settle in. She sighed and said. ¡°Yenny. I know you¡¯ve suffered a lot. Every time I think about it, I feel so distressed¡­


    ¡°Once Elsie gets married and moves into the Powell emily, it¡¯ll just be the two of us in this big house.¡± Lily¡¯s voice faltered, her eyes reddening Whether she was grieving Elsie¡¯s departure or touched by the sudden closeness with Yunice, it was unclear.


    Though Lily¡¯s feelings for Yunice were shallow, after all, she was her own flesh and blood. Late at night when insomnia hit, <b>Lily </b>would often feel guilty.


    But this guilt always came quickly and left just as <b>fast </b>


    asionally, she thought she should be closer to Yunice, but at other times, her heart harbored


    resentment


    When she had been rescued from the mountains, wearing ragy and gaunt from hardship, and walked through the <b>gares </b>of the Saunder mansion, she had seen Yunice dressed in a princess gown, raised in luxury and privilege. She had felt a deep sense of hatred.


    If it were not for giving birth to her, she would not have argued with Willi Without that argument, she would not have left in anger and been abducted into the <b>mountains</b><b>, </b>enduring endless humiliation While she suffered through daily beatings and insults, living in a haze, Yunice had been enjoying her life. It felt so


    unfair.


    But now that Elsie was getting married. Lily felt that her emotional anchor was leaving, and she remembered Yunice again.


    Watching Yunice spend three years in the insane asylum, her face ruined, transforming from the adored princess into a pitiful, ordinary soul. Lily¡¯s resentmen slowly began to fade. <b>Perhaps </b>it was because she felt empty, but now, she even felt <b>some </b>sympathy for Yunice


    She reached up and affectionately tousled Yunice¡¯s har, saying. Once Elsie is married, we¡¯ll forget all the unpleasantness from the past. We¡¯ll still be family


    Yunice had no idea what dream Lily was living in.


    When she said they would forget the past, did she mean all the nderous usations against me pushing me into the insane asylum for three years? Or how she had traded my identity for Elsie, constantly showing favoritism? Did she think that with Elsie¡¯s marriage, everything could be forgi


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    Yunice instinctively took a step <b>back</b>, putting distance between herself and Lily, her eyes clear and


    unwavering.


    Finished


    ¡°I won¡¯t forget about what happened. Unless you can make Elsie return my identity to me, only then can I truly call you family


    The shock <b>on </b>Lily¡¯s face was the only answer Yunice needed. She let out a faint, self¨Cmockingugh. ¡°You don¡¯t need to waste your effortsforting me anymore. I won¡¯t me you.¡±


    And I¡¯ll never expect anything from you again.


    Perhaps realizing she was in <b>the </b>wrong, Lily opened be mouth but found herself unable to utter a word.


    But no matter how guilty she felt, she could not <b>ask </b>Else to give Yunice her identity <b>back</b>. Elsie had long secured her ce in the Saunders family using that name. If she returned it now, would not all her yearS of effort be in vain?


    ¡°Yunny, do you know how much your words cut into ray heart like a knife?¡± Lily¡¯s voice trembled, torn and anguished. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m trying tofort you with empty words I want to be close to you. We¡¯re mother and daughter, not enemies. Are you really willing <b>to </b>sever ties with me forever over a mere household registration paper?¡±


    ¡°You and Elsie are both my precious daughters. If I <b>could </b>only choose one, what <b>would </b><b>you </b><b>have </b>me do<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Lily wiped her tears, her voice choked with <b>emotion</b><b>. </b>¡°Esic may have taken your name, but she¡¯ll <b>marry </b>out one day. Everything in the Saunders family will still be yours. Your two brothers will date on you; you¡¯ll be able to sleep in aste as you <b>like</b>, with <b>no </b>need to serve inws, no need to <b>support </b><b>husband</b>, or raise children. What more could you possibly want?¡±


    Lily was <b>more </b>distraught than Yunice. She simply could not understand what Yunice was fighting for.


    Why couldn¡¯t our family just live in harmony?


    Yunice watched her mother weep andment, but her expression remained indifferent. She did not even hand her a tissue<b>. </b>


    Harmony<b>, </b>harmony. She only ever spoke of harmony. Never once did she speak of fairness.


    In a family where bnce <b>was </b>already lost, where one person bore all the losses while another reaped all the benefits, there could never truly be harmony<b>. </b><b>And </b>the moment Yunice refused to keep losing, she became the <b>viin </b>who destroyed that fragile peace.


    Lily, exhausted from crying,shed out again. ¡°It¡¯s your own fault for failing to keep a man. The Powell family didn¡¯t <b>want </b>you. It¡¯s not like Elsie snatched anything from you. What¡¯s the point of sulking and giving us the cold shoulder <b>all </b>day?¡±


    It could only <b>take </b>a true mother to say anything as sharp, straight to the heart with every word.


    As if her grievances only counted if she could make Yunice feel even worse.


    Yunice could only sight. Lily¡¯s <b>brand </b>of dramatics, it seemned, she only dared to unleash on her.


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    Lily waited for Yunice to explode. To shout, to cry, and to lose control. But none of that happened. Instead, Lily grew more agitated, like a petty viin throwing a tantrum with no one left to fight. She shifted ufortably in her <b>seat</b>, her whole <b>body </b>bristling with frustration.


    ¡°Madam Lily, someone from the Powell family is here again!¡± Giana practically skipped into the room, her steps light like a bird bringing good news.


    Lily¡¯s heart skipped when she saw the man following behind Giana and immediately recognized him.


    It was the Powell family¡¯s steward, Luke. He hade before when the Powell family sent engagement gifts. Lily quickly adjusted her expression, wiping away her tears as her attitude shiftedpletely.


    Yunice, get <b>up </b>quickly, she said, pulling Yunice along to greet their guest.


    Behind Luke stood a woman carrying a suitcase.


    Luke nodded politely. ¡°Madam Lily.¡±


    After the brief exchange, he turned to Yunice with a rare smile. ¡°Looks like we arrived just in time. Ms. Saunders is home.


    This instantly reminded Lily of something. She fumbled for her phone, saying quickly. I¡¯ll call Elsie right now and have here back.¡±


    ¡°No need.¡± Luke interrupted her. gesturing toward the woman beside him. ¡°This is the tailor. She¡¯s here to take Ms. Saunders measurements for her wedding dress.¡±


    No need?


    Lily did not quite process it. She forced a smile. ¡°If it¡¯s for measurements, then Elsie should definitely be here. A wedding dress has to be perfect.¡±


    Luke


    gave her a strange look. ¡°Of course, a wedding dress must be tailored to the bride.¡±


    Then he turned, his <b>tone </b>polite but firm. ¡°Please take <b>Ms. </b><b>Yunice </b>Saunders¡® measurements.


    The <b>words </b>struck like thunder. Lily stood frozen. Yunice herself was momentarily stunned.


    It was Lily who recovered first, forcing augh. ¡°Elsie will be back <b>soon</b>. It won¡¯t take long¡­


    But <b>Luke </b><b>could </b><b>no </b>longer hold back <b>his </b>irritation. ¡°We¡¯re taking measurements for Ms. Yunice Saunders. It doesn¡¯t matter if Ms. Elsie is here or not.¡±


    ¡°Yunice? Lily¡¯s <b>mind </b>went nk. She turned her bewildered gaze to Yunice.


    Yunice frowned slightly, her voice <b>calm</b>. ¡°<b>Are </b>you certain it¡¯s me you¡¯re here for?¡±


    She had grown up running in and out of the Powell mansion. Luke would never mistake her for Elsie.


    As if suddenly realizing something. Laly quickly added Right, right, Mr. Laike, perhaps there¡¯s been some confusion. Elsie also uses the name Yunice,


    But Luke¡¯s patience had run out. His tone was sharp, ¡°Madam Lily, you as a mother, don¡¯t you know who exactly is Yunice Saunders?¡±


    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 83 The Bride Switch

 Daghter 83

    he Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 83 The Bride Switch


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    Lily¡¯s mouth hung open for a long time, unable to close Yet Yunice¡¯s expression was even darker than hers. She stared coldly at Luke, ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ the one engaged to the Powell family is me?¡±


    Luke smiled family. ¡°Yes¡±


    With a heavy thud. Lily¡¯s legs gave way, and she copsed onto the sofa.


    Giana, watching the scene unfold, quietly <b>slipped </b><b>away </b>to call Owen.


    Yunice showed no trace of joy. Her voice was low and steady. I already signed the annulment papers. How could I possibly be marrying Paul!¡±


    Luke replied calmly, ¡°Ms. Saunders, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Mr. Jackson didn¡¯t arrange for you to marry Mr. Paul


    Lily, who <b>had </b>just lifted her head in shock, felt like her heart was riding a roller coaster.


    It doesn¡¯t matter who Yunice married. As long as it¡¯s not Paul


    Yunice frowned. Then who is it?¡±


    Luke answered slowly, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Cooper


    What!


    It felt as though fireworks exploded inside Yunice¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Wyan?!¡± Lily was still struggling to make sense of everything. But <b>as </b>though something just struck her, she screamed. ¡°Mr. Jackson wants Yunice to marry <b>Wyatt</b>?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Luke answered.


    Lily nearly lost her voice. ¡°How can that be! Wyatt is Paul¡¯s uncle! If Yunice marries him, wouldn¡¯t that <b>make </b>her a generation above Elsie?!¡±


    In the future, wouldn¡¯t Elsie have to call Yunice Aunt? How could the possibly ept that humiliation?


    But <b>Luke </b>merely sneered, his tone filled with disdain. That won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Lily refused to give up. ¡°Why not?!¡±


    <b>Luke </b>cut her off sharply. ¡°Because the Powell family will never let Ms. Elsie marry in. Madam Lily, you¡¯re overthinking it.¡±


    That single word, overthinking,nded on Lily¡¯s face like a merciless p<b>. </b>


    Finally, <b>Luke </b>stopped ying nice. ¡°Even the engagement gifts from a few days ago were sent by Mr. Jackson on behalf of Mr. Cooper. They are for Ms. Saunders. It had nothing to do with Ms. Elsie. The Powell family never


    Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    Ignoring the utterly basic fo


    PECTIVITIEK BY uguning. Luke waved his <b>hand</b>. ¡°Quickly, take her measurements. The <b>wedding </b>date is tight; let¡¯s not waste time.¡±


    Chapter 83 The Bride Switch


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    But Yunice coldly pushed the measuring tools away. Her voice was frosty. ¡°I knew nothing of this marriage. I don¡¯t agree to it. Whoever promised you this marriage go find them!¡±


    Then, she spun around and stormed back to her room, bolting the door shut behind her.


    Outside, Luke and Lily exchanged helpless nces.


    To Lily, this was a chance and a way out. She hurriedly suggested, Perhaps¡­ Luke, you <b>should </b>return for


    now!


    Once he left, she could properly discuss things with Owen and figure out <b>their </b>next move.


    Damn! Of all times, where on earth had Owen gone? She had not been able to reach him on the phone this whole time.


    But to Lily¡¯s horror, Luke did not leave as expected. Instead, he calmly sat down on the <b>sofa</b><b>, </b>settling in like he owned the ce. It seems the Saunders family has some misunderstandings about this marriage. ?n that case, I shall wait here until Mr. Owen returns. Then <b>we¡¯ll </b>settle this matter properly.¡±


    Yunice sat alone in her room, while Lily wept in the living room, feeling heartbroken that Elsie¡¯s wedding had somehow turned into Yunice¡¯s,


    Elsie was the first to rush back, bringing with her Paul, who sat in his wheelchair.


    And Owen¡¯s phone was still unreachable.


    The moment Elsie stepped into the house, her legs turned weak. When she saw Luke sitting there, her heart sank


    This was not a nightmare. This was not some prank by Lily. The Powell family really had changed the


    bride.


    Paul¡¯s brows furrowed deeply. He had only learned about the engagement gift after Elsie cried at the hospital. He still had not figured out who had spread the false rumor about him marrying Elsie, and yet now he was being told that Yunice was marrying Wyatt?


    Wheeling himself into the room, Paul¡¯s sharp gazended directly on Luke.


    Such a massive upheaval in the <b>Powell </b>family, and he, the precious son of the house, had been thest to know. Did the Powell family even remember he existed?


    With Paul¡¯s arrival, <b>Luke </b>no longer dared to remain sealed.


    Paul¡¯s voice <b>was </b>icy. ¡°How can Yunice marry Wyatt? I was the one who broke off her engagement. Do you intend for the entire Silverburgh to point <b>at </b>my <b>back </b>andugh?¡±


    <b>Luke </b>replied respectfully. ¡°Mr. Paul, I don¡¯t <b>know </b>the details either. Everything was arranged by Mr. Jackson. I¡¯m merely following orders.¡±


    Paul had still been holding on to the hope <b>that </b>this was some kind of misunderstanding. But judging from. the situation now, it was real


    He could not understand it. There were so many women in the world; why must Grandfather arrange this marriage in particr?


    5 Fri, Apr 18 GO


    ipter 83 The Bride Switch


    1 going to ask Grandfather myself!¡± Paul left in anger.


    sing this. Elsic hurriedly chased after him, crying, go with you!¡±


    nice sat quietly in her room. She knew Luke had not left yet.


    kson¡¯s arrangement had caught everyone off guard


    #Finished


    arrying Wyatt! This was something Yunice <b>had </b>never imagined. She did not even know how she had tten caught up in the Powell family¡¯s mess, but she was certain of one thing. This marriage would be a aster. For both her and Wyatt


    the time Owen finally returned to the Saunders mansion, night had already fallen.

 Daghter 84

    Finished


    ling behind Owen were Paul and Elsie, both of whom had turned back after leaving earlier..


    three of them said nothing. Like eggnts beaten by frost, their faces were <b>pale</b>, drained of all spirit, a looking more deste than the other.


    soon as Lily saw Owen step through the door, she froze for a second, and then, with a sharp cry, rushed r in a panic, tears welling in her eyes. Owen What happened to you? How did you end up like this?!¡±


    ises and dark marks marred Owen¡¯s once¨Csharp face. His usually pristine, elite¨Clooking suit was in array. The buttons were tom apart as if he¡¯d been nunhandled, leaving him looking utterly disheveled.


    Owen did not respond to her concern. Instead, his gaze turned to Luke.


    y thought he had not realized the purpose of Luke¡¯s visit and hurriedly opened her mouth to exin, t before she could say a word, Owen patted her shoulder lightly, then walked straight to Yunice¡¯s droom door.


    -knocked twice. ¡°Yunice, 1 have something to say.¡±


    he door soon opened. Yunice stood there calmly. Owen stepped inside, closing the door behind him with quiet click


    1 the living room, the others were left standing outside. Choking on her sobs, Lily turned anxiously to Isic and <b>Paul</b>. ¡°What on earth happened? Did Owen get into a fight with someone?¡±


    at the mention of it. Elsie could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Lily¡¯s arms and <b>broke </b>down rying ¡°Mom¡­ Owen has been used of assault and forced <b>entry</b>. They want to sentence him to three


    tears in prison


    Lily¡¯s legs nearly gave out beneath her.


    Meanwhile, <b>Paul</b>, sitting in his wheelchair, cast a cold, sharp look at Luke. As expected, Luke showed no sign of surprise. It was clear he had known all along.


    It seemed Paul¡¯s suspicions were correct. This was a trap his grandfather had set <b>from </b>the very beginning.


    Lily clutched at her chest, struggling to catch her breath. ¡°What do we do¡­ Owen can¡¯t go to jail¡­¡±


    Paul said grimly, ¡°Grandfather intervened and convinced the other party to <b>drop </b>the charges, but on one condition. He wants Yunice to marry Wyatt.¡±


    Silence. Lily¡¯s face was frozen in shock. Words were caught in her throat.


    But the look in her eyes betrayed her thoughts.


    No matter who Yunice married, Owen absolutely could not go to prison.


    Inside Yunice s room, she sat on her bed while Owen say tensely at her little desk.


    Neither spoke. Silence stretched between them. In the rudd, it was Yunice who broke it first. ¡°I won¡¯t marry him.


    Chapter 84 No Deal


    Is this still the little sister he had cherished and proteerd since childhood?


    He had made it clear. If she refused, he would go to jail for three years! And yet she refused him so easily! Without hesitation? Did she really want him to go to prison?


    Deeply wounded. Owen¡¯s voice trembled with anger. Do you really think this has nothing to do with you? I got into that <b>night </b>because of <b>you</b>! I was defending your honor when I taught Quinton a lesson. That¡¯s why I¡¯m in this mess! And now you just stand aside a wash your hands of it all?¡±


    and


    You think I¡¯m afraid of going to jail?¡± Owen¡¯s voice role with indignation. ¡°Oscar is locked away doing confidential research and can¡¯te home. The entire family and the whole hospital are resting on my shoulders! If I go to prison, how are any of you going to survive?


    You always say I¡¯m biased toward Elsic, but you never reflect on your own actions. If the Powell family wanted to force Elsie into marriage today, she would we agreed without hesitation!¡± He continued. ¡°A heart for a heart, Yunice. You¡¯ve truly disappointed me.¡±


    Yunice did not speak. In the past, she might have been guilt¨Ctripped and manipted by Owen¡¯s words. But not Anymore


    She had already cut herself free from the Saunders family, and now, everything was clear.


    She looked up at Owen, her voice calm. ¡°Should I be thanking you then? For standing up for me so fiercely that you¡¯ve earned me such a wonderful marriage proposal:


    Owen choked. Searching for justification, he forced our. ¡°Wyatt isn¡¯t as bad as the rumors say. Besides¡­. didn¡¯t you kind of like him? Didn¡¯t you even pick up his cane for himst time<b>. </b>


    But even he realized how flimsy his excuses sounded


    The Saunders family had been dealing with the <b>Powell </b>family for years. This was not their first day knowing the truth. To outsiders, Wyatt might appear to be the illegitimate son of the Powell family. A figure of mour and mystery.


    But only those in the know understood that the Powell family and Wyatt were enemies in everything but


    Jackson had arranged this marriage not as a blessing but as an insult. A humiliation.


    To murry Yunice to Wyatt was to turn her into a weapon<b>, </b>a pawn, and a <b>living </b>disgrace.


    The Powell family would not treat her kindly. <b>And </b>that bastard Wyatt, he would never let her live in peace.


    Owen sat at the desk clutching his hair in frustration and caught in the brutal tug<b>¨C</b>of¨Cwar between his conscience and cold reality.


    He struggled like that for a long time. But Yunice never said another <b>word</b>.


    Finally, Owen ler out a heavy sigh. He stood. I won¡¯t force you. <b>Tomorrow</b>. I¡¯ll pack my things <b>and </b>go to


    Before leaving, he nced at Yunice again, <b>his </b>voice low. ¡°Go to bed early¡±


    He walked out slowly But Yunice did not call after.


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    Chapter 84 No Deal


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    Owen waited. Hoping, praying for ast¨Cminute reprieve. But none came. The sister he had protected for twenty¨Cone years did not show him even a shred of sentimentality.


    In the living room. Owen cast one final look at Yunice¡¯s closed door.


    Seeing her so detached, so utterly unmoved, thest of his tenderness burned <b>away</b>, consumed by rising fury. Turning to Luke he sneered coldly.


    ¡°Luke, please tell Mr. Jackson that I appreciate his kindness. But I will not trade my sister¡¯s future for my


    QWTL¡±

 Daghter 85

    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 85 No Hope for Rescue


    ¡°I¡¯ll turn <b>myself </b>in tomorrow.¡± He announced it tly.


    ¡°What?!¡± Lily <b>and </b>Elsie both let out a wailing cry at the same time.


    71%


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    Elsie threw herself into Owen¡¯s arms, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Yunice didn¡¯t give in? How could she be so cruel, so selfish! You¡¯re her brothel


    Owen closed his eyes heavily, and two silent tears slid down his face. His voice was hoarse. ¡°It¡¯s me who has failed her. Perhaps this is heaven¡¯s punishment for my sins.¡±


    Elsie buried herself in his arms, weeping bitterly, while shooting Yunice a venomous <b>re</b><b>, </b>as though Yunice was the root of all evil and the one tearing their family apart.


    Lily looked at her children, one crying bitterly in the other¡¯s arms. She was trembling with rage, her hands curling into spasms of anger.


    This was something Yunice could resolve with just a single nod. Why <b>did </b>she insist on breaking this family. aparti


    In Lily¡¯s eyes, all of this was Yunice¡¯s <b>fault</b>.


    Hatred filled her to the point her teeth almost shattered from clenching too hard. She stormed into Yunice¡¯s room like a madwoman, pouncing on her and reaching for her neck,


    ¡°Is marrying Wyatt so unbearable for <b>you</b>?! Owen only got into trouble because he was standing up <b>you</b>, and now you just sit <b>back </b>and watch him go to prison?¡±


    Lily was beside herself with rage, so much so <b>that </b>she knocked Yunice over in one blow.


    The two of them tumbled onto Yunice¡¯s bed.


    for


    Lily¡¯s <b>hands </b>locked around Yunice¡¯s <b>neck</b>, her voice shaking with resentment <b>as </b>tears fell. ¡°Ever since we brought you back, this house has <b>known </b>no peace. If I Had known things would turn out like this, I would rather have left you to rot in that asylum forever!¡±


    Fueled by fury, Lily used all her strength.


    Yunice¡¯s breath caught. She could <b>not </b>breathe. Her feet kicked helplessly off the edge of the bed. Yer despite seeing her desperate struggle, not a single person from the living room <b>moved</b>.


    Lily¡¯s curses poured on. ¡°<b>You </b><b>stabbed </b>Elsie, and your brother couldn¡¯t bear to see you suffer, so he risked everything to forge a medical report to send you to the asylum for protection. <b>And </b>how do you repay him? By sending him to prison yourself? Even a snake that bites its savior isn¡¯t as vicious as you!¡±


    Yunice riawed at Lily¡¯s wrists, but her grip was iron¨Ctight, only tightening further.


    A choking sound rasped from Yunice¡¯s throat. Her head pounded painfully, and Lily¡¯s usations blurred, muffled like a voiceing through a thick log


    As her consciousness began to fade, Yunice <b>shifted </b>her gaze toward the living room. Her bloodshot eyes were full of a desperate plea for help, but all she saw were indifferentces.


    17:05 Fri, Apr 18 G @ ¡¤


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    Chapter 85 No Hope for Rescue


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    Elsje¡¯s eyes were filled with hatred, as if Yunice¡¯s suffering at this moment finally soothed the humiliation of not marrying into the Powell family.


    Even Luke, calm and detached, pretended to see nothing. His task was simple. Make Yunice agree to marry Wyatt. And what Lily was doing now suited him just fine.


    Finally, Yunice looked <b>at </b>Paul, the man she had once protected with all her heart.


    As a child. Paul had always been trouble. He was always provoking enemies, always getting into fights. Back then, driven by youthful loyalty, <b>when </b>Paul was beater or bullied, Yunice had stood in front of him, ready to take the blows herself.


    And Paul would pull her behind him, forcing out a boastful, reckless grin, ¡°This is my girl. Whoever dares touch her will answer to me!¡±


    But now, Paul sat in his wheelchair, frowning at her, neither helping nor opposing, with no intention of interfering.


    That look¡­ It reminded her of when Wyatt was beaten in the Powell family home; Owen had worn this exact same expression.


    Yunice finally understood. To her¡­ Paul was nothing but an outsider now.


    She looked away. She no longer held out hope for anyone¡¯s rescue.


    Her body was limp fromck of oxygen. There was no extra strength left to pry open Lilve would never let Lily strangle her to death right here!


    hands. But she


    Grinding her teeth, Yunice summoned every ounce of strength left in her body. She bent her knee and drove her foot hard into Lily¡¯s leg!


    Caughtpletely off guard, Lily stumbled backward several <b>steps</b>, crashing into a chair and falling with it in a heap of embarrassment.


    ¡°Mom Two voices cried out in unison.


    Yunice flipped over, gasping desperately for breath on the bed, but the searing pain in her throat reminded her clearly <b>of </b>just how deeply Lily hated her


    But before she could catch her breath, Owen grabbed her roughly and yanked her up!


    Already full of resentment, Owen¡¯s fury erupted the moment he saw <b>Yunice </b>dare to fight back and attack their mother..


    He did not even check if Lily <b>was </b>hurt. He <b>charged </b>directly at Yunice, determined to teach her a lesson.¡±


    Tm not in prison yet, and you already <b>dare </b>toy hands on <b>our </b>mother? What will you <b>do </b>once I¡¯m gone? Kill Elsie and Mom toor The more Owen thought about it, the angrier he became. Rage boiling over until he could no longer hold it back. ¡°If that¡¯s the <b>case</b>, then I might as well take care of you now!¡±


    As soon as the words left his mouth, he really lifted his foot <b>and </b>kicked toward Yunice with all the strength. of a furious grown man standing well over six feet tall


    A kick like that, even a man would struggle to survive j

 Daghter 86

    Finished


    Yunice was <b>small </b>and thin. Owen¡¯s kicknded squarely in her stomach, sending her flying backward <b>like </b><b>a </b>ragdoll.


    It happened so fast that no one reacted in time.


    Both Luke and Paul froze, breath caught in their throats


    Lily, still stunned from her own fall, was helped up by sie. All the strength had drained <b>from </b>her body.


    Only now did she seem to realize she¡¯d just tried to strangle <b>Yunice </b>to death. Her face turned <b>pale</b>. Even if she hated Yunice, she was still her mother. Doing that in front of everyone¨Cwhat had she been thinking?


    But the second she stood up, she saw Yunice curled on the floor, her body trembling in <b>pain</b>.


    Owen¡¯s anger hadn¡¯t subsided. He <b>was </b>about to lunge forward again. Lily panicked. Ignoring her own aching leg she rushed over and threw her arms around him.


    Tears streamed down her face as she shook her head. ¡°Owen, listen to me. Let¡¯s stop fighting. You¡¯re both my dearest kids. It hurts me to see either of you get hurt.


    Owen¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched so tightly the bones stood out beneath his skin. If Lily hadn¡¯t stopped him, he really might have charged at Yupice again.


    Elsie ran up in tears, pointing at Yunice. ¡°Yunice, I can¡¯t defend you this time. Owen is <b>always </b>such a gentle person. Look what you¡¯ve turned him into. If he hadn¡¯t stood up for you, he wouldn¡¯t be in <b>this </b><b>legal </b>mess. This time, it really is your fault!¡±


    Yunice stayed on the floor for a long while, unable to get up. Her throat tasted faintly of blood, <b>and </b>every breath sent sharp pain through her abdomen. The edges of her vision pulsed dark.


    But she could still hear them. One <b>usation </b>after another.


    No one offered her a hand. No one asked if she <b>was </b>in pain. It was like all the years she¡¯d spent giving her heart to them meant absolutely nothing.


    Paul seemed to waver for a moment. His <b>brow </b>furrowed. He did <b>think </b>Yunice <b>had </b>made mistakes¨Cbut he also couldn¡¯t stand the sight of her being beaten like th


    Just as he opened his mouth <b>to </b>say something. Elsie¡¯s voice rang out again.


    ¡°And don¡¯t forget¨C<b>you¡¯ve </b>always <b>had </b>a thing for Wyatt. You even helped him bully Paul. Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t want to marry him. You¡¯re just doing this to get back at Owen. You want <b>him </b>in jail!¡±


    With a single sentence, Elsie hit two <b>targets </b><b>at </b><b>once</b>.


    Paul and Owen both froze.


    That¡¯s right. Yunice had shown favor toward Wyatt. Shed helped him. Even stood on his side.


    <b>Paul </b>remembered her letting him suffer in <b>silence</b>, refusing to give <b>him </b><b>pain </b>meds. He remembered her calmly saying Wyatt <b>was </b>better than him in every way.


    Chapter 86 Not Your Sister


    She didn¡¯t hate the match, She just wanted to disgust them. She wanted Owen behind bars.


    Finished


    Owen didn¡¯t feel guilty anymore. If Yunice wanted to see him in prison, then he <b>was </b>going to <b>make </b>sure she didn¡¯t get what she <b>wanted</b>.


    He stepped toward her and demanded, ¡°So are you marrying him or not?¡±


    The pain in her body made it hard to move, but Yunice managed to sit up. Her arms trembled <b>as </b>she propped herself off the floor.


    She looked up at all the people pressuring her. At Owen, who red like he was ready to kill her.


    But she didn¡¯t see Wyatt¨C<b>who </b><b>had </b>just stepped through the Saunders family¡¯s front door.


    Her eyes swept across every angry, self¨Crighteous <b>face </b>in the room. <b>And </b>something in her snapped.


    ¡°I¡¯m not marrying him,¡± she growled. ¡°I don¡¯t care how much it hurts. I¡¯d rather die than marry him. You <b>can </b>beat me to death if you want¨Cbut after today, we¡¯re done. You¡¯re not my brother, <b>and </b><b>I¡¯m </b>not <b>your </b>sister¡±


    Owen was stunned. ¡°You think I¡¯m forcing you into this? If <b>you </b>hadn¡¯t gone chasing after Wyatt and stuck up for him in front of Mr. Jackson, none of this would¡¯ve happened!¡±


    He kept going. ¡°Because you couldn¡¯t stay in yourne, I¡¯m in trouble. Elsie¡¯s engagement fell through. You don¡¯t see usining. What gives you the right to act like the victim?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice dripped with scorn. ¡°So all of you helping the devil is fine, but me helping Wyatt is wrong?¡±


    Just because they <b>took </b>a different side, that made her disobedient? Yes, she had helped Wyatt¨Cbut that didn¡¯t mean she loved him. <b>And </b>it sure as hell didn¡¯t mean she had to marry him.


    Marriage wasn¡¯t what made a life whole. A woman didn¡¯t need to get married just to prove her worth.


    Whether or not she had feelings for Wyatt had nothing to do with whether she was willing to marry him.


    She¡¯d <b>stayed </b>in the Saunders <b>house </b>because she had no legal identity. Without documents, she couldn¡¯t go anywhere.


    <b>She </b>wanted her name back. She wanted out of this family.


    She didn¡¯t want to be dragged into the Powell family¡¯s chaos¨Cdidn¡¯t want to waste her life caught between Wyatt <b>and </b>Mr. Jackson¡¯s games.


    Lily didn¡¯t want her son in prison. She <b>didn¡¯t </b><b>want </b>to make enemies with the Powells either. And now, she finally saw the truth that this whole mess started with Yunice.


    And the one who tied the knot had to be the one to untie it. If they really beat Yunice to death who would marry Wyatt then?


    Tears welled in her eyes <b>as </b>she whispered, ¡°Yunny, we¡¯re not trying to hurt you. But Mr. Jackson isn¡¯t someone we can afford to cross. Even if we let <b>you </b>go, do you <b>think </b>he will?¡±


    17:05 Fri Apr 18 Ge


    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 87 Forced to Choose

 Daghter 87

    hapter 87 Forced to Choose


    Finished


    Lily¡¯s tears spilled first, and Owen felt a sting behind his own eyes. His voice was hoarse as he said to Yunice. ¡°So you¡¯re really going to drag the whole family down with you? Even if I go to jail. Mom cries herself to sleep. Elsie¡¯s future gets destroyed, and Oscar¡¯s world falls apart you¡¯d still refuse to marry


    him!¡±


    Yunice tilted her head back, her throat moving as she swallowed. Two tears slipped down her cheeks as she whispered. ¡°So even if I live a miserable life, you¡¯d still forer me to marry?¡±


    Owen kept asking her to think of the family. But who had ever considered her?


    Then she spoke again, voice soft but firm. ¡°You promised me. <b>You </b>said you¡¯d never force me to marry anyone. You said I could stay with the family for the rest of my life.


    ¡°Owen¡¯s eyes trembled. A <b>wave </b>of guilt mmed into him, heavy <b>and </b>suffocating, like two soaked cotton balls lodged in his chest. He couldn¡¯t get a word out.


    Yunice was his baby sister. He had watched her grow up. How could he not hurt when she cried?


    Looking at her now, crumpled on the ground after his <b>own </b>kick, <b>something </b>inside <b>him </b>panicked. What was he doing!


    Hadn¡¯t <b>he </b>gone to Quinton to fight for her? So why was everyone crying now¨Cincluding her?


    If <b>he </b>had really caused this mess?


    As Owen¡¯s gaze darted in confusion, Yunice slowly drew in a breath and said; ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll marry him. <b>But </b>after that, I have nothing to do with any of you ever again.¡±


    Lily and Owen stared at her in shock. Why was she so determined to cut ties with her family!


    Marrying Wyatt didn¡¯t mean she had to stop being part of the Saunders family.


    Yunice turned to Luke. ¡°Is the tailor still here? I <b>can </b>get measured now.¡±


    Luke looked her up and down. With <b>all </b>the injuries shed suffered, could she even stand?


    But that wasn¡¯t his <b>concern</b>. If they could wrap <b>this </b>up, all the better.


    He gave the tailor a <b>subtle </b>nod, and the woman stepped forward.


    Owen wanted to stop them but <b>was </b>held back by Lily, who <b>was </b>crying and <b>shaking </b>her head like she <b>was </b>telling him. This is the best oue. Don¡¯t make it worse.


    Else clung to his arm, tears streaking down her face Owen, <b>Yunice </b>didn¡¯t mean what she <b>said</b>. We¡¯re <b>her </b>family Where else could she go? Once she calms downs she¡¯ll understand


    ?¡°Yeah.¡± Owen murmured, eyes flickering. <b>That </b>gave hirp something to hold on to. This was still her home. Shede back eventually. Blood tes couldn¡¯t just bebevered. They were siblings. No matter what she said, that wouldn¡¯t change


    He stepped back silently, letting the tailor approach


    17:05 Fn, Apr 18


    Chapter 97 Forced to Choose


    Finished


    They had heard everything from beginning to end¨Chow Yunice had been pressured into this marriage after resisting for so long.


    This was not the moment for Wyatt to appear. If he had any sense, he¡¯d turn and <b>walk </b>away quietly. <b>No </b>one would even know he¡¯d been here.


    But instead. Wyant stepped inside.


    Yunice¡¯s tiny room was packed. The tailor tried to lift her up¨Cshe needed to stand for an urate


    But Yunice winced in pain. Even after a few tries, <b>she </b>couldn¡¯t get up.


    Owen¡¯s heart clenched. He almost stepped forward to help her, but Paul beat him to it, his voice bitter. You¡¯re really going to marry Wyatt?¡±


    It was the first thing he¡¯d said to her all day.


    Watching her push through pain just to <b>stand </b>and be measured, something inside him twisted with jealousy


    Yunice raised her eyes and looked at him like he was an idiot. She scoffed. ¡°When I was being forced into this, you said nothing. Now that I¡¯ve agreed, suddenly you have something to say?¡±


    Elsie nced at Paul nervously. She knew he still hadn¡¯t fully let go of Yunice, and she was terrified he might try to stop the wedding.


    Paul didn¡¯t reply. After a pause, he muttered resentfully. I told you to stay away from Wyatt. You didn¡¯t listen. Now look where <b>that </b>got you. Do you even know <b>what </b>kind of person he is?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Paul Luke¡¯s face darkened as he cut him off.


    Then Wyatt¡¯s voice rang out.


    Talking behind people¡¯s backs isn¡¯t exactly a good habit.


    <b>Paul </b>stiffened. He whipped his <b>head </b>around and <b>saw </b>Wyatt and Jordan standing at the door.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze flicked <b>past </b>himzily. ¡°When I run into people like that, I usually rip out their tongues. Makes it easier to shut them up


    <b>Paul </b>went rigid, knees <b>throbbing </b>with <b>phantom </b><b>pain</b>.


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t joking-


    He¡¯d do it


    Paul¡¯s face went pale. He didn¡¯t dare say another word


    Wyatt stepped <b>past </b>him and <b>walked </b>over to Yunice. He reached out and gently pulled her upright.


    Yunice couldn¡¯t even stay on her feet. Her whole bodyched, and nearly all her weight fell into Wyatt¡¯s


    She was afraid of dragging him down


    shkent vine to straight


    22/3


    The Daughter in the Shadows

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    Chapter 88 The Man She Was Forced to Marry


    Wyatt lowered his gaze to her. ¡°Can you still <b>move </b>your <b>arms</b>?¡±


    Yunice tried to stretch one out.


    To <b>her </b><b>surprise</b>, Wyatt crouched slightly, slipping his shoulder under her arm. ¡°Hold on to me.¡±


    Feeling his arm curve under the bend of her knee. Yunice instinctively tightened her grip around his shoulder.


    A secondter, Wyatt effortlessly lifted her with one arm.


    The entire room froze, stunned.


    They <b>had </b>all assumed Wyatt was just some cripple who couldn¡¯t do anything¨Cbut none of them had expected him to pick her up like that, so calm and strong.


    Paul felt like something sharp had pierced his chest. His eyes flicked to Wyatt, then to Yunice, who didn¡¯t resist. Finally, he dropped his gaze in silence.


    Wyatt hadn¡¯te just to visit. He <b>had </be to take Yunice away.


    Luke moved to stop him. ¡°Mr. Cooper, there¡¯s no rush<b>. </b>Let Ms. <b>Saunders </b>get her measurements first so we can get started on the wedding gown.¡±


    Wyatt shot him a mocking look. ¡°I know exactly who belongs to me. I¡¯ll protect her myself¨Cyou don¡¯t need to meddle¡±


    My person. The weight of those two words darkened every face in the room.


    Owen and Lily couldn¡¯t quite read Wyatt¡¯s intentions.


    Elsie and Paul, meanwhile, looked downright miserable¨Cprobably out <b>of </b>jealousy.


    After Wyant left, Luke followed with the <b>tailor</b>.


    Only then did Owen turn to <b>Paul</b>, worried, ¡°What were you trying to say about Wyatt earlier?¡±


    Owen still hoped that if Yunice had to marry Wyatt, maybe she could at least be happy. Then he wouldn¡¯t feel so guilty.


    But from Paul¡¯s earlier tone, it sounded like there was something seriously wrong with Wyatt¨Csomething hidden.


    Only those inside the Powell family would really know the truth.


    Surrounded by everyone, Paul looked ufortable, Eke he didn¡¯t want to say it out loud. ¡°He¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s a psychopath.¡±


    Owen waited, but <b>Paul </b>stopped there.


    He pressed, ¡°<b>And</b>?¡±


    FIL Apr To


    Chapter 8 The Man She Was Forced to Marry


    any woman by his side all these years?¡±


    .any woman


    Owen¡¯s frown deepened. He didn¡¯t quite get what <b>Paul </b><b>was </b>implying


    Finished


    Maybe it involved secrets within the Powell family. If Paul wouldn¡¯t spell it out, Owen didn¡¯t feel right pushing further


    Elsie watched Paul closely. Seeing how tense he looked, she figured something really was off about Wyatt. If Yunice married <b>him</b>, she definitely wouldn¡¯t have a good time.


    That thought alone was enough to dull Elsie¡¯s jealousy


    At Silverburgh Hospital. Joe stood by the bed, adjusting the IV drip.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders,¡± he said lightly, ¡°even if you love medicine, you can¡¯t keep running back to the hospital like this.¡±


    She¡¯d just left the night before <b>and </b>was already back again. It was the third time she¡¯d <b>been </b>admitted in a week.


    Yunice gave a sheepish smile. Honestly, if Wyatt hadn¡¯t taken her seriously, she wouldn¡¯t even have made it past the front desk. <b>Without </b>an ID, she couldn¡¯t even register.


    After checking the IV, Joe added. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, stay and rest properly. You¡¯re young¨Cdon¡¯t end up with lifelongplications.¡±


    Once he left, only a young nurse remained in the room to care for her.


    Wyatt had dropped her off and hadn¡¯t returned since.


    Rumor had it Wyatt hadn¡¯t even known about the wedding. He was probably off confronting Mr. Jackson


    <b>§á§à§ê</b>.


    She hadn¡¯t wanted this marriage¨C<b>and </b>Wyatt would want it even less.


    He <b>was </b>at the height of his career, with every wealthy family¡¯s daughter waiting for his attention. Marrying her would be seen <b>as </b>a joke, a stain on <b>his </b>reputation.


    But Yunice figured Wyatt, like her, had no real choice in the matter.


    She¡¯d grown up around the Powell family <b>and </b>had seen firsthand how Mr. Jackson operated. Unless he was absolutely certain, he¡¯d never force someone¡¯s <b>hand</b>. But once he made a move, <b>it </b>was already toote to


    resist


    Lily had been right about one thing. Even if the Saunders family refused the marriage, the Powell <b>family </b>wouldn¡¯t let her go.


    Even Wyatt had been pulled into it. What chance did she have?


    That was why she had ultimately agreed.


    When she first heard <b>about </b>the engagement, Yunice hit wondered¨Cwhy her?


    17:05 Fri, Apr 18 G 0.


    Chapter 88 The Man She Was Forced to Marry


    Luk? had told her this was Mr. Jackson repaying an old lebt. She should be grateful.


    Finished


    Yunice figured it <b>had </b>something to do with <b>that </b>day¨Cwhen she picked up Wyatt¡¯s cane and offended Mr. Jackson in the process. Maybe this marriage was his twisted version of ¡°repayment.¡±


    With the knife already at her throat, Yunice no longer bed the strength to question if she¡¯d acted recklessly that day. She could only take it one step at a time.


    As she stared off in thought, noise stirred outside the room. It sounded like people were chasing someone down the hallway.


    The young nurse couldn¡¯t help but peek outside.


    Yunice asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Not sure,¡± the nurse replied. ¡°Looked like some big shot showed up¨Ceveryone¡¯s rushing to get a glimpse.¡±

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    Chapter 89 The Perfect Lie


    9% 71%%a


    Finished


    Hospitals were filled with all kinds of people¨CVIP¡¯s, celebrities. It wasn¡¯t unusual for someone to attract


    attention.


    Yunice didn¡¯t think much of it. What she didn¡¯t <b>know </b>was that the person being swarmed by admirers just outside was none other than Elsie.


    Wearing a white coat, hands tucked neatly into her pockets, <b>Elsie </b>walked <b>calmly </b>at the front of the group. <b>A </b>crowd of nurses and medical interns followed close behind.


    ¡°Dr. Elsie, is it true? Are you really Mr. Paul from the Powell family¡¯s girlfriend?¡± someone asked, barely able to contain their excitement.


    Elsie gave a dazzling smile, not slowing her stride. ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡±


    ¡°But we saw Mr. Paul in the car with you when you were dropped off! That ride was gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°That was a blue Bagatti, right? Only 200 made in the world. Of course it¡¯s gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Dr. Elsie, isn¡¯t your hair <b>clip </b>from Balenciaga<b>? </b>It¡¯s going for $140,000 on the official site!¡±


    ¡°God, she¡¯s wearing <b>an </b>apartment on her <b>head </b>and still says she¡¯s not dating Mr. Paul?¡±


    Elsie stopped in front of Deputy Director Xavier¡¯s office turned back, and yfully winked. She made a finger¨Cgun gesture and said with a gleam in her eye, ¡°Spread one more rumor, and I¡¯ll sue you.¡±


    The girl she pointed at immediately clutched her chest like she¡¯d been struck by Cupid¡¯s arrow. Laughter echoed through the hallway.


    That cheeky way of ¡°denying¡± the rumors only made everyone believe it more. Clearly, she was Mr. Paul¡¯s girlfriend¨Cjust choosing to stay low¨Ckey.


    Elsie stepped into Mr. Xavier¡¯s office.


    He had clearly been waiting, because the second the door opened, he practically leapt to his feet. Grinning from ear to ear, he hurried over to greet her. ¡°Dr. Elsie, such an honor to finally meet you!¡±


    Elsie <b>responded </b><b>politely</b>. ¡°Mr. Xavier, I¡¯ll be <b>counting </b><b>on </b><b>your </b>support from now <b>on </b>


    ¡°Of course, of course. Mr. <b>Paul </b>already gave me the heads¨Cup. I¡¯ll give you my full support<b>: </b>


    Silverburgh Hospital was partially funded by the Powell Corporation. Mr. Xavier was one of Jensen.


    Powell¡¯s men.


    Everyone in Silverburgh knew Paul <b>was </b>the Powell family¡¯s sole heir. That made Elsie¨Cthe woman<b>. </b>publicly linked to him¨Cthe futuredy of the house.


    Who wouldn¡¯t want to curry Jawort


    Elsie was pleased with their reaction. If she¡¯d known Paul¡¯s identity was this useful, she wouldn¡¯t have <b>wasted </b>so much time at Saunders Hospital.


    Still, things had taken a turn for the better. The family he had once injured <b>and </b>crippled would be <b>furious </b>


    <b>1/3 </b>


    Chapter 89 The Perfect Lie


    Onge the small talk was over. Mr. <b>Xavier </b>moved behind his desk and slid a form toward her.


    Finished


    ¡°Dr. Elsie, just fill this <b>out </b>and you¡¯ll officially be on the team. Don¡¯t worry about your graduate certificate


    we¡¯ll make sure it looks perfect.¡±


    Elsie was currently a grad student, with ns to go straight into a PhD after finishing her master¡¯s. When she was done, her resume <b>would </b>be the Saunders family¡¯s most impressive.


    Even Oscar couldn¡¯tpete.


    And Yunice? She didn¡¯t even have a college degree.


    A cold smirk touched her lips as she picked up the pen and wrote her name.


    Mr. Xavier blinked when he saw it. ¡°Yunice? So you¡¯re the one who used that special technique to save Madam Johnson?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s smile vanished.


    What Madam Johnson<b>? </b>What special technique?


    The moment Mr. Xavier saw her expression change, he remembered Dr. Joe¡¯s warning that the incident with Madam Johnson wasn¡¯t to be discussed.


    He hadn¡¯t been in the room during the treatment, but he¡¯d <b>heard </b>the name ¡°Yunice¡± shouted during the chaos. He¡¯d assumed it had been Elsie.


    He scrambled to smooth things over. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Dr. Elsie. I won¡¯t breathe a word about the Johnson case.


    Internally, he was thrilled. He¡¯d assumed Paul¡¯s girlfriend was here just to collect a fancy title¨Cbut it looked like he¡¯d struck gold.


    Now, whenever a difficult surgery came up, he finally had someone he could count <b>on </b>


    Elsie finished the paperwork. Mr. Xavier quickly had her processed as a medical intern, assigned to assist supervising physicians in patient exams, diagnosis, and treatments¨Cincluding writing orders, filling out charts, <b>and </b>submitting test requests.


    When she walked out of the office, her new staff badge hanging from her chest, the waiting crowd of nurses and interns took one <b>look </b>and instantly got the message.


    With backing from above, it didn¡¯t take long for Elsie to dig up details about Madam Johnson¡¯s miraculous


    recovery.


    She found out the woman had been scheduled for a highly risky operation¨Cuntil some mysterious figure somehow cured her,pletely unscathed.


    Elsie couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Could it have been Yunice?


    No worry


    Yunice had only a high school diploma <b>and </b>had spent three years in a mental hospital. How could she <b>possibly </b>possess that level of <b>skill</b>?


    17:05 Fri, Apr 18 G ?


    Chapter 89 The Perfect Lie


    Still, curiosity gnawed it her


    She decided to <b>pay </b>Madam Johnson a visit and ask oud¨Ccarefully


    1

 Daghter 90

    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 90 The Knife at Her Face


    || @KS 71%¨C


    #Finished


    She made her way alone to the floor where Madam Johnson¡¯s room was. A man with spiked red hair <b>and </b><b>a </b>cocky swagger walked straight toward her.


    As <b>they </b>passed, Elsie¡¯s eyes <b>caught </b>the rose gold Jaeger LeCoultre spherical tourbillon on his wrist. She faltered.


    Only 25 of that watch existed in the world. Paul had pulled every string he could to get one.


    Il hoever wore that kind of watch definitely wasn¡¯t ordinary.


    She was still thinking when they brushed shoulders. The red¨Chaired man deliberately leaned in and took a <b>deep </b>sniff of her.


    Elsie saw it. but pretended not <b>to</b>. Hugging her clipboard, she walked into Madam Johnson¡¯s room.


    But no matter how carefully she pried, Madam Johnson didn¡¯t give her <b>anything</b>. In <b>fact</b>, she seemed suspicious, even asked for Elsie¡¯s employee ID.


    Cursing the old woman in her head, Elsie left, frustrated.


    Back in her hospital room<b>. </b>Yunice had bnced a tray across herp and was working through a stack of SAT prep books.


    She was determined to retake the test, rebuild her academic credentials. Even without an ID right now, nothing could stop her from preparing.


    ¡°You¡¯re actually here.¡± A brash voice cut in just as the <b>door </b>banged open.


    Morgan stepped into the room wearing sneakers and a designer tee, his entire vibe screaming hostility. He red at the young nurse. ¡°Get out.<b>¡± </b>


    His expression was aggressive, the kind <b>that </b>made people think he¡¯d snap at any second. The nurse was clearly terrified.


    But Dr. Joe had told her not to leave Yunice alone¨Cstill, she didn¡¯t dare stay.


    Yunice stepped in calmly. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Go.¡±


    Only then did the nurse bolt, scared out of her mind.


    Morgan shoved his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants and kicked the door <b>shut </b>with azy circle of his foot, radiating that delinquent energy like he owned the ce.


    Yunice didn¡¯t even look up. She <b>just </b>kept working through her physics problems.


    Morgan slouched his way toward her, leaned in close, and sneered, ¡°Ugly <b>freak</b><b>. </b>You really think you can ignore me? Don¡¯t <b>want </b>your eyes anymore?¡±


    She looked up at him. 7There Are you satisfied now?


    Chapter 90 The Knife at Her Face


    hearl down¡±


    Yunice lowered her gaze again¨Cand noticed the Jaeger¨CLeCoultre watch on his wrist.


    The Johnsons had money sure, but not that kind of money. Not this kind of watch.


    Even Paul had struggled to get one.


    So either Morgan was hiding something¨Cor someone with serious power was backing him.


    Finished


    And when she thought about who might have that kind of reach, only one name came to mind. #yart.


    But after all this time with Wyatt, Yunice still hadn¡¯t figured out what his connection to Madam Johnson really was.


    The man she was about to marry¨Cshe barely knew him. Everything she understood came from secondhand ounts.


    Her future felt like a ck hole. A Pandora¡¯s bor waiting to be opened¨Cand who knew what kind of nightmare would


    She returned to her notes in silence.


    Morgan reached over and yanked the tray off herp Don¡¯t pretend you¡¯re some hardworking genius. You think any man would bother looking past that face of yours to admire your inner beauty<b>?</b>¡±


    Then heughed. ¡°Oh wait¨CWyatt would!¡±


    He grabbed her chin, forcing her face up to him.


    Morgan had always been violent, and he didn¡¯t hold back now. But Yunice didn¡¯t make a sound.


    He didn¡¯t increase the pressure, just studied her face with a mocking look.


    Then he burst outughing. ¡°Hard to imagine Wyatt getting it up with that face staring back at him.¡±


    He paused and added, ¡°Actually, maybe he can¡¯t get it up. Hahahaha!¡±


    Theughter filled the room¨Csharp and loud¨Cuntil died off slowly, and his gaze turned ice¨Ccold.


    He looked at Yunice like a butcher sizing up amb.


    That look. Yunice <b>had </b>seen it before. Every murderer in the asylum wore the time one.


    <b>And </b>the fact that she had been locked up in a mental institution for three years, while people like him walked free-it was absurd.


    She quietly gripped her pen, bracing for whatever woulde next.


    Morgan¡¯s hold on her chin tightened. His expression darkened even more. Then, he slowly smirked ¡°Maybe I should add a few more marks to your face. Wyatt might like that.¡±


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out a folding kate. With a click, the de snapped open.


    Chapter 90 The Knife at Her Face


    70%


    Finished


    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>eyes followed the knife. Her mind raced. What was Morgan¡¯s problem with Wyatt? If he hated Wyatt so much, fine¨Cbut why take it out on me?


    As the de hovered closer. <b>Yunice </b>still couldn¡¯t break free. So she opened her mouth and said calmly.


    ¡°Did you fall in love with Wyatt or something? Can¡¯t stand the thought of him getting married, so you came here to mess up my face?¡±

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    Chapter 91 Poison, Performance, and Pretending


    <b>3 </b>


    Fit /U/0


    Finished


    Morgan froze for three or four seconds, face twisting green. Then he snapped up Yunice¡¯s chin and growled, ¡°Are you out of your damn mind?¡±


    But looking at her nk, dopey expression, the vicious glint in his eyes faded. His usual arrogant,zy energy took over again.


    He let go of her chin, dropped the leg that had been propped on the bed, and with a <i>click</i><i>, </i>folded the spring¨Cloaded knife and tossed it onto the tray with a loud <i>ck</i><i>. </i>


    Hands in his pockets, he issued amand like a king, Didn¡¯t they say you¡¯re good with medicine? Make me something. Or I¡¯ll carve up that face.¡±


    Yunice sat up straight. ¡°What kind of medicine?¡±


    Morgan leaned in, curling his lip like a snake preparing to strike, grinning with sick amusement. ¡°The kind that makes women scream and men¡­ excited. You get it.¡±


    The way he said it left no room for confusion. And whether the dummy in front of him could pick up on it


    that was his twisted entertainment.


    Yunice hesitated, then gave him a frightened nce. She slipped off the bed barefoot, went to Joe¡¯s medicine cab, sniffed a few vials, and carefully ground some powders together.


    She wrapped it in a piece of paper and cautiously handed it to him.


    Morgan snatched it with a smirk, eyeing her timid posture. ¡°Coward,¡± he muttered.


    Wyatt really was pathetic¨Cletting himself get ckmailed into marrying this thing.


    The more Morgan thought about it, the angrier he got. Without warning, he grabbed Yunice by the chin again and forced the powder into her mouth.¡±


    As she choked and coughed violently, heughed darkly. ¡°Perfect. You can test it first. If it doesn¡¯t work- test it first. If it doesn¡¯t work¡ª just wait and see what I¡¯ll do to you.¡±


    He let go.


    Yunice¡¯s knees gave out. She copsed to the floor, cheeks flushed, eyes hazy, her breath growing shallow


    and warm.


    Footsteps approached outside. Morgan chuckled and turned to leave.


    Wyatt opened the door just in time to see Yunice crumpled on the floor.


    He scarmed the room quickly¨Conly she was there. His brow furrowed as he rushed in and bent down to help her. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yunice looked up at him, eyes wet, dark, glistening with desire. She stared at him without blinking.


    Wyatt paused, and Yunice took the opportunity to loop her arms around his neck. She leaned in, her breath hot on his car.


    Chapter 91 Poison, Performance, and Pretending


    back to bed.


    70%


    Finished


    Outside the room, Morgan leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, looking as casual as ever.


    Seeing Wyatt walk in and fall into the trap, Morgan sneered, ¡°Dummy¡­ hope you¡¯re ready to suffer.¡±


    He looked at the remaining powder in his hand and raised an eyebrow. Looked like the stuff actually worked.


    Elsewhere in the hospital, Elsie was asking around for Yunice¡¯s room.


    She didn¡¯t expect Paul to suddenly appear in his wheelchair.


    Elsie walked over, arms wrapped around her clipboard voice soft. ¡°Paul.¡±


    Paul looked startled, ncing over. He¡¯de for Yunice¨Cclearly didn¡¯t expect to see Elsie here. He forced a polite smile.


    Elsie opened her arms like she was showing off. ¡°Paul, don¡¯t I look good in a white coat?¡±


    Paul had always liked seeing her in one. Back at Saunders Hospital, he¡¯d loved it. And the Silverburgh Hospital coat was even nicer. He had to like it.


    Sure enough, Paul¡¯s gaze swept over her¨Cfrom her hair, to the expensive designer clip, to her manicured hands.


    He frowned. ¡°Yunice said a proper doctor shouldn¡¯t wear shy stuff like that. No one said anything back at Saunders, but here, you¡¯d better keep a lower profile.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s smile froze. She quickly removed the clip and jewelry, then crouched to ce her hands gently on Paul¡¯s legs. ¡°I just wanted to make you proud. I won¡¯t do it again¡­¡±


    As she spoke, her fingers slid deliberately across his inner thigh.


    Paul¡¯s breath caught. Elsie leaned in, her voice syrupy. So, Paul, who looks better in a white coat¨Cme or Yunice?¡±


    Whatever Paul thought of, it made his throat move with a slow swallow. Then he motioned for her toe closer.


    Elsie stood and leaned in, the neckline of her coat angled just right.


    Paul whispered something in her ear that made her giggle.


    After a moment, Elsie stoppedughing. When Paul asked her something, she didn¡¯t answer right away.


    ¡°Elsie?¡± Paul raised his voice slightly.


    She blinked, then leaned in to whisper back. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Then she moved behind his chair and began to push.


    What Paul didn¡¯t see what he couldn¡¯t see


    that she rolled him forward. Elsie turned her head and


    2213


    70%


    Chapter 91 Poison, Performance, and Pretending


    shared a flirtatious look with a red¨Chaired man down the hall.


    Finished


    17.06 Fri, Apr 18


    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 92 imed

 Daghter 92

    Chapter 92 imed


    That red¨Chaired man had been standing nearby for a while. Elsie had noticed him the moment she whispered in Paul¡¯s ear¨Che was staring straight at her.


    His gaze was intense, invasive, and clearly didn¡¯t care that she had a boyfriend.


    Elsie was secretly thrilled. <i>He </i>must <i>be </i><i>someone </i><i>powerful</i>, she thought smugly. <i>And </i><i>he¡¯s </i><i>into </i><i>me</i>.


    /U%


    Finished


    She broke the eye contact and pushed Paul into a room, a smile tugging at her lips. She locked the door behind them.


    An hourter, Elsie stepped out, legs pressed together, making her way quietly into a shadowed stairwell while no one was watching.


    Back in the hospital room, Wyatt had just set Yunice down on the bed.


    She looked past his shoulder, saw Morgan leaving, and finally loosened her grip around Wyatt¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Her voice was distant. Cold. Nothing like the woman who¡¯d been clinging to him just seconds -ago.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes narrowed, seeing through her immediately. ¡°Using me again?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer. She didn¡¯t exin either. She¡¯d done it before, and she wasn¡¯t afraid of being caught again.


    Ever since the day she stepped out from behind him to stand up <i>to </i>pretending to be some docile little girl in front of Wyatt.


    Owen and Paul, she¡¯d stopped


    Even the fact that he showed up at the Saunders family home to take her away¨Cthat had been part of her n.


    She had locked herself in her room and called Joe in advance, hoping Wyatt would refuse the marriage himself.


    She hadn¡¯t expected him to show up and drag her out.


    Now, with Wyatt silently watching her, she had no idea if he was plotting to get back at her.


    The room fell into silence¨Cuntil her phone rang.


    She reached for the old device Elsie had given her. Seeing Wyatt didn¡¯t stop her, she hesitated before answering.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, may I have the honor of buying you a meal?¡± It was Quinton.


    Yunice nced up at Wyatt. She hadn¡¯t turned on speaker, but the room was so quiet, there was no way he didn¡¯t hear Quinton¡¯s voice.


    She¡¯d been waiting for this call. Quinton was another dance, another card she could y.


    Chapter 92 imed


    Before she could finish, her hand was suddenly empty.


    Wyatt flicked her phone out of her hand with one swift motion.


    It spun midair andnded cleanly in his palm.


    He looked her in the eyes, then said into the phone, ¡°She¡¯s not avable.¡±


    On the other end, Quinton sounded confused. ¡°And you are?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze locked with Yunice¡¯s, heavy with possessiveness. ¡°I¡¯m her man.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes widened. She snatched the phone back and ended the call in a panic.


    ¡°Mr. Cooper, you-¡± She bit her lip, eyes full of feigned fear.


    Wyatt¡¯s face was stony. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Mad I ruined your little opportunity?¡±


    3


    U%


    Finished


    He could see right through her. She wanted a safety¨CQuinton was just another option she was trying


    to secure.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice turned sharp. ¡°That widower Quinton¨Cwhat can he offer you that I can¡¯t?¡±


    <i>Widower</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. But Wyatt wasn¡¯t finished.


    ¡°Our marriage is already a done deal. You think I¡¯ll let my woman go work for someone else?¡±


    Yunice looked shocked. ¡°So you didn¡¯t talk Mr. Jackson out of it?¡±


    Wyatt answered tly, ¡°The whole city will know about our engagement within two days.¡±


    She lowered her head, biting her lip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll only embarrass you.¡±


    Wyatt set his cane down and satzily by her bedside. He scoffed, ¡°Anyone who daresugh¨CI¡¯ll rip out their tongue and see if they¡¯re still smiling.¡±


    Yunice stiffened, fingers curling tight in the sheets.


    Wyatt had helped her several times recently¨Cso much so that she¡¯d nearly forgotten who he really was cold, violent, dangerous.


    Now it was alling back. His warning wasn¡¯t just about others. It was meant for her too.


    Anyone who looked down on him would pay.


    Anyone who tried to y him¡­ wouldn¡¯t be spared either.


    And if the day came that he wanted payback¨Cshe¡¯d be next.


    As if sensing her fear, Wyatt lifted a hand to her cheek, his thumb slowly brushing the edge of her ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>be </b>scared,¡± he said softly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that to you.¡±


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    But the gentler his voice, the tighter Yunice¡¯s back drew


    She looked at him, speechless, her eyes flickering.


    Wyatt pulled his hand away, picked up his cane, and stood again.


    He didn¡¯t go far¨Cjust stood a few feet from the bed, hands resting atop the cane.


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    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in marriage,¡± he said, tone cool. ¡°But since we¡¯re in this together now, from here on out¡­ you work for me.¡±


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    Chapter 93 The Wrong Target


    Wyatt continued, ¡°If you agree, just nod.¡±


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    By no reverence for marriage, he meant exactly what it sounded like¨Che had no intention of following any traditional rules. No fidelity. No emotionalmitment.


    But what right did Yunice have to disagree? She never wanted to get married in the first ce, and she certainly didn¡¯t expect Wyatt to be faithful.


    Working for him was still better than being trapped in the Saunders family.


    She nodded.


    Wyatt went on, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone take care of the wedding arrangements. You don¡¯t need to worry about it. Focus all your energy on finalizing the improved form for the Alphasirox pills. That¡¯s your real job.¡±


    Yunice froze for a second. Only now did it hit her¨Ceverything Wyatt had done for her was ultimately for the Alphasirox project.


    Which suited her just fine. Business was easier to deal with than emotions.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t stay long. He was always busy and quickly left for other matters.


    Yunice shook off the moment and moved on to her next step.


    She had already developed an updated form for Alphasirox. The first prototype was ready. All it needed was clinical trials before it could rece the original drug on the market.


    But there was something even more urgent she had to take care of.


    Elsie entered the emergency stairwell.


    The VIP wing was already quiet¨Cno one ever used the stairs. Her heels echoed in the empty space, triggering the motion sensor lights one by one.


    She rounded thending, about to step down when two arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind.


    She let out a startled squeak, whipping her head around to see Morgan.


    Her voice went soft. ¡°It¡¯s you¡­ Let go of me.¡±


    Morgan was tall, easily able to pull her back into his arms. The more she pushed, the tighter he held on.


    He breathed in her scent at her neck and chuckled crudely. ¡°Knew you were a slut the moment I saw you. You gonna keep pretending?¡±


    Elsie squirmed. ¡°I do


    ¡°No? Then what are you o


    Nowork avable now. Please check yourwork.


    <b>TTI </b>Ste WCHN


    17:07 Fri, Apr 18 <b>G </b>¡¤


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    ¡°Just finished with Paul, huh? Or¡­¡± Morgan didn¡¯t bother ying along. He grabbed at her in a way that left no room for misunderstanding.


    Heughed again. ¡°You show up looking for random men, and you still want to act like you¡¯re not a whore?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face flushed bright red. She¡¯d been trying to seduce this man with her charm, not expecting things to escte this fast.


    Worse, he wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d imagined. She thought he¡¯d at least be as polished and well¨Cmannered as Paul.


    But now, faced with his crude behavior, she realized she¡¯d targeted the wrong kind of man.


    Panicking, Elsie tried to bolt.


    But Morgan grabbed her instantly, pinning her by the shoulders. With his other hand, he pulled out the leftover powder Yunice had made earlier¨Cand¡¯dumped it into Elsie¡¯s mouth.


    A bitter, acrid, spicy taste exploded on her tongue.


    Morgan smirked at the empty packet. ¡°Let¡¯s see if Yunice¡¯s little mix works. Let¡¯s see if you melt in my


    arms


    He stepped back, expecting her to get dizzy, flushed, and start clinging to him.


    Instead, Elsie clutched her throat in pain, face twisted in agony.


    She¡¯d assumed the drug was an aphrodisiac. But it was far too bitter. Not only did it not make her weak or feverish¨Cher body felt sharper, more alert.


    The moment Morgan released her, she spun on her heel and bolted down the stairs.


    Morgan stood there stunned for several seconds before he finally realized his prey had escaped.


    ¡°Sh*t. That dummy tricked me!¡± he roared.


    Without hesitation, heunched himself down the stairs three steps at a time, chasing after her.


    Elsie burst out of the stairwell and into the hospital hallway, sprinting.


    She nced back mid¨Crun¨Cand mmed into someone.


    ¡°Elsie?¡± Owen stared at her, shocked by her disheveled state. He nced toward the stairwell door behind her. ¡°Where did you juste from?¡±


    Before Owen could see him, Morgan slipped behind the door.


    Elsie burst into tears the moment she saw Owen. ¡°It was Yuni-


    She¡¯d meant to say Yunice had someone drug her to ruin her reputation, but stopped herself at thest second. Instead, she just cried silently.


    Her silence only made Owen more anxious ¡°What hapened? Tell me Did someone hurt von?¡±


    ¤á¤¬


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    Then he remembered what she¡¯d almost said¨Cand his expression darkened. ¡°Was it Yunice?¡±


    Elsie quickly shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not her fault¡­¡±


    But Owen had already made up his mind. <i>Of </i><i>course </i>it <i>had </i><i>something </i><i>to </i><i>do </i><i>with </i><i>Yunice</i>.


    He grabbed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m asking her myself.


    Owen hade to find Yunice anyway. With the Saunders¨CPowell wedding approaching, the Saunders family couldn¡¯t just sit on the sidelines.

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    Chapter 94 She Asked for It


    Owen hadn¡¯t expected to walk into the middle of Elsic being attacked.


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    But Elsie clung to his arm, refusing to move. ¡°Owen, don¡¯t go up against Yunice anymore. She¡¯s got Wyatt backing her now. I¡¯m scared they¡¯lle after you¡­¡±


    Owen froze, embarrassment shing across his face.


    Elsie pressed on. ¡°You have to protect yourself. If you end up in jail, what¡¯ll happen to me and Mom?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face darkened further. He understood exactly what she meant¨C<i>you </i><i>don¡¯t </i>mess with <i>the </i><i>people </i><i>Wyatt </i>Cooper protects. From now on, even the Saunders family would have to bow to Yunice.


    But what kind of brother would he be if he just let her walk all over him?


    ¡°Owen¡­ your phone¡¯s ringing,¡± Elsie reminded him gently.


    He picked up¨Cand immediately scowled. ¡°Quinton wants to cancel the contract?¡±


    Quinton was a traveling pharmaceutical merchant. Owen had just signed a major order for original formtion drugs with him.


    Right now, his hospital was the only one in the country with ess to that supply. Owen had nned to use it to boost their revenue. And now Quinton was pulling out?


    ¡°He¡¯s never heard of breach penalties?¡± Owen snapped


    The voice on the other end replied, ¡°Mr. Quinton says you can sue if you want.¡±


    For all his gentlemanly charm, Quinton was known to be ruthless. He was betting Owen wouldn¡¯t dare take him to court.


    Especially since he had proof of Owen¡¯s break¨Cin and assault.


    Owen gripped his phone tighter, closed his eyes, and forced himself to swallow the bitter truth. ¡°Fine. I get. it.¡±


    After hanging up, Elsie¡¯s mind raced. <i>Saunders </i><i>Hospital </i><i>can¡¯t </i><i>go </i><i>down </i>like <i>this</i><i>! </i>


    Tears welled in her eyes. ¡°Owen¡­ what if we ask Yunice for help? If she talks to Wyatt, maybe he¡¯d help the hospital through this.¡±


    Owen sighed. ¡°That dummy can¡¯t even take care of herself. Why would Wyatt help her?¡±


    But as he spoke, his eyes flickered. Truth was, he just didn¡¯t want to beg Yunice.


    She was his sister. She was supposed to grovel to him¨Cot the other way around.


    Still, she was part of the Saunders family. She couldn¡¯t just stand by and watch the hospital fall apart.


    Come on. Let¡¯s bring Yunice home.¡±


    They made their way to her room. Owen knocked. It took a long while before the door opened.


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    A woman stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the doorframe.


    Owen froze.


    It took him a moment to recognize her. ¡°Gill?¡±


    Yes¨Cit was Gill.


    Wyatt had called her to the hospital specifically to take care of Yunice.


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    She used to work as a maid in the Saunders household Owen never saw her as anything more than the hired help.


    So he ordered, ¡°Pack Yunice¡¯s things. She¡¯sing home with me.¡±


    Gill didn¡¯t move. Instead, she gave Owen a mocking once¨Cover. ¡°And who exactly are you ordering around? Was I supposed to get a notification when you were promoted to my boss? You still think this is the era of once a servant, always a servant¡°?¡°.


    ¡°You¨COwen flushed with anger.


    He shoved past her. ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you. I¡¯m here for Yunice.¡±


    ¡°I said you¡¯re not going in!¡± Gill blocked the doorway, holding her ground. They began to shove at each other.


    Elsie took advantage of the moment, sneaking a vicious pinch into Gill¡¯s side.


    Gill cried out in pain¨Cand Owen took the chance to push her hard. She stumbled into the room and fell.


    The moment she hit the floor, she turned and saw Yunice stepping down from the bed, heading straight for her.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, don¡¯t move. I¡¯m okay,¡± Gill said quickly clutching her side and trying to get up.


    But Yunice came anyway.


    She stopped in front of the two intruders, her expression icy. ¡°Who pushed her?¡±


    Owen frowned. He didn¡¯t like the way she was looking at him.


    What, she was going to start a fight over a maid?


    He lifted his chin defiantly. ¡°I did. She was blocking the door. What, I wasn¡¯t supposed to push back?¡±


    Gill shouted, ¡°Elsie, don¡¯t think you can weasel out of this. You pinched me when I wasn¡¯t looking. Don¡¯t have the guts to own up, huh? Sneaky little rat.¡±


    Owen turned to her in surprise.


    Elsie stood behind him, shoulders shrinking as she shook her head pitifully. ¡°Owen, I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Before Owen could say a word, Yunice stepped forward and locked eyes with her.


    Fleir flinched and hid behind Owen¡¯s hack


    Chapter 94 She Asked for It


    Yunjce said calmly, ¡°Gill, do you still have the strength¡±


    Gill rolled up her sleeves. ¡°Enough to move a mountain. Just tell me what to do.¡±


    Yunice stared directly at Elsie. ¡°Hold her for me.¡±


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    Elsie hadn¡¯t even processed what was happening when Gill rushed forward and grabbed her from behind in a crushing grip.


    Gill had the build and strength of someone used to heavy work. And she had plenty of ways to keep someone from escaping.


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    Gill locked both of Elsie¡¯s wrists from behind. With her arms pinned tight, Elsie couldn¡¯t move at all.


    ¡°Ow-¡± Her cry for help had barely left her mouth before a loud <i>smack </i>rang out, and her face snapped sideways.


    A bright red handprint bloomed across her cheek.


    Owen¡¯s eyes went wide. He spun toward Yunice, stunned.


    She had hit Elsie.


    Three years ago, she¡¯d stabbed her. And now¨Cafter all that¨Cshe dared toy hands on her again?


    So much for learning anything in the asylum. If anything, she¡¯d only gotten worse.


    As Owen lunged forward, Yunice struck again¨Cthis time across the other cheek.


    ¡°Aah!¡± Elsie cried out, voice shrill with pain.


    She thrashed, but Gill mped a hand over her mouth with herb coat. She wasn¡¯t about to let this two- faced b*tch get in Yunice¡¯s way again.


    Yunice said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t think I won¡¯t hit you just because you know how to fake a sob.¡±


    Owen charged forward, hand raised¨Cbut before he could strike, Yunice met his gaze with a voice like ice.


    ¡°Before youy a hand on me,¡± she said, ¡°take a moment to think about who I am now.¡±


    His body locked up like someone had hit the pause button. He stared at her, frozen.


    She nced at his raised hand and added, ¡°Maybe you haven¡¯t seen what Wyatt does to people who cross him. Want a demonstration?<b>¡± </b>


    For a second, it seemed like Owen might back off.


    Then¨Che shoved her to the floor.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what this is. You got your ws out now because some man¡¯s backing you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m your brother. Your family. And you threaten me with an outsider?¡± He shouted, jabbing a finger into his chest.


    ¡°Tell me¨Chonestly¨Chaven¡¯t I always treated you well?


    He didn¡¯t wait for her answer.


    ¡°When we were little, Dad was always away. Oscar had school. It was me who carried you on my back every single day. I threw my back out doing it. Still can¡¯t sit or stand for long.¡±


    ¡°And when you were thirteen¨Cyou caught that weird illness after obsessing over those roses beyond the courtyard wall. You¡¯d cry for no reason. I crossed half the country to find an old gardener with rare herbs to cure you. I almost got kidnapped along the way.¡±


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    Yunice¡¯s eyes turned red. Her nose stung. Despite everything, her heart tightened with emotion. But her gaze remained hard.


    Owen kept going.


    ¡°That jewelry cab I gave you¨Cremember that? It wasn¡¯t just a gift. I built it by hand. Learned from scratch. Took me six months. I wore my fingers raw until I didn¡¯t have fingerprints left.¡±


    Tears slipped down Yunice¡¯s cheeks. But she didn¡¯t break.


    Maybe he moved himself with that speech, because seeing her cry, Owen¡¯s own nose twitched, his voice catching. ¡°So why are you crying? If anyone should cry, it¡¯s Elsie. You just pped her.¡±


    Yunice curled her lips into a hollow smile. She let the tears fall. She didn¡¯t cry from weakness or guilt¨Cjust quiet iprehension.


    Owen hadn¡¯t lied. Their sibling bond had once been real. He had cared for her.


    And maybe that was why it hurt so much now.


    Yunice wiped her cheeks and spoke, ¡°So you remember all of that? Every single detail. You¡¯ve got it all lined up like a case file.¡±


    She took a breath. ¡°I admit it¨Cwhen we were kids, you were the best big brother. The kind of brother who made me believe¡­ even when I was left to die in a burning house¡­ even when I was locked away in that asylum¡­ I kept making excuses for you.¡±


    <i>He </i><i>must¡¯ve </i><i>been </i><i>misled</i><i>. </i><i>This </i><i>isn¡¯t </i><i>like </i><i>him</i><i>. </i><i>Someone </i><i>else </i><i>must¡¯ve </i><i>turned </i><i>him </i><i>against </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    ¡°You treated me differently. And I didn¡¯t hate you. I med myself. I wondered over and over why did you change? Why did the Owen who loved me disappear? Was I just a disappointment? Was I that hard to love? Was I really so awful you couldn¡¯t stand me anymore?¡±


    Owen¡¯s chest rose and fell. Her words unsettled him.


    But he still didn¡¯t think he was wrong. This wa


    all her fault. He hadn¡¯t meant to hurt her.


    Yunice¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°But eventually, I figured it out. It wasn¡¯t me. And it wasn¡¯t Elsie either,¡±


    Owen¡¯s gaze darkened. <i>If </i><i>it¡¯s </i><i>not </i><i>you </i><i>or </i><i>Elsie</i>¡­ <i>then </i><i>what</i><i>, </i>¡®s <i>me</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice lifted her chin, her voice clear and unwavering.


    ¡°It¡¯s you, Owen. You¡¯re the one who changed. The brother I loved died a long time ago.¡±


    Owen stared at her with wide, wet eyes. Shock and rage collided in his chest, threatening to spill over with


    the tears.


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    Yunice said, ¡°The man standing in front of me right now, the one swinging his fists at me, is Elsie¡¯s brother -he¡¯s not the Owen who died long ago.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re cursing me? You want me dead?¡± Owen was furious; his voice shook with rage.


    He couldn¡¯t even tell what was causing the twisting pain in his chest; he only knew one thing¡ªhe was angry. The little sister he¡¯d raised like a precious gem had just cursed him to die.


    Smack! The p that hadn¡¯tnded earlier finally struck Yunice square across the face. She took the hit without flinching, without making a sound.


    Gill let out a sharp cry, shoving Elsie aside and rushing over to shield Yunice.


    Her voice was high with indignation. ¡°Owen! You nearly killed her with that kick, and now you¡¯re hitting her again? What kind of brother does this?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen shot back, ¡°She pped Elsie twice and cursed me to die! What kind of sister acts like that?¡±


    ¡°When a big sisterys down thew, she deserves to get pped¨Cbut when a big brother throws a punch, that¡¯s totally fine?¡± Yunice leaned against Gill as she got to her feet, her voice icy and sharp. ¡°And you still have the nerve to say you¡¯re not a hypocrite?¡±


    Owen said, ¡°You still shouldn¡¯t have cursed me!¡±


    ¡°You kicked me so hard I couldn¡¯t get out of bed, and you didn¡¯t say a word about it; I say one bad thing about you, and suddenly I¡¯m the devil? And you have the audacity to reminisce about how good you were to me? That so¨Ccalled kindness¨Cwas it just to send me to my grave?¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Owen was convinced she was only this defiant because she had Wyatt backing her.


    No way he was letting her get away with this. He grabbed her arm and started dragging her. ¡°You¡¯reing home with me.¡±


    Gill wasn¡¯t about to let that happen.


    She yanked at Owen¡¯s wrist, shouting at the top of her lungs to stir up the crowd. ¡°Help! Human trafficker! He¡¯s kidnapping someone!¡±


    It was a hospital; people wereing and going constantly. A small crowd gathered almost immediately. Most would¡¯ve expected Owen to back off, save face¨Cbut he didn¡¯t hesitate at all.


    Yunice was still injured and could barely walk; Owen dragged her straight to the ground. He didn¡¯t even slow down, just kept hauling her toward the main lobby


    Yunice tried to scramble up, only to be yanked down again. Gill chased after them, trying to help, but Elsie grabbed her and held her back.


    Elsie shouted loudly, ¡°My sister has a mental illness! You people can¡¯t just take her in whenever you want- show some respect!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Owen added. ¡°She¡¯s family; she¡¯s not all there in the head, Some lowlife man tricked her, and as her family, I¡¯m taking her home!¡±


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    At that, the crowd that had been about to scold Owen suddenly stopped in their tracks.


    ¡°Wait, she¡¯s mentally ill? No wonder she¡¯s just letting herself be dragged away¡­¡±


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    ¡°That tall girl might actually be the kidnapper. Didn¡¯t the news just report that mentally ill women are easy targets for this kind of thing?¡±


    ¡°These siblings are something else¨Cbeautiful and kind¨Chearted. Even with her mental issues, they haven¡¯t abandoned her.¡±


    Elsie wasn¡¯t strong enough to hold Gill for long, but once she saw the crowd getting stirred up, she shouted, ¡°Everyone help us hold down the kidnapper! Let my sister go home!¡±


    The crowd, eager to y the hero, quickly joined in to restrain Gill.


    A few attention¨Cseekers whipped out their phones to film this ¡°beautiful moment of justice,¡± zooming right in on Yunice¡¯s face. After all, the victim¡¯s expression always got the most clicks.


    Dragged along the floor, Yunice looked over at Gill, who was now blocked by the crowd, then at the person shoving a phone in her face, recording her¡­-


    What a joke. <i>In </i><i>the </i><i>face </i><i>of </i><i>lies</i><i>, </i><i>there </i><i>was </i><i>no </i><i>longer </i><i>any </i><i>line </i><i>between </i><i>justice </i><i>and </i><i>hypocrisy</i><i>. </i>She couldn¡¯t break free. Defeated, she buried her face in her hair, trying to avoid being filmed any more than she already had.


    But she knew¨Cher full face had probably already made its way online. She was used to being stripped of dignity.


    Only this time, Wyatt might get dragged into it too, mocked for standing by her. Themotion in the lobby had gotten so loud that it even drew Paul out.


    He rolled over in his wheelchair, first ncing at Yunice being dragged, then catching sight of the clear, red swelling on Elsie¡¯s face.


    Paul¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Who hit you?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s tears fell immediately. ¡°It¡­ it was Yunice¡­¡±


    Then she quickly shook her head and added, ¡°But Paul, I¡¯m fine, really. Don¡¯t get upset. Yunice has Wyatt on her side now¨Cshe doesn¡¯t even care about Owen anymore¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s mood soured even more. Yunice didn¡¯t just ignore Owen anymore;


    She dared hit Elsie, which meant she didn¡¯t care about him either.


    His voice dropped cold and low as he turned to the men behind him. ¡°Go help Mr. Owen. Take his sister home.


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    Two bodyguards stepped forward, pried Yunice off the staircase railing she was clinging to, and lifted her up. Owen reached over and hit the elevator button.


    The doors opened. Just as Owen stepped forward, he was stopped in his tracks by the sight of a jet¨Cck


    cane.


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    Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept past the guilt written all over Owens face, and only then did he seem to notice Yunice, held between two bodyguards. She lookedpletely wrecked; after being dragged around, her clothes hung loose on her, and the wild mess of her hair barely hid the anxious fear in her eyes. She looked like a frightened little fool.


    Wyatt¡¯s lips pressed into a thin, hard line. When he finally spoke, it sounded like the words were forced through gritted mrs. ¡°Some people really don¡¯t care about staying alive, huh? You had the guts toy a hand on her.¡±


    The moment the words left his mouth, a group of bodyguards surged forward from the crowd, closing in so tightly there wasn¡¯t an inch of space left between them.


    One bystander, too slow to react and still recording on their phone, had their device snatched away and smashed under a heel.


    The air grew tense as over a dozen guards took their positions. No one dared speak up. Wyatt stepped forward, his unreadable gaze fixed directly on Owen.


    Owen instinctively wanted to look away, but with so many eyes on him, he forced himself to meet Wyatt¡¯s


    stare.


    Trying to stayposed, he said, ¡°Wyatt, she isn¡¯t married to you yet. As her brother, I have every right to take her home. That¡¯s not unreasonable, is it?¡±


    Wyatt waited until he¡¯d finished speaking. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he answered with a slow, cold smirk instead of words. Owen felt the shift instantly, a threat hanging in the silence¨Cbut before he could move, Wyatt tossed his cane into the air.


    By the time it dropped, Wyatt had caught it three inches below the top, flipped it, and mmed the metal handle straight into Owen¡¯s gut.


    Owen didn¡¯t even make a sound¨Che just stumbled back, breathless, copsing to one knee, his body curling in on itself like a shrimp.


    Wyatt might¡¯ve had trouble walking, but his arms were as strong as ever.


    That single blow matched the force of Owen¡¯s kick to Yunice¨Cblow for blow.


    ¡°Owen!¡± Elsie cried out and rushed to him.


    Tears streamed down her face as she spread her arms in front of Owen like a human shield, sobbing, ¡°Mr. Cooper, if hitting someone is the only way you can stand up for your sister, then hit me! Just don¡¯t hurt


    Owen¡­¡±


    She bit her lip, red¨Ceyed and trembling like a fragile little wildflower. Paul couldn¡¯t take it anymore¨Che rolled forward in his wheelchair and snapped, ¡°Elsie! Why are you begging him?¡±


    Then he turned his re on Wyatt. ¡°They¡¯re brother and sister. A brother taking his sister home is perfectly reasonable. You¡¯re meddling in things that aren¡¯t your business!¡±


    ¡°Brother and sister?¡± Wyatt scoffed, then shot Paul a sharp look. ¡°And what proof do you have they¡¯re even rted?¡±


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    Paul looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°They share both parents, You really think we need to prove that?¡±


    Wyatt let out a low, dry chuckle. ¡°Same parents, huh¡­ Then why does <i>he </i>have an identity, but his ¡®sister¡® doesn¡¯t? Maybe we should get a DNA test¨Csee what that turns up.¡±


    Owen and Elsie¡¯s faces went pale.


    A DNA test? That would blow Elsie¡¯s cover wide open.


    Neither of them said a word. Wyatt¡¯s voice turned cold. I pulled Yunice out of the hands of human traffickers. She¡¯s mine now. She¡¯s not your sister.¡±


    He ran his thumb along the handle of his cane, the smirk on his face razor¨Csharp. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before¨CI¡¯m fiercely protective of what¡¯s mine. Since youid a hand on her, you can leave one behind.¡±


    Everyone froze, doubting what they¡¯d just heard. Even Yunice stared at Wyatt, stunned.


    <i>He </i><i>wanted </i><i>Owen¡¯s </i><i>hand</i>?


    Paul exploded. ¡°Have you lost your mind? This is a hospital!¡±


    Is he really about <i>to </imit <i>assault </i><i>in </i><i>public</i>? But the moment Paul spoke, Wyatt¡¯s guards sprang into action. They swiftly cleared the crowd, sealed off every exit, and locked the ce down.


    One of them even picked up a steel pipe and, without a second¡¯s hesitation, swung it at the lobby¡¯s security cameras¨Cshattering them all.


    The air in the lobby thickened. People began to remember what the industry, said about Wyatt.


    For him to cause so much chaos and still stay untouchable¨Che clearly had systems in ce to clean up every mess.


    Two guards moved in and pinned Owen down, wrenching his arm out and forcing it t against the floor.


    Then a bald man stepped forward, flipping a folding knife between his fingers.


    Yunice recognized him. He was the same man who¡¯d handled things back in the mahjong parlor.


    Owen¡¯s face drained of all color as the bald man slowly approached.


    He was terrified¨Cshe could see it¡ªbut he clenched his teeth and refused to beg.


    Elsie clung to his arm, trembling like a leaf.


    Gill looked anxiously toward Yunice.


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t bluffing; he really seemed ready to follow through.


    But Owen, even with everything he¡¯d done, was still Yunice¡¯s biological brother. <i>Are </i><i>they </i><i>really </i><i>about </i><i>to </i><i>take </i>my hand?


    He was a doctor. If he lost that hand, his entire future would be ruined.


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    ¡°No!¡± Elsie suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself over Owen¡¯s hand.¡°Don¡¯t cut off Owen¡¯s hand!¡±


    Her tearful cry was gut¨Cwrenching. The two of them looked so pitiful at that moment, like they were the real victims. Owen stared at Elsie, who was shielding him with her entire body, and his eyes went red.


    Such a good sister, so genuine, so devoted.


    How could he not be moved¨Cof course he was.


    He looked up again, ring at Yunice with hatred in his eyes. He looked at Elsie, then back at Yunice¡¯s indifferent face.


    She always used him of ying favorites, but in moments like this, it was impossible not to.


    Owen was consumed with hatred¨Cso much that it drowned out his fear. He stared daggers at Yunice and growled through clenched teeth, ¡°So all twenty years of taking care of you went to waste. If I¡¯d known you¡¯d turn out so cruel, I wouldn¡¯t have lifted a finger when no one wanted you.¡±


    Yunice lowered her eyes, her thoughts drifting to the past. Her dad once told her that just a few days after she was born, her mother disappeared.


    Her father was so obsessed with finding her that he barely came home, constantly lost in a daze.


    The nanny at home didn¡¯t care either, and Yunice had cried herself hoarse in her crib from hunger. It was Owen who held her, soothed her, fed her bottle after bottle until their father finally came home.


    No one¡¯s made of <i>stone</i>. <i>Of </i><i>course </i><i>I </i><i>was </i><i>moved</i><i>. </i>


    But memories were one thing. After three years locked in a psychiatric hospital and her current status as someone without legal ID, there was no way she could ever forgive Owen.


    Elsie sobbed and begged Yunice, ¡°Yunice, say something¡­ Owen was so good to you, don¡¯t you remember<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice replied coldly, ¡°Yeah, I remember. I remember how good he was to me¨Cand I remember how he took all of it back.¡±


    Owen looked up at her with seething anger, his eyes saying, So <i>what</i><i>, </i><i>you </i><i>think </i><i>kindness </i><i>can </i><i>be </i><i>taken </i><i>back</i>?


    Yunice said, ¡°When we were kids, you fed me bottles and gave me a second chance at life. But then you left me in a mental hospital for three years¨Cand that kick you gave me? Consider it payback. As for the rose tree, no matter how well you took care of it, you still cut it down for Elsie.¡±


    ¡°And the jewelry cab¡­¡± She let out a dryugh. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already give that to Elsie? All those pieces you gave me over the years, your trophies¨Cyou handed them to her like they meant nothing. All I ever had in the Saunders house was a tiny room with bare walls. So tell me, what exactly do I still owe you?¡±


    Is that <i>true</i><i>? </i>


    Owen froze. Had I really <i>taken </i>back the things I¡¯d given Yunice <i>and </i>handed them <i>off </i><i>to </i><i>Elsie</i><i>? </i>


    Memories he thought he¡¯d long forgotten started shing back in his mind.


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    ¡°Owen, Yunice¡¯s jewelry cab is so pretty. It¡¯s got such a unique design. I wish I had a brother who treated me that well.¡±


    Then I¡¯ll make you one too.¡±


    ¡°How could I take a new one? Just give me Yunice¡¯s old one¨CI¡¯d be happy enough with that.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Yunice, move your cab to Elsie¡¯s room.¡°,


    ¡°But Owen¡­ I really like that cab too. Couldn¡¯t you give her something else?¡±


    ¡°Why are you being so stingy? I told you I¡¯d make you a new one!¡±


    ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    The memory faded, but Yunice¡¯s dejected expression from that time was still fresh in his mind. He tried to remember¨Cdid he ever follow through and make her a new cab?


    Of course he hadn¡¯t. He clearly remembered how excited he¡¯d been, buying all the materials to make one for her again.


    But time passed, and his childhood patience and focus had long since faded. He gave up after cutting a single board, tossed all the tools into the storage room, and never touched them again.


    And yet she <i>remembered </i><i>all </i><i>of </i><i>that</i><i>, </i><i>she </i><i>held </i><i>a </i><i>grudge </i><i>for </i><i>something </i>so <i>small</i>.


    The bald man, tired of all the whining and dys, tilted his head and motioned for the guards to pull Elsie aside. Elsie shrieked through her tears, ¡°If you want those things, just take them! I won¡¯t stop you! But you can¡¯t let Mr. Cooper cut off Owen¡¯s hand¨Cor I swear I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡±


    Wyatt looked over at her,pletely unfazed. ¡°Cutting off yours would work just as well.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elsie froze, her whole body going stiff.


    The bald man grabbed her hand and, without hesitation, brought the knife down.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    ¡°Elsie!¡± Paul didn¡¯t even have time to react. By the time he rushed forward, it was already toote.


    Elsie, with every ounce of strength she had, tried to throw herself behind Owen¨Cbut she never felt the de.


    Startled, she looked back¨Cand saw Owen catching the knife with his bare hand, stopping the de just inches from her skin. Bright red blood poured from his palm, warm and wet, dripping steadily onto the back of her hand.


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    Elsie stood frozen in shock, her mouth open, unable to speak. Wyatt cast a seemingly indifferent nce in Yunice¡¯s direction.


    Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths. Though her eyes were lowered, calm on the surface, the slight trembling of her chin betrayed the emotion underneath.


    Maybe that touching scene between the siblings had still, somehow, cut into her.


    ¡°Wyatt! You really think you¡¯re above thew? All of this started because of Yunice! She hit Elsie first! Her brother was just disciplining her¨Cwhat¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Paul yelled angrily.


    ¡°Your wedding¡¯s around the corner, and you¡¯re trying to chop off your future brother¨Cinw¡¯s hand without even hearing both sides! What will people say about the Powell family when this gets out? I¡¯m telling grandpa everything you did today!¡±


    Before he even finished, the bald man kicked Owen aside and stepped forward to grab Elsie¡¯s hand again ¨Cbut she suddenly jerked away, clutching her throat with both hands. Her eyes went wide, her face contorted in pain.


    It looked like she couldn¡¯t breathe; she made wheezing, choking sounds from deep in her throat.


    ¡°Shit¨CElsie¡¯s having an asthma attack!¡°. Owen panicked. ¡°Paul, get her some help, now!¡±


    Owen lifted her and passed her into Paul¡¯s arms. Paul spun his wheelchair around, urgently racing off with Elsie toward the emergency room.


    Yunice stood quietly, watching this whole dramatic ry of saving Elsie unfold.


    Elsie didn¡¯t even have asthma. And when the day came that Owen found out the sister he was willing to die for had been lying to him from the very beginning¨Ched wear a look no one would ever forget.


    But at that moment, Owen wasn¡¯t thinking about any <i>of </i>that. With Elsie safely carried off, he actually let out a relieved smile.


    Yunice stepped up to Wyatt and said, ¡°Mr. Cooper, I have a request. Can I decide how to punish Owen?¡±


    ¡°What did you just call me?¡± Owen turned back, visibly shaken as he looked at her.


    He knew she was trying to protect him by asking Wyatt for that favor¨Cbut hearing her call him that way, so formal and distant, made Owen feel like aplete stranger.


    Yunice replied coolly, ¡°I already cut ties with you. If I¡¯m not calling you by your name, why would I call you my brother?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, cut ties?¡± Owen snapped.


    They shared both parents. <i>That </i><i>kind </i><i>of </i><i>blood </i><i>bond </i><i>couldnt </i><i>be </i><i>severed</i>.


    The bald man twirled the knife in his hand, ncing between the two of them.


    Then he said to Yunice with a smirk that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes, ¡°Ms. Saunders, Mr. Cooper¡¯s standing up for you. Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s on your side.


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    Chapter 99 Human Pyramid


    There was a roughness to the bald man, and even his oking tone carried a veiled threat.


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    Yumice understood what he meant. Wyatt was defending her; if she backed down now, she¡¯d be putting him in a bad spot.


    In other words, it¡¯d be like pping the hand that protected her. But before she could respond, Wyatt shot the bald man a nce.


    That look was ice¨Ccold¨Cand the bald man immediately realized he¡¯d said too much.


    He quickly apologized. ¡°Sorry, Ms. Saunders!¡±


    Yunice blinked, caught off guard. Ever since she¡¯d been admitted to the psych ward, no one had treated her like she mattered.


    To suddenly have people listen to her¡­ it felt strange. She wasn¡¯t quite used to it.


    Owen, on the other hand, was visibly moved. If she was willing to speak up for him, he was ready to let go of the argument from earlier.


    He hadn¡¯te today to fight; he¡¯de to take her home.


    Feeling emotional, Owen couldn¡¯t help blurting out that the family was already preparing her dowry¨Cthat everyone was taking her seriously now. ¡°Yunny¡­¡±


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t even listening. She looked at Wyatt and said, ¡°I don¡¯t want his hand. Too bloody.¡±


    Owen frowned.


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow<i>, </i>amused. ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want to borrow a few of your guys to y a game of human pyramid,¡± she said.


    Owen¡¯s eyes went wide in disbelief.


    Wasn¡¯t she just trying to help me<i>? </i>Then why<i>¡­ </i>


    ¡°Human pyramid¡­ Wyatt smirked. ¡°That¡¯s a new one!


    He reached a hand out toward her, and Yunice obediently walked over to stand by his side.


    The bald man called out to a few bodyguards, ¡°You lote here. Ms. Saunders is in charge.¡±


    Yunice lifted her gaze and looked at Owen. ¡°In the psych ward, the people on top of the pyramid always jumped down to crush the one at the bottom.¡±


    Owen¡¯s Jips tightened. He frowned at her.


    So she wanted me to experience what she went through in that <i>ce</i>? <i>How </i><i>hard </i><i>could </i>that be?


    If Yunice had handled it, surely he, a grown man, could too.


    R Nowork avable <b>now</b>. Please check yourwork.


    Owen straightenco


    en fine. As long as I


    get stacked on, will you let go of all that anger?¡±


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    Chapter 99 Human Pyramid


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond.


    He gave her onest look, then closed his eyes and said solemnly, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


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    Owen silently counted in his head, trying to see how many seconds Yunice wouldst before she told them


    to stop.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that Yunice didn¡¯t care about him at all¨Cthat she truly didn¡¯t care about the Saunders family.


    The bald man gave a slight nod, signaling the bodyguards forward. A dozen of them closed in around Owen, piling on with full force. No one could withstand that kind of pressure.


    Owen was quickly buried under their weight. The bald man stood off to the side, directing, ¡°One on top of another¨Cstack them higher.¡±


    Then he seemed to remember something and turned to ask, ¡°Forgot to check, Ms. Saunders¨Chow long do you want this game tost?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer. Maybe she hadn¡¯t heard, or maybe she didn¡¯t want to. Her eyes were locked on Owen, who was now pinned under a mountain of bodies.


    His face turned red, then purple. He couldn¡¯t seem to breathe; his mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.


    There were too many people stacked on top, some barely able to keep their bnce, shifting around constantly just to find space.


    Owen disappeared entirely under the crushing weight; not even his face was visible anymore¨Clet alone any chance of drawing breath.


    A 5¨Cfoot¨C11 man, buried so deep he was unrecognizable¨Conly one bloodied hand, veins bulging and fingers trembling, wed at the floor like it was thest thread keeping him alive.


    Yunice stared stiffly at the scene, like her blood had frozen in her veins. She couldn¡¯t move a muscle.


    Her eyes burned red; she could taste the metallic tang of blood in her throat and wanted to move, to pull away, but her whole body felt like a rusted machine¨Cevery twitch grinding painfully. Her mind shed back to Lauren¨Cthe girl who¡¯d died ying this very game.


    She¡¯d gone through the same thing. When she died, her eyes had never closed. Those lifeless pupils, set in a face bruised and pulped, had stared through the iron bars above her with endless resentment.


    When Yunice went to <i>see </i>her, those dead eyes still seemed to hold a faint glimmer, like they were bursting with words¨Cbut never got the chance to speak them.


    Just thinking about that moment made Yunice feel like someone had mped a hand around her throat. She couldn¡¯t breathe.


    Right as she slipped back into that paralyzed nightmare, a warm hand wrapped around hers, firm and steady against her skin.


    Yunice blinked back to the present and looked up, her gaze nervous and uncertain, meeting Wyatt¡¯s.


    He was watching her curiously, like he didn¡¯t quite understand what she was going through¨Cbut the faint smile on his lips carried a quiet steadiness.


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    Yunice took a deep breath. After a few seconds, she finally found her voice. ¡°That¡¯s enough¡­ Stop.¡±


    Wyatt slid his arm around her shoulders and guided her away, never intending to let her see Owen¡¯s full humiliation.


    Gill quickly followed after them.


    Only then did the bald man bark, ¡°Alright, get off him


    The bodyguards slowly began peeling themselves off the pile.


    Even though they were the ones doing the damage, the ones at the bottom had still felt their organs being crushed; they were short of breath, dizzy. What <i>kind </i><i>of </i><i>person </i><i>thinks </i><i>up </i><i>a </i><i>game </i>like this¨Cone that kills without spilling a drop of blood?


    If they felt like this, then Owen, stuck on the very bottom, must¡¯ve been a hundred times worse. But no one paid him any mind. As soon as they got up, they all followed the bald man and walked out.


    Owen, facedown on the floor, didn¡¯t move for a long time.


    Pain. The word filled his mind. He couldn¡¯t even tell where in his body the pain wasing from anymore¨Che just hurt.


    Pain surged through every nerve until it exploded in his brain.


    He didn¡¯t know how long it had been, but eventually, the darkness clouding his vision began to lift. He tried to pull himself up, but the moment he moved, it felt like every bone in his body shattered.


    Cough!


    He managed to prop himself up just enough to spit out a mouthful of blood.


    As someone who¡¯d worked in medicine for years, Owen knew what that meant¨Che was suffering from internal organ trauma. <i>Internal </i><i>trauma</i><i>? </i>


    Suddenly, it clicked. Yunice had said she¡¯d sustained internal injuries¡­


    Back then, he hadn¡¯t believed her. <i>Could </i>it be that she really had been <i>hurt</i><i>? </i><i>And </i><i>that </i><i>box </i>of Alphasirox pills¡­ was that actually for <i>treating </i><i>her </i><i>injury</i><i>? </i>But¡­ <i>but </i>I actually made her give that box to Elsie¡­


    Owen clutched his chest, staggering to his feet with fury in his eyes. He turned in the direction Yunice had gone<i>. </i>No, I have to find <i>her</i><i>. </i>


    He had to ask her¨Cface to face.


    He had to ask why she hadn¡¯t told him what was really going on. If she¡¯d just told him clearly that she was injured, he never would¡¯ve handed over that medicine to Elsie.


    He had to ask how she managed to survive without it if she¡¯d gotten any better since then.


    d she felt pain like this too? Owen stumbled forward few steps, but the world suddenly went dark¨Cand he copsed.


    Meanwhile, Yunice had been brought back to her hospital bed. Gill had drawn a bowl of warm water and was gently wiping Yunice¡¯s hands and face, her eyes rel with worry.


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    Chapter 101 Bing Even More Evil


    Wyatt wrapped an ice pack in a towel and handed it to Yunice.


    Yunice took it in silence, then pressed it to her face where the p had left a mark.


    Because of this p, Wyatt was ready to chop off Owen¡¯s hand.


    Yunice¡¯s gaze shifted slightly, and she stole a nce at Wyatt.


    Maybe being with him was not so bad, after all; he really did protect her.


    Finished


    Wyatt sat sideways, casually watching Yunice. Perhaps because he was used to not caring about others¡® opinions, even if he stared intently at someone, Wyatt would never think it was offensive. He looked at her openly, while Yunice did not know where to direct her gaze.


    Noticing her difort, Wyatt spoke up. ¡°You <b>fought </b>back well earlier, but it didn¡¯t help. <b>An </b>evil person never thinks they¡¯re


    They don¡¯t reflect on themselves; they just believe it¡¯s your fault, that you¡¯re not obedient enough.¡±


    wrong.


    Yunice understood and replied with a heavy tone, ¡°So I need to stand higher <b>than </b>him. I need to be even more evil.¡±


    Rather than foolishly hoping for an evil person to repent, it was better to grow stronger and make the evil person look up to me.


    Gill proudly <b>said</b>. ¡°Ms. Saunders is very smart. If it weren¡¯t for¡­.


    <b>Gill </b>realized she had spoken too much <b>and </b>stopped abruptly


    But Wyatt knew exactly what she meant.


    <b>Yunice </b>was being held back byck of identity. If she had it, she would have already fled and developed her own career. But now, without an identity, it was like taking an exam without writing her name. No matter how hard she tried, it would all be


    in vain.


    Wyatt <b>had </b>thought about this too. Creating a fake identity is not difficult, but <b>a </b>fake one can never be real.¡±


    Yunice understood. She did not want someone else¡¯s identity; she just wanted her own identity. One day, she would make Elsie <b>give </b>her back her identity.


    At that moment, Jordan knocked <b>on </b>the door outside, <b>his </b>face <b>grim</b><b>. </b>¡°Wyatt, Mr. Jackson called again.¡±


    Yunice tensed. ¡°Is it about me?¡±


    Jordan hesitated, then said nothing but did not deny it.


    Yunice recalled how Wyatt had been isted and helpless thest time he was beaten. Instinctively, she <b>said</b>, ¡°Should I got with you?¡±


    Wyatt stopped her,ughing at her reaction. ¡°Stay <b>and </b>rest. <b>Don¡¯t </b>go running around¡±


    Gill also persuaded her, ¡°Ms. Saunders, you won¡¯t be of any help. Mr. Cooper will be fine. Nothing is going to happen to him.¡±


    If there were trouble, it would have shown up long ago, and he would not still be alive and well.


    Gill¡¯s words, though meant as reassurance, made Yunice feel uneasy. Why did it <b>sound </b>like she <b>and </b>Wyatt <b>had </b>some kind of ambiguous connection


    Wyatt stood up and walked out. Jordan nodded to her and left as well.


    Gill chuckled ¡°Mr. Cooperes and goes like this, it¡¯s like he¡¯s always looking for an excuse to sneak in here¡±


    Chapter 101 Bing Even More Evil


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    ¡°No.¡± Yunice answered without a second thought. Her marriage to Wyatt <b>was </b>just a formality; they might part ways any day


    Her father had prepared just a few bottles of wedding wine for her, and she wanted to save them for the day she truly wanted


    to marry


    <b>¡°</b><b>Gill</b>, take me somewhere. Yunice said, getting up from the bed and beginning her ns.


    Gill hesitated. ¡°Ms. Saunders, your health¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m used to it.¡± After all, when she was in the asylum, every day had been filled with injuries. She could endure this hule pain


    Gill drove Yunice out with her secondhand car. She was surprised when Yunice led her to <b>the </b>asylum.


    Yunice got out and said, ¡°Gill, wait for me here. I¡¯ll be <b>back </b>soon.


    Gill hesitated, thinking this was thest <b>ce </b>Yunice should want to return to.


    If by would the trillinglye back here? Had she forgotten something?


    Yunice quickly disappeared behind the walls of the asylum. Not long after, she snuck into a storage room.


    Closing the door behind her, she turned to see a dusty, rickety table where a man was sitting.


    ¡°Kingsley Yunice walked over, acting <b>as </b>if she knew the old, scruffy man well.


    The man, called Kingsley, held an ID card between <b>two </b><b>fingers </b>and handed it to Yunice. ¡°Here¡¯s the ID you wanted.¡±


    Yurice took it. <b>The </b>name, age<b>, </b>and photo on the ID were all hers, but <b>the </b>address was in some rural <b>mountainous </b>area she had never heard of


    Kingsley gave her a knowing look. <b>Yunice </b>understood, and from her pocket, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed.


    them to him.


    Kingsley nced at the brand and grinned. ¡°Wow, <b>this </b>is expensive.¡±


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    When Yunice came out, she casually took Wyatt¡¯s cigarette; of course, it was the kind not found on the market. An exclusive, high<b>¨C</b>quality brand.


    Kingsley lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, exhaling calmly. ¡°With the vige chief¡¯s seal, this ID is as good <b>as </b>real. You can use it anywhere.¡±


    Holding the ID, Yunice felt a sense of relief wash over her.


    Though the number on the ID was a string ofpletely unfamiliar digits, <b>this </b>ID granted her a brand¨Cnew identity. It could not rece her original one, but it was enough to allow her to do <b>what </b>she wanted.


    She raised her eyes to look at the scruffy man in front of her, smoke swirling around him. ¡°Kingsley, <b>do </b>you want to get out of


    here?¡±


    Kingsley shot her a <b>nce</b>. ¡°I got you this ID. Do you think I can¡¯t get out?*


    Yunice understood. It was not that he could not leave. It was that he should not leave. His hands were stained with blood, and there were many people outside who wanted his life.


    Kingsley <b>smirked</b>. ¡°If you <b>had </b>a bit more filial piety, you¡¯de by more often and bring me a couple more packs of these fine cigarettes.¡±


    Yunice nodded, and just as she <b>was </b>about to leave, she turned back and reminded him, ¡°You should smoke less<b>.</b>¡±


    Kingsley <b>took </b>another puff, savoring it. ¡°You¡¯ve talked too much.¡±


    Yunice left the asylum.


    Gill was waiting in the car, but <b>when </b>she saw that Yunice <b>had </b>nothing in hand, she did not ask any questions.


    On the way back, Yunice <b>stared </b>out the window, lost in thought. Gill, driving, could not help but gossip<b>. </b>¡°Ms. Saunders, what are you <b>thinking </b>about?¡±


    Yunice rested her chin on her arm, replying <b>casually</b>, ¡°I was wondering if Mr. Jackson will <b>make </b>things difficult for Wyatt.¡±


    In fact, Yunice was thinking about her own future arrangements. But she did not want to tell anyone about her new ID, nor did she want to expose Kingsley¡¯s existence.


    Though Gill treated her well, after everything Yunice had been through, it was hard for her to trust anyone easily. She did not want to drag innocent people into her mess.


    So, there were <b>some </b>things she did not n to share with Gill.


    But Gill did not catch the <b>hint </b>that Yunice was brushing her off. Instead<b>, </b>she swerved the wheel and said, ¡°<b>Since </b>you <b>care </b><b>so </b>much about Mr. Cooper, why don¡¯t we go to the Powell <b>mansion </b>and find out?¡±


    ¡°Huh<b>?</b>¡± Yunice was surprised, but before <b>she </b>could react<b>, </b>Gill had already turned the car in the direction of the Powell mansion.


    What could she possibly do at the Powell mansion?


    If Wyatt went there to be scolded, then if <b>she </b>went, it <b>would </b>just be <b>the </b>two of them getting scolded together.


    But Gill probably just wanted her to see the situation from outside the door.


    Before they reached the Powell mansion, <b>Gill </b>suddenly stretched her <b>neck</b>, peering ahead as if <b>she </b><b>saw </b>something.


    ¡°Ms Saunders, my eyes are a bit blurry, but doesn¡¯t <b>that </b>person <b>look </b>like Mr. Cooper?¡±


    D


    Chapter 102 A New Identity


    No wonder Gill noticed him right away. His presence was too eye¨Ccatching.


    Finished


    There were two rows of bodyguards surrounding the area, <b>facing </b>outward as if they were guarding against something.


    <b>Gill </b>slowed the car and parked by the side of the road. Yunice lowered the window, peeking out with just her eyes visible.


    The door of the house opened, and several people emerged, pushing a hospital bed <b>outside</b>. Yunice even noticed a respirator by the bed.


    Though the person on the bed <b>was </b>covered so thoroughly that their face could not be seen, from <b>the </b>shape of the body, it appeared to be either <b>a </b>woman or a small¨Cframed man.


    Gill squinted, leaning forward. But her vision was not clear, and she could <b>not </b>see things sharply. ¡°Ms. Saunders, who¡¯s <b>that </b>on the bed?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>shook her head. She did not know enough about Wyatt to make a guess.


    As the bed was rolled out, Wyatt quickly stepped forward. The bed stopped in front of him for a moment, but it was too far Ifor Yunice to see clearly what he was doing or saying


    Soon, he stepped aside, allowing them to lift the bed into the car. Then, Wyatt got into the car, and the bodyguards piled into. other vehicles.


    Five cars led the <b>way</b>, and five cars followed behind, forming a convoy.


    ¡°Hidden so carefully, could he be hiding a woman?¡± Gill, the impulsive kind of person, immediately shifted gears and followed the convoy.


    Since Yunice was about to marry Wyatt, even if it was just a business arrangement, she could not staypletely in the dark.


    The convoy quickly merged into traffic, and Gill¡¯s second¨Chand car was soon left behind. At this moment, Gill said, ¡°Ms. Saunders, I have binocrs in the storage box.


    Yunice took the binocrs and looked ahead. She <b>saw </b>the convoy had changed. Several identical SUVs appeared out of nowhere, blocking the road, and then they each turned in different directions, heading off in separate <b>ways</b>.


    Yunice knew Wyatt was trying to confuse anyone tailing him. The people following them had <b>probably </b>lost track already.


    Send Gifts


    10


    O

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    Chapter 103 Repaying Debts


    It seemed that the person lying in that hospital bed truly mattered.


    <b>Yunice </b>lowered the <b>binocrs </b>and said calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve lost them. Let¡¯s head back.


    It was true. Gill had already slowed the car, having long <b>since </b>lost sight of their target.


    On the drive back, Gill wore a troubled expression.


    Finished


    Yuniceforted her lightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. My marriage to Wyatt is just for show. Whatever he does putside has nothing to


    <b>do </b>with me.


    But Gill only sighed again and again without speaking.


    After all, with Wyatt¡¯s style, even if he <b>had </b>other women, what could Yunice do? She would have to swallow the bitterness herself.


    But Yunice did not care in the slightest. In fact, she wished he would find another woman. That way, she would not have to deal with him herself.


    Back at the hospital, Yunice buried herself in her <b>studies</b>.


    s year, get into university, and


    Now that she had her ID card, all she wanted was to take the <b>national </b>college entrance exam this y further her education.


    Meanwhile, in the very same hospital, Owen had slept a full day before finally waking up.


    As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the thick bandages wrapped around his hands. His palms were numb with pain, the swelling <b>making </b>even the slightest movement impossible. He let his hands fall back down and turned his gaze to the figure. asleep beside his bed.


    Yunny


    For a <b>second</b>, Owen¡¯s vision blurred. He thought he saw Yunice lift her head, smiling brightly at him.


    ¡°Owen, you¡¯re awake<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    But <b>that </b>gentle, imagined voice was quickly reced by reality. The face in front of him gradually sharpened into Elsie¡¯s tearful one.


    She sat up, sobbing. ¡°Owen, you¡¯ve been unconscious for so long. I was <b>so </b>worried about <b>you</b>!¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s Elsie Owen¡¯s voice was tinged with disappointment. His eyes swept around the room, searching for any sign of


    Yunice.


    I had been injured and unconscious; surely she would not have ignored mepletely, righur


    Elsie clutched his hand, crying pitifully, ¡°Owen, how could Yunice be so heartless to you? The doctor said <b>very </b>serious. You must stay in bed or risk permanent damage?


    your injuries are


    Owen slowly realized that Yunice really had <b>not </be to see him. His heart <b>sank</b>. ¡°<b>She </b>resents me¡­ she hates that I locked her up in that <b>asylum</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Covering his chest with his good hand, he choked <b>back </b>his emotions. ¡°I never knew <b>she </b>suffered so much. If I had known, 1 would have brought her home long ago¡­ <b>Elsie</b>, do you think I¡¯ve done wrong


    Elsie clenched her fists tightly.


    I Owen an idiot! After all Yunice had done to him, he still pitied her!


    Chapter 103 Repaying Debts


    ¡°Look at her now, running around like nothing <b>happened</b>. <b>But </b>you? You¡¯ve been unconscious for an entire day She continued fanning the mes.


    Finished


    Hearing this, Owen opened his eyes and looked at Elsie with gratitude. Anxiously, he asked. ¡°So¡­..does this <b>mean </b>my debt to <b>Yunny</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    an I¡¯ve <b>repaid</b><b>. </b>


    Elsie smiled gently. ¡°Owen, <b>what </b>are you saying? There¡¯s no debt between siblings. If I were Yunice, I wouldfarver me you. You¡¯re the best brother in the world¡±


    went beamed, reaching out to pat Elsie¡¯s head. ¡°Elsie is the sweetest.¡±


    But as he moved, a sharp hiss escaped his lips. The pain in his <b>hand </b>red up from the strain.


    Elsie immediately held his hand carefully, her face full of worry. ¡°Owen, I forgot to tell you. Your Jendons were injured. The doctor said you might never be able to hold a scalpel again¡±


    Owen¡¯s mind went nk


    Elsie¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°If Yunice had stopped you earlier, you wouldn¡¯t have gotten hurt at all. Now that you¡¯ve injured your hand. does this <b>mean </b><b>your </b>surgical career ends here?¡±


    Owen could not utter a single word. After a long while, he leaned back against the bed like a man resigned to fate, his eyes. hollow. ¡°Forget it¡­ I¡¯ll consider this hand my repayment for those three years I <b>owed </b>Yunny.¡±


    Elsie was <b>practically </b>fuming. <b>She </b>truly did not <b>understand </b>what Owen was moved about. People like him were the <b>worst</b>! Not truly good, not thoroughly bad. They <b>were </b>caught somewhere in between, making everyone around them miserable.


    Owen sat there in silence for a long time. His mind reyed Yunice¡¯s angry words and how she used him of taking back all his kindness.


    But even if one could take back a gift, could I take back my heart so easily! If hy couldn¡¯t Yunice understand met li ?hy did she never see my sincerity?


    Suppressing the bitterness in <b>his </b>throat. Owen <b>thought </b>to himself.


    As an <b>older </b>brother, I will not hold a grudge against my <b>little </b>sister. Even if Yunice¡¯s heart was as cold as iron, I¡¯ll find a way to warm it.


    ¡°Elsie, do me a favor¡±


    Yunice was upset because he had given her gift to Elsie. That was easy enough. He would just make her another one.

 Daghter 104

    Chapter 104 Too Late to Make Amends


    Consider it a wedding gift for her.


    Owen had Elsie prepare some walnut wood and the tools for carpentry.


    Finished


    Before long, the hospital room was cluttered with wood and equipment. Saws, nes, and piles of materials everywhere.


    Owen gripped the saw, bracing one foot against <b>the </b>nk, cutting through the wood stroke by stroke.


    <b>Initially</b>, there was <b>nothing </b>notable, except his hand <b>was </b>injured. And every time he exerted force, the fresh wound would seep through the gauze, staining it a deep crimson.


    ¡°Owen, your hand¡­ It¡¯s bleeding. Elsie¡¯s eyes widened in shock, tears welling up immediately.


    She rushed forward, snatching the saw from his <b>hands </b>and clutching it to her chest. ¡°If you¡¯re doing this because you¡¯re worried Yunice is mad at you¡­ then I¡¯ll give the jewelry box back to her! There¡¯s no need for you to hurt yourself like this!¡±


    Tears streamed down her face. <b>Even </b>Owen¡¯s eyes reddened at her words. But he simply took the saw back from her trembling


    hands.


    ¡°I know Yunny,¡± he said quietly. ¡°She <b>has </b>her pride. Once she gives something away, even if it ends up discarded, she¡¯ll never take it back. I¡¯ll <b>just </b><b>make </b>her a new one.


    Elsie tried to grab the <b>saw </b>again. Then let me help! I¡¯ll do it. You can just tell me <b>what </b>to do, okay?¡±


    Owen gave her a grateful smile, but <b>his </b>grip didn¡¯t loosen. ¡°Elsie¡­ if only Yunny were as understanding as you.¡±


    Then, he went back to sawing the wood.


    Elsie was frantic, unable to talk him out of it. Thankfully, Paul arrived just then..


    Seeing him was like seeing her savior. ¡°Paul! Please, say something to my Owen. He insists on making a jewelry box for Yunice, even with his hand like this!¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice <b>was </b>calm but resolute. ¡°No need to persuade me. Yunice resents me now¡­ but as long as I finish this jewelry box, she won¡¯t stay <b>angry</b>.¡±


    <b>Paul </b>knew Owen well. He was stubborn to the bone. Talking <b>him </b>down would be useless. So, he turned to Elsie. ¡°Stay here and keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll go bring Yunice over.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elsie¡¯s face fell. She <b>was </b>not keen on letting Paul and Yunice have a moment alone together, but there was little she could do.


    Paul did not find Yunice in her hospital room. Instead, he spotted her in a corner of the hallway, whispering on the phone. <b>She </b>was <b>calling </b>her <b>school</b>, <b>making </b>arrangements to sit for the uing entrance exams:


    By the time she hung up, she <b>had </b>not realized that Paul had silently rolled his wheelchair right up behind her. When she turned to leave, <b>she </b><b>stumbled </b>over it and fell helplessly into his <b>arms</b>.


    Even before her body touched him, her light fragrance wafted up, making Paul¡¯s tightly furrowed brow <b>case </b>ever so slightly.


    Yunice frowned, immediately trying to push herself up, but Paul held her shoulders down, his voice cold. ¡°<b>Am </b>I that unbearable to <b>you</b>?¡±


    She shoved him away hard. ¡°Show some respect. By <b>seniority</b>, you should be calling <b>me </b>¡®Aunt.¡±


    The word ¡®Aunt stung like a p, leaving Paul with <b>an </b><b>expression </b>that defied description.


    He sneered faintly. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯re quite satisfied with this marriage. But do you really <b>know </b>Wyatt? Do you <b>know </b><b>what¡¯s </b>


    Chapter 104 Too Late to Make Arpends


    Paul stared at her in disbelief. She knew, yet the still agreed to marry him?


    in Yunice had not expected her guess to hit so close to home.


    So it was true. If you really loved another woman. And I¡¯m nothing more than a convenient front.


    Finished


    Paul Paul? Where are you? Elsie finally caught up, her voice sharp with impatience. She nearly missed seeing them. <b>Paul </b>and Yumice were standing far too close together.


    Vince shot Paul a nce. She did not want trouble. <b>So</b>, before Elie could see more, she turned and left


    Paul¡¯s voice called out from behind her. ¡°Go see Owen. He¡¯s not in a good ce right now¡±


    Not in a good <b>ce</b>¡­


    Hallway to her room, Yunice changed direction. She went to Owen¡¯s room anyway.


    Elsie was gone. Only Owen remained, sweating as he struggled with the saw, staining the pale walnut wood with droplets of blood


    the doorway, watching the blood gather in his palm and fall, drip by drip, onto the <b>wood</b>.


    She stood at th


    Perhaps sensing someone at the door, Owen paused. He looked up at her.


    For a long moment, neither of them moved. They were separated by distance, but even more so by the cold wedge driven


    between them


    His eyes flickered with uncertainty. After a pause, he tried to exin. ¡°I was going to make you a new jewelry box. From


    rosewood¡­


    He <b>was </b>about to exin that the rosewood tree could not be transported back yet, <b>since </b>Elsie¡¯s asthma had not fully recovered¡­


    But <b>Yunice </b>cut <b>him </b>off. ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡±


    Owen froze. She wouldn¡¯t even ept my apology?


    Yunice¡¯s voice wasced <b>with </b>sarcasm. ¡°<b>You </b>think doing this¡­ is going to make me happy?¡±


    Owen¡¯s brow furrowed, clearly unhappy with her pointed, rhetorical tone.


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    10

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    Chapter 105 Things That Can¡¯t Be Reced


    Finished


    But just as Owen thought she was about to relent, Yunice¡¯s tone suddenly shifted, <b>calm </b>yet <b>distant</b>. ¡°If you really <b>want </b>to cheer me up, <b>it¡¯s </b>very simple. Want to know how?¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes lit up <b>instantly</b>, like a fool who would agree to anything the moment she opened her mouth.


    Staring into those bright, eager eyes, Yunice only felt a bitter coldness sinking deeper into her heart. He yed the role of a good brother so perfectly, yet in his world, even blood ties could be weighed and measured.


    She sneered, her voice was sharp, ¡°Return my identity to me. Get Elsie to give it back, then I¡¯ll forgive you¡±


    Owen did not move. <b>But </b>those shining eyes dimmed, in a <b>subtle</b>, almost imperceptible shift, into something cold, indifferent.


    A few secondster, his face darkened with anger. ¡°Why <b>are </b>you still hung up on Elsie? You¡¯re marrying into the Powell family now, and Wyatt is backing you, What more do you <b>want</b>? Why <b>must </b>you keep fighting her?¡±


    His words made it sound like marrying Wyatt was the greatest blessing in the <b>world</b>, <b>as </b>if he had already forgotten how, just <b>days </b>ago, <b>no </b>one believed this marriage <b>would </b>ever happen.


    Yunice said quietly, That ID was mine to begin <b>with</b>. It wasn¡¯t gifted by any of you¡±


    *So what if it


    ¡°it was yours?¡± Owen snapped. ¡°You almost killed Elsie. This is yourpensation to her!¡±


    Yuniceughed coldly. ¡°And what about the three years I spent rotting away in a mental asylum? Was that not enough punishment? Even prisoners get to keep their identities. Was I <b>so </b>vile that mine had to be stripped away?¡±


    Owen <b>was </b>momentarily silenced, words stuck in his throat


    Looking at his embarrassed, furious expression, Yunice found herself pathetic too. Knowing full well what kind of person he was, yet still foolish enough to ask, hoping for a different answer.


    ¡°Forget it if you won¡¯t,¡± she said, turning to leave.


    But Owen <b>caught </b>up in rage<b>, </b>grabbing her wrist with his bloodied hand. His voice trembled with resentment. ¡°I¡¯ve taken your revenge<b>, </b>and I¡¯ve epted it! My hand is ruined because of you ll never be able to operate again! And the jewelry box you¡¯ve been <b>drearning </b>of, I was willing to <b>build </b>a new one for you! Are you heartless? Why do you never see my sacrifices?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>flung his hand away. ¡°Was that hand injured for me? You took that knife for Elsie, not me!¡±


    Her fury ignited. She stepped closer, forcing him to meet her eyes. ¡°And your so¨Ccalled sacrifices, what <b>are </b>they? One injury, and you think that erases a <b>thousand </b>days and nights of my suffering in the asylum?¡±


    She snatched the saw from his hand <b>and </b>smashed it hard against the walnut wood beside them. ¡°These worthless scraps of wood


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°Who cares about things that can be easily reced? The only reason you won¡¯t return my identity is because you know it can¡¯t be reced.¡±


    Sheughed, cold and sharp. ¡°Between me and Elsie, <b>you¡¯d </b>choose her every single time. <b>But </b>it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I no longer recognize you as my brother, and you don¡¯t need <b>to </b>waste your time pretending, only to turn around and use me of being heartless.¡±


    <b>Pain </b>and rage twisted Owen¡¯s face. ¡°So what you said the other day wasn¡¯t just angry words. You really want to cut ties with the Saunders family!¡±


    ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b>right,¡± Yunice replied <b>without </b><b>hesitation</b>. ¡°I¡¯m already a person without a name, without a home. Even if I don¡¯t officially sever ties. I <b>have </b>nothing to do with the Saunders family anymore. Isn¡¯t this exactly the result you wanted, Owen?¡±


    Owen clenched his fists, blood dripping silently from between his fingers as if he could not even feel the pain. He held


    3:29 PM c


    Chapter 105 Things That Can¡¯t Be Reced


    Finished


    <b>Yunice </b>did not look back.


    Behind her, Owen kicked over the pile of precious walnut wood in a fit of rage.


    Forget the jewelry box! I won¡¯t finish it!


    Outside the room, Cill hurried to catch up as soon as she saw Yunice exit. She had waited nervously by the door the whole time, afraid Yunice might suffer.


    Back in Yunice¡¯s hospital room, Gill poured a cup of water for Yunice, stealing nces at her with a conflicted expression.


    Yunice noticed.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m too cold¨Cblooded too?¡± she asked quietly.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± <b>Gill </b>whispered. She only felt a bit sorry for Owen. After all, he had genuinely loved Yunice once. But now¡­


    Yunice¡¯s voice drifted in the quiet room. ¡°He suffers once, and everyone pities him. But in those three years, I don¡¯t even know how many times I went through the same thing, and no <b>one </b>ever thought that was strange. No one ever thought I had the right to be angry.


    Gill¡¯s eyes reddened instantly. <b>Thinking </b>of Yunice¡¯s ordeal, she <i>felt </i>deeply ashamed for having pitied Owen earlier.


    Her voice trembled, ¡°Ms. Saunders, you were just a girl. How did you survive in that asylumn?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s


    ¡®s gaze grew distant, as if lost in those dark memories. She had been only eighteen when they threw her into that hellhole Too frail to fight, too weak <b>to </b>run.


    If Kingsley had not protected her, she might not have lived to see another day.


    Yunice lifted her head and smiled faintly. ¡°Maybe <b>I¡¯m </b>just good at taking a beating


    Send Gifts


    10


    Ä¿


    3:30 PM c

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    Chapter 106 Lose Face to Have an Ex Like You


    <b>Yunice </b>was clearly joking, but Gill¡¯s nose still stung, and her tears threatened to spill before she could stop them


    Finished


    Turning away to wipe her eyes, she cursed under her breath, ¡°Owen really is scum. In all these three years, if he <b>had </b>even bothered to visit you once, you wouldn¡¯t have suffered this much. What happened to <b>him </b>today? He deserved every bit of it!¡±


    As if remembering something. Gill added. ¡°By the way, when Owen was hospitalized, I saw the director of the Saunders Hospitale looking for him. His face <b>looked </b>terrible. I don¡¯t <b>know </b>if something else has gone wrong


    Yunice replied tly. ¡°Quinton canceled all cooperation with the Saunders Hospital. They¡¯re bound to face public bacsh for deceiving consumers. Do <b>you </b>think Owen wouldn¡¯t be anxious? Besides, business at the hospital has already been declining for years. Add to that the repeated medical scandals¡­ ¡°The public¡¯s trust in the Saunders Hospital is practically at rock bottom.


    <b>Gill </b>let out a sigh. ¡°Back <b>when </b>Mr. Will was alive, the Saunders Hospital had <b>great </b>doctors and reasonable prices. Who would¡¯ve thought that in <b>just </b>a few short years, they¡¯d be ousted by the Silverburgh hospital?¡±


    <b>yunice¡¯s </b><b>voice </b>was <b>calm</b><b>. </b>¡°And that¡¯s not all, I heard they¡¯re nning to build a new hospital in the northern part of the city. with brand new facilities and state¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cart equipment. When that happens, the Saunders Hospital won¡¯t even have a ce to stand.¡±


    Gill finally understood. ¡°No wonder Owens is losing his mind, trying to force Elsie into marrying rich as soon as possible


    But then, looking at <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>calm and collected expression, she could not help but feel surprised.


    The Saunders Hospital had been Mr. Will¡¯s life¡¯s work. Was Yunice really willing to watch it crumble like this?


    Yunice smiled faintly. ¡°You do what you can with what you have. As long as I can protect myself, that¡¯s enough.¡±


    <b>Gill </b>was startled but slowly realized the truth in <b>those </b>words. You could not swallow a fat piece of meat in one bite. She had been too impatient. She had always thought Yunice was too <b>young</b><b>, </b>too inexperienced, She was <b>even </b>worried that she <b>would </b>not be able to outy Owen or Elsie, But seeing how clear¨Cheaded Yunice was now, she finally felt at ease.


    Later that afternoon, Joe came by again to pick up the improved version of Alphasirox pills that Yunice had refined. He said the higher¨Cups had approved the clinical trial for this new <b>batch </b>of medicine,


    When Gill returned after wandering outside, Joe had already left.


    Cill sneaked over like she was about to share some juicy gossip. ¡°Ms. Saunders, guess <b>who </b>I just saw?¡±


    Yunice rested her chin on one hand, twirling her pen idly.


    Gill whispered mysteriously, ¡°I saw Elsie <b>and </b>Paul, clinging to each other like glue, practically eating each other alive. In broad daylight, no less! Shameless.¡±


    As soon as the <b>words </b>left her mouth, she suddenly pped her <b>hand </b>over it, sneaking <b>a </b>nce at Yunice.


    But Yunice just calmly filled in an answer <b>on </b>her paper and drawled, ¡°It¡¯s not like this is news to me. Nothing worth caring


    about.¡±


    After all, even if she <b>and </b>Paul had once been lovers, if she still could not move on now, then she would only be humiliating herself.


    But even if Yunice <b>was </b>not bothered. Gill was still fuming. ¡°Paul¡¯s still sitting in a wheelchair! And Elsie¡­ other than being good at seducing men, what else can she even¡­¡±


    Halfway through her rant, Gill¡¯s eyes widened, her thoughts instantly bing not so pure


    Yurce lifted her gaze and met her knowing look. Both of them immediately understood.


    Chapter 106 Lesetace to Have an Is Like You


    Mitice


    Finished


    ??


    purse and delicate thower? Please Belund losed doors, she¡¯s wilder


    Yunce kept her head down and contest answering her test paper.


    That night, just as Vince was getting ready to sleep <b>the </b>phone <b>Elsie </b>had given her suddenly buzzed. She nced at the Noreet. It was <b>Paul¡¯s </b>ser


    His message was short andmanding Add me on WhatsApp¡±


    Vince could res ne his mumber backward, but she had no intention of replying


    A few minutester, the phone buzzed again <b>Several </b>more messages came through from Paul:


    ¡°What we did tostay was wring


    <b>¡°</b>Owen is still your second brother. Don¡¯t forget your roots. You should convince Wyatt to apologize to your brother and


    <b>te </b>


    Yannice read through them and could not help butugh in disbelief.


    Paul had always been boy since childhood. He loved giving orders and loved lecturing people.


    As hus fianc¨¦e back then, she had been <b>the </b>most convenient target for his demands.


    And now? He still thought he could teach her how to behave.


    Aner thinking for a moment. Yunice replied with a single message: ¡°Von and Elsie were caught on camera in the hallway?


    Paul¡¯s reply came back almost instandy: ¡°You were following me??


    Yunice repliest coldly, ¡°Someone sent me the video. Sand <b>your </b>kissing scene was so intense it left <b>a </b>trail of spit. It¡¯s be thetest joke for everyone to <bugh </b>at Having an ex like you <b>really </b>makes me lose face in front of my friends.¡±


    After sending that, Yunice blocked him without hesitation.


    In the other end. Pauls expression froze. He made a mental note. Next time. I really needed to control myself around Elsie,


    Yunice did not just blos k. hum. Worried about his further disturbances, She directly shut off her phone.


    Exhausted from the day, she soon drifted into sleep.


    asylum


    the sleptos of her dreams, everything became frighteningly real <b>again</b>. She found herself back in that terrifying


    In the yard both young and old lunatics were stacked atop one another, ying some twisted <b>game </b>of human pyramid¡­


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 107

    0


    Finished


    As Yunice walked <b>over</b>, the lunatics scattered in shriekingughter, revealing Lauren¡¯s lifeless <b>body </b>sprawled on the ground.


    Half of Lauren¡¯s face had been crushed, a sticky mess clinging to the cold floor. Her wide, unblinking eyes stared straight at <b>Yunice</b><b>, </b><b>filled </b>with unwillingness, <b>hatred</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>death<b>. </b>


    Yunice¡¯s breath hitched. Her eyes flew open. But instead of waking up, the scene before her made her doubt whether she <b>had </b>left the nightmare <b>at </b>all.


    Because she saw Wyatt.


    Wyatt was lying beside her, on the same bed. His head rested on her arm.


    God <b>knows </b>how long he had been pressing down on it. Yunice could not feel her arm anymore; it was numb to the point of


    nonexistence,


    What made it worse was Wyatt was actually awake. Hey there on his side, eyes half¨Clidded,zily tracing every detail of her face<b>. </b>


    His fingertips, warm and calloused, brushed over her cheek. His low voice followed, ¡°Your scar looks like it¡¯s fading.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a dream!


    Yunice snapped <b>back </b>to reality in an instant. She yanked her arm back.


    <b>Wyatt </b>lifted <b>his </b><b>head </b>slightly, watching as she cradled her arm protectively in her chest, as if guarding it from being used as a pillow ever again.


    This man, this big grown man, actually let someone hold him to sleep? Ridiculous


    Yunice <b>and </b>Wyatt were hardly close. She darted her eyes around the room and found out that Gill was gone. Sunlight spilled in through the gaps in the curtains.


    Morning hade.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze was still on her, steady, unrelenting, making her scalp tingle.


    Did this man not have a home of his own? Why was he always ending up in my bed?


    Yunice <b>could </b><b>not </b>help but recall Gill¡¯s teasing from the night before¡­.


    Men think with the lower half


    <b>And </b>Wyatt <b>had </b>indeed expressed his interest in her more than once.


    Now lying together like this, Yunice¡¯s mind spiraled.


    Wyatt¡¯s legs


    s are <b>not </b>well, but if one day the mood struck him, did <b>that </b>mean she would have to¡­ <b>take </b>the initiative?


    Yunice frowned deeply. She <b>would </b>rather die


    As if sensing her thoughts, Wyatt reached for her arm <b>again</b>.


    Yunice was instantly on high alert.


    Already Now! Stop pulling I don¡¯t want to sleep with any man! Should I just cripple himpletely? It was only a shot away anyway.


    was calm. ¡°Give me your arm. Fin going back to sleep¡±


    Chapter 107 Knowledge is Power


    What what was this? Forget it. Let him do whatever.


    Yunicey there stiffly. Her arm was slender, so even under his neck, it did <b>not </b>feel particrly ufortable.


    The ward was quiet. <b>No </b>one woulde to disturb them.


    Yet just as the peace settled <b>in</b>. Wyatt¡¯s low voice cut through the air. ¡°What are you mumbling about?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t asleep?


    Yunice replied. ¡°Russian.¡±


    She had been practicing her Russian pronunciation, rolling her tongue, <b>muttering </b>softly. He would probably feel the vibrations through her arm.


    Wyatt closed his eyes <b>again</b>. That¡¯s probably useless¡±


    Yunice countered without <b>thinking</b>. ¡°Knowledge is power.¡±


    Wyatt snorted. ¡°Are brains more useful than f


    fists?


    Let¡¯s see you say that when someone¡¯s insulting you in Russian and you don¡¯t understand a word.


    Yunice gave up on her practice.


    Silence returned. Staring <b>up </b>at the ceiling, Yunice suddenly remembered that Wyatt had never gone to school.


    From what she <b>knew</b>, Wyatt had left the Powell family¡¯s little courtyard when he was around thirteen or fourteen.


    Before that, he had not studied <b>a </b>single <b>day</b><b>. </b>


    Finished


    She had heard the <b>maids </b>gossip when <b>she </b>was younger <b>that </b>Jackson <b>had </b>always intended to cripple Wyatt <b>from </b>the start. Otherwise, if this wild <b>child </b>grew up properly, he would eventually overturn the Powell family itself.


    After fourteen, <b>Wyatt </b>shot up and grew all tall and lean. The tiny courtyard could not hold him anymore. He would climb the walls, get into fights, and cause trouble everywhere.


    Every time, Jackson would have him dragged back, beaten bloody, and thrown into the ancestral hall.


    Later, after Wyatt¡¯s mother died, he disappeared for years. No one knew where he went. But <b>Yunice </b>was <b>certain </b>that it was not school.


    He probably fought his way through life with his fists.


    No wonder he <b>disdained </b>learning. Because he <b>had </b>never benefitted from it


    But Yunice <b>was </b>not like him. Her fists were soft. Her <b>brain </b>was her only weapon.


    Still turning knowledge into money was slow work. She had already asked Kingsley to help her find a Chinese medicine shop that was looking to sell. She should hear back in the next couple of days.


    Wyatt slept for another two <b>hours </b>


    When he woke, he straightened his wrinkled shirt <b>and </b>handed Yunice <b>a </b><b>bank </b><b>card</b>.


    Inside was a 41,000 dors deposit for the Alphasirox pills..


    ¡°Keep the <b>card</b>. Any future payments <b>can </b>go here <b>too</b>?


    business Clear¨Ccut, monry for goods.

 Daghter 108

    Chapter 108 An Unexpected Visitor


    Yunice thought this was perfect. She did not want to get too entangled with <b>him </b>anyway.


    She suggested using the Alphasirox pills as a remedy, and Wyatt handed her 41,000 dors on the spot.


    Madam Johnson¡¯s consultation fee was 140,000 dors.


    And now, with the advance payment for the improved form, <b>Yunice </b>had a total of 222,000 dors in her hands.


    Finished


    Over the next two days, Kingsley helped her contact a traditional medicine shop that was looking to sell its entire operation.


    The location was a bit remote. It was near the northern part of the city.


    Yunice went to inspect the shop. The interior was decorated in ssic redwood style, traditional and understated. The herbs stocked were not low¨C<b>grade </b>either.


    Most importantly, <b>the </b>price was very reasonable. The entire shop would cost her 95,000 dors. It was just within her budget.


    Without hesitation, Yunice used her new ID to sign the contract. But she <b>also </b>contacted a renovation team to make <b>or </b>special addition. A folding screen in the center of the shop <b>that </b>was tall enough to shield her face and upper body.


    In the middle of the screen was a fan¨Cshaped opening, just <b>wide </b>enough to extend a hand through.


    The shop was ready. Now <b>all </b>she needed was customers.


    one


    Luckily, she had plenty of time. The Saunders family did not care to bother with her, and <b>the </b>Powell family did not have


    time to spare.


    So Yunice stayed in the <b>shop </b>every day, studying quietly while <b>waiting </b>for customers to trickle in.


    <b>The </b>shop¡¯s location was not great; business <b>was </b>slow. That was exactly why the previous owner was willing <b>to </b>sell.


    In three <b>days</b><b>, </b><b>only </b>two or three nearby residents had dropped by. All with <b>minor </b>ailments <b>like </b>headaches or colds.


    But Yunice was not the least bit anxious. Gill helped her mind theshop, growing <b>so </b>bored she dozed off with her head propped on the counter.


    Just then, the sound <b>of </b>a car door closing rang out from outside. The engine cut off.


    Startled awake, Cill perked up immediately. f customer!


    She hastily hooked her mask over her ears and rushed to the door. But the moment she caught sight of the people outside, she froze and instinctively retreated several steps.


    From behind the folding screen, Yunice watched curiously through the carved patterns in the wood.


    Gill pointed outside, panic written all <b>over </b><b>her </b><b>face</b>, trying to mouth words to Yunice, but the more anxious she became, the more her <b>tongue </b>twisted. In the end, not a single useful word <b>came </b><b>out</b>.


    By then, the people <b>outside </b><b>had </b>already entered.


    Call quickly turned her back, raising a hand to shield her face, <b>as </b>though terrified of being recognized.


    And Yunice, peering through the screen, finally saw who it <b>was</b><b>. </b>It was Paul.


    No wonder Gill was so shocked


    To avoid trouble, Yunice had always treated patients without <b>showing </b>her face. That <b>was </b>the whole point of the folding


    700


    <b>3:30 </b>PM Cr


    Chapter 108 An Unexpected Visitor


    Finished


    Standing beside him was an elegant, well¨Cdressed middle¨Caged woman and a beautiful young girl with a pained expression.


    The girl was dressed in luxury, clutching her wrist, her face pale from pain.


    But <b>the </b>pain was too much to bear. She sat down <b>on </b><b>a </b><b>stool</b>, <b>gritting </b>her teeth. ¡°No, it hurts too much¡­ I can¡¯t wait any longer¡­


    Paul had no choice. His face darkened as he addressed <b>Gill¡¯s </b>back: ¡°Can you treat <b>a </b>sprain<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Gill nced nervously at <b>Yunice</b>, unsure whether to <b>send </b>them away.


    Yunice gave her a small nod.


    Immediately, Gill replied, ¡°Yes, we can treat <b>that </b>


    Paul cast her an odd look. He had never seen such a skittish shop assistant before.


    Just then, his phone rang. ncing at <b>the </b>screen, <b>he </b>said to the girl, Tll take this call outside. You go <b>ahead </b>and get treated.


    Then, Paul left the shop.


    The elegant womanined under her breath, ¡°Honestly¡­ what <b>kind </b>of call could be so urgent? He doesn¡¯t care about you at all¡±


    But the girl was too busy enduring the pain to respond.


    Gill quickly led her to the folding screen.


    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>calm voice floated out from behind it. ¡°ce your hand <b>on </b>the table.¡±


    As <b>soon </b>as the words fell, a pair of hands emerged from the fan¨Cshaped opening.


    They were slender, delicate <b>hands</b>. Her wrists were so thin they seemed fragile, as though they might break with a touch. Strangely enough, the hands were covered in pristine whitece gloves, hiding every inch of skin, <b>even </b>up to the forearms.


    The elegant woman frowned. This ce was getting stranger by the second. Doctor and assistant alike are acting so bizarre..


    But before she could speak, Yunice¡¯s fingers had already grasped <b>the </b>girl¡¯s arm. With a deft <b>twist</b><b>, </b>the joint popped back into ce.


    The girl blinked. The pain was gone!


    30


    She flexed her wrist, her face lighting up with relief. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine now.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s cool voice came through the screen. ¡°You¡¯ve <b>had </b>a recurring dislocation, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    The girl replied, ¡°I dislocated it once <b>as </b><b>a </b><b>kid</b>¡­ after that, it¡¯s happened often.¡±


    Yunice <b>said</b>, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind the trouble, I can prepare some medicinal patches for you. They¡¯ll help prevent future dislocations.


    The girl nced outside at Paul, who was still on his <b>call</b><b>. </b>Figuring there was <b>no </b>rush to leave<b>, </b>she answered casually, ¡°Sure, go ahead¡±


    Send Gifts

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    Chapter 109 Karma Always Comes Around


    Finished


    <b>Behind </b>the folding screen, Yunice <b>rose </b>quietly to prepare the medicine. Outside, <b>the </b>well¨Cdressed noblewoman leaned in close to whisper to the girl beside her. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like Paul isn¡¯t that into you? Could it be¡­ <b>he¡¯s </b>seeing someone else?¡±


    The girl froze, her <b>eyes </b>widening in shock.


    Gill, <b>who </b><b>was </b>nearby, silently tiptoed behind the screen, her face practically spelling out ¡®hot gossip¡® as she threw Yunice a conspiratorial look.


    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>expression <b>remained </b>indifferent. She nced sideways through the carved gap in the screen<b>, </b>fasting a brief look at the girl.


    The girl¡¯s face was bleak. She was clearly unhappy,


    It did not take much for Yunice to guess her identity. She <b>was </b>probably the marriage prospect Jackson <b>had </b>arranged for Paul


    Most likely, Paul had snuck out on this blind date without telling Elsie.


    Yunice was not the least bit surprised. <b>This </b>oue had been inevitable from the start.


    The Powell family <b>had </b>never intended to marry Elsie. It was only because the Saunders family had clung Elsie had been <b>given </b>the illusion that she might one day be a Powell family¡¯s bride.


    on desperately that


    But in fact, in the eyes of the Powell family, Elsie was <b>nothing </b>more than an essory. She was nothing more <b>than </b>easily discarded when no longer needed. All in <b>all</b>, there was no difference between her and <b>Yunice</b>.


    an item


    After all, a <b>man </b>who could betray one heart would never stop at just one.


    Yunice finished preparing the medicine, then exined the instructions through the screen before having Gill escort the girl -to <b>pay</b>.


    Just as they were about to leave, Paul arrived.


    He was not in <b>a </b>wheelchair <b>today</b>. Instead, he was supporting himself on crutches, still recovering from <b>his </b>injury. Every <b>step </b>he <b>took </b>must <b>have </b>beenced with pain.


    Gill helped the girl apply the medicinal patch. The sharp, minty scent wafted through the air, <b>causing </b>the girl to wrinkle her nose in disdain.


    Ugh. It¡¯s so ugly I¡¯m tearing this thing off the moment we¡¯re out of here.


    Seeing she had stoppedining about the pain, Paul nced over coldly <b>and </b>said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll drive you back.¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>turned away, listening as their footsteps receded into the distance.


    Gill peeked outside, waiting until their car disappeared from view. Then she practically skipped back to Yunice¡¯s side, barely containing her glee. ¡°Ms. Saunders, did you hear <b>that</b>? Paul is cheating again! Elsie¡¯s going to lose her mind when she finds out. Serves her right! Karma <b>always </bes <b>around</b>!¡±


    Yunice chuckled softly. Karmal Over a man like Paul What nonsense.


    <b>But </b>Gill was not done stirring the pot. ¡°<b>Ms. </b>Saunders, <b>should </b>I go tell Elsie? Let them fight it out like dogs tearing at <b>each </b>other!¡±


    <b>Yunier </b>repliedzily. ¡°Getting involved with their mess <b>would </b>only dirty my <b>hands</b>. Don¡¯t worry. No secret stays hidden forever. Er will find out sooner orter¡±


    Meanwhile, in Paul¡¯s car, the noblewoman had deliberately arranged for her daughter to sit beside him in the hackseat. <b>But </b>no matter how far the car drove, the atmosphere inside remained icy and silent


    G


    Chapter 109 Karma Always Comes Around


    Sering the awkwardness, the noblewoman finally broke the ulence with a higherugh ¡°Taylor has been pampered since


    as a porcin doll Her wrists, especially,


    you¡¯re together


    with Taylor, you¡¯ll need to learn a thing or two aliona serring heres and taking care of people yourver let her suffer ever


    the Kendall family won¡¯t stand


    She was clearly resting his amitude, But Paul said nothing


    The load never liked Taylor It was his father who hail his eyes on the Kendill family¡¯i their only daughter.


    Sittinge beside Taylor now, all Boud could <b>think </b>of was how <b>unfair </b><b>this </b>was to blue


    Sure, Elur¡¯s family background was not impressive, but was that reason enough for her to Taylor had not done anything special. She was just lucky.


    reced by sorrentie else!


    Back when he had been secretly dating Elsie, he had not once felt guilty toward Yurace. But no hopelessly in love with Elsie


    alence in the car deepened.


    Taylor noticed that Paul kept his hand pressed to <b>his </b>knee, realization dawning¡­


    His he in a bird soul because of the punt of course, Who had the energy for romance while enduring an injury


    d was certain he was


    Thinking for a moment, she deliberately brought up, ¡°That little clinic, <b>shabby </b>as it looks, really knows its stuff. My wrist


    The noblewoman caught her cue and added, ¡°True. Quality speaks for itself. For them to survive in such a remote location. they must be genuinely skilled¡±


    She turned to Paut Paul, you¡¯re still nursing a leg injury. Why don¡¯t you let Taylor put a parch on for you too?


    Paul¡¯s brow furrowed deeply, voiceced with impatience, ¡°Not necessary


    But the noblewoman persisted. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to try, does in Who knows, it might work. Don¡¯t be shy now. Taylor, go ahead¡±


    Taylor obediently took out the patch from her bag, peeling away the protective film


    Paul <b>was </b>about to refine again, but the cool, sharp scent of mint suddenly hit <b>him. </b>


    He frowe ¡°This scent..


    Taylor smiled, unaware of the shift in his expression. ¡°All medicinal parches smell like <b>this</b>, don¡¯t they?¡±


    Paul did not argue That faint, lingering scent of mint tugged at a distant memory. A memory of Yunice and of the medicinal pat she had once made herself, called ¡®Beloved,¡±


    Send Gifts


    10


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 Daghter 110

    Chapter 110 One Person Can¡¯t Sit at Two Tables


    Finished


    Almost as if possessed by some unseen force, Paul found himself rolling up <b>his </b>trouser leg, wanting to test whether this. medicine really had the miraculous effect Taylor imed


    Taylor leaned in and carefully applied the medicinal ster to Paul¡¯s knee. Then, almost yfully, he blew a soft breath over the spot.


    That simple gesture unexpectedly stirred a memory deep within Paul¡¯s heart. A memory of Yunice.


    She used to do the very same thing. Whenever he was hurt as a child, she¡¯d blow on the wound likeforting a child. <b>Gende </b>and soothing.


    Lately, Paul did not know what had gotten into him. For some reason, Yunice kept creeping into his thoughts without warning. Yet, despite going out of <b>his </b><b>way </b>to ¡®identally run into her at the hospital, every attempt ended in disappointment.


    After seeing Taylor off, Paul headed once more to Silverburgh Hospital.


    Today happened to be the day Owen was being discharged. Lily and Elsie were busy packing up his things.


    As Lily folded Owen¡¯s clothes<b>, </b>a sudden wave of dizziness struck her. She swayed violently, almost copsing onto the bed.


    Both children were startled <b>out </b>of their wits.


    ¡°Mom! Are you okay?<b>¡± </b>Owen cried out anxiously.


    <b>Giana </b>interjected with a sigh, ¡°Mr. Owen, ever since you were injured and fell unconscious, and after Ms. Elsie¡¯s broken engagement, Madam Lily has not eaten properly or slept a single night in peace. With Ms. Saunders refusing toe back and <b>take </b><b>care </b>of her, Madam Lily¡¯s been forcing herself to hold on until her body finally gave out.¡±


    Elsie quickly tried to smooth <b>things </b>over, ¡°Yunice is probably busy preparing for the wedding¡­ maybe she just hasn¡¯t had time


    Owen sneered, ¡°Elsie, you don¡¯t need to make excuses for her. When you were preparing for your wedding, you didn¡¯t neglect family like this. She¡¯s always been heartless.¡±


    ¡°Owen¡± Leaning on his crutch, <b>Paul </b>waved him over.


    Once they were alone in <b>a </b>corner, Paul pulled out the medicinal ster and held it up for Owen to smell. Owen took a sniff <b>but </b>did not find anything unusual.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think this smells like something <b>Yunice </b>would make?¡± <b>Paul </b>asked quietly.


    Startled, Owen frowned. ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    Paul answered. ¡°A little <b>traditional </b>medicine shop in the north of the city¡±


    Owen tossed <b>the </b><b>ster </b>back at him. ¡°All medicinal sters smell pretty simr. I think you¡¯vepletely lost it to be associating this with Yunice.¡± But as he spoke, emotion crept into his voice. Hands on his hips, Owen lowered his voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want Yunice to marry <b>Wyatt</b>.¡±


    Paul¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°Do you <b>have </b><b>a </b>way to stop it?¡±


    Instead of refuting him. Paul¡¯s reaction was to seriously consider the idea. This was something that darkened Owen¡¯s gaze. ¡°I might have a way, Owen said under his breath.


    Paul gave him aplicated look, the faintest trace of anticipation <b>flickering </b>in his eyes.


    G


    <b>3:30 </b>PM


    Chapter 110 Ome Pension Can¡¯t Sin at Two Tabien


    Paul scrutinized Owen expresado carefully. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is you want me to sleep with Yunice and lien dhe whole of Silverburgh believe she cheed?¡±


    Owen nodded


    mer. She s cing her trust in the wrong man. I¡¯m doing this for her ce create a scandal with her, but you. Paul, you¡¯re my best brother. The one i un most. If I entrust Yanny o von Till have no worries.


    wouldn¡¯t feel safe lemn jin


    Amazingly, Paul acmily born


    mansider the proposal seriously,


    Seeing this, Owen¡¯s expression darkened. He raved his fist ready to punch him. ¡°You¡¯re really fantasizing about it now an you!TM


    Realizing Owen had been baring hum all along, Paul deftly dodged the iing punch, replying coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t project your filthy thoughts onto me. I was merely tunikng the n was feasible. It¡¯s just <b>about </b>being caught on camera. Who would know if anything actually happened!¡±


    Finishing his words, Paul cast Owen i ddeling nce, as if mocking him for his failed test.


    Owen stood there, his palm stinging tiny menstries of Wyatt protecting Yunice shing through his mind, along with his suffocating sense of helplessness.


    He absolutely could not allow Yunice to


    After a long day at the clinic, Yunice and Gill renamed as Wap¨²rvale Excute. A property owned by Margaret.


    Very few people knew about this safe haven, allowing mine to avoid much of the unwanted trouble.


    Ever since the kidnapping incident, Yunice had been delity disguising herself, minimizing her presence in the city.


    The Saunders family had tried contacting her multiple times bun every call was rejected When they attempted to call from different numbers, Yunice simply stopped answering altoget


    After all she had another phone. <b>She </b><b>would </b>not miss any call the acmily wanted to take.


    When the Saunders family could not reach her, they resorted to sending, all work of messages urging her to return home.


    Among the flood of useless texts. Yunice unexpectedly saw on¨¨strom Quinum,


    In the message. Quinton apologized and sincerely asked to meet but one mir me


    Yunice hesitated. Although he had kidnapped herst time, she could nell Chan (Qummon maily had something he desperately Deeded to ask of her!


    But Wyatt had warned her that one person can¡¯t sit at two tables<b>. </b>


    Send Gifts


    10


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    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 111 No ID


    Finished


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to offend Wyatt¨Che was a solid source of support right now. Compared to him. Quintoncked stability


    She ignored Quinton, and a few dayster, Joe called her just to chat. He mentioned that someone had been snooping around the <b>hospital</b>, asking questions about her. Joe told Yunice to be careful and asked if she wanted to get help from Wyatt,


    Yunice asked if he knew who the person was


    Joe replied, ¡°I¡¯ll catch one of them next time and <b>find </b>out.¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t help butugh. People around Wyatt really were blunt and direct.


    After hanging up, Yunice felt a sense of warmth. It <b>had </b>been a long time since someone cared about her like that.


    Just then, Gill rushed in from outside. ¡°Ms. Saunders, <b>Paul </b>is here again!¡±


    Paul walked into the store while leaning on a cane. The more he thought about itst night, the more something felt off¨Cthe smell of that medicinal patch was way too familiar.


    To <b>his </b>surprise, Yunice <b>was </b>actually there in <b>the </b>store.


    ¡°So it really is you!¡± Paul walked straight toward her. ¡°Your family¡¯s been looking for you nonstop, and you¡¯ve been hiding here, running <b>a </b>pharmacy?¡±


    Yunice froze for a moment when she saw him, <b>then </b>rolled her eyes in irritation and looked toward the divider.


    A voice came from behind it. ¡°Sorry, your medicine might be effective, but you don¡¯t have an ID. We can¡¯t hire you.¡±


    Yunice frowned. ¡°But you used my form yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s to <b>say </b>it¡¯s yours? What if you stole it? Keep <b>pushing </b>and I¡¯ll call the <b>cops</b>. Let¡¯s see who ends up in trouble.¡±


    ¡°You<b>!</b>¡± <b>Yunice </b>mmed her hand on the table but couldn¡¯t <b>find </b>aeback.


    Paul stood nearby, ncing between the divider <b>and </b><b>Yunice</b>.


    So it wasn¡¯t just <b>his </b>imagination¨Cthe patch really was her form. But <b>the </b>shop wasn¡¯t hers. She was there <b>job </b>hunting and. had her prescription <b>used </b>without permission.


    Paul asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been gone all this time just to look for a job!¡±


    Yunice snapped at him with frustration, ¡°What else? You nning to support me if I don¡¯t?¡±


    Paul chuckled like he had found her weak <b>spot</b>. ¡°Wyatt doesn¡¯t give you money?¡±


    ¡°I want to make my own living, is <b>that </b>a problem<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Paul said, throwing cold water on her. ¡°<b>You </b>don¡¯t even <b>have </b>an ID. No one¡¯s going to hire you. Juste home with


    me.¡±


    Yunice yanked her arm away from his reaching hand.


    Behind the divider, someone <b>chimed </b>in mockingly, ¡°<b>Yeah</b>, go home with your family. Working <b>out </b><b>here </b>isn¡¯t <b>easy</b><b>. </b>Don¡¯t be a burden


    <b>Yunice </b>mmed the <b>table</b>. ¡°You stole my <b>form </b>and now you¡¯re saying I¡¯m the problem?¡±


    The voice responded, ¡°So what do you want? To start a fight?


    G


    3:30 PM


    Chapter 111 No ID


    At that moment, the sound of high heels echoed through the pharmacy


    When the footsteps stopped, a voice followed. ¡°Paul, what are you doing here?¡±


    Behind the divider. Gill gasped and covered her mouth in shock.


    Talk about bad timing¨CTaylor had shown up too.


    Finished


    Taylor¡¯s eyes scanned Paul and Yunice. She <b>had </b>noticed Paul staring at Yunice when she walked in. Seeing the look on both of their faces now, her suspicions only grew. She quickly walked forward and deliberately stood beside Paul crossing her arms and giving Yunice a critical once¨Cover.


    Skinny, wearing baggy clothes, a scar on her face¨Cnothing impressive. Taylor¡¯s re softened a bit. She probably decided. Paul wouldn¡¯t be interested in someone like this.


    Paul came back to his senses and frowned. ¡°Why are you here!¡±


    He suspected that she followed him.


    Taylor replied, ¡°I came to buy more of that patch. The two I took yesterday worked on my dad¡¯s neck pain. I want to stock up.¡±


    Then she nced at Yunice again and asked Paul. ¡°So what are you doing here?¡±


    Paul looked at Yunice, then said. ¡°She¡¯s a friend¡¯s sister. I came <b>to </b>take her home.¡±


    So someone had asked him to do it. Since Paul didn¡¯t try to make excuses. Taylor believed him right away.


    Her hostility toward <b>Yunice </b>vanished. She reached out a hand and smiled. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Taylor.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 111

    Chapter 111 No ID


    Finished


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to offend Wyatt¨Che was a solid source of support right now. Compared to him. Quintoncked stability


    She ignored Quinton, and a few dayster, Joe called her just to chat. He mentioned that someone had been snooping around the <b>hospital</b>, asking questions about her. Joe told Yunice to be careful and asked if she wanted to get help from Wyatt,


    Yunice asked if he knew who the person was


    Joe replied, ¡°I¡¯ll catch one of them next time and <b>find </b>out.¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t help butugh. People around Wyatt really were blunt and direct.


    After hanging up, Yunice felt a sense of warmth. It <b>had </b>been a long time since someone cared about her like that.


    Just then, Gill rushed in from outside. ¡°Ms. Saunders, <b>Paul </b>is here again!¡±


    Paul walked into the store while leaning on a cane. The more he thought about itst night, the more something felt off¨Cthe smell of that medicinal patch was way too familiar.


    To <b>his </b>surprise, Yunice <b>was </b>actually there in <b>the </b>store.


    ¡°So it really is you!¡± Paul walked straight toward her. ¡°Your family¡¯s been looking for you nonstop, and you¡¯ve been hiding here, running <b>a </b>pharmacy?¡±


    Yunice froze for a moment when she saw him, <b>then </b>rolled her eyes in irritation and looked toward the divider.


    A voice came from behind it. ¡°Sorry, your medicine might be effective, but you don¡¯t have an ID. We can¡¯t hire you.¡±


    Yunice frowned. ¡°But you used my form yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s to <b>say </b>it¡¯s yours? What if you stole it? Keep <b>pushing </b>and I¡¯ll call the <b>cops</b>. Let¡¯s see who ends up in trouble.¡±


    ¡°You<b>!</b>¡± <b>Yunice </b>mmed her hand on the table but couldn¡¯t <b>find </b>aeback.


    Paul stood nearby, ncing between the divider <b>and </b><b>Yunice</b>.


    So it wasn¡¯t just <b>his </b>imagination¨Cthe patch really was her form. But <b>the </b>shop wasn¡¯t hers. She was there <b>job </b>hunting and. had her prescription <b>used </b>without permission.


    Paul asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been gone all this time just to look for a job!¡±


    Yunice snapped at him with frustration, ¡°What else? You nning to support me if I don¡¯t?¡±


    Paul chuckled like he had found her weak <b>spot</b>. ¡°Wyatt doesn¡¯t give you money?¡±


    ¡°I want to make my own living, is <b>that </b>a problem<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Paul said, throwing cold water on her. ¡°<b>You </b>don¡¯t even <b>have </b>an ID. No one¡¯s going to hire you. Juste home with


    me.¡±


    Yunice yanked her arm away from his reaching hand.


    Behind the divider, someone <b>chimed </b>in mockingly, ¡°<b>Yeah</b>, go home with your family. Working <b>out </b><b>here </b>isn¡¯t <b>easy</b><b>. </b>Don¡¯t be a burden


    <b>Yunice </b>mmed the <b>table</b>. ¡°You stole my <b>form </b>and now you¡¯re saying I¡¯m the problem?¡±


    The voice responded, ¡°So what do you want? To start a fight?


    G


    3:30 PM


    Chapter 111 No ID


    At that moment, the sound of high heels echoed through the pharmacy


    When the footsteps stopped, a voice followed. ¡°Paul, what are you doing here?¡±


    Behind the divider. Gill gasped and covered her mouth in shock.


    Talk about bad timing¨CTaylor had shown up too.


    Finished


    Taylor¡¯s eyes scanned Paul and Yunice. She <b>had </b>noticed Paul staring at Yunice when she walked in. Seeing the look on both of their faces now, her suspicions only grew. She quickly walked forward and deliberately stood beside Paul crossing her arms and giving Yunice a critical once¨Cover.


    Skinny, wearing baggy clothes, a scar on her face¨Cnothing impressive. Taylor¡¯s re softened a bit. She probably decided. Paul wouldn¡¯t be interested in someone like this.


    Paul came back to his senses and frowned. ¡°Why are you here!¡±


    He suspected that she followed him.


    Taylor replied, ¡°I came to buy more of that patch. The two I took yesterday worked on my dad¡¯s neck pain. I want to stock up.¡±


    Then she nced at Yunice again and asked Paul. ¡°So what are you doing here?¡±


    Paul looked at Yunice, then said. ¡°She¡¯s a friend¡¯s sister. I came <b>to </b>take her home.¡±


    So someone had asked him to do it. Since Paul didn¡¯t try to make excuses. Taylor believed him right away.


    Her hostility toward <b>Yunice </b>vanished. She reached out a hand and smiled. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Taylor.¡±

 Daghter 112

    Chapter 112 Unlucky Ones


    Yumice only nodded and didn¡¯t shake Taylor¡¯s hand. She looked at Paul and sand directly. Tim not going back with you. You should stay with Ms. Taylor


    She deliberately emphasized thest part, hinting that she already knew about his affair. If he didn¡¯t want Elsie to find out. heil better stay away from her


    <b>But </b>in Paul¡¯s ears, it sounded like Yunier was jealous and trying to create tension between him and Taylor. So he deliberately book Taylorshund and smiled at Yunice. Being with Taylor doesn¡¯t stop me from giving you a ride. Confie ons, don¡¯t <b>keep </b>your brother waiting


    Paul looked at Yumice with a smirk, waiting for her reaction


    She had always been the jealous type. Every time he showed interest in another woman she¡¯d secretly find ways to sabotage it. He didn¡¯t believe she stay inditterent


    Taylor nced at Paul holding her hand and mistinctively tried to pull away. Yunice caught the detail.


    She realized that Taylor¡¯s feelings toward Paul seemed more like a sense of ownership, not affection. That was typical of business marriages publicly bound by status, <b>while </b>privately each had their own lovers and resented the other¡¯s affairs. Paul had Elvie, Taylor likely had someime too


    Just then, Gill walked out from behind the divider, holding the packaged medicine. ¡°Here¡¯s your medicine.¡±


    Baylor <b>and </b><b>Paul </b>both looked over Gill was fully covered in white Lice, her face hidden. But under thece, her skin was <b>visibly </b>scarred, like it had been burned.


    <b>Taylor </b><b>rxed</b>. No wonder the doctor stayed behind a screen¨Cshe was a burn victim,


    W


    <b>Paul </b>also dropped his suspicions. He had thought this clinic belonged to Vance. Now it was clear he <b>had </b>overestimated her. No ID, no real skills, and besides making pan relief patches, she didn¡¯t know <b>how </b>to run a business.


    <b>Paul </b>paid for Taylor and reached out to pull Yunice. The Saunders family had been searching for her desperately. He was determined to take her back today.


    Vunice resisted and said. ¡°If <b>you </b>insist, then I¡¯ll have to call my sister.¡±


    Paul froze and turned back to <b>re </b>at her, Yunice stared back.


    Taylor <b>asked </b>curiously. ¡°Who¡¯s your sister?¡± #hy did and act like that?


    Seeing Taylor getting suspicious, <b>Paul </b>gritted his teeth and let go of Yunice. Go ahead, then. Call her


    He wrapped an arm around Taylor¡¯s waist and walked out. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Once outside, Paul sat in the car with a heavy sigh, then took out <b>his </b>phone and started typing furiously to text someone.


    Taylor <b>looked </b>back at the girl inside the clinic with a thoughtful expression. She figured it was time to do some digging into her background.


    After Paul¡¯s car finally drove off, Gill hurried over to Yuuice and pullest off her veil, coughing. ¡°My voice is turning into a


    She looked at Yunice and asked, ¡°You think Paul¡¯s noting back?


    Yunice replied. He won¡¯t, but someone else definitely will¡±


    Sure enough less than half an hourter, a car stopped in front of the clinic,


    330 PM d


    mucky Cres


    Ene locked

 Daghter 113

    Chapter 113 The Mistress and the Side Chick


    Finished


    Gill shook out the damp, sour¨Csmelling rag in her hand and moved toward Elsie¡¯s face. <b>Owen </b><b>quickly </b>pulled Elsie <b>behind </b>him and shouted, ¡°Are you crazy?¡±


    all looked Owen up and down. ¡°Dressed all nice, but can¡¯t even talk properly? Who told you to barge in here with


    looking? I¡¯m not here to serve you.¡±


    Then she turned and went back to wiping the toner cartridge


    Owen stood there, disgusted by the toner all over him but unwilling to argue with her. He said coldly, ¡°There was a girl here with a scar on her face. Where is she?


    Gill replied, ¡°You came here to look for someone?¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem?¡± Owen shot back.


    Gill put down her <b>rag </b>and walked over<b>, </b>tugging at Owen¡¯s sleeve and pulling him toward the door. She pointed to the clinic sign above. ¡°Can you read? Virtue Hall. This is a <b>clinic</b>, not <b>a </b>shelter. Got it?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face turned red with anger. ¡°Then at least tell me where she went.¡±


    ¡°She tried to scam my boss and failed, so she left,¡± Gill said.


    Elsie rugged on Owen¡¯s sleeve, <b>and </b>he finally calmed down. ¡°Then where¡¯s your boss?¡±


    A <b>voice </b>came from behind the screen. ¡°If you¡¯re here forpensation, call the police and file a report. We¡¯ll pay whatever they decide,¡±


    Someone was behind the screen? Owen took a step forward, but Gill stopped him. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you have manners? Our boss doesn¡¯t <b>meet </b>people. If you go <b>in</b>, I¡¯ll report you for harassment.¡±


    Owen stopped. Paul had mentioned the owner was a burn victim <b>and </b>didn¡¯t show her <b>face</b>.


    Owen said respectfully, Tm the brother of the girl <b>who </b>came earlier with the prescription. We¡¯re not <b>selling </b>it anymore. However much you paid, I¡¯ll give you double to buy it back.¡±


    The voice behind the screen replied, ¡°What prescription? I never saw anything.¡±


    Owen noticed <b>the </b>voice was slurred, probably because of damaged muscles from the burris.


    He said sternly<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>You¡¯re trying to keep our prescription?¡±


    The voice said calmly, ¡°Like I said¨Ccall the police. If you win,e back and talk.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Owen started.


    Elsie tugged at him, shaking her head anxiously. They had no proof. If the other side denied it, there was <b>nothing </b>they could. do. Elsie couldn¡¯t stand <b>the </b>toner on her. She begged, ¡°Let¡¯s go clean up first. I don¡¯t <b>want </b>anyone to see me like this¡­¡±


    Owen had no choice but to re at the screen and warn, <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll be <b>back</b>¡±


    As the two of them left, Gill dusted her feather duster and muttered sarcastically, ¡°Reek of fake sweetness. <b>Bad </b>luck.¡±


    Owen was fuming, <b>but </b>Elsie pulled at <b>his </b>arm. People on the street were <b>already </b>staring at her. She wished she could disappear


    Owen had <b>no </b>choice but to get in the car


    As soon as they got in. Elir pulled out <b>a </b>wet wipe to clean Owen¡¯s face. But the toner <b>wouldn¡¯t </be <b>off </b>that easily.


    330 PM ?


    Chapter 113 The Mistress and the Side Chick


    Finished


    Else tried tofort him. She still has Dad¡¯s books and notes. That pain relief recipe isn¡¯t the only one. Even if it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s not a big deal¡±


    Owen <b>stayed </b>quiet. The most important thing now was finding Yunice.


    But Elsie frowned and said, ¡°I think the real priority is figuring out how to wash this stuff off our faces.¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t respond


    Hack at Virtue Hall


    <b>Gill </bughed so <b>hard </b>she bent over. ¡°1


    Taimed nigh


    right at them! Thaat toner wi


    I <b>will </b>


    take at least two days to wash off!¡±


    Yunice sat calmly in a high backed chair, thinking that Owen probably didn¡¯t suspect this ce belonged to her anymore. Now, the only way Owen could <b>track </b>her was through the obl phone <b>that </b>used to belong to <b>Elsie</b>,


    But unfortunately for him, she had set it to take GPS locations. That phone <b>was </b><b>¡°</b>moving all over the city now. Let him chase it


    Sure enough, Owen got yed for three days and couldn¡¯t find her at all.


    Yumice thought it would stay <b>quiet </b>like this, <b>but </b>to her surprise, Elsie showed up again. <b>And </b>she wasn¡¯t alone. She brought Taylor with her. The two of them walked in in arm. Yumice and Gill were both stunned.


    Gill¡¯s jaw nearly dropped. ¡°The mistress and the side chick became besties?

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    Chapter 114 Trusting A Quack?


    Finished


    Yunice nodded at her, signaling her to go entertain the guests. Gill quickly stepped out from behind the screen, smile. ¡°Ms. Taylor.


    forcing a


    Yunice stayed calmly seated in her wooden armchair, watching everything <b>unfold </b>through the carved pattern on the screen.


    <b>Gill </b>only brought out one chair. ¡°Please, have a seat.¡±


    Taylor brushed an imaginary speck of dust off her skirt and sat down naturally.


    Elsie stood next to her, frowning at Gill like she was asking why she hadn¡¯t brought out a chair for her too.


    Gill rolled her eyes, then looked up at the ceiling, clearly showing her disdain for Elsie. Elsie bit her lip in frustration but didn¡¯t dare show her true colors in front of Taylor..


    Taylor didn¡¯t even seem to notice Elsie was still standing like that¡¯s exactly where she belonged.


    Behind the screen, Yunice¡¯s eyes held a trace <b>of </b>mockery. Taylor was a born elite, someone on the same level as <b>Paul</b><b>. </b>People like them moved through life with a natural sense of entitlement. They didn¡¯t need to care about others¡® opinions¨Cthey simply believed they deserved the best.


    If they genuinely cared about someone, they¡¯d treat them well like Paul did with Elsie. But if they didn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t bother pretending¨Cjust like Taylor now<b>. </b>


    Through the screen, Taylor could faintly see a woman behind it, her face covered in a ck veil.


    She crossed her <b>right </b>leg over her left, rested her handbag on her <bp</b>, and asked Yunice, ¡°Can y


    Yunice had a jadeite on her tongue <b>to </b>alter her voice.


    you treat health problems?¡±


    She said, ¡°I can treat your condition, but ! suggest you have your friend step out. I¡¯d like to speak with you privately.¡±


    <b>Taylor¡¯s </b>expression shified as she nced at Elsic, clearly with no intention of keeping her around.


    Gell motioned to Elsie. Please wait over here.¡±


    Elsie <b>was </b>annoyed but didn¡¯t dare show it. Reluctantly, she walked away and waited on the side. She kept her ears perked up, curious about what Taylor needed treated.


    Behind the screen, Yunice cut to the point. ¡°It¡¯s your hair, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Taylor¡¯s furrowed brow eased as she looked toward the screen in surprise.


    <b>Yunice </b>continued, ¡°Hair is considered the excess of blood. <b>Long</b>¨Cterm mental stress disrupts your cirction. Eventually, your body uses physical symptoms to force you to pay attention.¡±


    Taylor scuffed as she was not entirely convinced. Tve seen plenty of private doctors. They say the same thing, prescribe a bunch of meds, and nothing works<b>,</b>¡±


    She¡¯d just had too many disappointing experiences <b>and </b>didn¡¯t want to waste more time.


    Yunuce didn¡¯t rush to brag about her skills. She said calmly, ¡°You came here, so you¡¯re clearly still hoping for <b>a </b>solution.¡±


    After thinking for a moment, Yunice got up and started preparing the medicine, instructing Gill to begin boiling it.


    She sat back down and said, ¡°Tll give you a week¡¯s worth to start. Come <b>back </b>after a week. <b>Hair </b>growth isn¡¯t instant. I¡¯ll take at least a month before you start seeing fuzz. If you¡¯re in a <b>hurry</b>, don¡¯t bother. <b>But </b>if you want to try, I won¡¯t charge you until you see resulti


    G


    Chapter 114 Trusting A Quack?


    She was hoping this woman really was some hidden expert.


    Finished


    can have someonee


    <b>Yunice </b>said. ¡°The <b>medicine </b>will be ready in about two hours. If you don¡¯t want to wait, you canter¡±


    Taylor gave a soft grunt in response. She didn¡¯t want to sit around, so she stood up. ¡°If you really fix my problem. I¡¯ll <b>make </b>sure you¡¯re wellpensated. But if you¡¯re just bluffing. I¡¯ll tear this ce down <b>and </b>rip that lying <b>tongue </b>out of your mouth.


    Yunice replied calmly, ¡°I believe you can. But I believe in my skills more.


    Taylor¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. If Yunice was faking it, she had some impressive nerve.


    She turned and headed for the door, with Elsie hurrying after her.


    You should see someone reliable.


    Outside, Elsie chased after her. ¡°Taylor, you¡¯re not really going to trust that quack, are you? Y My brother is a doctor. I¡¯ll call him to <b>take </b>a <b>look </b><b>himself</b>!¡±


    Taylor nced at Elsie¡¯s eager smile and replied tly. Tve already had your brother take a look. He couldn¡¯t help either


    Elsie was speechless. She thought Taylor must be out of her mind. Her brother was a top¨Ctier med school graduate, and even <b>he </b>couldn¡¯t solve it. However<b>, </b>she was going to trust some quack doctor?


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 115

    Chapter 115 Wedding Invitation


    Finished


    ¡°Fach has their own specialty. Maybe <b>your </b>condition isn¡¯t in my brother¡¯s field.¡± Elsie said, <b>clinging </b>to Taylor¡¯s arm and acting coy. ¡°Taylor, I actually studied medicine too, and I¡¯ve done a lot of research on the traditional remedies passed down in our family. Why don¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s bothering you? I might be able to help. It¡¯s better than trusting a <b>quack </b>doctor, right?¡±


    Taylor replied half¨Cheartedly. ¡°Maybe next time.¡±


    Not getting an answer about what illness Taylor had was already making Elsie frustrated. She quickly changed the subject. ¡°Taylor, let me take you to my family¡¯s hospital! My brother is in a meeting today. He looks so handsome <b>when </b>he¡¯s in a meeting: you have to see it for yourself!¡±


    Taylor¡¯s expression shifted slightly, and seeing the faint blush on her cheeks. Elsie teased, ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you in through the back entrance<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    After ncing back at Virtue <b>Hall</b>, Elsie got in the car with Taylor. Two <b>and </b>a half hourster, someone Taylor sent came to <b>the </b>clinic to pick up the medicine.


    Yunice <b>had </b>already divided the boiled herbs into separate bags,beled with dosage instructions, and personally handed <b>them </b>over. What she <b>didn¡¯t </b>see was that <b>as </b>soon as the person left the <b>clinic</b>, they slipped <b>into </b>a nearby alley and handed the medicine to someone else.


    When Taylor returned from Saunders Hospital, Elsie came along to see her off.


    As <b>Taylor </b>got <b>out </b>of the car, she suddenly said, ¡°I heard there¡¯s a weddinging up in your family. Don¡¯t forget to send me <b>an </b>invitation<b>. </b>


    Wedding? Elsie only <b>then </b>remembered Yunice¡¯s uing marriage.


    There were no secrets among the elite; embarrassing news like this always reached them first


    Taylor, someone from such a high¨Cstatus family, lowered herself to ask for an invite, and to Yunice¡¯s wedding no less. It made Elsie feel deeply unsettled. But she forced a smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll <b>ask </b>Yunice personally and bring you the invite myself.¡±


    And if there was no invite, she could always say Yunice didn¡¯t want to <b>give </b>her one.


    Taylor smiled <b>again</b>. ¡°With Wyatt backing you guys, your hospital¡¯s business should do well.¡±


    Elsie felt suffocated. Everyone always talked about how capable Wyatt was, but no one ever mentioned her boyfriend, <b>Paul</b>.


    Not willing to give up, she added, ¡°Actually. Paul¡¯s really talented too. He just riceds a proper opportunity to prove himself.


    For some reason<b>, </b>after she <b>said </b>that, Taylor chuckled <b>and </b>replied, ¡®Him? He still needs more experience.¡±


    Why did Taylor speak with that humble, half¨Cjoking tone? Wasn¡¯t that how I was supposed to talk?


    Before she could figure it <b>out</b>, Taylor got out of the car. Bobby turned the steering wheel and <b>drove </b>out of the Kendall


    mansion.


    Through the window, Elsie looked longingly at the old¨Cfashioned <b>mansion</b>. Being born into the <b>right </b>family really was <b>a </b><b>skill</b>, They were both human, but Taylor was born into wealth <b>and </b>power, while she had to w her way up from a poor mountain<b>. </b>vige


    But it didn¡¯t matter. In just a few months, once Paul turned 22, she¡¯ll marry into the Powell <b>family</b>. Then she¡¯d be on the same level as Taylor.


    <b>No</b>, if Taylor ended up marrying someone like Owen, Elsie¡¯s status might even surpass hers


    Elsie smirked to herself. Being born lucky was one thing: picking the right man was l


    how one truly won a


    won at life.


    3.31 PM ? D¡¤


    Chapter 115 Wedding Invitation


    Elsie didn¡¯t see anything.


    Finished


    Taylor was still thinking about the medicine from Virtue Hall and randomly called over a housekeeper to ask, ¡°Has someone from Virtue Halle by with the medicine?¡±


    The housekeeper nodded. ¡°They¡¯ve been <b>waiting </b>at the gate for over an hour.¡±


    ¡°Someone from the shop?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. They said they¡¯re the shop owner.¡±


    The housekeeper added, ¡°Shall I bring the medicine in for you?¡±


    Taylor hesitated. ¡°No need.¡±


    She was going to ask the person toe <b>in </b><b>while </b>she headed <b>upstairs</b>, but her steps paused, and she changed her mind. Turning on her heel, she said, ¡°I have something to do at the gate anyway. You go ahead.¡±


    The housekeeper nodded and left. Taylor headed for the gate and saw a slim figure in a baseball cap through the window.


    From the build, it looked like a young woman. But the cap was pulled <b>low</b>, and a face mask <b>covered </b>most of her face, so it was hard to tell if she was young or older.


    Taylor dismissed the guards and shut the door behind <b>them</b>.


    She asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the person I sent?¡±


    Yunice stood there, holding <b>a </b>bag of medicine. ¡°Someone from the Kendall family came by earlier. But after they took the medicine, I realized I¡¯d missed some instructions, so I came to deliver another set and exin it to you in person.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 116

    Chapter 116 The Wrong Hands.


    Didn¡¯t write the full instructions? Taylor frowned; she had no patience for sloppy work.


    Finished


    if the instructions could be forgotten this time, what about next time? A wrong prescription, maybe? Her confidence in <b>Yunice </b>was beginning to waver.


    With a cool gaze, she said. ¡°Just leave it. You can go now.


    She had no intention of drinking the medicine. She¡¯d have someone loss it outter.


    Yunice set the packet down and turned to leave, but suddenly paused. Something came to mind, and she began rummaging through her bag. Taylor had already stood up, ready to go.


    <b>Yunice </b>called <b>out</b>, ¡°Ms. Taylor, while I was waiting for you <b>just </b>now, I <b>saw </b>Mr. Gerardo. I noticed he was holding <b>his </b>elbow against his stomach as he walked¨Cit looked <b>like </b>a stomach issue. This <b>is </b>a herbal blend that helps soothe digestion. Brew it for him; it should ease the difort.


    Taylor turned to look at the medicine packet in Yunice¡¯s hand.


    Unsolicited kindness always has a <b>catch</b>. Even if she was a doctor, no one carried around a cure¨Call like that. She¡¯d definitelye prepared. Still<b>, </b><b>if </b><b>it </b><b>meant </b><b>pleasing </b>her father¡­


    Taylor reached for the medicine. Yunice didn¡¯t let go. ¡°Everyone¡¯s constitution is different, Ms. Taylor. Even if you try it yourself first, it won¡¯t mean anything. Your father <b>has </b>internal cold; you run hot. This medicine doesn¡¯t <b>suit </b>your body.¡±


    Taylor considered that, then asked, ¡°How much is it?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>smiled. ¡°It¡¯splimentary¨Cjust <b>part </b>of the service.


    Taylor didn¡¯t bother replying. As soon as she stepped out of the gatehouse, she saw the person she¡¯d sent to collect the medicine returning.


    She frowned. ¡°Why are you just getting back now?¡±


    Yunice followed Taylor out, eyes narrowing slightly.


    The courier said, ¡°Someone from Virtue Hall <b>said </b>the medicine was brewed wrong. I had to wait over an <b>hour</b>.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice came <b>from </b>behind Taylor. ¡°Where did you <b>wait</b>?¡±


    Definitely not at the clinic.


    The courier must have noticed Taylor¡¯s expression, because he hesitated and said, ¡°At¡­ a coffee shop¨Cnearby.¡±


    Yunice stepped forward and nced at the packet in his hands, then covered it up again. Talready personally delivered Ms. Taylor¡¯s medicine. I¡¯ll just take this one back,¡±


    ¡°Hold it right there!¡± Taylor stepped forward and snatched the packet from her hands.


    The more transparent Yunice tried to be, the more suspicious <b>Taylor </b>became. She¡¯d sent someone to pick up <b>the </b>medicine<b>, </b>and Yunice had <b>still </b>delivered <b>a </b>separate batch herself¨Cshe <b>must </b>be known the first one had a problem.


    <b>Taylor </b>stared <b>at </b>Yunice, then handed the medicine to her subordinate. ¡°Get <b>this </b>tested. I want to know exactly <b>what </b>it is.¡±


    It sounded like a statement, <b>but </b>it carried the unmistakable weight of an order.


    Once the person had left. Taylor took two steps forward, leveraging her height in heels to look down at the cap perched on


    unice¡¯s head


    G


    Chapter 116 The Wrong Hands


    Finished


    wn staff know. That packet didn¡¯t


    She added, ¡°Our medicine bags are custom¨Cmade, marked with small identifiers only our own have one.¡±


    So it had been switched<b>? </b>


    Taylor sneered. ¡°You staged this yourself, didn¡¯t you? How else would you know to deliver a second batch in advance?¡±


    The performance was too obvious. She¡¯d basically tripped over her own setup.


    Yunice said, ¡°The one who came didn¡¯t carry himself right. <b>Kendall </b>family people have presence. Even subordinates should carry that aura. But this guy? His eyes were shifty; first thing he did when he walked in was check <b>who </b>was <b>there</b>¡±


    Temperament couldn¡¯t be faked. Even among underlings, those from the Kendall family were different from those working for the Saunders family.


    Taylor, for example, would never keep someone with the <b>sneaky </b>look of a petty thief.


    She paced a few steps, thinking aloud. ¡°Only you knew I <b>was </b>going to Virtue Hall today. Who would bother switching my medicine?¡±


    §¯§Ö§Ô


    eyes narrowed as she recalled someone <b>else </b>who knew. Could it be her?


    Yunice didn¡¯t ask who. She just said, ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll deliver the medicine personally to the Kendall family¨Cwon¡¯t through anyone else.


    That would eliminate any chances <b>of </b>it being swapped.


    Taylor had initially suspected Yunice of framing someone, but seeing how little concern she showed about who the real culprit was made Taylor think Yunice hadn¡¯t been involved.


    Besides, earlier she¡¯d only said the instructions were missing<b>¨C</b>never mentioned the medicine had been tampered with. That suggested she wanted to stay out of the mess, not stir it up.


    But Taylor, the one affected, couldn¡¯t just pretend nothing happened. She frowned and <b>said</b>, ¡°Next time I send someone to pick it up, don¡¯t say a word about it.¡±


    Yunice hesitated, then nodded<b>. </b>¡°Alright.¡±


    Just then, Taylor answered a call. Whatever was said made her brow furrow slightly. She <b>nced </b>at <b>Yunice</b>.


    I¡¯m


    my <b>way</b>,¡± she said before hanging up.


    She turned to Yunice and said, ¡°You¡¯reing with me.¡±


    They both got into a small electric cart, weaving through most of the Kendall mansion until they reached the back garden.


    Send Gifts


    10

 Daghter 117

    Chapter 117 A Test of Nerves


    Finished


    The <b>back </b>garden housed a <b>ss </b>conservatory, where rare lish and a seascape surreal, dazzling, dreamlike. As they <b>walked</b>, Taylor nced sideways at Yunice, noting how calm andposed she was, seemingly moved by the Kendall Lamily¡¯s extravagance.


    What Taylor didn¡¯t know was that Yunice had grown up seeing this kind of opulence in the Powell family


    this kind of opulence in the Powell tan


    They climbed the spiral staircase until they reached the fourth¨Cfloor sky garden Gerardo <b>was </b>sitting at a table while a casually dressed doctor slowly moved a stethoscope over his chest


    Yunice stared at the man¡¯s back¨Cit looked strangely familiar.


    Out of respect, Taylor <b>said </b>nothing quietly waiting for the examination to end.


    ¡°Mr. Gerando, it¡¯s the same old problem. You¡¯ve been skipping meals again, haven¡¯t you? The doctor turned around it was Joe.


    Yunice recognized his voice immediately and subaly angled her face away, keeping herself out of view.


    Of all the people¡­never expected the Kendall family to bring in de. And if Joe¡¯s here could Wyatt be here to


    Taylor stepped forward and ced a hand on her father¡¯s shoulder, scolding him gently, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve been sending <b>meals </b>to your office every day. You¡¯re telling me you¡¯re too busy to even take a few bites?<b>¡± </b>


    Gerardo, a man with a broad,posed face, frowned. ¡°You¡¯ve never run a business, so you wouldn¡¯t understand¨Conce things get moving, there¡¯s no time, and honestly, no appetite either:


    Taylor wanted to argue, but Gerardo raised a hand to silence her.


    She turned to Joc instead. ¡°Dr. Joe, is my dad¡¯s condition treatalile?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t Joe¡¯s first time examining Gerardo. He stuck to his usual assessment, medicine alone wouldn¡¯t help¨CGerardo needed to start taking better care of himself.


    Taylor didn¡¯t press further and personally walked Joe out.


    Gerardo sat back down at the table, one hand pressed against his stomach. As he <b>looked </b>up, he finally noticed someone else standing nearby. <b>She </b>was wrapped up tightly, her identity concealed.


    Jusi then, several <b>footsteps </b>echoed from the ss staircase. One set was the sharp click of heels¨CTaylor¡¯s


    The offic¡­ was <b>a </b>calle.


    Yunice instinctively turned around, her palms tightening, eyes locked on the approaching figure.


    First came Taylor¡¯s face. Then a head of short <b>hair </b>appeared behind her. Finally, a pair of eyes¨Ccool, unreadable, holding a


    Yunice¡¯s heart jumped to her throat. Why does standing in front of art always feel like I¡¯m doing something wrong?


    But trying to leave now would <b>mean </b>running straight into him.


    She pressed her lips together and stayed rooted where she stood.


    Taylor didn¡¯t bother hiding her attitude toward Wyatt. After all, Gerardo had arranged for her to marry Paul¨CWyatt <b>was </b>the


    encing camp


    She ignored Wyatt and walked straight over to pull Yunice toward Gerardo ¡°Dad, let her give it a try. My stomach pain a


    She cured it. That ointment you¡¯ve been using? She made it too?


    Chapter 117 4 Test of Nerves


    With that one purch. Yuiske mas fully exposal¨Cin both Kieranshe and Wyatt


    Gerando


    vietaiso gave her a ssy, then gestured for Wyatt to sit instead.


    sering ber father a knowledge only Wyan and not Yunsey, a thicker ot disappomument crossed Taylor¡¯s tacr


    Keath: bet stadise Date ( didn¡¯t believe in Viinive¡¯s atsilities


    inished


    But Wort ghaisoest at Yassoon with Comething unreadable <b>in </b>bisexes, then sat down slowly. Mr Gerando, Ms. Taylor¡¯s dome


    even


    We immohaneb tollowed up. Ms Dylor exerested the method on herself. That¡¯s <b>real </b>devotion?


    shot and your appetite was gone so she had me du meridian blossdletting sally argume the energy ponts in her fingers Night after the procedure she ate an entire bowl of the


    Merdan blossbetting on the meer Gerando looked over at Taylor


    Daler docbed her this behind her back, somving an awkward smile.


    ?? ??????


    Now I¡¯m curionis.¡± Wyatt seuled.


    Both Yunge and Taylor virused to Gerando, vidently waiting for has decisi¨®n


    Gerardo tromnes the idea of bloodletting at the fingertips sounded downright eene


    Wyatt chuckled ¡°Waxaha Mu Gerando atranda tew needles


    N


    nerve


    ¡°Kishiculous¡± The remark hit a man¡¯s pande was a powerful thing. Gerando reached out his hand. ¡°What¡¯s there to be scared of


    That was until Yue pulled out touch schon noodle and Gerando¡¯s hops instantly pressed into a tight line


    Taylor leaned over, holding down his shoulder, practically pushing ham into t


    Yurce took hold of Gerando¡¯s band and inserted the needle into the centejoint <b>of </b>each finger.


    With the first prick hip entire body tensed Taylor insetivele stened, worried Yunice bad hurt him and that her father mightsh out in anger


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 118

    Chapter 118 Invitation Without a Name


    To her surprise, Gerardo¡¯s stiffnesssted only a second. He rxed and evenughed out loud, showing off. ¡°Just a tiny needle. What¡¯s there to be afraid of, huh!


    Yunice inserted four <b>needles </b>in quick session. After removing them, she pressed on the joints to draw out a bit of blood. Through the whole process, Gerardo chatted idly with Wyatt.pletely ignoring what Yunice was doing


    He got so caught up in the conversation that by the time Yunice had finished the treatment, he didn¡¯t even realize it was over. Not long after, he <b>smacked </b>his <b>lips </b><b>and </b>reached for <b>an </b>orange <b>from </b><b>the </b><b>fruit </b>te.


    He peeled it absentmindedly and ate it; then, without a second thought, grabbed a banana.


    Yunice stepped aside and nudged Taylor with her elbow, signaling her to pay attention.


    Taylor¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Dad, looks like you¡¯re hungry!¡±


    Gerardo waved her off. ¡°Hungry? I¡¯ve got no appetite.


    ¡°Then look down at all those fruit peels in front of you,¡± Taylor said.


    Gerardo nced down¨Cand fell silent.


    ¡°See? Didn¡¯t I tell you? Just let the doctor stick a few needles in you and bam¨Cappetite restored!¡± She eagerly grabbed his arm. ¡°No more <b>chatting</b><b>, </b>let¡¯s go eat while you¡¯ve got it!¡±


    ¡°Hey¡­ Gerardo hesitated, looking back. ¡°But Wyatt-


    They <b>walked </b>off together, leaving Yunice and Wyatt alone in the sky garden.


    <b>Wyatt </b>sipped his tea with calm indifference. Yunice, meanwhile, snuck nces at him.


    She couldn¡¯t tell if he¡¯d recognized her from <b>the </b>beginning. Otherwise, why would he have helped me out earlier?


    Just as she was debating whether toe clean, Wyatt turned slightly and <b>said</b>. ¡°Mind taking a look at me?¡±


    Yunice hesitated, then stepped forward and rested a small wrist pillow on the table.


    She sat down and gently ced her gloved fingers on Wyatt¡¯s wrist to take his pulse. Thece gloves were thin <b>and </b>elegant. her touch delicate and graceful.


    ¡°Your <b>fingers </b><b>would </b>look perfect with a wedding ring,¡± Wyatt said.


    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>wary gaze stayed hidden beneath the brim of her cap. She was now certain that <b>Wyatt </b>recognized her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk. It affects the treatment,¡± she warned.


    Wyatt ignored her. ¡°I¡¯ve got a wife too. She¡¯s a great doctor.¡±


    Yunice stayed silent, pretending not to understand.


    I¡¯m getting married soon,¡± he continued. ¡°nning to give her a little <b>pre</b><b>¨C</b>wedding gift. <b>As </b>a fellow <b>woman</b>, got <b>any </b>suggestions?¡±


    Yunice took a deep breath. He talks too damn much.


    In a quiet, muffled voice, she answered, ¡°Loyalty.


    ¡°<b>Oh </b>He raised an eyebrow ¡°That¡¯s a new one.


    ¨C rogan that, been lowit nunding in ¡°un


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    Hermame hai aireny.fem sremeway the A Sit moltongedamustic cold impersonal title of the rami


    Staring the invium, Yureiller lean the wind Aleavestenlichessess spread through every inch of her


    at


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    the umeriite and for bearfimike:<ol><li>mi. Shundopediction <b>long </b>ago, hustliientatier could see <b>this </b><b>fro </b></li></ol>


    Framed herming true hammtess of wallingdowie stromanworthy


    Hurwithahe was gone, hum sate haven had wonserttim. Mir willemoetopian this wertidig torr

 Daghter 119

    Chapter 119 The Bride Without a Name


    Finished


    Yunice¡¯s <b>lips </b>curled into a bitter smile, as if she could taste her own tears. Thankfully, the mask she wore <b>hid </b>any sign of her distress.


    The sound of high heels echoed, growing louder. Taylor and Gerardo had returned. Yunice slipped the invitation into her bag like nothing had happened.


    Gerardo was in good spirits. <b>As </b>soon as he came up, he smiled and chatted with Wyatt. ¡°That girl¡¯s not bad at all.¡±


    Wyatt lifted the prescription Yunice had written <b>and </b>smiled. ¡°Thanks to your generosity, Mr. Gerardo, I scored a prescription of my own.¡±


    Gerardo chuckled and exchanged <b>a </b>nce with <b>Taylor</b>.


    Yunice understood¨Cit <b>was </b>time for Gerardo to talk serious business with Wyatt.


    Sure enough, Taylor turned and led Yunice <b>away</b>,


    As they descended from the sky garden, Taylor asked, ¡°I still don¡¯t know your name.¡±


    You can call me Dr. Rylie,¡± Yunice replied.


    ¡°Then Rylie it is. Taylor said. ¡°I believe in your skills now. I hope you can <b>really </b>help me with my problem. If you do, I¡¯ll even cover my dad¡¯s consultation fee along with mine.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Yunice said simply.


    But she didn¡¯t care about consultation fees. What truly mattered were the connections¨Cjust like today. That single moment in front of Gerardo had secured her a ce in Taylor¡¯swork.


    Taylor arranged <b>for </b>someone to escort Yunice out of the Kendall estate, then headed back <b>to </b>the sky garden.


    She still cared deeply about what <b>Gerardo </b>and Wyatt might be discussing


    As soon <b>as </b>Yunice <b>stepped </b>outside, a car honked sharply <b>from </b>the roadside.


    Once <b>she </b>got in, Gill looked at her with concern. ¡°Ms. Saunders, what took you so long?¡±


    ¡°I ran into Wyatt


    Gill looked confused. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Kendall family close with <b>Paul</b>? Why would Wyatt be there?¡±


    ¡°Wyatt came to deliver an invitation?


    Gill took the invitation from her, read it¨C<b>and </b>her face immediately flushed with anger. She threw the card across the car.


    ¡°This is insane! A wedding is a huge deal, and no one even <b>told </b>you? Whose wedding is <b>this </b>really?¡±


    Yunier picked the invitation <b>back </b>up and said calmly, ¡°What¡¯s there to be mad <b>about</b>? Even if they wanted to contact me, they couldn¡¯t


    She¡¯d only just realized she and Wyatt had never exchanged contact info. As for the Saunders family¨Cthere was no <b>way </b>they could¡¯ve found her even if they tried.


    Gill still couldn¡¯t let it go. ¡°Then what¡¯s with this ¡®the Saunders <b>family</b>¡® <b>crap</b>? What <b>kind </b>of bride doesn¡¯t even get her name on the carde


    Yunice gave a <b>faint </b>simile and stayed silent. There couldn¡¯t be two people named Yunice in the Saunders family. Honestly, it was already generous of them not to make up a fake name for her.


    Chapter 119 The Bride Without a Name


    Suddenly, Gill let out a sharp gasp Ms. Saunders¨Clook at this!


    Finished


    She nearly shoved the phone into Yunice¡¯s face. The moment Yunice saw what was on the screen, her face turned ghostly pale


    Her voice trembled Drive, now.¡± The


    ¡°Ms. Saunders!¡±


    Before Gill could even park properly, Yunice flung open the car door and bolted out. She staggered slightly, but didnt stop. running full speed toward her father¡¯s grave


    The news had broken early that morning¨Cgrave robbers had desecrated several burial plots at the cemetery Headstones had been shattered. The story <b>had </b>triggered a rush of media and grieving families, many demanding answers from the cemetery¡¯s management.


    Yunice didn¡¯t stop to engage with anyone. She stumbled and shoved her way through the crowd, desperate to reach Will¡¯s resting ce.


    When she finally pushed past thest group of people and saw that his headstone was still standing,pletely intact, she felt her whole body go weak with relief.


    Thank God¡­ Dad¡¯s grutte is still here. I still have this piece of him


    She nced at the grave beside Will¡¯s¨Cnow a gaping hole. Her heart skipped. What kind of monsters do this? How desperate do you have to be to dig up the dead? Thank God they didn¡¯t touch him


    Yunice knelt down and began wiping the dirt from his headstone with her hands, painstakingly brushing away everyst speck like it was something sacred.


    As she cleaned, she murmured<b>, </b>¡°Dad. <b>Owen </b>and the rest of them never reallye visit you anyway. I¡¯ve been thinking maybe someday I¡¯ll move you somewhere nicer¨Cbetter view, better air. Somewhere I can visit more often<b>. </b>You only feel at <b>peace </b>when I¡¯m-


    Before she could finish, a <b>towel </b>suddenly pressed over her mouth from behind. The sentence died in her throat


    ¡°Ms. Saunders?¡± Gill had just <b>parked </b>and was scanning the crowd


    She stood in front nowhere in sight.


    of wills grave, turning in circles¨Cdozens of people were milling around in mourning. but Yunice was ¨C


    Yunice was being dragged away,


    She could still hear Gill¡¯s voice nearby, but her body had no strength left to answer.


    There were plenty of people around¨Cgrieving, crying, barely staying on their feet¨Cbut no one noticed one more person being dragged away. It all blended into the chaos. No one suspected a thing.

 Daghter 120

    Chapter 120 Wrapped in stic and Panic


    Finished


    The towel covering her mouth <b>and </b>nose had been drugged. Even biting the tip of her tongue hadn¡¯t been enough to fight off the sleepiness_


    Yunice¡¯s vision blurred, her entire body felt limp. Her eyes could barely stay open, just a narrow slit through which she saw blurry shadows moving. She drifted in and out as people lifted and shifted her from ce to ce.


    Eventually, the movement stopped. She seemed to be lying on a couch in some kind of room. Then several people came in, propped her <b>up</b>, and began changing her clothes.


    ¡°Why is there blood on her hands? Wait, there¡¯s a needle stuck in her finger!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s pupils shifted faintly beneath her heavy eyelids. She could hear them speaking, but the voices felt far away and


    distorted like temple bells.


    Someone else chimed in, ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s just get her changed. That¡¯s our only job here.¡±


    You help her change¨CI¡¯ll take out the needle. Ten fingers, one heart. This must hurt like <b>hell</b>.¡±


    They moved her again, undressing her. One hand was lifted, then pinched. A sharp pain tore through her fingertip and shot straight to her brain.


    She groaned, <b>and </b>the fog in her mind began to clear.


    She stuck the needle into herself while she was barely conscious¨Cright at the center of her fingertip. It was known to snap people out of fainting like nothing else.


    She didn¡¯t <b>dare </b>open her eyes, only pretended to still be passed out. One maid was dressing her; the other was bandaging her finger.


    <b>¡°</b>Why do we <b>have </b>to dress her like this?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell? She¡¯s being given <b>as </b>a gift. Some man¡¯s gonnae in here soon.¡±


    They worked quickly. Once they were done, one of them said, ¡°Take all the clothes in this room. There aren¡¯t any <b>cameras </b>outside¨Cif she runs, we¡¯ll never find her.¡±


    The rustle of fabric followed. Yunice barely opened her eyes, catching ¨¤ glimpse of the two maids hurrying out, arms full of clothing.


    Sheypletely still, listening for any movement outside. Only when she was sure the room was empty did she roll off the couch.


    The drug still lingered¨Cher limbs had no strength. The moment she rolled, she crashed to the floor with a loud thud.


    Panicked, she curled up beside the couch, holding her breath to listen for approaching footsteps.


    No one came.


    She gathered her strength and staggered to the door, gripping the handle. Slowly, she cracked it open just enough to peek through


    There was <b>nothing</b>, the hallway was dead silent<b>. </b>


    No cameras outside if the escapes, they¡¯ll never find her¡­.


    The maids<b>¡® </b>voices echoed <b>in </b>her <b>mind </b>


    Her first mistinct <b>was </b>to r run. But <b>just </b><b>as </b>she pushed the door further, she <b>hesitated</b>.


    3:32 PM <b>d </b>


    Chapter 120 Wrapped in stic and Panic


    Yunice closed the door, locked it, then dragged furniture in front to barricade it.


    Still, she knew it wouldn¡¯t hold for <b>long</b>.


    She scanned the room. As expected, not a single thing she could wear.


    No sheets. No curtains. Not even a towel. Footsteps sounded faintly from the hall. Panic kicked in <b>again</b>.


    She rushed into the bathroom and <b>opened </b>the cab¨C<b>inside</b>, a roll of thick <b>trash </b>bags.


    Finished


    Quickly, she unraveled them and wrapped herself up,yer byyer, <b>until </b>the makeshift outfit clung to <b>her </b>like a ck <b>sheath </b>dress.


    The luxury hotel used heavy¨Cduty bags¨Cdurable enough not to tear easily.


    The scrambling drained her energy, but she could finally move again. Her palms were slick with sweat from the adrenaline


    The hallway went quiet again. She approached the door, ready to escape¨Cbut just as she reached for the handle<b>, </b>something struck <b>her</b><b>. </b>


    Wait¡­ this isn¡¯t right. If they want to stop me from escaping, why don¡¯t they lock the door? <i>If </i>I¡¯m a gift, why isn¡¯t there a bed in the room? None of this adds <b>up</b>.


    She stared at the doorframe like it was a threshold between life and death.


    After three seconds of hesitation, Yunice went with her gut. She re¨Clocked the door, darted into the <b>bathroom</b>, and locked that door too<b>. </b>


    There were o


    only three exits, the hallway door, a massive floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, and the <b>bathroom¡¯s </b>venttion window.


    Yunice climbed onto the sink and pushed open the vent. She hauled herself up until her torso cleared the ledge, <b>and </b>looked. out¨Conly for her heart to sink.


    She was at least eighteen floors up. Her stomach churned just looking down.


    But <b>whoever </b>had put her here clearly meant harm. She couldn¡¯t just sit and wait.


    Dad, please watch over nie. She whispered the prayer in her mind, then began crawling through the narrow opening.


    The second she pushed her body through, her arm gave out¨Cshe almost slipped<b>. </b>


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 121

    Finished


    This was a ss building; the <b>ledge </b>was barely four inches wide. Yunice could only rest the balls of her feet on it¨Cher heels hung in midair.


    She shut her eyes for a moment, too afraid to look down. All she could do was stare straight ahead and nce around; there were venttion openings not far in either direction.


    If she climbed left, she¡¯d have to pass that corridor <b>again</b>¡­.


    Yunice made a quick decision to crawl right. She knew her stamina wouldn¡¯tst long; the more she hesitated, the weaker <b>limbs </b>would get. Without wasting time, she grabbed hold of anything that could help support her weight.


    Honestly, if she could just get over her fear of heights, this climb wasn¡¯t much different from bncing <b>on </b>a curb as a kid.


    Except this game didn¡¯t allow for mistakes. Once she managed to inch her way over to the venttion window of the room on the right, Yunice reached <b>up</b>.


    But the window was too high; not only did she miss, her ankle cramped up.


    <b>Gritting </b>through the pain, she changed tactics¨Cfirst grabbing onto the tform that held the outdoor unit beside her. a huge effort to haul herself onto it, and once <b>she </b>managed to stand, her legs gave out and she copsed onto the tiny tform, utterly drained.


    It took


    Heart still racing. Yunice decided to rest for a bit in this rtively safe spot before figuring out a way to call for help. After all. no one would expect her to actually climb out the <b>window</b>.


    ¡°Stop pacing around. You¡¯re <b>making </b>me dizzy?


    Suddenly hearing <b>Paul¡¯s </b>voice, Yunice¡¯s <b>eyes </b>lit up. In such a desperate situation, hearing a <b>familiar </b>voice felt like grabbing onto a lifeline.


    She sprang to her feet and looked up at the venttion window overhead.


    The window <b>was </b>open; she could hear the voicesing from inside.


    Just as she was about to <b>shout</b>, Owen¡¯s angry voice cut through the air. ¡°If Morgan daresy a finger on my sister, I swear I won¡¯t let him get <b>away </b>with it!¡±


    Morgan? Morgan Is the one who kidnapped me!


    Yunice didn¡¯t doubt <b>for </b>a second that Morgan would do something like this. He was already infamous as a reckless rich brat who acted without consequence. Knowing <b>that </b>Owen and Paul were both inside made her feel much more at ease.


    Standing on the tform of the outdoor unit, <b>she </b>shouted up toward the venttion window, ¡°Owen! Owen!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t confident she could climb up to the vent. She didn¡¯t want to die; so even though things had gone south between her and Owen, she still chose to call for help.


    Ife is still my brother, right?


    Yunice <b>shouted </b>with all her strength. Before long, she saw Owen and Paul appear by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window. It looked like they had heard something but couldn¡¯t make out the words.


    Owen stared outside, startled ¡°I could¡¯ve sworn I just heard Yunice¡¯s voice<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Paul leaned on the window and looked to the side, then realized how ridiculous <b>that </b>was. ¡°You¡¯re meters up. How could Yunice be out there?¡±


    Yumer stood up against the wall and <b>waved </b>frantically toward the window.


    Crazy. We¡¯re dozens of


    Finished


    But the hotel¡¯s soundproofing was too good, the vent barely carried her <b>voice</b>. No one inside could understand what she was saying.


    Owen <b>stood </b>again, puzzled. ¡°I still think 1 hear Yunny calling me.¡±


    Paul slowly got up, thinking out loud. ¡°Could she be awake?¡±


    ¡°No way.¡± Owen said. ¡°The <b>meds </b>shouldn¡¯t wear off that fast¡­¡±


    Hearing their conversation. Yunice¡¯s expression grew <b>guarded</b>. They knew she¡¯d passed out from the traditional medicine. Pressed against the wall below the vent, she fell silent.


    Then came the sound of Paul twisting the doorknob. ¡°I¡¯m going to check.¡±


    Owen yanked him back by <b>the </b>shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t <b>know </b>what you¡¯re up to. You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡±


    Paul shook him off angrily. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m up to?¡±


    ¡°You booked this room on purpose! You wanted Yunice to panie and run straight into your arms!¡± Owen shouted.


    ¡°You already took advantage of her, and now you¡¯re still trying to get your hands on her!¡±


    Paul flinched, guilt shing across his face. His temper red as he snapped back, ¡°Don¡¯t lump me <b>in </b>with your filth. You¡¯re the one who drugged your own sister <b>and </b>handed her off to some stranger! I¡¯m not the one who ruined her reputation!¡±


    Owen¡¯s face burned. Furious, he shouted back, ¡°And you think camping out like a vulture isn¡¯t filthy? What if she <b>ran </b>into Morgan¡¯s room¨Cthat¡¯s one thing¨Cbut what if she ended up in yours? What the heck would you do then?¡±


    <b>Paul </b>snorted, ¡°I just wanted to give <b>her </b><b>a </b>safe ce to stay. I wouldn¡¯ty a finger on her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nonsense!¡± Owen almost never cursed; this time he was truly livid..


    He pointed furiously at the door. ¡°You know how many cameras are set up in that hallway? If even one of those videos gets out and <b>shows </b>you with Yunice, how the heck is Elsie supposed to live <b>that </b><b>down</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Send Gifts


    310

 Daghter 122

    Chapter 122 Nothing Left to Hold On To


    Paul fell silent. After a few seconds, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think <b>this </b>is unfair to Yunice?¡±


    Finished


    Owen didn¡¯t respond at first either; the question hung in the aur. But a momentter, he clenched his <b>fists </b>and muttered through gritted teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. If Yunny marries Wyatt, and my dad could see it from the afterlife, he¡¯d me


    me.¡±


    Paul let out a sharp, mockingugh. ¡°Both of them are <b>the </b>same kind of worthless; and you¡¯re seriously trying topare them?¡±


    So marrying Wyatt properly isn¡¯t good enough, but getting tied to Morgan, the walking scandal, is finer


    Owen had noeback. He just clenched his fists tighter, the pain from <b>his </b>injured hand still sharp


    That moment when Wyatt stood up for <b>Yunice</b>¨COwen couldn¡¯t forget it. If Yunice had been all bark and no bite, Wyatt was the one who lit a fire under her<b>. </b>


    I can¡¯t afford to let the Saunders family gain another enemy, Owen murmured.


    So he had to cut off her wings.


    The sound he thought he¡¯d heard earlier still nagged at him; not wanting to risk a mistake, Owen <b>said</b>, ¡°Stay here. I¡¯m going to check outside¡±


    Paul didn¡¯t argue. Meanwhile, Yunice <b>had </b>already heard most of their conversation from the other side of the window.


    <b>Tears </b>slid down her cheeks, collecting at her chin before <b>falling </b>


    Yunice forced a bitter smile and looked up at the overcast sky. The dark clouds hung like a giant burial shroud, wrapping everything in gloom.


    It <b>was </b>like a bucket of freezing <b>water </b>poured over a burning fire in the dead of winter¨Cher heart, once soaring, now plummeted into despair.


    She¡¯d thought Owen was still her brother, she¡¯d thought Paul had once been a true <b>friend</b>.


    She believed that even if they looked down on her, they¡¯d still offer a <b>hand </b>in her darkest hour. Who would¡¯ve <b>thought</b>¨Cthey were the ones who shoved the knife in¡­


    And like a fool, she had actually tried to call out to them for help. The wind whipped <b>between </b>the buildings, sweeping the tears right off her face.


    The salty streaks dried stiffly on her skin. Yunice finally looked up again at the venttion window<b>. </b>


    They all wanted to crush her and humiliate her<b>; </b>all the more reason she had to fight back¨Chead held high.


    She moved slowly, turning her body so she now faced the wall instead of <b>leaning </b><b>against </b>it


    Standing on her toes, <b>she </b>reached up for the window ledge. Still just a few inches short.


    Looking down, there was <b>nothing </b>but a deadly <b>drop </b>beneath her; above, nowhere to <b>push </b>off from.


    Despair surged up¨Conly to be buried beneath rising fury.


    If she had to die, even if she had to go to hell, she¡¯d still climb up there. She¡¯d stand right in front of Owen <b>and </b>watch him try to <b>exin </b>himself.


    Yunice gritted her teeth and leapt upward, managing to catch the edge of the window with her lingertips despite the gap


    Chapter 122 Nothing Left to Hold On To


    Finished


    But she had used up too much strength already. By the time half her body was wedged inside the vent, she was on the verge of copse.


    Her leg mmed into the wall with a jarring thud; she couldn¡¯t haul herself in.


    Footsteps echoed outside the bathroom. A doorknob clicked.


    Paul stepped in¨Cand froze when his eyes locked with <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>


    w


    She was hanging upside down, half her body inside the venttion window. Paul stood there, stunned.


    ce like this,


    He probably couldn¡¯t have imagined <b>in </b>a million years <b>that </b>Yunice would show up in a p


    Just <b>as </b>he moved forward, he paused; something clicked in his head. His expression darkened. ¡°You were out there this whole


    time?


    He realized now¨Cthose <b>sounds </b>he¡¯d heard earlier had been Yunice trying to get their attention. Which meant she¡¯d also heard everything he and Owen <b>had </b><b>said</b>.


    <b>Paul </b>eyed her cautiously; sure enough, her eyes were bloodshot, zing with fury.


    His impulse to help her vanished. And then footsteps sounded again outside. Owen¡¯s voice rang out before he even arrived. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¨CYunice isn¡¯t


    in the room. She¡¯s vanished-


    He cut off mid¨Csentence. The second he reached the bathroom, he spotted <b>Yunice </b>dangling from the vent.


    His expression was even more shocked than Paul¡¯s. He flinched back, practically jumping<b>, </b>and mmed into the frosted ss door with a loud bang.


    It took him three seconds to recover. He met Paul¡¯s eyes, <b>then</b>, without thinking, lunged forward to grab Yunice and pull her


    Just then, Paul said sharply, ¡°Owen!¡±


    Owen turned and red. ¡°<b>What </b>are you stopping <b>me </b>for! She¡¯s outside a skyscraper¨Cwhat if she falls?¡±


    Paul


    gave him a look of exasperation. He lowered his voice. ¡°She heard everything we said¡±


    Boom<b>. </b>


    Owen felt like he <b>had </b>been hit by <b>a </b>ton of bricks.


    Send Gifts


    10

 Daghter 123

    Chapter 123 The Breaking Point.


    It felt like all those skeletons in the closet had be dragged into the light Owen¡¯s race burned hot with shame; he didn¡¯t dare turn around to face Yunce Paul stavesd quiet too¨Cafter all this whole <b>idea </b>had been Owen¡¯s


    Owen hestrated for a few seconds, unsure what to do with Yunice. Getting caught doing something wrong, his first instinct was to figure out how to shut the other person up


    But Yunice was hits sister. He couldn¡¯t threaten her, and he couldn¡¯t exactly beg her to pretend nothing had happened.


    While Owen stood frozen in ce. Yunice didn¡¯t wait. She scrambled through the <b>window </b>in a sh; she moved so quickly she didn¡¯t even find hier footing and ended up falling inside.


    Noen panicked and rushed forward to help her, scolding her angrily. Didn¡¯t that hurt? Why didn¡¯t you wait for me to help


    But Yunice shrank away from his hand eyeing him and Paul like they were kidnappers¨Cwary and full of dread


    Vitomer


    A few minutes ago, she had actually hoped they might. But now, all she could feel was suspicion and distrust.


    The only reason she¡¯d risked her life to climb back inside was because she feared Owen might push her off the building himself¡ªto silence her and cover up everything he¡¯d done today


    When Owen caught that look in her eyes, he instantly understood. He frowned and said. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that¡® You think <b>I¡¯d </b>hut vou?¡±


    Yunice forced herself upright<b>. </b>The trash bag she¡¯d wrapped around herself during the climb had torn in several ces, but it was still better than the clothes Owen had lett f?r her.


    she needed to get out¨Cshe had to make <b>sure </b>she was


    Owen <b>saw </b>her ignoring him, and a <b>wave </b>of guilt passed over him. He reached out to grab her. Where do you think you¡¯re going


    Yunse turned and fixed him with a cold re. I already called Wyatt. He¡¯s on his way right now. Go ahead¨Ctry touching


    me


    ¡°You¡± Owen¡¯s face twisted, but his hand dropped away, held back by caution


    Yunice walked <b>out </b>of the bathroom. As she passed through the living room, she spotted a suit jacket thrown over the couch.


    sdn¡¯t care if it was Owen¡¯s or Paul¡¯s she picked it up and put it on. It was big, but just enough to cover her legs


    Just like that, she left the hotel without stopping by anyone else¡¯s room. Once inside a cab the borrowed the driver¡¯s phone and called Call


    But no one answered. Whether Gill was too busy looking for her or something else was going on, the call kept ringing without


    & resprise


    The driver asked where she wanted to go


    Yunive patisest, then sand ¡°Police station


    The moment those two words came out, the driver looked at her through the rearview mirror.


    When he saw het scraped¨Cup body and strange outfit, he seemed to put two and two together. He sped up driving ber


    Vattner italii have any money for the fare but the driver waved her of ¡°I¡¯ve got a daughter too. Co. Harry insade¡±


    3.32 PM c


    Chapter 123 The Breaking Point


    She was going to report them.


    She was going to charge Owen with kidnapping¨Cand Paul as his aplice.


    Finished


    She hobbled up the station steps, but just as she reached the top, someone rushed out from the side, covered her mouth, and dragged her into


    Yunice struggled with everything she had, but she was no match for the person¡¯s strength.


    The car drove all the way to the Saunders mansion. Owen and Paul hauled her <b>into </b>the living room and shoved her onto the


    <b>couch</b>.


    Tunice got back up ring at Owen. furious.


    Upstairs. Lily and Elsie had heard themotion and came rushing down.


    The <b>moment </b>Lily saw the two siblings ready to explode at each other, she stepped between them to break things up. ¡°What¡¯s going on <b>now</b>? You¡¯re brother and sister¨Ccan¡¯t you just give each other a little grace!¡±


    Then she noticed what Yunice was wearing. She froze and asked, <b>¡°</b>Why are you wearing a man¡¯s jacket?¡±


    She <b>nced </b>at Owen, who was still fuming, and jumped to conclusions. ¡°Yunice, you haven¡¯t been home for days¨C<b>have </b>you been fooling around with some man outside?¡±


    Why else would Owen be this mad and drag her back like this?


    Yunice sneered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him why I¡¯m dressed like this<b>?</b>¡±


    Lily looked at Owen suspiciously


    what Owen did. I¡¯m sure he had his reasons. You can¡¯t


    Elsie clung to Lily¡¯s arm, frowning as she lectured. ¡°Yunice, no matter w just me everything <b>on </b>him. You should apologize to him.


    Yunice stared at Elsie¡¯s carefully made¨Cup face. When she¡¯d first been kidnapped, she wasn¡¯t sure if Elsie had been involved. Now she <b>was </b>certain¨Cat the very least, Elsie knew what was going on


    Still seething. Owen shouted at Yunice. ¡°What were you trying to do back there were you <b>really </b>going to the police?¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 124

    Chapter 124 All Ties Severed


    Paul stood behind Cowen, frowning at Yunice with the same expression¨Clike she was being unreasonable


    Vinice shot back, Tm not allowed to call the police?


    ven harked ¡°What kindol


    Finished


    ¡°Even cklisted people have human riglist Vinice mapped. ¡°You kidnapped me, forced me against my will, tried to coerce me into sleeping with someo


    ause you don¡¯t want to call the police. Your¡¯re so


    expose you!


    ¡°Kidnapping Coercion Lily looked at Owen, stined, as if asking for confirmation


    Owen countered <b>sharply</b>, ¡°You¡¯re jumping


    ????


    conclusions I <b>was </b>just chatting with Paul. You didnryeven hear everything and


    How youthe Twisting my words, trying to report your own Inother to the cops


    Paul added, ¡°Nome kidnapped you. No one forced you. No oneid a hand on you. If you file a false report, what are people


    Namur supposed to <b>think </b>about your brother?¡±


    Elsie chimed in too, ¡°Vunice, that¡¯s nder, Reporting that you were raped¨Cwhat good does that do for you?¡±


    Lily <b>looked </b>at Yunice like she¡¯d lost her mind, like she was some kind of disease.


    Staring at all of them covering for one another. Yunice felt a bone¨Cdeep disgust with humanity.


    She didn¡¯t look at any of them just Owen ¡°When I was hanging on for dear life outside that building. I ran through <b>every </b>name in my head¨Ceveryone who might holl a grudge against me, I even suspected Elsie. <b>But </b>the one person I never imagined would do this¡­ was you, Owen


    <b>Owen </b>froze, like her words pierced straight through him. His face dropped; he couldn¡¯t hide it.


    <b>But </b>he still wouldn¡¯t adult he¡¯d done it..


    Yunice said coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to admit it. I¡¯ll find evidence, and I press charges¨Cuntil the very end.


    ¡°You¡± Owen snapped. ¡°It <b>was </b>just a misunderstanding are you really not going to let it gor


    ¡°A misunderstanding? Then what are you so afraid of?¡± Yunice stood up. She didn¡¯t want to waste another word with this family. <b>She </b>just wanted out.


    But Owen trached <b>out </b><b>again</b>, trying to shove her back.


    He pushed her shoulder¨Cand that was it.


    Yunicepletely lost it. A wave of fury surged through her she lunged at Owen and bit <b>down </b>hard on his ear,


    He hadn¡¯t been prepared. All he felt was a sharp, tearing <b>pain</b>. Instinctively, he showed her <b>back</b>¨Cbut she held on with <b>such </b>violent force <b>that </b>even he couldn¡¯t break her grip.


    ¡°Owen Lily rushed forward to pull Yunice oil.


    Bon Yumice was like a rabid hyena¨Conce her teeth sank in, she wasn¡¯t letting g


    Flur joined in, wing at Yunier¡¯s chest with vicious fingers, pinching and twisting hard.


    She figured Yunice wouldn¡¯t dare show bruises in that kind of ce¨Ceven if she wanted to press <b>charges</b>.


    The <b>pain </b>hit. Yunice let out a sharp gasprand grabbed Elsie¡¯s <b>hand</b>.


    andre let me of (wen tired <b>mul </b>damned Flue in the arrunt


    Finished


    Chapter 124 All Ties Severed


    <b>hard</b>. If it hadn¡¯t disgusted her so much, she might¡¯ve sunk her


    Whatever Elsie had done to her. Yunice returned twice as h reeth into her too.


    vulnerable part of Elsie¡¯s body and twisted hard. Elsie curled up in agony, shrieking


    She dug into the softest, most vulne


    Long nails shed at Yunice¡¯s body in return, trying to make her let go


    But Yunice was beyond rage <b>now</b>¨Clike pain didn¡¯t <b>even </b>register. She didn¡¯t let go


    Elsie screamed. ¡°Mom! Owen! Paul¨Chelp me!¡±


    Lily was <b>already </b>trying to pry Yunice off. She wrapped her arms around Yunice¡¯s waist and pulled, but it was no use


    Owen, clutching his bleeding ear, looked <b>at </b>Yunice, then at Elsie being pinned and attacked¨Cfinally, he made a move to <b>grab </b>Yunice¡¯s wrists.


    Paul stood to the side, frowning, shuffling nervously, unsure what to do.


    Elsie¡¯s hands wed wildly at Yunice¡¯s neck. So Yunice let go of the flesh she¡¯d been twisting, grabbed one of those grabbing hands, and bent in backward


    Elsie let <b>out </b>a high¨Cpitched <b>wail </b>¡°Mom! She¡¯s gonna break my fingers!¡±


    Seeing her daughter¡¯s fingers nearly bent out of ce, Lily panicked. She grabbed a fruit knife from the table, raised it, <b>and </b>swung it at Yunice¡¯s hand:


    Yunice flinched back, instinctively letting go. The de still grazed her fingers.


    Everyone froze<b>. </b>


    A few strands of hair had slipped loose from Lily¡¯s forehead; her eyes were wide and bloodshot, veins bulging at She looked like someone with a score to sende and no ns to back <b>down </b>


    They could all see it¨CLily had meant to maim her. If Yunice hadn¡¯t dodged, her fingers mick Lily forced Yunice 10 let <b>go</b>, then immediately shifted the knife<b>, </b>shielding Elsie behind her and <b>pointing </b>the de at Yunice. have been chopped clean off.


    her temple.


    Send Gifts


    10

 Daghter 125

    apter 125 No One to Protect but Herself


    But it seemed Lily had forgotten¨CYunice was her flesh <b>and </b>blood too Lily <b>red </b>at Yumice, and Yunice, eyes rimmed <b>red</b>, red right back


    They didu¡®) look like mother and daughter, they looked like enemies locked in a death match.


    As the heat of the moment coolest, a sliver of reason returned to Lily¡¯s mind. Her gaze dritted downward¨CYunice¡¯s hand was trembling at her sule


    Athm line of blood snaked down her fingers, dripping steadily onto the floor. Lily¡¯s heart pounded; her head went light. It was only then that the reality struck her¨CYunice was her daughter too,


    ¡°Mom, my hand hurts so much. I think something¡¯s broken, Elsie sobbed, holding her injured hand, tears streaming down her face


    Her crying startled both Owen <b>and </b>Lily, pulling then eyes away from Yanice. With matching looks of <b>concern</b>, they hurried to lift Elsie up and rushed to get her medical attention


    Paul looked at Yumice and scolded. ¡°You went too far. Elsie had nothing to do with any of this¨Cwhy <b>take </b>it out on her?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. Paul paused. then heard Owen calling him, <b>and </b>had no choice but to follow thein to the hospital.


    In the blink of an eye, the massive Saunders mansion was empty again¨Cexcept for Vunice.


    <b>Just </b><b>like </b>always, everyone rushed to care for Elsie. Even if Yunice was hurt worse. Even if Yunice was the real victim.


    She had long grown used to this kind of treatment. There was no time to brood over how unfair life was or mourn the coldness of those around her.


    Yunice turned and <b>went </b>back to her room, pulled out the first¨Caid kit, and started tending to her own wounds.


    All these years, she¡¯d learned how to face everything alone. But just because <b>she </b>could endure <b>pain </b>didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d swallow<b>. </b>it down. Didn¡¯t mean <b>she¡¯d </b>sutter in silence forever


    Eisie¡¯s test <b>results </b><b>came </b>back, her fingers were only slightly swollen¨Cnothing broken,


    Owen¡¯s ear had torn, but it was already <b>bandaged </b>up.


    Lily finally let out a breath of relief. After seeing Paul off, she shut the door <b>dad </b>turned on Owen with a scowl. ¡°Did you really drug your sister and hand her over to a man?


    Owen flushed deep red. He wasn¡¯t the type who lied <b>well</b>.


    Seeing him mmed up <b>and </b>speechless. Lily knew mmediately that what Yunice had said was true.


    ¡°You ¨C Lily <b>was </b>so furious she couldn¡¯t even finish the sentence. She raised her hand and pped Owen across the face.


    It <b>was </b>the first time <b>she </b>had ever hit him. Owen froze, stunned, staring at her in disbelief.


    She really hit me, for Yuniert


    Lily gritted her teeth, pointing at hum, her voice shaking with rage. ¡°<b>And </b><b>here </b>I thought you <b>were </b><b>decent</b><b>, </b><b>kind</b>! I never imagined you could stoop to something so disgusting. Do you <b>have </b>any idea how much a girl¡¯s reputation means? You wouldn¡¯t do this to a stranger¨Chow could you do it to your <b>own </b>sister?¡±


    ¡°Mom¡± Elsie cried out. She yanked the IV needle from her hand and threw herself in front of Owen, sobbing: ¡°Owen must¡¯ve


    reasons! Yunice is lus real sister¨Che¡¯?d never really hurt her!¡°.


    Lily snapped. ¡°Then let him <b>say </b>it! What reason could justify <b>doing </b>something so vile?¡±


    Chapter 125 No One to Protect but Herself


    Finished


    He said. ¡°Because because I couldn¡¯t <b>let </b>Yunice marry Wyatt. You don¡¯t know what that man¡¯s really like! If she went through with it, she¡¯d be miserable. And yeah. I drugged her¨Cbut I never meant to ruin her reputation. I made sure Morgan would be there. No matter how he feels about her, the Johnsons would¡¯ve had to give Yunice an exnation with all the public pressure. Mom, didn¡¯t you say you liked Morgan too? Isn¡¯t he the one Yunice was meant to end up with?¡±


    Hearing that. Lily¡¯s eyes turned red again, her voice cracking with emotion. She hated what Owen had done, but she had no


    words to refute him.


    Because his intention had been good¨Che¡¯d been thinking of the entire Saunders family.


    Wyatt might be great, but he was never on the same side as them. The Johnsons, on the other hand, were different.


    Choking back tears. Lily said. ¡°Sweetheart, what I¡¯m upset about isn¡¯t your decision¨Cit¡¯s that you were reckless with yourself? Out of love for her son. Lily couldn¡¯t help pulling Owen into her arms.


    She wept. I¡¯m just scared Yunice will use this against you. You gave her leverage, and if she really charges and sends


    you to prison¡­ what am I supposed to do then<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen blinked, startled. For a moment, it was like something finally clicked in his head.


    He¡¯d really thought Lily was standing up for Yunice. But now, he realized the person Lily truly wanted to protect¡­ <b>was </b>him.


    He couldn¡¯t say what he was feeling.


    It wasn¡¯t relief at being spared from me. If anything, it left him with a deep, gnawing guilt.

 Daghter 126

    Chapter 126 The Leverage.


    Finished


    He knew he¡¯d messed up this time¨Cbut the fact that no one med him only made it more unsettling. It felt like everyone was naturally choosing <b>whatever </b>situation benefitted them most, and <b>no </b>one cared about Yunice¡¯s sacrifice.


    ¡°Owen,


    When Owen¡¯s pupils trembled and his face twisted in painful hesitation, Elsie took <b>his </b>hand and said sincerely YILL


    did the right thing! Wyatt <b>was </b>born rotten, and Morgan just had a bad reputation. Yunice refused to follow your lead¨Cshe


    was bound to suffer for it sooner orter!


    Owen <b>gave </b>a half¨Chearted nod. It looked like he heard her¡­ but also like he <b>didn¡¯t</b>.


    ¨C


    Then Lily sat down with a worried <b>look </b><b>and </b>muttered, ¡°Yunice is one stubborn kid. What I¡¯m most afraid of now is what if she really tries to press charges against you?¡±


    Owen replied, ¡°She¡¯s got no proof. The police won¡¯t believe <b>her</b><b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°But what if she goes to Wyatt for help?¡± Lily said anxiously. ¡°Forget theck of evidence¨C<b>Wyatt </b>could easily fake some <b>and </b>have you locked up!¡±


    Owen froze, anxiety shed across his face.


    Elsie clenched her palm, her face twisting <b>with </b>jealousy. Wyatt. It¡¯s always Wyatt! How is Yunice this lucky? She¡¯s fallen so far, yet somehow she still finds someone to rely on¨Csomeone who helps her turn everything around!


    Lily was still racking her brain for ways to help Owen, when she suddenly thought of something. ¡°Owen, how did you even find Yunice?¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression grew uneasy. He didn¡¯t want <b>to </b>answer.


    Lily grew impatient. ¡°Come on, tell me!¡±


    Owen hesitated, stammered, and then finally gave up pretending. ¡°I hired someone to <b>pull </b>off the cemetery theft¡­¡±


    Afraid Lily would be furious, he quickly added, ¡°But I didn¡¯t touch my dad¡¯s <b>grave</b><b>!</b>¡±


    Lily froze, needing a few seconds to piece it together.


    Far <b>from </b>angry at Owen¡¯s disobedience, she actually seemed relieved, like a weight had been lifted. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened¡­ Everyone¡¯s got a weakness, something they can¡¯t bear¡­.


    Then, calmly, Lily <b>said</b>, ¡°Yunice¡¯s weakness is her father¡¯s grave.¡±


    As long as she kept Will¡¯s grave under her watch, she could control Yunice; Yunice wouldn¡¯t dare take things further.


    Owen and Elsie both got what Lily meant, but neither of them said anything¨Cneither wanted to be the bad guy.


    After <b>all</b>, they were the children; they couldn¡¯t be the ones to disrespect their father¡¯s resting ce.


    But Lily could say it. Gripping the armrest and frowning, she muttered, ¡°The <b>Saunders </b>family¡¯s been going through one storm after anothertely. It¡¯s gotta be <b>the </b>family tomb acting up. Owen, tomorrow, get someone to check your dad¡¯s grave.


    If something¡¯s wrong<b>, </b>maybe we should move <b>him </b>somewhere <b>else </b>and change our luck.¡±


    Owen met Lily¡¯s eyes, and it <b>was </b><b>clear </b>there <b>was </b>more to her words.


    Sure, the <b>grave </b>might be moved but only he would <b>know </b>where it ended up.


    He fell silent for a moment before giving a quiet <b>nod</b><b>. </b>


    If this <b>was </b>what it <b>took </b>to <b>keep </b>Yunice in line, then so be it.


    Chapter 126 The Leverage


    under control¡­ because I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do if she doesn¡¯t listen.¡±


    ¡û Finished


    <b>As </b>she said that, the hand resting on the armrest trembled nonstop. It was the same hand that had held the knife earlier- almost slicing off Yunice¡¯s finger


    She knew she was being sed, but she couldn¡¯t help it. Between Yunice and Elsie, she could only choose one. She couldn¡¯t bear to see Elsie¡¯s fingers broken


    <b>But </b>the more decisive she was in the moment, the more guilt consumed her afterward.


    Yunice was her daughter too; she didn¡¯t want to <b>hurt </b>her.


    She could only hope Will¡¯s ashes would be enough to rein Yunice in.


    As long as Yunice behaved and didn¡¯t cause trouble with Elsie, she wouldn¡¯t <b>have </b>to keep making these painful choices¨Cor force herself into doing something she¡¯d regret..


    Owen didn¡¯t return that night. Elsie had already fallen asleep in the hospital bed.


    Lilyy on the caretaker¡¯s cot, drifting off and waking up again and again.


    What haunted her <b>by </b>day found her in her dreams at night. Every time she closed her eyes, she dreamt of the scene where she nearly chopped off Yunice¡¯s finger with the knife.


    And thest time she tried to force Yunice into marriage¨Cshe¡¯d nearly strangled her.


    Those memories jolted her awake in terror. Again and again, she dreamt of Yunice <b>lying </b>lifeless on the bed after being strangled¨Cand every time <b>she </b>did, she shot up in a cold sweat, flipping off the cot and crashing to the ground.


    Heart pounding, she looked around in a panic, only to see the dir glow of the bedsidemp. She was still in the hospital; Elsie was still sleeping peacefully in the bed beside her.


    Lily let out a breath and wiped the sweat from her forehead. But <b>just </b>as she was about to get up, she felt her hand touch. something on the ground.

 Daghter 127

    Chapter 127 Blood and Ghosts.


    She picked it up and froze at the sight of a severed, blood¨Csoaked finger.


    Finished


    Her head snapped up: Yunicey lifeless on the bed, eyes wide open in death. One limp hand hung off the edge, dripping blood, while the rest of her mangled fingers thudded to the floor beside Lily¡¯s feet


    With a gasp, Lily jolted upright, her breathing sharp and erratic.


    She was drenched in cold sweat. Looking around again¨Cshe was still in the hospital. Elsie was still asleep in the bed next to hers.


    But this time, there was no Yunice on the bed, and no fingers on the floor.


    It had been <b>a </b><b>dream </b>within a dream. It took Lily several minutes to calm down, but even then, she didn¡¯t dare fall back asleep. She turned on every light in the room and <b>leaned </b>against the headboard, scrolling through her phone,


    But she couldn¡¯t focus on anything. Her <b>mind </b>was scattered. After aimlessly flicking through a few news headlines and videos, something shed across the screen¨Ca picture.


    Lily blinked, thinking she¡¯d imagined it. <b>She </b>scrolled back up. <b>Just </b>a normal video. No picture.


    <b>She </b>let out a <b>breath</b>. I¡¯m scaring <b>myself</b>. She kept <b>scrolling</b><b>, </b><b>almost </b>out of <b>habit</b>¨Cuntil a ck<b>¨C</b>and¨Cwhite photo suddenly stared right <b>back </b>at her.


    It was Will¡¯s photo.


    On the screen, his eyes seemed alive¨Cfixed and stern, staring straight at her.


    ¡°<b>Ah</b>!¡± Lily shrieked, flinging <b>her </b>phone away like it was cursed.


    Elsie shot up, startled. ¡°Mom? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Lily lunged toward <b>her</b>, pointing at the cot with a look of sheer terror. ¡°Your dad! Your dad¡¯s alive! No¨Che¡¯s not alive¨C<b>his </b>spirit came back to find me!¡±


    Elsie <b>gave </b>her a strange look, then walked over and picked <b>up </b>the phone.


    Lily immediately curled into herself, like she was afraid Will might crawl out of the screen


    Elsie turned the phone toward her and scrolled up and down. ¡°There¡¯s nothing here, Mom. You¡¯re just under too much


    stress<b>, </b>


    She set the phone down and pulled out a bottle of calming pills from the drawer. ¡°Here, take these with some water. You¡¯ll stop <b>having </b>those dreams<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Lily wiped the <b>sweat </b>from her <b>forehead</b>. Maybe it <b>was </b>just the stress.


    She grabbed a cup and headed to the water dispenser. She pressed the button; the sound of water filled the quiet room.


    She took a deep breath, waited for the cup to fill, then bent down to turn off the dispenser¨Cand froze.


    Her pupils dted. The liquiding our of the dispenser wasn¡¯t water¨Cit was <b>red</b>.


    The cup in her hand was filled to the brim <b>with </b>bright red liquid. No¨Cnot liquid. Blood. <b>It </b>was blood!


    ¡°Ah Lily shricked and hurled the cup <b>across </b>the room, copsing onto the floor in panic.


    Elsie rushed over and pulled her up. ¡°What <b>happened</b>? <b>What¡¯s </b>going on?¡±


    3:32 PM


    Chapter 127 Blood and Ghosts


    <b>But </b>after a quick nce, her voice grew annoyed. ¡°There¡¯s no blood, <b>Mom</b>. You¡¯re scaring yourself over nothing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s <b>not</b>.¡± Lily¡¯s words faltered. She <b>went </b>stiff.


    There was no blood on the floor. Just a puddle of water from her cup.


    Refusing to believe it, <b>she </b>reached out and touched it. It was clear.


    Elsie looked at her, worry written all over her face. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m gonna go find a doctor to <b>check </b>on <b>you</b>.¡±


    <b>After </b>Elsie left. Lily sat in silence. Was it really just my imagination?


    Finished


    She¡¯d never seen herself as someone who believed in ghosts. After all, she¡¯d lived in the mountains for fifteen years. <b>She¡¯d </b>been through every creepy, cerie environment imaginable.


    So why


    would moving Will¡¯s grave scare me like this? She thought.


    Right then, the light above her crackled. The bulb flickered.


    The curtains and the papers on the table stirred¨Cdespite there being no wind.


    Lily screamed. By the curtain, Will¡¯s shadowy figure appeared. His eyes, dark and sunken, were locked <b>onto </b>her.


    With <b>another </b>scream. Lily bolted from the room. Bam! She ran <b>right </b>into Elsie.


    The moment she saw her, Lily clung to her like a lifeline, shouting, ¡°Get Owen back! Tell him toe back right now! Will¡¯s here he came back for me! He thinks I hurt his daughter¨Che¡¯s here for revenge!¡±


    Her voice trembled so hard it cracked.


    Elsie nced awkwardly at the <b>doctor </b>nearby, nervous <b>and </b>embarrassed. She tried <b>to </b>soothe Lily. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m right here. I¡¯m fine, aren¡¯t I? You didn¡¯t hurt me. You just love Dad too much, and now you feel like <b>you </b>didn¡¯t do enough.¡±


    Lily was still gasping for air when she finally noticed the other people in the hallway. Elsie slipped into the room, wanting <b>to </b>check things over herself.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 128

    Chapter 128 The Living and the Dead


    Finished


    Elsie <b>had </b>never believed in ghosts or spirits and she was just as sure Lily wasn¡¯t the type to hallucinate out of guilt.


    After fifteen years in the mountains, Lily¡¯s feelings for Will had long dried up She hadn¡¯t even visited his grave more than a few times over the years, so there <b>was </b>no reason she¡¯d suddenly feel burdened now.


    She was convinced someone was messing with them; but everything in <b>the </b>room lookedpletely normal.


    Still, Lily refused to go back inside. She demanded a new room, and Elsie had no choice but to <b>go </b><b>along </b>with it.


    The moment they moved to a different hospital room, a <b>janitor </b>wearing a face mask walked into the old one with a mop and cleaned up the spilled water.


    Every eerie <b>incident </b>had actually been orchestrated by Yunice. The photo on the phone was a program Yunice had written herself.


    The blood in the water dispenser was because Yumice had slipped potassium permanganate powder into the nozzle ahead of <b>time</b><b>. </b>As the <b>water </b>mixed with the <b>powder</b>, it turned a deep, blood¨Cred.


    What Lily <b>hadn¡¯t </b><b>noticed </b>was that the inside of the cup already contained <b>a </b>vitamin C solution¨Cwhich, whenbined with the potassium permanganate, turned the red liquid clear again. So Lily saw ite out red like blood, but when she threw it to the ground, Elsie saw only colorless water.


    As for the <b>moving </b>curtains <b>and </b>the shadowy figure <b>was </b>even simpler. A few lines of code to control the room¡¯s central system


    -turn on the cold air and the projector¨Cand it was done,


    Lily had a guilty conscience; that <b>was </b>why she¡¯d <b>fallen </b>for the tricks.


    The doctor <b>ran </b>a few tests and concluded she was under severe mental strain. Anxiety, overthinking, and fatigue were to <b>me</b>. He prescribed her a sedative.


    Bus Lily still curled up against the headboard, too shaken to <b>sleep</b>. She called Owen <b>back</b>.


    Clutching both of his hands, Lily pleaded, ¡°Owen, let¡¯s not move your dad¡¯s grave anymore¡­


    Owen was startled. He thought she¡¯d <b>had </b>a change of heart.


    After all, Will had been gone for years. <b>As </b>his children, they naturally wanted him to <b>rest </b>in peace¨Cnot be dug up and used <b>as </b>leverage.


    But then Lily¡¯s tone suddenly shifted, and her face twisted with hate. ¡°We need to suppress him¨Clock him away so he never dares cause a scene or hurt anyone again. Let him never reincarnate!¡±


    Owen recoiled, instinctively pulling his hands away. How could she say that¡­


    Outside the hospital room, dressed as a janitor, Yunice heard everything. Her eyes went cold. She turned and walked out of the hospital


    Inside, Owen stared at Lily like she¡¯d lost her mind. ¡°Mom.. <b>that¡¯s </b>my dad! He was the husband who <b>waited </b>fifteen years for you toe back. And you, you¡¯re cursing him to never reincarnate?¡±


    Owen had <b>always </b>respected Will Crowing up without a mother¡¯s warmth, it was their father <b>who </b>raised them <b>with </b><b>his </b>own


    bands


    He couldn¡¯t understand what histe father had possibly done to make Lily hate him this much.


    Lily¡¯s eyes turned red. She gritted <b>her </b>teeth. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. Your <b>dad </b><b>hates </b><b>me</b>. He <b>wants </b>me dead¨Cwants me to join hum down there!¡±


    137 PM ?r


    Chapter 128 The Living and the Dead


    Owen had no answer. He didn¡¯t believe in the supernatural either. He was starting to think July¡¯s nerves had really mapped


    Lily knew both Owen and Elsie thought she was losing her mind¨Cbrut she knew better Will hated her


    Will had always loved Yunice the most. He hated Lily for hiding the truth sheat Flieself Yunice and locking her away in a mental


    For three years. He hated ba


    And now, just as she was about to move <b>his </b>grave, he came back to haunt her of course he w nned to use his ashes to threaten Yunice.


    But after all the fear, what Lily felt most wasn¡¯t terror¨Cit was raze and jealousy.


    Because of Yunice¡¯s birth, she had suffered fifteen years of misery, wasting the best years of her life


    The hated ner for Landering


    the


    Yunice had lived the life that should¡¯ve been hers for fifteen whole years¨Cyet Will was still profeting her, even in death. He chose to side with Yunice only wearing her instead of doing more


    I didn¡¯t owe Will anything and I sure didn¡¯t one Yunice if anyone wat in debt, it was the Sounder family¨CWill und her unser med Aer Lily thought


    If she¡¯d never given birth to Yunice, she wouldn¡¯t have been dragged into a hellish life in the mountains like an animal.


    Will spoiled Yunice when he was alive, and now he wanted to back her up even he¡¯s dead? He thought I¡¯d be scared? Not a chance I don¡® believe the dead could win against the living


    Lily grabbed Owen¡¯s hand again, her voice trembling with tears. ¡°Owen, tell me who matters more, the living or the dead?


    Owen wasn¡¯t stupid. He caught her meaning, and his expression darkened. ¡°Mom what are you trying to say?¡±

 Daghter 129

    Your dad just want


    You already lost your


    Finished


    ad join him. If we don¡¯t do something, he¡¯s going do you want to lose me too and end up a helpless orphan?¡±


    drag me down with him


    The moment she said that, Elvie broke down. She threw herself into Lily¡¯s arms, shaking her head and sobbing. ¡°Mom, no!


    ven. Dad¡¯s already gone. Are you really going to let some vague superstitions matter more than Mom?¡±


    With that kind of usation, Owen had no choice but to deny it ¡°Of course not


    Elsie clung to Lily, crying handler. ¡°Then what are you hesitating for?¡±


    owen didn¡¯t believe in any of this. The dead couldn¡¯te back<b>. </b>Even if they performed some kind of ritual, it wouldn¡¯t change his life in <b>any real </b>way.


    Sosuppressing Will¡¯s spirit wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    ¡°Yunice probably won¡¯t agree


    ¡°Vinice¡¯s opinion doesn¡¯t matter, and we don¡¯t need to tell her,¡± Lily said, ¡°You¡¯re the head of this family¨Cwhat you say goes.¡±


    Faced with both Lily¡¯s <b>and </b><b>Elsie¡¯s </b>pleading <b>eyes</b>, Owen froze for a few seconds before finally caving. ¡°Fine.¡±


    They¡¯d <b>find </b>someone to perform the ritual. It¡¯d calm Lily <b>down</b><b>; </b>maybe then she¡¯d stop spinning out.


    When Lily saw that Owen agreed, she insisted on choosing the master herself.


    She didn¡¯t trust Owen to take it seriously. It¡¯hat if he hired someone who couldn¡¯t actually handle Will¡¯s spirit?


    Owen agreed to that too.


    Late at night, the cemetery was quiet. After the recent grave¨Crobbing incident, it had been busy for a few days, <b>and </b>they¡¯d even hired people to keep watch.


    But once public attention died downs, the graveyard slipped back into its usual deste state. And <b>at </b>this hour<b>, </b><b>not </b><b>a </b>soul was in sight.


    The living had more value them the dead¨Cwho would waste their energy on corpses?


    Like Will¡¯s grave. No one ever thought of him, until now¨Cwhen he became nothing more than a bargaining chip to keep Yunice in line


    Yunice walked toward Will¡¯s grave, the clinking of her <b>shovel </b>and crowbar echoing through the empty cemetery.


    Owen had stopped by earlier in the day, but Lily had called him back before he could do anything.


    So Yunice had to act first¨Cmove her father¡¯s resting ce to somewhere only she knew.


    The cemetery guard <b>was </b>nowhere to be seen, off wandering God¨Cknows¨Cwhere. No one was <b>around </b>to stop her.


    Using a crowbar and a rock as a lever, Yunice pried open the arched blue te tiles one by one from her father¡¯s grave.


    As the worked, she muttered, ¡°Dad, your clueless <b>son¡¯s </b>no help. I need you toe with me and give up this spot. I just opened a clinic in <b>Northvale</b>¨Cyou know the ce, right? It used to be a mass grave, lelt untouched for over ten years. But now Wyatt¡¯s taken it over. Heard he¡¯s nning to build a hospital there. I figured I¡¯d find you a good spot, <b>and </b>we¡¯ll be close. I can drop by and bring you some meatballs you liked¡±


    She paused, straightened up<b>, </b><b>and </b>added, ¡°You probably don¡¯t know who Wyatt is yet, hulp?


    ¡°Hex your Take son¨Cinw. Aur about two weeks, <b>he </b>and I will officially be fake husband and wife.


    112 PM c


    Chapter 129 Dead Man¡¯s Silence


    Ahem


    The moment the words left her mouth, a soft cough sounded behind her.


    Yunice flinched, a jolt running down her spine. She spun around in a panic.


    What scared her wasn¡¯t the fact that someone had made a sound¨Cit was whose voice it was.


    Finished


    Sure enough. Wyatt stood there, palm resting lightly on his cane, his face <b>half </b>in shadow, lit by moonlight, watching her with


    amused


    <b>ryes </b>


    Yunice gripped the shovel in both hands, looking guilty and startled. Did he hear everything I just said? Wait, isn¡¯t he supposed to Timp? This can usually cks loudly against the ground. So why don¡¯t I hear himing this time!


    Wyatt said, ¡°You¡¯ve been missing for days. So this is where you¡¯ve been¨Cbadmouthing people in a cemetery.


    <b>Okay</b>, so he definitely heard everything. Still, Yunice didn¡¯t think she¡¯d said anything all that bad. It <b>was </b>all true, and besides, she didn¡¯t think Wyatt would care she didn¡¯t dwell on it.


    Wyatt limped over slowly, uneven steps crunching the gravel. He turned around and sat on a marble b next to Will¡¯s tombstone, one hand braced on his knee.


    Once he was settled, he looked up at Yunice. She stood with a frown, visibly annoyed by his presence.


    Seeing Wyatt sitting shoulder to shoulder with her father¡¯s grave marker, Yunice shot him a look. ¡°That¡¯s my d tombstone


    y dad¡¯s


    Wyatt


    nced at the headstone beside him. In the dark, it was hard to make out the name. Who would Then he looked back at Yunice¡¯s furrowed brow, her whole face bristling with irritation. He smirked, then dramatically lifted himself and slid over to the next grave. Once there, he leaned <b>against </b>the stranger¡¯s headstone like it was a backrest.


    even notice?


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 130

    Chapter 130 Stop Talking, Run!


    Yunice muttered to herself, People these days really don¡¯t care about the dead anymore.


    She didn¡¯t bother asking why Wyatt was there; it wasn¡¯t not like he was going to <b>fight </b><b>her </b>for her dad¡¯s ashes.


    Finished


    So she didn¡¯t avoid him while digging. The surface te <b>had </b>already been pried up, and now Yunice was shoveling through the soil beneath.


    Wyatt sat nearby, just watching, not helping at all. ¡°Digging up your dad¡¯s grave? What a dutiful daughter.


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond to the jab, focused entirely on digging.


    After a moment, Wyatt addedzily. ¡°He¡¯s already dead. It¡¯s just a <b>pile </b>of ashes. Is it really worth all this?¡±


    Ashes <b>were </b>just inorganic dust¨Cgood for fertilizer <b>maybe</b>, but not much else.


    ¡°If someone <b>can </b>be controlled by a pile of dust, they were never going to amount to much anyway,¡± he scoffed,


    Yunice kept working, unfazed by his ridicule.


    People valued different things; it all came down to perspective.


    blink at death.


    Wyatt had wed <b>his </b>way


    way to the top, didn¡¯t even b


    Yunice thought. How could he understand what it meant to hold onto ashes?


    ¡°I¡¯m not being controlled by a pile of dust,¡± Yunice said. ¡°I just want something to remember him by,¡±


    ¡°Real death <b>doesn¡¯t </be when the heart stops or the breath ends,¡± she added. ¡°It¡¯s when no one remembers you anymore, I won¡¯t forget my dad. The <b>ashes </b>are him. His belongings are him. That bracelet of agarwood beads on your wrist¨Cthat¡¯s him too. Every object carries a memory <b>of </b><b>him </b>and me. It matters.¡±


    She paused, then added, ¡°But all that stuff is external. Even if I lost it, he wouldn¡¯t me me.¡±


    Wyatt nced down at the bracelet on his wrist and sneered. ¡°Lost it? Then what happens to your precious memories?


    ¡°How could they be gone?¡± Yunice looked up, calm <b>and </b>rxed. ¡°All I have to do is look in the mirror. The greatest gift my dad gave me is myself. As long as I <b>take </b>care of myself, those memories are still alive.¡±


    Wyant looked like her words caught him off guard. After a beat, he let out a dry, mocking chuckle.


    Yunice was used to <b>his </b>smug, self¨Ccentered attitude. The urn wasn¡¯t buried deep. When her shovel hit wood, she crouched down and started scooping dirt with her hands.


    Wyatt still didn¡¯t lift a finger.


    The cemetery was dead quiet, except for the asional buzz of insects from the forest. Yunice kept digging, then took a moment to nce over at him.


    Wyatt was sitting on the grave next to her <b>father¡¯s</b>, leaning back against the headstone. One long leg <b>bent</b>, foot resting on the stone path.


    Moonlight fell softly over him, casting a cool, lonely <b>glow </b>


    His sharply defined face was expressionless; his eyes drifted somewhere far away¨Cor maybe he¡¯d just zoned outpletely.


    He¡¯s probably thinking about his mom. Yunice guessed.


    After <b>all </b>done tan lines of sentimental namence the snouted earlier weren¡®) foolina anvene


    <b>3:32 </b><b>PM </b>


    Chapter 130 Stop Talking, Run!


    =


    Finished


    The more open and affectionate she acted, the more likely he was to feel some kind of empathy¨Csome subconscious emotional bond. It was all about nting the seed


    She thought smugly, raising her brows. Emotional anchoring Wyatt might be good with his fists, but I doubt he has the brain for this kind of y


    With a sharp creak. Yunice pried open a corner of Will¡¯s coffin with her crowbar.


    The sound made Wyatt turn. He watched as she slipped a hand through the narrow gap <b>and </b>pulled out the urn.


    Right <b>then</b>, several shlight beams cut through the night sky in jerky, crisscrossing paths. Voices echoed faintly in the distance.


    Someone wasing.


    As the lights climbed up the hillside, Yunice turned to Wyatt, surprised. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring anyone with you?¡±


    She¡¯d assumed he would at least post someone nearby to keep watch.


    Wyatt stood, picking up his cane.


    Yunice quickly stuffed the urn into her pack, slung it over her shoulder, and ran toward the rear slope of the cemetery


    His cold voice drifted after her. ¡°You¡¯re just gonna leave me?¡±


    Yunice stopped in her tracks, only now remembering Wyan couldn¡¯t run fast.


    She frowned, then sighed, turning back to grab his <b>arm </b>and pull him along <b>with </b>her.


    ¡°Stop! Don¡¯t move!¡± a voice shouted in the dark. She couldn¡¯t make out the face, but the yelling grew closer.


    Yunice had no interest in getting caught¨Cdefinitely not in making headlines. So she dragged Wyatt along in a frantic sprint.


    But Wyant¡¯s leg slowed them down. He couldn¡¯t keep up, and Yunice ended up pulling him so hard he tripped


    When he fell, she went down with him. The two of them tumbled straight into a ditch.


    Yunice scrambled to get up, but Wyatt¡¯srge hand mped down on her head, keeping her down.


    ?At that moment, footsteps crunched toward <b>Will¡¯s </b>grave.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    10

 Daghter 131

    Chapter 131 The Midnight Confrontation


    Yunice froze the moment she heard someone approaching,


    Wyatt leaned <b>against </b>the dirt embankment. The moonlight couldn¡¯t reach them here, so they were perfectly hidden


    Finished


    Yunice¡¯s head rested on Wyatt¡¯s hip. She didn¡¯t dare move because there were dead branches underneath them. The slightest movement would cause a snap


    They had no choice but to <b>wait </b>patiently for the person above them to leave.


    Yunice held her breath and concentrated on the faint rustling above.


    The movements were subtle, not like someone being followed.


    ¡°<b>Dad</b>, I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I came to check on you.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brow furrowed slightly. That voice, it was Owen.


    After a moment of silence, Owen added, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t me Mom for her decision. She suffered a lot in the mountains. Her mind is fragile now. The living are more important than the dead. You wouldn¡¯t want to see the Saunders family torn <b>apart</b>, would you!


    I didn¡¯t believe in ghosts or spirits, but ever since I¡¯d agreed to suppress Dad at Lily¡¯s request, I¡¯d been uneasy.


    That was why I hade in the middle of the night. Even the guard at the gate had seen him and tried to chase me away.


    With <b>candles </b><b>and </b>wine in hand, Owen lit the incense. ¡°Dad, I hope you don¡¯t hold <b>a </b>grudge. Everything I did <b>was </b>for the good of the Saunders family.¡±


    Yunicey on top of Wyatt, his calm heartbeat in her ears, but her own emotions were in turmoil.


    Her blood was surging. She clenched her fists, almost ready to jump out and fight Owen right then and there.


    Was he even human! Didn¡¯t he hold a grudger


    I had thought he hade to repent at Dad¡¯s


    grave, but now it seemed he was just looking forfort for his guilty conscience.


    Some incense<b>, </b><b>a </b>bottle of wine, and a pitiful ¡°Dad¡± <b>were </b>all he needed to feel better?


    Whoosh. A breeze blew through the forest. The me from Owen¡¯s lighter flickered. In the flickering light, Will Saunders¡® photo on the gravestone appeared and disappeared.


    Owen jumped. A secondter, the incense he had just lit went outpletely.


    Owen jumped to his feet, his eyes darting around in panic. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who¡¯s messing with me?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t afraid of ghosts, but his own guilt weighed on <b>him</b>. The more guilty he felt, the more he believed in the supernatural,


    He stumbled around, looking everywhere. He began to wonder if Lily hadn¡¯t been imagining things.


    Could there really be a ghost?


    Was Dad angry about my actions? Had it frightened Moms, and now it was after me?


    Crack!


    Owen wasn¡¯t careful; his foot sank!


    d


    Chapter 131 The Midnight Confrontation


    His scream echoed through the forest,yer afteryer.


    Yunice rolled her eyes silently, mocking Owen¡¯s so¨Ccalled anger<b>. </b>


    When Owen left, Yunice finally sat up from Wyatt. The first thing she did was check her father¡¯s ur


    It is perfectly intact.


    She turned and saw that Wyatt was still sitting on the slope, his custom¨Cmade suit now covered in dirt.


    She quickly reached out to pull him up.


    Finished


    Sometimes I really worried; I¡¯d seen Wyatt in se many unttering situations. Would <i>he </i>ever get so embarrassed that he¡¯d want to wipe me


    Sure enough, Wyatt shot her a re and grumbled. ¡°Clumsy.¡±


    Yunice quickly dusted the dust off his suit.


    Wyatt grabbed his cane and used a log to prop himself up as he walked downhill.


    Yunice followed, slipping a little with each step as they took the back path down from the cemetery.


    Wyatt called for someone to pick them up.


    15


    Jordan¡¯s car was parked across the street from the cemetery. He quickly drove over.


    From a few feet away, he could see the two of them standing by the <b>mountain </b>road.


    The tall one stood erect in front.


    The smaller one had arge backpack and reached up from behind to touch the tall one¡¯s head.


    ¡°?¡± Jordan stepped on the gas and charged forward.


    Just then, as if sensing it, Wyatt suddenly reached up and grabbed the mischievous hand on his head.


    He turned and gave Yunice <b>a </b><b>sharp </b>look.


    Yunice said, ¡°There¡¯s a bird feather on your head¡­¡±


    Screeching. Jordan¡¯s car came to a <b>stop</b>. The tires left <b>ck </b>marks on <b>the </b><b>ground</b>. He jumped out.


    ¡°A man¡¯s head is off limits. A <b>woman¡¯s </b><b>waist </b><b>is </b>untouchable,¡± Jordan teased, smirking at Yunice. ¡°You¡¯re asking for trouble-


    Wyatt brushed the feather from his head.


    Yunice rolled her eyes.


    So fussy


    Wait.

 Daghter 132

    Chapter <b>132 </b>Going Separate Ways


    Yunice looked at Wyatt again.


    There was another mason why men¡¯s heads shouldn¡¯t be touched.


    A man¡¯s head and a women¡¯s mottare off¨Climits unless they¡¯re a couple.


    Yunice raised her eyebrows at the other feather in Wyant¡¯s hair. Who exactly is he staying chaste for?


    Was it the women who had been thrown out of the mansion the other day?


    Wyatt stooped and got into the car. Jordan nced at Yunice.


    She clutched her backpack and stared at the mountain road. Hardly any cars passed the cemetery thiste at night.


    So she got into Jordan¡¯s car and sat in the back seat with Wyatt.


    Jordan buckled his seat belt and casually asked. ¡°Wyatt, are you going back to Pavilion Hall?¡±


    Finished


    But mid¨Csentence, Jordan suddenly realized that Yunice was still in the car, so he quickly changed his words, ¡°Ms. Saunders, where are you going: Shall I drop you off first¡±


    Yunice clutched her bag and said, ¡°No need. Just drop me off where I can catch a ride.¡±


    Jordan looked at Wyatt again, but Wyant had his fingers pressed to his lips and was staring out the window. He had no intention of insisting that Yunice go with them, nor did he seem to want to <b>take </b>her back to Pavilion Hall.


    Yunice nced at Wyatt


    Pavilion Holli Watt¡¯s private residence. Normally, I would have moved in after the wedding.


    So it wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal to let me stay there before the wedding.


    But Wyatt hadn¡¯t groen tacit permission. Maybe it meant that he hadn¡¯t epted me yet and didn¡¯t want me to invade his private space.


    Or maybe someone already lived there.


    Either way. I didn¡¯t care. I never had any real expectations of Wyatt.


    Jordan started the car. Soon they entered the busy downtown area, and the traffic began to thicken


    Out of nowhere, Wyatt spoke. ¡°Pull over¡±


    He made a hand gesture. ¡°Give her a ride.¡±


    Yunice understood immediately; he wanted to send me away.


    She wasn¡¯t clueless. When she heard that, she immediately said, ¡°No need. I can get a cab myself.¡±


    Without hesitation, she opened the door and stepped out.


    At the same time, there was a click from the other side. The driver¡¯s door opened, and Jordan stepped out.


    He closed the <b>door</b>, gged down a cab, tossed a few bills into the front seat, and said to the driver. ¡°I got your license te. Make sure she gets there safe.


    Then he turned to Yunice.


    457 PM


    Chapter 132 Going Separate Ways


    ¡°Where to now, <b>Wyatt </b>


    ¡°Gardison Residence.


    ¡­Jordan¡¯s eyes flickered, then he quietly turned the car around.


    Meanwhile, the taxi still hadn¡¯t moved. The driver reminded her, ¡°<b>Seat </b>belt, miss.¡±


    Yunice reached over to fasten her seatbelt and looked up. Wyatt¡¯s car was headed the opposite direction of Pavilion Hall.


    The cabbie stepped on the gas. Two cars, two paths, quickly disappearing from each other¡¯s view,


    Yunice pulled her eyes away and looked out at the bright lights of the city.


    The driver asked where she was going.


    But Yunice had no answer at that <b>moment</b>.


    In a city full of lights, not a single one was hit for me.


    I wasn¡¯t even married yet, but I was already living like a hollow shell of a marriage.


    I had no idea how long it would take to escape this rtionship or when I would finally have a life that was truly my own.


    ¡°Take me to the Northvale Cemetery,¡± Yunice said.


    I had thought before I couldn¡¯t take the ashes to Maplevale Estate, not when that is Margaret¡¯s home.


    So <i>I </i>bought a plot that night, signed the paperwork, and buried Dad¡¯s ashes the next day.


    Meanwhile, the Saunders family was in chaos.


    Lily stood before Will¡¯s disturbed grave with a priest, her face tense. ¡°Priest, can it still be suppressed?¡±


    Finished


    The priest stroked his beard calmly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as we have the birth details <b>and </b>a drop of blood from a blood rtive, we can suppress him no matter where the ashes are.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy!¡± Lily brightened and pulled Owen over. ¡°Owen, give him some blood so he can set the formation!¡±


    Owen hadn¡¯t slept all night. His face was pale and drawn.


    He frowned, and seeing Lily so happy only made him more irritated.


    He pushed her aside and suddenly grabbed the priest by the cor, lifting him off the ground. ¡°You really believe in ghosts and spirits?¡±


    Lily was stunned. She rushed forward and tried to pull him <b>back</b>. ¡°Owen, let go. Don¡¯t be rude to the priest!¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°There are no ghosts! He¡¯s just a scam <b>artist </b>trying to take your money. I should have him arrested right now!¡±


    The priest¡¯s face changed. He pushed Owen away and ran, shouting as he fled, ¡°How dare you insult me? Just wait! You¡¯re going to be cursed!¡±

 Daghter 133

    Chapter 133 A Wound Between Mother and Son


    Lily turned pale when she heard this. She quickly told Elsie to go after the priest.


    Then she turned back, confused, and asked, ¡°Owen<b>, </b>didn¡¯t you already agree with Mom¡±


    Before she could finish, Owen interrupted her. ¡°Ghosts and spirits are just nonsense! And even if they did exist, Dad <b>was </b>our family. Why would he ever hurt us?<b>¡± </b>


    Seeing Owen¡¯s anger, Lily immediately lost herposure. Her eyes reddened as she softened her tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it through. He¡¯s your father after all¡­ Owen, take it as my fault. Don¡¯t be angry with me. I¡¯ll keep my fears to myself from now on, and I won¡¯t cause you any more trouble.¡±


    That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± Owen¡¯s heart softened.


    Lily lowered her head and wiped away her tears.


    Owen said hesitantly. I just think that forcing things doesn¡¯t work. If we treat Yunice better, Dad will be at peace and won¡¯te looking for us.¡±


    Lily looked hurt. ¡°Haven¡¯t we done enough for her? Elsie still hasn¡¯t found a husband, and Yunice has already found someone to marry. Your father gave all his medical knowledge to Yunice. You and your brother never even got a peek. Your father was clearly biased, but now we¡¯re being med for not doing enough for Yunice? Aren¡¯t you and Oscar his children, too? After all, Yunice is still a girl. What use is all that medical knowledge to her? If your father had passed it on to you, would the <b>hospital </b>be struggling like it is now<b>?</b>¡±


    Owen frowned, and his face grew darker.


    Lily wiped away her tears again. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of your fathering after me. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s only protecting Yunice and not you two. Ever since she came back, she¡¯s been on the rise while you¡¯ve been on the decline.¡±


    Owen fell silent again, his expression full of conflict. He looked at Lily several times, wanting to speak but hesitating.


    Lily sensed something was wrong and looked at him with concern.


    Finally, Owen couldn¡¯t keep it in. ¡°Mom, do you hate Yunice! Are you afraid she¡¯ll have a better life than us?¡±


    Lily froze, her hand clutching the handkerchief that hung in the air. She hadn¡¯t expected Owen to ask such a question.


    Just as she opened her mouth to answer, Owen cut her off. ¡°Don¡¯t be in such¡¯s hurry to deny it. Let me ask you, if Elsie and I were both in danger, who would you save first?¡±


    ¡°I would save <b>both </b>of <b>you</b>. You¡¯re both my children¡­¡±


    ¡°You can only save one. The other will die. Owen pushed again.


    Lily¡¯s eyes turned red. She said tearfully, ¡°How could you ask a mother such a cruel question<b>? </b>I¡¯d rather die myself than let anything happen to either of <b>you</b>!¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°So the truth is¡­ you can¡¯t choose.¡±


    Lily was frozen.


    <b>¡°</b>But that day you chose without hesitation to cut off Yunice¡¯s finger to save Elsie.¡± Owen¡¯s <b>eyebrows </b>knitted together, a deep sadness in his voice. ¡°Mom, you <b>don¡¯t </b>really love Yunice.


    Lily opened her mouth, stunned and hurt, unable to speak.


    Owen continued, ¡°You even thought <b>of </b><b>using </b><b>this </b><b>absurd </b>method to cut off Yunice¡¯s happiness by suppressing <b>Dad</b>. After I left Dad¡¯s gravest night, I couldn¡¯t sleep <b>at </b><b>all</b>. Every time I <b>closed </b>my eyes, I saw Dad staring at me, as if I¡¯d disappointed him! I


    Chapter 133 A Wound Between Mother and Son


    Finished


    believe you see me like that. The way I treat Yunice¡­ isn¡¯t it all because of you? She was going to call the police on you. What was I supposed to do but stop her? And Elsie¡¯s hands, they were carefully raised for surgery. Your hands were already injured <b>and </b>can¡¯t operate anymore. Do you want Elsie to end up like <b>you</b>?¡±


    Owen couldn¡¯t argue with that, but his voice trailed off¡­.But Yunice¡¯s hands were meant for surgery, too. Dad said she was more talented <b>in </b>medicine than me and Oscar.


    Lily was speechless for a moment.


    But she quickly came up with another excuse. ¡°I had no choice at the time. But what about you? You drugged your own sister and let her get attacked. Did someone force you to do that too?¡±


    Owen¡¯s pupils constricted, and he went stiff <b>as </b>a stone.


    The tighter the bond, the deeper the wound when the knife strikes.


    Lily straightened her back. Her once tearful and pitiful face had now changed to one of righteousness.


    At that moment, she stood on the moral high ground.


    Owen stammered, ¡°I.. I did it for her own good¡­¡±

 Daghter 134

    Chapter 134 Uninvited Guest with Gifts


    Lily replied with gentle understanding, ¡°I understand. We both had good intentions. We just had different ways of protecting her. How could that be wrong? Yunice is young and impulsive. As her family, aren¡¯t we all just trying to set her on the right path?¡±


    Owen lowered his head slowly, confused again.


    Perhaps I had misunderstood Mom. <i>If </i>she hadn¡¯t acted quickly that day, who knew what Yunice might have done to Elsie?


    <i>If </i>anything had happened to Elsie, Yunice would have ended up in jail.


    Owen was sure of that and looked up to apologize to Lily. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I wronged you.¡±


    Lily wiped away her tears and smiled with satisfaction.


    Just then, Owen received a phone call from Elsie.


    Whatever she said, it obviously shocked him. ¡°What?¡±


    He hung <b>up </b>and didn¡¯t even look at the cemetery. His expression became serious. ¡°Mom, we have to go home.¡±


    At the Saunders residence, Giana had been waiting at the door since early morning.


    As soon as Owen and Elsie got out of the car, she ran over to report, ¡°Quinton came by with a bunch of presents. He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s here to cause trouble.¡±


    Not here


    to cause troublet


    Last time, Quinton had kidnapped Yunice, and Owen had beaten him up, only to end up in the police station himself


    Afer that both sides ended the business rtionship on bad terms.


    Now he suddenly shows up with gifts?


    Elsie¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°He must regret ending our partnership!¡±


    Owen wasn¡¯t so sure. Quinton had no shortage of business associates. Would he really humble himself just for a deal?


    However, besides, he had no reason toe.


    Owen gave instructions, ¡°Even if he regrets it, we can¡¯t agree so easily. He has to <b>know </b>that the Saunders family has pride.¡±


    Elsie nodded. ¡°Exactly! Just tell him that we¡¯ve already found a new partner. If he wants to work with us again, he¡¯ll have to offer better terms.


    Lily looked at them both so determined and confident and nodded in agreement.


    They entered the house to find Quinton indeed inside, along with a <b>spread </b>of neatly arranged gifts.


    Exactly ten boxes no more.


    Was


    more, no less. All left wide open on the <b>table</b>, as if he <b>was </b>afraid <b>no </b>one would notice <b>how </b>sincere he


    Elsie¡¯s eyes sparkled. Forget about the other luxury items; just the emerald¨Cgreen jadeite bracelet and the premium ginseng were enough to win her heart.


    Owen¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Giana, who let a kidnapper into our house? Take his things and show him the door!¡±


    Quinton put his hand on the gift boxes and sneered. ¡°Is that all you have, Mr. Owen<b>?</b>¡±


    Chapter 134 Uninvited Guest with Gifts


    Seeing <b>that </b>only confirmed to Owen that Quinton needed something from them.


    Sure enough. Quinton said <b>casually</b>, ¡°I don¡¯t see Ms. Saunders around.¡±


    Finished


    Elsie was about to respond, thinking he meant her, but Quinton looked at her <b>and </b>added, ¡°I meant the real Ms. Saunders.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment, her eyes reddened with sorrow <b>as </b>she looked to Owen for support.


    Owen immediately stood up for her. ¡°Don¡¯t act like you know our family. She is my biological sister. She is the real Ms.


    Saunders.¡±


    Quinton scoffed and <b>tugged </b>at his suit. What a waste of time talking to these idiots.


    ¡°I heard Yunice was getting married. These are my wedding presents for her. Please pass them on¡± With that, Quinton got up and turned to leave.


    Owen waited a moment, but when he saw that Quinton had no intention of staying, he jumped up. ¡°You came all this way just


    for that?¡±


    Quinton had already gotten into his car when Owen shouted angrily, ¡°We don¡¯t want your stuff. Take it back!¡±


    He grabbed the gift boxes and stormed toward the car, ready to throw them in.


    Quinton rolled down the window. ¡°These presents are for Yunice. If she wants to refuse them, that¡¯s her choice, not yours.¡±


    Elsie quickly stopped Owen. ¡°Owen, maybe Mr. Quinton is Yunice¡¯s friend. Why don¡¯t we wait for her to make up her mind?¡±


    Owen hesitated for a second. But by then Quinton had already rolled up the window and driven away.


    As he carried the boxes back into the living room, Owen was still furious when he called Yunice.


    I can¡¯t understand why Quinton was trying to win <b>Yunice </b>over instead of me.


    But like so <b>many </b>times before, the call went unanswered, as if it had fallen into a bottomless pit.


    Meanwhile, Elsie and Lily stood in front of the gifts, marveling at the extravagant offerings.


    Quinton was rich, and he sent nothing ordinary.


    Aside from the rare wild ginseng as thick as two thumbs, the most eye¨Ccatching item was the emerald¨Cgreen jadeite bracelet.

 Daghter 135

    Chapter 135 The Bracelet That Wouldn¡¯t Come Off


    Lily picked up the jadeite bracelet in admiration. ¡°Is that emerald green? Thest time Linda came over, I saw she had one too. The luster looked <b>almost </b>the same as <b>this </b>one¡­.


    As she spoke, she ced the jadeite bracelet next to Elsie¡¯s wrist andplimented, ¡°See? It suits you so well. It makes your skin look even fairer.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s checks flushed. She thought the jadeite bracelet was beautiful, too, and before she knew it, she had slipped it on her wrist.


    Lily admired it. ¡°I was right, wasn¡¯t I? You look lovely in it.¡±


    Elsie only allowed herself a moment of enjoyment before trying to take it off. ¡°This is Yunice¡¯s. I shouldn¡¯t even touch it¡­


    But just then she let out a soft gasp and looked embarrassedly at Lily.


    Owen happened to catch the moment, put down his phone, and came over worried. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Tears welled in Elsie¡¯s eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t get the bracelet off. The one Mr. Quinton gave Yunice¡­¡±


    She quickly apologized. I¡¯m sorry, Owen, I shouldn¡¯t have touched her things. But I promise, I¡¯ll get it <b>off </b>somehow¡­¡±


    She pulled hard, her wrist turning red, but the bracelet didn¡¯t budge.


    Tears began to fall as she kept pulling. Owen finally reached out to stop her. ¡°It¡¯s just a jadeite bracelet. Don¡¯t hurt yourself


    over it.


    ¡°But she¡¯ll be <b>mad </b>at me¡­ Elsie¡¯s tears fell to the floor.


    ¡°She only wore it for a second; it¡¯s not like you¡¯re taking it. Why would she be mad?¡±


    He added with a frown, ¡°Besides, who knows when she¡¯ll be back? Just give it back to her when she does.¡±


    Elsie nodded with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll try againter. I¡¯ll give it back when shees back.¡±


    Owen nodded slightly and went upstairs.


    The moment he left, Elsie pulled out her phone and took a series of selfies, nine in all, each carefully showing off the emerald¨Cgreen jadeite bracelet on her wrist.


    After editing, she posted them to her social media with <b>the </b>caption: ¡°Earn without guilt, spend without hesitation. Love an independent life. Be your own queen<b>.</b>¡±


    Before hitting send, she made sure to hide the message from her family. Then she happily put her phone away and went to examine Yunice¡¯s other gifts.


    Lily picked up the beautifully wrapped ginseng root. ¡°<b>This </b>is premium. If you gave this to your future father¨Cinw, he¡¯d definitely see <b>you </b>in a new light.¡±


    Lily had always believed that there was nothing wrong with Elsie; she justcked a good family background.


    A person needs the right appearance, just as a horse needs <b>a </b>good saddle. I refused to believe that dressing Elsie in high¨Cend luxury wouldn¡¯t


    ake her a first¨Css socialite.


    Elsie smiled<b>. </b>¡°I know several herb dealers who carry this quality. I¡¯ll get one and send it to the Powell family


    <b>Lily </b>sighed.


    Elsie looked at her curiously.


    Chapter 135 The Bracelet That Wouldn¡¯t Come Off


    Finished


    Elsie¡¯s good mood vanished instantly. Jealousy shed in her eyes. ¡°Yunice acts like she¡¯s above it all, but behind the scenes she¡¯s the best at stealing opportunities. I met Quinton <b>first</b>, but somehow she managed to steal him away. Who knows <b>what </b>


    tricks she <b>used</b>.¡±


    Lily said, ¡°Maybe Quinton wasn¡¯t buttering up Yunice. He gave her a wedding present ¨C probably aimed at Wyatt. The one you need to keep an eye on is Paul. They¡¯re not even officially married yet. He can afford to stall. You can¡¯t.


    Elsie¡¯s face went stiff. She bit her lip and didn¡¯t answer.


    Lily sensed something was wrong and patted her,


    Elsie finally copsed in frustration. ¡°I <b>don¡¯t </b>think Paul ever really got over Yunice..¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He already broke off the engagement¡­¡± Lily said.


    Elsie said softly, ¡°I saw him with my own eyes. He climbed through the window into her room and stayed there for a long


    time¡±


    Lily froze.


    Elsie¡¯s voice quavered as tears filled her eyes. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been hometely. What if she¡¯s been with him¡­.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Lily quickly covered her mouth. But a seed of doubt had already been nted in her heart.


    A few secondster she said, ¡°At least Paul is still yours in the eyes of others. You must save him before it¡¯s too <bte</b>.


    But now they couldn¡¯t even get a marriage certificate. How could Elsie secure anything?


    Lily reached out and touched Elsie¡¯s belly. ¡°If you¡¯re pregnant with his child, he¡¯ll have no choice but to ept it.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face turned bright red as she lowered her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that I haven¡¯t tried. I just can¡¯t get pregnant. Maybe it¡¯s because of that stab wound three years ago¡­¡±


    Lily fellpletely silent. A woman who couldn¡¯t bear children was pretty much worthless <b>in </b>marriage.


    She staggered, then gripped the ss on the table as if to vent her frustration.


    ¡°Why is our luck <b>always </b>so terrible?¡± she muttered bitterly..

 Daghter 136

    Chapter 136 Stolen Things and Stolen Identity


    Elsie touched the jadeite bracelet around <b>her </b>wrist. There was nothing she could do.


    Finished


    At Virtue Hall, Yunice was sitting behind the folding screen, working <b>through </b>practice questions, when her phone rang. It was a call from Margaret.


    Ms. Saunders, I caught these people. Want to guess <b>who </b>sent them?¡±


    Yunice paused for a second, then remembered that Margaret had mentioned earlier that someone had tried to ambush her <b>at </b>the hospital.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Yunice <b>said</b>.


    It felt like everyone around me, except Wyatt, was trying to corner me. I was practically a rat running across the street.


    ¡°It was Quinton Ford.¡±


    Quinton was still after me!


    Margaret said, ¡°Quinton¡¯s got some tricks up his sleeve. Should I tell Mr. Cooper about this?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°Mr. Cooper has already warned him once. He probably wouldn¡¯t dare hurt me now. No need to bother him about it.¡±


    You call him Mr. Cooper too?¡± Margaret teased. ¡°You two <b>are </b>getting married soon. Shouldn¡¯t you change how you call him?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a real marriage, Yunice said.


    ¡°Still, you have to y the part, Margaret said, thenughed. ¡°Try saying it like this. Wyatt darling-


    Yunice raised a brow. ¡°Shameless.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha Margaret dropped the joke and said seriously, ¡°Call him by his name. He¡¯d like it.¡±


    Yunice rubbed her temple. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±


    After hanging up, Yunice pulled out the old phone Elsie had once given her


    Sure enough, as <b>soon </b>as she <b>turned </b>it on, it was <b>flooded </b>with missed calls and messages.


    There were dozens from Quinton, a few from Owen, and one from Lily.


    Yunice¡¯s finger hovered over Lily¡¯s name. After hesitating for two seconds, she tapped it with a nk expression.


    The message was sent two days ago. It was short.


    She apologized to Yunice, imed she hadn¡¯t meant to hurt her hand that day, <b>and </b>asked if it still hurt.


    She also said she wanted Yunice toe home and hoped she could make it up to her.


    Yunice silently deleted the message


    It was always the same. After hurting me without a second thought, <b>they¡¯d </b>try to offer same meaningless apology orpensation<b>. </b>I was sick of it


    She didn¡¯t even open Owen¡¯s messages; she went straight to Quinton¡¯s


    ¡ª ¨C bundead ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡ªk


    Chapter 136 Stolen Things and Stolen Identity


    Finisher


    Quinton texted: ¡°Ms. Saunders. I have heard the news of your impending marriage. I have prepared a modest gift and personally drivered it to your residence. Your brother epted it on your behalf. I hope you will ept it with a smile.


    A detest was attached. The total <b>value </b>was close to nine figures.


    Tite frowned. That expensive and Owen epted it for me?¡±


    Just as she was geming annoyed, Gill appeared in front of her like a fluttering butterfly, holding up her flip phone. Yanice, someone¡¯s showing off again Help me judge, this jadeite bracelet is so green it must be fake, right?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t have Else on social media, but one look at the overly polished, influencer¨Cstyle profile, and she knew immediately whose ount it was.


    How do have ne


    Gill looked proud Targeted marketing. Look at my profile, male, overseas executive, just the type to attract a gold digger lik


    <b>her </b>


    Yunice grinned


    Elsie had ounts. One to <b>the </b>gameion for family and friends.


    The other safe fringealth and building connections.


    She fished for others and of course grand God wees to her advantage.


    Gill¡¯s just added the ount. Now she scrolled through her carefully curated posts with a curled lip.


    Then his expression changed. He furrowed his bow and examed. ¡°She¡¯s disgusting! It¡¯s <b>bad </b>enough she steals things: now she¡¯s stealing your dad! Look!¡±


    It was a post


    from two years ago. In a heavily erlined effe lie¡¯s wo dearly wore Yunice¡¯s bracelet


    The caption read: ¡°A parent¡¯s love for their child is shown in a thoughtful way. I will always be grateful for my father¡¯s love. Thank you. Dad. for getting me this jade bracelet with the Confucian ssic when I was <b>sick</b>.


    Yunice¡¯s face wentpletely cold. Thi? More like a perly.


    She continued scrolling


    Almost every luxury them I owned had appeared in ir¡¯s ford


    Gifts from Owen were described as gifts from her brother-


    Even the Saunders mansion was listed as her private property


    And the jadeite bracelet in Elsie¡¯sst post?

 Daghter 137

    Chapter 137 Taking Back What Belongs To Her


    Yunicepared it to the gift list Quinton had sent.


    It was actly the same.


    She had the audacity to im it as her even saying she begh it with her hard¨Cearned money?


    Yunice stood up angrily. ¡°Gill we¡¯re going back to the Saunders mansion!¡±


    Gill still hadn¡¯t understood. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    The jadeite bracelet was a gift from Quanton. If I don¡¯t im it now, I¡¯ll owe him. I have to take it back!


    ¡°Quin¡­¡± Gill blinked, then clicked. Wait, the bracelet¡¯s real


    Yunice gave her a sideways nce. So what if it was?


    Finished


    Gill¡¯s face crumpled. ¡°I told someone it was fake¡­even bet a hundred bucks on it. I figured there was no way Elsie could afford something that nice. I didn¡¯t think it was from Quinton.¡±


    Yunice panted her shoulder sympathetically. You made a bet. Pay up.¡±


    Gill practically burst into mes and turned her full fury on Elsie. Today I¡¯m going to expose your fake princess act once and for all!TM


    When Yunice returned to the Saunders home, the family was in the middle of dinner. The jadeite bracelet was still shining brightly on Elsie¡¯s wrist.


    Her sudden arrival took everyone by surprise. Elsie stood up best and asked worriedly. ¡°Tutice, why didn¡¯t you tell us you wereing home?¡±


    Gill crossed her arms next to Yunice and snapped, ¡°Listen to yourself Does our Ms. Saunders need your permission toe back home?¡±


    Gill¡¯s sharp tongue was tailor¨Cmade for dealing with fake sweethearts like Elsie.


    Elsie remained frozen, her face filled with grief, and turned to Owen for support.


    Both Owen and Lily put down their tablewares.


    Owen spoke first. ¡°Yunice, I actually have to ask you something. Did you take Dad¡¯s ashes?¡±


    Yunice froze for a second, then feigned confusion. ¡°Dad¡¯s ashes¡­ are missing?¡±


    Owen frowned and was about to scold her for pretending when Yunice beat him to ie She stormed forward and mapped ¡°What kind of son are you, that you can¡¯t even keep track of your own father¡¯s ashes? Useless!¡±


    Owen was stunned. It was the first <b>time </b>Yunice had ever yelled at him like that. For a second he couldn¡¯t even react


    But when he saw her fierce expression, it <b>reminded </b>him of the time she nearly bit his ear off in a fight.


    That trauma still lingered


    I knew exactly how much Yunice cherished Dad. If the ashes were really gone wouldn¡¯t she go crazy?


    His eyes widened, and he mmed the table, yelling, I just asked <b>a </b>simple question! Why are you yelling? You act so filial, but when <b>was </b>thest time sont en came home! When <b>was </b>thest time you vicited Father¡¯s orave? You disannese withoor


    Chapter 137 Taking Back What Belongs To Her


    Listen <b>to </b>those words, Yunice narrowed her eyes. ¡°So the ashes aren¡¯t really missing. You lied to me?¡±


    Finished


    Owen avoided her gaze but replied righteously, ¡°Exactly. Who would steal ashes anyway? But if you¡¯re going to keep avoiding home and ignoring your phone, maybe you shouldn¡¯t bother visiting Dad¡¯s grave anymore.¡±


    Yunice pressed her lips together.


    <b>Gill </b>almost choked on her flesh trying not to <bugh</b>.


    That is Owen, all hypocrisy. Once you saw through him and ignored his little tricks, he became ridiculously easy to handle.


    <i>He </i>was afraid of being called unfilial, so he wouldn¡¯t dare admit that the ashes were gone.


    Now that I denied taking them, he changed his tune and imed they <b>were </b>safe, still trying to use Dad¡¯s remains to manipte me.


    Yunice scanned Lily and Elsie. Both wore calm, unaffected expressions, as if nothing had happened.


    She exhaled deliberately <b>and </b><b>said</b>, ¡°Good¡±


    Owen frowned slightly, though he was relieved. I had already restored the tomb. Who would ever know if the ashes were there or not?


    Yunice finally stood up and said to Gill, ¡°Gill, would you mind helping me get Mr. Quinton¡¯s wedding presents into the car?¡±


    Owen and Elsie looked at Yunice immediately. So she was back for the gifts?


    Yunice turned to Owen with a smile. ¡°Mr. Owen, where did you put the wedding gifts that Mr. Quinton left for me?¡±


    Owen scowled and avoided the question. ¡°Yunice, stop making <b>a </b>scene.¡±


    That sarcastic ¡°Mr. Owen, followed by the immediate request for gifts¨Cit was obvious she hade to cause trouble.


    Yunice¡¯s smile cooled.


    <b>Gill</b>, however, was familiar with the house. Without waiting for Owen¡¯s answer, she went to the storage room <b>to </b><b>search</b>, only to find empty gift boxes inside!


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, there¡¯s a safe box in here!¡± she called.


    It made sense. Gifs worth almost nine figures wouldn¡¯t just be lying around.


    Yunice nced at Owen, then walked straight to the safe.


    Owen and Lily both got up and followed her.


    Lily quickly tried to defuse the situation. ¡°Yunice, you haven¡¯t eaten yet, have you? Let <b>Giana </b>get you <b>a </b>bowl of rice first. We can talk about everything else after we eat.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 138

    Chapter 138 Who Really Owns the Bracelet.


    Finished


    Giana walked over and gently wrapped her arm around Yunice¡¯s with a cheerful smile. ¡°Ms. Saunders, I made your favorite braised ribs today. <b>You </b>must try them¡­.


    Before she could finish, a strong shoulder pushed her aside.


    Gill crossed her arms with <b>a </b>re and stood firm like a bouncer facing <b>Giana</b>.


    Yunice punched a code into the safe box. She knew all the family¡¯s usualbinations. Most of them used her birthday.


    But this time it was wrong.


    Lily and Elsie both rxed visibly. As long <b>as </b>Yunice couldn¡¯t crack the code¡­ Before they could finish the thought, they heard a click.


    The safe box opened.


    Seeing the identical looks of disbelief on Lily and Elsie¡¯s faces, Yunice let out a soft scoll


    I knew that family too well Elsie had always wanted both ends of the stick. The only change they¡¯d made was to swap my birthday for Elsie¡¯s.


    Too easy.


    Inside the safe box were the ten presents. All were still there except the jadeite bracelet, which remained on Elsie¡¯s wrist.


    Yunice reached out to <b>retrieve </b>it, but, m, the door was suddenly mmed shut on her <b>hand</b>.


    The one pushing down <b>on </b>the vault door was Owen


    Yunice looked up and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Mr. Owen, are you trying to keep the wedding gifts meant for me?¡±


    Owen was all about appearances; he would never admit to coveting her things.


    Instead, he frowned and asked coldly, ¡°What is your rtionship to Quinton? What kind of connection gets you such expensive gifts?¡±


    Lily spoke sharply as well. ¡°Yunice, you¡¯re getting married. If you keep getting involved with other men, people will say you weren¡¯t raised right that we didn¡¯t raise you right.¡±


    Elsie chimed in with a gentle tone. ¡°Yes, Yunice, we¡¯re just worried about you. We don¡¯t care about material things. Family is more important than money. These things don¡¯t matterpared to our bond. Why split hairs?


    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>care</b>?¡± Yunice looked amused. She nodded <b>in </b>the direction of Elsie¡¯s <b>wrist</b>. Then why is <b>that </b>jadeite bracelet on your hand?¡±


    <b>Elsie¡¯s </b>eyes turned red She clutched the jadeite bracelet, her voice breaking. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding<b>: </b>I can exin¡­¡±


    Yunice had heard it all before. Elsie always ¡°exined¡± by crying about some nonsense, just long enough for Owen to jump in and defend the helpless little sister


    And I always ended up being the aggressor.


    But this time I wasn¡¯t alone.


    Just when Elsie <b>had </b>finished her pathetic act, Gill couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. She imitated in a sing¨Csong tone, ¡°Earn <b>without </b><b>guilt</b>, spend without hesitation, love an independent life, be your own queen-*


    She dragged out thest line with <b>theatrical </b>ir and shot it right in Elsie¡¯s face.


    <b>1/2 </b>


    457 PM ?


    }


    Chapter 138 Who Really Owns the Bracelet


    She nced around, wondering if it was a coincidence¡­ or if her secret identity had been reve


    Finished


    But Gill was far from done. She whipped out her phone and pulled up the ount. Mr. Owen, you probably don¡¯t know <b>that </b>your so¨Cpure and noble little sister has a hidden side, do you?¡±


    Owen took the phone and frowned as he scrolled through the messages. His expression changed from skeptical to visibly


    shaken.


    Every item in the posts, every luxury good, belonged to Yunice. Most of them came from the Saunders bousehold. It was painfully obvious where they came from.


    Elsie bit her lip so hard it almost bled. But there was no denying it


    The profile picture was hers, too. In order to attract rich heirs, she had chosen a provocative, das image that waspletely different from her usual style.


    Now, as Owen scrolled through her posts, she felt like she wanted to die on the spot.


    ¡°Who is this woman?¡± Owen asked suddenly, holding up the phone topare her to Yunice. Doesn¡¯t look like Ya


    Yunice. <b>Gill</b>, and even Elsie stared at him, stunned.


    He thought that ugy profile belonged to Yunicel


    Seeing her expression. Owen defended himself. ¡°All the captions are written from Yunice¡¯s perspective, and so are the articles. Who else could it be?¡±


    Yunice took a long breath. She had never met anyone so dense.


    Gill snapped. ¡°Look closely. It¡¯s Elsie!¡±


    Owenughed. ¡°You think I can¡¯t recognize my own sister? There¡¯s no way that stic¨Clooking face is hers.¡±


    Even Elsie was thrown off by that


    Owen then turned the phone to Elsie and asked sincerely. ¡°Is that <b>you</b>?¡±

 Daghter 139

    Chapter 139 The Lie Everyone Chose to Believe.


    Finished


    Elsie didn¡¯t even look at the screen before rushing to deny it. ¡°Of course it¡¯s not me. I¡¯ve never taken photos like that¡­¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°This ount has been posting non¨Cstop for three years. You really think it¡¯s mine?¡±


    Owen scrolled through the feed, frowning in confusion. ¡°If it¡¯s not you and it¡¯s not Elsie, howe it¡¯s filled with stuff from the Saunders family? Who coul


    it be?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s mind raced. Of all people, I hadn¡¯t expected Owen to be fare blind.


    But if he couldn¡¯t recognize the profile picture as mine¡­ then this would be easy to handle.


    A sh of inspiration hit her. She said quietly. I think I know what happened¡­¡±


    Everyone turned to look at her


    jElsie put on her most serious face. ¡°It¡¯s a friend of mine. She grew up poor and always said she admired me. She used to visit


    our house under the pretext of wanting to experience a better life, and she¡¯d take pictures. I never imagined that she¡¯d use them to pretend to be a rich heiress.


    Making up a fake friend, huh?


    But of course Owen bought it. He scolded, ¡°Then stop bringing such vain people into our home.¡±


    Elsie nodded obediently. Tll cut her off right now,¡±


    Seeing this perfect opportunity for exposure slip away again, Gill couldn¡¯t <b>stand </b>it any longer. ¡°Even if that were true, what about the jadeite bracelet Mr. Quinton gave our Ms. Saunders just half a day ago? Did your friend steal that <b>too</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Owen nced at Elsie, and the flicker of doubt in his eyes didn¡¯t escape Yunice.


    <b>That </b>one flicker told Yunice everything. Deep down, Owen just didn¡¯t want to believe that Elsie was that kind <i>of </i>person. <i>No </i>matter what evidence was presented to him, he¡¯d still choose the more ridiculous exnation.


    <b>And </b>it was this unwillingness that chilled me to the bone.


    Because when Elsie was stabbed. Owen never once questioned whether it was <b>true</b>.


    It was as if, in his heart, I was just the type to do something so cruel


    Elsie quickly came up with a new excuse. ¡°The jadeite bracelet got on my wrist by ident: I tried everything <b>to </b>get it off. Then the same friend offered <b>to </b>help and asked me <b>to </b>send her some pictures. I didn¡¯t <b>know </b>she was going to Photoshop them and <b>post </b>them on Instagram¡­


    As soon as she finished<b>, </b>she <b>gave </b>Owen a nervous look, afraid he wouldn¡¯t believe her.


    But Owen just let out a sigh of relief, as if he was d he hadn¡¯t misjudged her <b>after </b>all


    Gill snapped, ¡°You people are unbelievable, lying <b>through </b>your teeth!¡±


    <b>Lily </b><b>said </b>calmly, ¡°Yunice, you should learn from Elsie¡¯s mistake. Be more careful about making friends. Don¡¯t bring rude people into the house.¡±


    She even gave Cill a sharp look as she spoke


    Gill looked like <b>she </b>was going to explode. Yunice replied, ¡°Where is the lie in what she said? You all lie through your teeth<b>. </b>I think my friend is <b>great</b>. Polite is something <b>you </b><b>use </b>on people who actually <b>have </b>it. On you<b>? </b>Total waste.¡±


    Lily sighed as if she were deeply <b>heartbroken</b>. ¡°<b>You¡¯re </b>still defending her? You used to be so sweet. Now look at <b>you</b>,


    172


    Chapter 139 The Lie Everyone Chose to Believe


    Trying to drive a wedge between me and Gill? Cut off my support?


    Finished


    Yunice saw through it all. ¡°I wish someone had told me the truth. Then maybe I wouldn¡¯t have wasted so many years being manipted and bullied in the name of <b>family</b>.¡±


    Lily <b>froze</b>, and when her eyes met Yunice¡¯s, she could see it.


    Yenice had truly awakened. It wasn¡¯t a phase or a tantrum; she had given up the thing she once valued most. She lived for herself now.


    And a selfish person had nothing to fear. Such a person was hard to control.


    Lily¡¯s expression grew heavy.


    No wonder Yunice had been flourishingtely. She had probably been nning her departure from the Saunders family all along.


    Lily said in a hushed <b>tone</b>, ¡°So all this time you¡¯ve been pretending you don¡¯t care, but deep down you hate <b>that </b>Paul chose Elsie. That¡¯s why you resent the whole Saunders family, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    What kind of trusted logic was that?


    She had no valid argument lef, so now she toas just trying to paint me as jealous!


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°I was the one who requested the separation. I dumped him. If someone else wanted to pick up the trash, Idugh, not get jealous.


    Lily clutched her handkerchief tightly, her jaw quivering. ¡°If that¡¯s <b>really </b><b>how </b>you feel, why are you still trying to seduce <b>Paul</b>? <b>Why </b>are you sabotaging his rtionship with Elsie?¡±


    Yunice looked at her coldly and repeated, ¡°Seduce?¡±


    Lily took a shaky breath. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her face said it all a mother torn between daughters, painfully forced to tell the truth.


    ¡°Paul went to your room. You two met in secret. There are messages between you. People have seen it. Are you really going to deny it?¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°Let me guess. <b>Your </b>witness is Elsie, right?¡±

 Daghter 140

    Chapter 140 The Price of a Jadeite Bracelet


    Finished


    Elsie¡¯s eyes turned red as she put on a pitiful expression. ¡°Yunice, you met Paul first. It¡¯s understandable that you still have feelings for him. I can give him back to you.¡±*


    Gill¡¯s temper red the moment she <b>saw </b>this pretense. ¡°Oh, shut up! That filthy cucumber you used and threw away, our dog wouldn¡¯t want it. If you don¡¯t want it, just chop it up and throw it in the garbage. Don¡¯t use it to disgust ourdy! You don¡¯t <b>have </b>any proof, just a dirty mouth. If you can¡¯t prove that Ms. Saunders has seduced <b>anyone</b>, I¡¯ll tear that lying mouth right off your face!¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>sneered. ¡°Enough <b>talk</b>. Let¡¯s get the presents.¡±


    Lily had clearly brought all this up to buy time and distract from the real issue, stopping us from taking the gifts.


    Gill thought the same. No use wasting breath on them!


    She squared her shoulders and pushed Owen aside with one strong move, then pulled the safe box open.


    Yunice quickly returned the <b>remaining </b><b>nine </b>items to their original gift boxes.


    As he watched Yunice coolly repack the boxes, Owen¡¯s face darkened with anger.


    He stepped forward and pressed his hand down on the boxes, gritting his teeth<b>. </b>¡°Yunice, I¡¯ll say it again! No one here wants these gifts! If you don¡¯t exin your rtionship to Quinton right now, I won¡¯t let you take them!¡±


    I was worried that Yurice had done something shady with Quinton and needed answers


    ¡°No one here wants these gifts!¡± <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>gazended mockingly on the jadeite bracelet on Elsie¡¯s wrist.


    Owen¡¯s face tightened ¡°Elsie, give her the bracelet. I¡¯ll buy <b>you </b>something betterter.¡±


    Elsie nodded proudly, tears in her eyes. ¡°I <b>don¡¯t </b>care about that vulgar thing!¡±


    She rugged hard at the jadeite bracelet, her wrist turning red, but it wouldn¡¯te off


    Gill rolled up her sleeves and came forward. ¡°Here, let me help!


    The moment she moved, Elsie jumped in fear and ducked behind Owen. He instinctively shielded her and scolded Yunice. ¡°Don¡¯t push it! I already said we¡¯d bring her back. It¡¯s not her fault if it doesn¡¯te off!¡±


    Yuniceughed coldly. ¡°It¡¯s on her wrist; that makes it her problem. What, if you can¡¯t take it off <b>in </b>a store, you just get to keep


    it for free?¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°<b>So </b>what do <b>you </b>suggest?¡±


    Yunice replied calmly, <b>¡°</b><b>This </b>bracelet is <b>worth </b>4 million dors. Either <b>you </b>pay me the full value, or you <b>sacrifice </b>the wrist and keep the bracelet


    *Sacrifice the wrist? Lily looked confused.


    Gill smiled. ¡°You really don¡¯t get it? It means if the bracelet <b>won¡¯t </be off, then cut off the hand, it¡¯lle off just fine¡±


    Shock shed through Owen¡¯s eyes. He yelled, ¡°Yunice, are you even human?!¡±


    And he was the one who agreed to <b>suppress </b>his own father¡¯s spirit for eternity, and I wasn¡¯t human?


    Yunice had long grown ustomed <b>to </b>Owen¡¯s hypocrisy. She smiled. ¡°I thought you¡¯d never agree to pay. In that case, I <b>have </b>another solution.¡±


    Elsie lowered her eyes, perfectlyposed. Whatever Yunice came up with didn¡¯t matter. As long as the jadeite bracelet stayed on my


    Chapter 140 The Price of a Jadeite Bracelet


    Finished


    Yunice didn¡¯t bother to answer. She just pulled out her phone and dialed. ¡°Hello, is this the police! I want to report a theft¡±


    Lily screamed and grabbed the phone from her. Her voice quavered <b>as </b>she said into the speaker, ¡°Sorry, my daughter isn¡¯t mentally well. She¡¯s just talking nonsense. No need for the police.¡±


    She ended the call with a loud snap


    Elsie¡¯s face had already gone white.


    Owen was justing to terms with what had happened. Yenice really called the cops over a bracelet?


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t angry about the call being cut off.


    That had never been my goal.


    I didn¡¯t want to put Elie behind bar, I just wanted the jadeste bracelet back


    Lily¡¯s voice shook. ¡°Your sister wasn¡¯t going to take it. How can you call it stealing? And now you¡¯re using her in front of all


    ¡°When you take something without asking, it¡¯s stealing. Isn¡¯t that what you all told me when my bracelet with the Confucian ssics went missing¡°¡±


    Back then, the bracelet belonged to me, and they still called me a thief without blinking an eye.


    So why couldn¡¯t I file a report now?<ol><li>Lily was at a loss. Finally, she said weakly, ¡°We can talk this out. We¡¯re family, after all.</li></ol>


    Yunice turned to Owen. ¡°I have no rtionship with Quinton. That¡¯s exactly why I can¡¯t ept such an expensive gift. It has to be returned. So what do you suggest we do with the bracelet?


    Owen¡¯s expression became conflicted.


    Saunders Hospital isn¡¯t doing well, and the family tar financially trapped Spending 4 million dors on a jadeite bracelet is a massive


    But making Elsie take the fall for theft? Or cut off her hand?


    Neither is an option.

 Daghter 141

    Chapter 141 Shattered


    Finished


    Owen hesitated for a long while before finally turning to Yunice. ¡°If someone gives an expensive gift, they expect something in return. Just agree to whatever Quinton asks you to do, and that way, you won¡¯t have to return the bracelet.¡±


    Yunice looked like she¡¯d just heard a joke and burst outughing. ¡°So you think I¡¯m going to do freebor just to give Elsie a jade bracelet? What exactly would I be getting out of that?¡±


    Owen responded with irritation. ¡°We¡¯re all family: why make it soplicated? If Elsie wears your bracelet in public, anyone who asks will know you gave it to her. Wouldn¡¯t that reflect well on you?¡±


    Yunice pped for him. ¡°Thanks. Mr. Owen, for the good reputation. How about this¨Cwhy don¡¯t you just give me the Saunders <b>Family </b>Hospital? I¡¯ll tell everyone about it too; that¡¯ll make you look good, right?¡±


    Owen¡¯s anger red. ¡°Why are you being so unreasonable? <b>You </b><b>don¡¯t </b>understand basic decency!¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep arguing. She turned her head away<b>, </b><b>drawing </b>a clear line.


    ¡°Mr. Owen, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m a part of your family, so don¡¯t expect me to y along with your lovey¨Cdovey family games.¡±


    Owen snapped. ¡°So you don¡¯t acknowledge me¨Cfine. But what, you don¡¯t acknowledge Dad either? You cut ties with the Saunders family, and you won¡¯t even have the right to visit his <b>grave </b>anymore!¡±


    <b>Gill </b>looked up at the sky, trying not tough out loud.


    Will¡¯s ashes had already been relocated by Yunice a long time ago. These idiots still thought they could use the ashes to threaten me


    Yunice shot Owen a scornful look. She didn¡¯t say a word, but her expression made it clear she wasn¡¯t the least bit threatened.


    Owen¡¯s brow furrowed; his fist clenched. ¡°I¡¯m not joking!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even want to y along anymore. She rubbed her ears, as if they¡¯d heard too much nonsense. ¡°Then I guess it¡¯s best to call the cops.¡±


    <b>No </b>sooner had the words left her mouth than Gill picked up her phone and started dialing. Lily panicked and lunged forward, ready to pull the same old stunt.


    But one re from Gill froze her in ce. There was no way she couldpete with someone as strong as Gill.


    Besides, calling the cops might stop it once, but there was no way to stop it forever.


    Elsie <b>finally </b>cracked under the pressure. ¡°<b>Enough</b>! Stop pushing them. I¡¯ll take it off¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes turned red as she whipped around, heartbroken. ¡°How are you <b>going </b>to take it off? We¡¯ve tried so many times. If it were that easy, it¡¯d be off by now..¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face was full of determination. ¡°Even if I <b>ruin </b><b>my </b>hand, I¡¯ll get it off. I <b>can¡¯t </b><b>stand </b>watching you and Owen beg for me anymore.¡±


    Hearing how thoughtful she was, Owen¡¯s <b>nose </b><b>stung</b>, and he shot Yunice a hateful <b>look</b>.


    In <b>that </b><b>moment</b>, the <b>contrast </b>between the two sisters couldn¡¯t <b>have </b>been clearer in his eyes. But he seemed to forget¨Cthe bracelet had belonged to Yunice in the first ce. She had every right to ask for it back.


    Elsie kept trying; her hands trembled from the effort, and the bracelet had already scraped her skin red and swollen<b>. </b>


    Seeing her face flush and veins pop from how <b>hard </b>she <b>was </b><b>trying</b>, even Yunice had to admit¨Cher acting was <b>impressive</b>.


    Just as Owen was about to stop her again, Elsie suddenly cried out in pain. The jade bracelet slipped from her fingers and <b>flew </b>


    across the room.


    Chapter 141 Shattered


    Finished


    ¡°The bracelet!¡±


    With a sharp crack, the jade bracelet smashed against the corner of the wall, instantly shattering into pieces.


    Everyone¡¯s face went pale¨Cexcept for Elsie, who wore <b>a </b>faint, almost imperceptible smirk.


    If she couldn¡¯t have it, Yunice couldn¡¯t either.


    Owen was the first to rush <b>toward </b>the <b>shattered </b>bracelet.


    Gill looked at Yunice, face drained of color. 4 million dors; there was no way they could afford to pay that back.


    But Yunice¨Cmaybe she was in shock¨Cbarely reacted at all as she stared at the broken jade.


    The others gathered around and watched as Owen tried to piece the fragments back together with his hands. But how could a shattered bracelet magically repair itself?


    <b>And </b>even if it could be fixed, <b>a </b>jade bracelet like that would <b>lose </b>most of its value.


    Owen¡¯s expression turned grim: he had no idea how to handle the situation now. Elsie copsed into Lily¡¯s arms, her legs <b>giving </b>out She sobbed, ¡°Owen, it¡¯s all my fault. I used too much force. I¡¯ll take full responsibility for the bracelet


    Owen knew exactly how capable Elsie really was. What is she going to use to pay for it?


    All he could do was turn to Yunice with a heavy gaze. Unless Yunice agreed to keep the gift, there was no way out of this mess.


    Yunice <b>saw </b>right through him and said softly. ¡°Even I don¡¯t know what Quinton wants from me. How could you ept a gif like that on my behalf?¡±


    If she couldn¡¯t handle whatever Quinton asked for, then everything would <b>have </b>to <b>be </b>returned.


    Owen¡¯s next words got stuck in his throat.


    He hadn¡¯t wanted to beg Yunice. He¡¯d never intended to take something that belonged to her. But what was done was done


    Owen closed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he came to a painful decision. ¡°We¡¯ll sell the house.¡±

 Daghter 142

    Chapter 142 Begging Won¡¯t Fix It


    ¡°What Lily and Elsie eximed in unison, both staring at Owen in shock.


    Lily¡¯s <b>voice </b>trembled. ¡°Which house are you selling?¡±


    Owen replied, ¡°Someone asked about the Saunders family mansion earlier. They offered 7 million dors. I didn¡¯t deal.


    Lily nearly lost her <b>footing</b>. ¡°Then where are we supposed to live¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a private property.¡± Owen <b>said</b>. ¡°It¡¯s more than enough for us to stay in¡±


    Yunice knew about that private property. It was in a remote area¨Che¡¯d bought it as a vacation home by the sea, not somewhere fit formuting or day¨Cto¨Cday life.


    Finished


    the


    The Saunders family mansion, on the other <b>hand</b>, sat on primend. Property values in that area had only gone up over the years; that beach house couldn¡¯t evenpare.


    Elsie had never expected that one fall would end with them losing their home.


    She threw herself at Owen, crying. ¡°Owen<b>, </b><b>this </b>is the foundation of the Saunders family¨Cyou can¡¯t sell it!¡±


    Then she crawled on her knees to Yunice, grabbing at the hem of her <b>pants </b>and begging, ¡°Yunice, <b>Mr. </b>Quinton came to you for help: that means you must be able to get this done! This is your home <b>too</b>; <b>you </b>don¡¯t want to see it sold, do <b>you</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Yunice looked down at Elsie, who was groveling at her feet like she was begging for mercy.


    That was just how Elsie was¨Cshe could grovel and bounce back in an instant. No wonder Owen thought she was so considerate


    Lily¡¯s eyes were red as she added, ¡°When the dayes that you¡¯re standing outside the door, staring at a house you know by heart but can¡¯t step into, you¡¯ll realize just how wrong today¡¯s decision is!¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°Is that so? Well. I¡¯ve already felt that exact feeling, long <b>ago</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Lily and Owen both turned to look at her, confused.


    Yunice tilted her head slightly. Take a <b>good </b>look at the scar on my face. Remember it now?¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression shifted. Most of Yunice¡¯s facial scar <b>had </b>faded, but a trace of it still remained.


    ¡°You all went on vacation back then, Yunice said, ¡°Didn¡¯t even bother to leave <b>me </b>a key. I called¨Cnone of you picked up, on purpose. I stood outside the Saunders mansion, looking at the door I¡¯d lived behind for over ten years, <b>and </b><b>I </b>couldn¡¯t go Now, it¡¯s your turn to feel that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still holding onto that one little thing?¡± Owen shot up. furious, facing off against Yunice. ¡°Does it <b>make </b><b>you </b>happy to see everyone left without a roof over their heads?¡±


    Yunice met his re without flinching ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the <b>one </b>to me be Elsie¨Cthe one who stole my things and deliberately


    broke them?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face twisted in rage. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t made such a fuss, we wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. This is all on you¨C<b>you </b>brought it on yourself!


    Yunice let out a <b>cold </bugh. ¡°You think the cops care about <b>your </b>bluster<b>, </b>or about evidence?¡±


    That Bierce front of his only ever worked on her, when it came to real consequences, Owen had no leg to stand on. He clearly understood that too. His face darkened, but he couldn¡¯t deny it anymore¨Cthe <b>only </b><b>way </b>out now was to sell the house.


    Chapter 142 Begging Won¡¯t Fix It


    Just as he was about to ce the call, a voice came from outside.


    ¡°Looks like I came at the right time¨CMs. Saunders is home.¡±


    Everyone turned toward the sound: Owen immediately canceled the call.


    Finisher


    Quinton stepped into the Saunders living room with quiet authority, his gazending on the shattered jade bracelet in the


    Lily moved to block his view¨Cbut it was toote. Quinton¡¯s presence didn¡¯t ease the tension; if anything, it made things


    beavier


    Owen worried Quinton might hold them ountable, while Yunice feared something might go wrong with the situation.


    Quinton froze for a beat, then quickly masked his expression. He turned to Yunice with a smile. ¡°Ms. Saunders, you must be doing well¨Cbreaking a bracelet like that just for fun!¡±


    Owen was about to speak up, but Yunice pointed straight at Elsie. ¡°She <b>did </b>it.¡±


    Owen tried to cut her off, but Yunice went on, twisting the knife. ¡°She said, why should Mr. Quinton only give me gifts and not her? If she couldn¡¯t have it, she¡¯d smash it!¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes went wide. He had never seen Yunice lie so shamelessly.


    But she¡¯d learned from the best¨CElsie. Say whatever you want: there¡¯s no evidence anyway. Who could prove Elsie hadn¡¯t said that


    Elsie jumped in panicked. I didn¡¯t¨CI didn¡¯t say that-¡±


    Before she could argue further. Gill came in clutch¨Cpulled up Elsie¡¯s burner ount and held the phone out to Quinton


    ¡°Mr. Quinton, you¡¯ve got a good eye, right? This social media post proves Elsie stole your bracelet!¡±


    Elsie stomped her foot. I told you, that was my friend¨Cnot me!


    Gill said. ¡°Just because Owen¡¯s blind doesn¡¯t mean every man on earth is. Mr. Quinton. I can tell you¡¯ve got great judgment

 Daghter 143

    Chapter 143 One Load After Another


    Finished


    Quinton looked away from the burner ount on Elsie¡¯s phone and turned to the rest of the Saunders family.


    He didn¡¯t care about their mess; he only cared about Yunice. ¡°I already gave the bracelet to Ms. Saunders. It¡¯s up to her to decide how to deal with it.¡±


    Yunice followed up, ¡°Even though I never epted Mr. Quinton¡¯s gift, since the bracelet was temporarily under my name, I have to be the one to hold her ountable.¡±


    Quinton¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line as he nced at Yunice.


    Yunice <b>was </b>cautious, that much was clear.


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t in a rush to deal with Quinton¨Cthese things heeded to be handled one at a time. ¡°Mr. Owen, go ahead and keep making that call to sell the house.¡±


    At her words, Lily and Elsie clung to each other and cried in silence; Owen¡¯s face turned ashen.


    But with Quinton clearly on Yunice¡¯s side, there <b>was </b>no turning things around. Owen had no choice but to throw money at the problem: beaten and hopeless, he picked up his phone again to dial¨Conly for a sharp, familiar voice to slice through the


    air.


    ¡°The money¡¯s right here!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart lurched; Elsie turned toward her with a triumphant smile.


    Lily let out a clear breath of relief, while Owen, confused, looked toward the door. Yunice and the others stepped outside- and saw Paul standing in the courtyard of the Saunders mansion, one hand in his pocket, his expression dark.


    Behind him sat a Maybach business van, backed right up to them.


    Paul¡¯s eyes locked onto <b>Yunice </b>with a defiant edge, his voice cutting. Didn¡¯t you throw <b>a </b>tantrum about getting paid? Well, I brought the moneye get it.¡±


    Gill murmured under her breath, ¡°Miss¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face darkened. She¡¯d ounted for everything¨Cexcept that idiot Paul.


    Elsie flitted over like a white butterfly, throwing herself into Paul¡¯s arms with red eyes. ¡°Paul..¡±


    He wrapped an arm around her waist and reassured her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve heard everything. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    At <b>that</b><b>, </b>Owen pocketed his phone again, his demeanor nowpletely changed.


    Quinton watched the standoff between <b>both </b>sides like a man sitting back to enjoy a good <b>fight</b>.


    Once Paul finishedforting Elsie, he turned back to Yunice. When she didn¡¯t move, he lowered his gaze and taunted. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You were all <b>tough </b>when bullying Elsie¨Cnow <b>you¡¯re </b>scared of me?¡±


    Gill tugged at Yunice¡¯s sleeve, her mouth barely moving as she mumbled, ¡°Miss, maybe we should call for backup. I could get in touch with Mr. Cooper<b>?</b>¡±


    Yunice shook her head. Wyatt was busy. She needed to handle her own problems. She couldn¡¯t <b>get </b>used to hiding behind him every time and turning into some helpless little thing.


    If Paul wanted to stand up for Elsie, she wasn¡¯t going to back down.


    <b>Yunice </b>stepped forward; Gill rushed up behind <b>her</b><b>, </b>moving to block her path.


    Chapter 143 Give Load After Another


    Yunier nanowed her eyes slightly; Elsie¡¯s eyes went wide.


    Finished


    There was nothing quite as tangible <b>as </b>cold, hard cash to show the power of money¡ªand this business van looked like it <b>was </b>Bibed to the brim with it


    Paul strolled casually to the back, grabbed a stack of hills like it was nothing, gave it a disdainful nce, then tossed it toward


    Gill moving like a goalkeeper, jumped in front of Yunice and blocked it


    With a loud sound, the cash his Call¡¯s foot. Honestly, it stung a betle


    Paul spered ¡°Didn¡¯t you scream about wanting money? Now that I¡¯ve brought it, you¡¯re too scared to take it?¡±


    Yunice staved calm. ¡°Who says I¡¯m scared?


    Paul¡¯s expression chilled Affer a pise, he dienched his jaw, then snapped his fingers toward the van.


    Several men immediately stepped out


    Paul waved his hand. ¡°Unload the cash. All of it¨Cgive it to her.¡±


    Then, with a smart, he added. ¡°You bear me Give her all of it¨Cit¡¯s her!¡±


    The men got the message loud and clear and began hurting the stacks of money at Yunice, one after another.


    Gill held her ground, pushing Yunice back a few steps.


    But they kept aiming for her on purpose: no matter how strong Gill was, she didn¡¯t have three heads and six arms. Yunice got hit in the head on the shoulder¨Cpelted with those beavy sticks lookingpletely disheveled.


    Quinton frowned. ¡°Mr. Paul throwing cash at two young women doesn¡¯t prove anything


    Paul held Elsie close ¡°Mr Quinton, you¡¯ve got to be what¨Cforty¨CThis is what they call raging for beauty¡¯s sake. I picked it up


    from you


    He pointed his chin at Yunice, mocking how Wyatt had stood up for her before. ¡°Now it¡¯s just karma doing its thing.¡±


    4 million dors in cash¨Cwhat a sight. Nearly fifteen hundred pounds of money, stack after stack, mmed into Yunice, forcing her to stumble back, the loose strands of hair by her cheek fell of ce, messy and wil

 Daghter 144

    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 144 Change, Please


    Owen and Lily just watched coldly, as if seeing Yunice get <b>hit </b>by <b>cash </b>was a well¨Cdeserved punishment for her earlier arrogance.


    Finished


    Quinton frowned. ¡°Cash may look light, but enough of it can crush someone. What will you say if she gets hurt, Mr. Paul?¡±


    Paul replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t she the one who¡¯s all about thew? Always threatening to call the cops¨Cgood thing I brought extra cash. If she gets hurt, I¡¯ll <b>pay </b>for it.¡±


    Gill¡¯s eyes went red with fury. She gritted her teeth. ¡°So what¨Cyou think money makes you special?¡±


    i


    Paul ignored her; he was only talking to Yunice. He sneered, ¡°Yunice, look at you¨Clike you¡¯ve never seen money before. It¡¯s just 4 million in cash, and you went and forced Elsie to almost cut her own hand. You must think I¡¯m nothing¡±


    He stared at Yunice, his face dark and full of resentment.


    Elsie, clinging to his chest with tears in her eyes, sobbed softly, ¡°Paul¡­ how did you know something happened to me?¡±


    Paul said, ¡°I¡¯ve always kept you in my heart. How <b>could </b>I not know when something¡¯s wrong?¡±


    But even <b>as </b>he said that, his eyes were fixed on Yunice. He knew she was listening.


    He¡¯d spent his whole life living wild and free, always the one getting attention, always having someone clean up his mess.


    When had he ever cared about someone else?


    Even back when Yunice had been bullied by some thugs, he only found out after the fact¨Cfrom someone else.


    then, <b>Yunice </b>had already handled it herself. And even now, his self¨Ccentered ways <b>hadn¡¯t </b>changed because of Elsie. He <b>hadn¡¯t </b>gone out of his way <b>to </b>check in on her.


    The only reason he¡¯d shown up at the Saunders mansion was because Giana had sent him a voice message.


    It happened to be a recording of <b>Yunice </b>arguing with Elsie¨Ccalling him trash, a filthy cucumber, not even good enough for a dog.


    Paul had never been humiliated like that. He immediately scraped together 4 million in cash from every major bank, all just toe teach <b>Yunice </b>a lesson.


    In a way, he hadn¡¯te to defend Elsie at all. He just <b>wanted </b>Yunice to know¨Ceven this ¡°filthy cucumber¡± was someone she could never have.


    The whole courtyard <b>was </b>piled with money. There was barely anywhere to step. Yunice and Gill both tripped andnded hard on the thick stacks of cash.


    It was <b>a </b>strange sensation¨Cdignity hardly mattered when someone was falling <b>into </b>a mountain of money.


    But <b>Yunice </b>didn¡¯t flinch. She knew this money <b>had </b>absolutely nothing to do with her.


    She stared straight at Paul, then <b>pushed </b>herself up from the cash pile, <b>stumbling </b>as she made her way toward him,


    They stood barely six feet apart. Paul¡¯s smirk froze on his face as he met her gaze¨Caplicated look flickered in his <b>eyes</b>.


    Somehow, even after all this, it didn¡¯t make him feel better.


    He felt unsettled, <b>frustrated</b><b>; </b>the emotions twisted in <b>his </b>chest with nowhere to go.


    He¡¯d dumped 4 million dors on her¨C<b>and </b>Yunice didn¡¯t react at all.


    Why is she looking at me with those cold ever? Why didn¡¯t she cry? Why wasn¡¯t she like Elsie¨Cred¨C<b>eyed </b>and pitiful? After everything I¡¯d


    Chapter 144 Change, Please


    And you couldn¡¯t hate someone unless you¡¯d once loved them.


    There had to still be something there. He¡¯d wait and see how long she could keep up the act


    Paul taunted, ¡°Wow, so pissed off and still not calling Wyatt to back you up? Afraid he won¡¯t show and you! yourself?¡±


    Yunice stared at him, unmoved. She raised her voice, ¡°Mr. Quinton, do me a favor¨Cand I¡¯ll owe you one, no coun


    Quinton blinked. He hadn¡¯t expected fortune to fall right in hisp.


    He said. ¡°Name it.¡±


    Yunice shouted, ¡°Help me exchange some money. I¡¯m working with a tight budget¨Conly 14000 dors.¡±


    Paul looked at her, confused; he had no idea what she was up to.


    Fishe


    Quinton assumed she needed money. He immediately pulled out his checkbook¨Conly to hear <b>Yunice </b>add. ¡°Turn all dors into coins. I want to crush him with it


    Owen and Lily¡¯s faces froze. Owen did some <b>quick </b>math¨C14000 dors into coins weighed over twelve hundred pounds!


    He snapped. ¡°Tunice, are you trying to kill him?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even nce at him. She spoke directly to Paul. ¡°Paul, would you dare take my money?¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyelid twitched. He tried to cover his unease. ¡°I¡¯ve got more money than I can spend.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not the same.¡± Yunice said coldly. ¡°It¡¯s only 14000 dors, but it¡¯s an advance on your medical bills. You¡¯re taking it whether you like it or not.¡±


    Quinton already had his phone out. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to withdraw <b>that </b>many coins, but it¡¯s not impossible. Give me ten minutes, Ms. Saunders¨Cdelivery wille in batches.¡±


    Cash flow at banks was limited;rge withdrawals had to be booked in advance.

 Daghter 145

    Chapter 145 It¡¯s About to Drop


    <b>Paul </b>had dragged in 4 million dors in cash just to show off¨Cto prove his power in front of everyone.


    It was impressive; in less than an hour, he¡¯d managed to pull together 4 million in cash. That took real muscle.


    Finished


    But <b>this </b>new demand¨Cfourteen thousand dors in coins¨Cwas a whole different kind of challenge. Not many people could pull that off. Only someone with Quinton¡¯s connections could get his friends to withdraw it from different banks, little by little.


    Watching Quinton make call after call, Paul¡¯s <b>face </b>started to darken.


    Elsie noticed his expression and, always the considerate one, stepped in for him. She turned to Quinton and asked sweetly. ¡°Mr. Quinton, are you really going to go <b>against </b>the Powell family just for her?¡±


    Paul gave Elsie a grateful look. That was what he liked most about her.


    He cared about pride; even when he felt unsure, he couldn¡¯t show it. But Elsie¨Cshe would say what he couldn¡¯t.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t like that. In situations like this, she always told him not to be impulsive<b>, </b><bid </b>out all the consequences, made him feel small in front of his enemies.


    He was scared Yunice might actually go through with it, but he couldn¡¯t back down¨Che couldn¡¯t show weakness.


    So Quinton had better understand exactly what he was stepping into.


    But Quinton just smiled. ¡°Haven¡¯t I already made it obvious whose side I¡¯m on?¡±


    Elsie frowned. Paul clenched his jaw.


    Quinton added. ¡°<b>And </b>I should really thank the both of you¨Cfor giving me this perfect opportunity.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Paul was so angry he nearly spat blood.


    Quinton might¡¯ve been older and not particrly powerful, but he had a reputation for being a sly old fox. When it benefited <b>him</b>, he didn¡¯t care about enemies or allies.


    Right now, he was backing Yunice¨Cconsequences be damned.


    Owen looked at Paul¡¯s pale, green¨Ctinged face, then at Quinton, who looked ready to party. He couldn¡¯t help falling into deep thought. What was Yunice¡¯s leverage? Why would Quinton treat her words like gospel? Could it <i>be</i>. Dad¡¯s medical journals?


    Last time, Quinton had kidnapped <b>Yunice </b>over those <b>notebooks</b>. So now, instead of threats, he was using ttery.


    Uneptable. Those journals belonged to the Saunders family¨Cnot just Yunice. She had no right to use them for her own <b>gain </b>


    As <b>tension </b>filled the <b>air</b>, no one spoke.


    Elsie kept ncing at the time, her eyes full of anxiety. The ten minutes Yunice and Quinton <b>had </b><b>agreed </b>on were almost up.


    Is there still a way out of this?


    That was when a strange noise suddenly echoed from somewhere<b>¨C</b>not clinking coins, but <b>a </b>ttering, mechanical rumble.


    Elsie and Paul stiffened like startled birds, ncing around in rm. ¡°<b>What¡¯s </b>that sound?¡±


    It almost sounded like construction work.


    Vilnice looked at Quinton muestionine Quinton furrowed his <b>how </b><b>and </b><b>wave </b>a slight <b>shake </b>of his head¡ªit <b>wasn¡¯t </b>him


    <b>1/2 </b>


    Chapter 145 It¡¯s About to Drop


    But just his luck¨Che tripped on something. His knees buckled, and he hit the ground hard with a loud thud.


    Owen, who¡¯d been desperate for answers, was speechless.


    He was about to go see for himself when Paul suddenly growled, ¡°Wyatt..¡±


    He said it through gritted teeth, eyes full of spite, ring toward the Saunders mansion gate.


    Wyatt walked toward them, steady and unhurried, leaning on a cane.


    Finished


    Gill¡¯s eyes lit up. She grabbed <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>shoulders and shook her excitedly. ¡°Ms. Saunders! It¡¯s Mr. Cooper! You don¡¯t <b>have </b>to fight this alone!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s vision blurred from the sudden jostling. Her head swarm. By the time she looked up again, Wyatt was already close.


    How¡¯d he show up at the perfect moment¡­P


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept over <b>Paul </b>like <b>he </b>didn¡¯t exist, then passed himpletely. He walked straight to Yunice¨Cand took her hand.


    Yunice looked up at him, startled and <b>unsure</b>.


    But there was no warmth in his eyes¨Conly a sharp, cold warning.


    ¡°Back home. I¡¯ll deal with you there,¡± Wyatt muttered above her head.


    Yunice went silent.


    Paul stared at their joined hands, his eyes full of barely restrained rage.


    Wyatt turned to Quinton next, his expression calm¨Cbut his smirk venomous.


    Quinton caught that <b>look </b><b>and </b>felt a chill <b>run </b>down his spine.


    That wasn¡¯t just a nce¨Cit <b>was </b>a threat.


    Wyatt, still holding Yunice¡¯s hand, led her aside and stood with her silently.


    Everyone waited for him <b>to </b>speak¨Cbut he said nothing.


    Above them, the grinding, ttering sound continued. Paul finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore.


    ¡°Wyatt, is this noise your doing?


    Owen turned to Yunice, <b>his </b>voice full of reproach. ¡°<b>Yunice</b>, what are you trying to pull now?¡±


    That noise really did sound like multiple bulldozers. Could it be¡­ Yunice and Wyatt were nning to demolish the home?


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 146

    Chapter 146 Elsie ys Possum Again


    Owen snapped, ¡°Whatever you¡¯re nning, stop it right now!¡±


    Yunice looked up at Wyatt, but all she could see was the sharp profile of his face.


    He was staring straight at Paul, showing no sign of exining anything to her.


    Finished


    She had no idea what he was trying to do. Ignoring Owen, she turned to look at the tall walls surrounding the Saunders


    mansion


    From behind the walls, four cranes suddenly rose into the air¨Cone from each direction¨Clifting a massive that stretched across the entire courtyard of the Saunders mansion.


    Lily gasped in horror, clutching Owen¡¯s arm. ¡°What are they doing?¡±


    Elsie shrank into Paul¡¯s arms, <b>calling </b><b>his </b><b>name </b>in a panic.


    But <b>Paul </b>didn¡¯t have <b>time </b>tofort her. He was staring up at the rising overhead


    Quinton, meanwhile, looked back and forth between Yunice and Wyatt. He¡¯d heard about their engagement, but the rumors <b>said </b>the Powell family had arranged it just to rein Wyatt in.


    Judging by the situation now, though, it didn¡¯t seem to match those rumors.


    After all, Wyatt was known for keeping his distance. Quinton had seen it himself¨Cthere was that one time a woman had tried to touch him, and Wyatt <b>had</b>¡­


    Quinton didn¡¯t get to finish that thought. Out of nowhere¨Cwhack¨Csomething smacked him right in the forehead. A sharp pain made him instantly clutch his head.


    Instinctively, he looked up¨Cjust in time to see a backhoe arm extend over the Saunders courtyard, carrying a full load of coins directly above his head.


    The bucket was overloaded, and as it moved, some coins slipped through the.


    Quinton happened <b>to </b>be standing right beneath it.


    A massive <b>shadow </b>passed overhead; Paul and Elsie stood frozen in its path, eyes wide


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Owen shouted.


    But it was already toote. The <b>backhoe </b>tilted, dumping the full <b>load </b>of coins onto the giant. The, acting like a sieve, scattered the coins evenly before they poured down like a rainstorm.


    Screams rang <b>out </b>from every direction, voices all tangled together¨Cno telling who was shouting what.


    Quinton ducked, covering his head with both arms. Through the chaos, he looked toward Wyatt and finally <b>realized- </b>nothing was <b>falling </b>in their direction.


    <b>No </b>wonder Wyatt had led Yunice over there; he¡¯d nned it all <b>out</b>. And he was on Yunice¡¯s side¨Cyet didn¡¯t even give Quinton a heads¨Cup!


    That sneaky bastard, Quinton muttered and bolted toward Wyatt and Yunice.


    Paul and his group weren¡¯t so lucky.


    The <b>coins </b>fell with <b>serious </b>force, like a hailstorm from the sky. They dented the cars in the courtyard<b>; </b>forget people¨Cthis thing was brutal


    Chapter 140 Elsie ys Possum Again


    Of course, it hurt, She didn¡¯t love Paul anymore, but seeing this scene made her feel miserable.


    It was like no one <b>had </b>ever truly loved ben


    Just then, she felt someone grab her arm and pull it clowe


    Finished


    Startled, she turned her head and saw Gill standing beside bet, ring at Paul with righteous anger while clinging tightly to Yunice¡¯s arm.


    Noticing Yunice¡¯s gaze. Gill leaned in and whispered. ¡°Miss, you betare not rum over there. Don¡¯t feel sorry for him¨Che deserves il


    So that¡¯s what this was¨C<b>Gill </b>was afraid she hadn¡¯t let Paul ye


    Yunice looked <b>at </b>Gill¡¯s serious expression and couldn¡¯t helpughing her eves, though, turned red. Who said no one had coer leed me Hadn¡¯t Gill always stayed by my side wavering¡±


    She really had been foolish¨Cfeeling hurt over someone like


    What she should¡¯ve cared about were the people who truly looked out for her Everyone else wasn¡¯t worth the emotional toll.


    As soon as Gill saw her eyes fill with tears, she quickly turned Yunice¡¯s face away and whispered anxiously. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t


    -Mr. Cooper might see you<b>!</b>¡±


    ¡°Men are all perry. You¡¯re about to marry Mr. Cooper, and you¡¯re crying over some other guy? Come on, does that seem right


    Yunice snorted. Paul doesn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    Gill immediately dabbed her eyes with a tissuepletely unaware that Wyatt had caught the whole exchange out of the corner of his et


    Up above the backhoe buckets kept dumping coins like it¡¯d never end.


    Paul wasn¡¯t bleeding but he was a mess; his whole body was battered, with welts rising all over the back of his head.


    Sering he couldn¡¯t take much more, Elsie clenched her jaw and threw herself over him to shield him with her own body


    Paul looked at her, iquched. ¡°Eksie¡­¡±


    Ease¡¯s voice trembled through the pounding coins. <b>¡°</b><b>Paul</b>, I love you! You¡¯ve already taken enough for me- can¡¯t keep


    watching you suffer!

 Daghter 147

    Chapter 147 Stabs and Wins as Usual


    ¡°Ehin¡­¡± <b>Paul¡¯s </b>voice was already choked with emotion.


    Elsie¡¯s tears streamed down. I know you still love Yunice; she loves your to. If Elle, was nws can finally the peti


    Finished


    Paul¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he roared, ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? Even if she still lives me Ecould never love a woman that cruel. I won¡¯t marry anyone¨Cif I marry in this lifetime, it¡¯ll only be you!!


    Elsie clung to Paul even tighter, shielding him from the falling coins.


    Gill stood there dumbfounded


    Yunice gave a disbelievingugh and rolled her eyes so hard it could¡¯ve turned back the clock. The wing¨Chome many amat from the fove story ybook has the mastered to get this good! No wonder Paul fall for her every single time.


    Wyatt, however, only caught the angle of Yunire turning her head away.


    From his vantage point, he misread her giant eye roll and mocking smile as a bitter, self¨Cdeprecating one


    He turned his gaze away, lips pressed tight; a sharper edge crept into his stare as he looked at <b>Paul </b>


    Finally, he raised a hand and gave a signal.


    The hovering backhoe slowly tilted its bucket upright; the long arm retracted.


    The rain of pain came to a sudden halt. When Paul realized the downpour had stopped, he shouted up at Wyant. What, that¡¯s it backing down already! Come on, keep going if you¡¯ve got the guts!¡±


    Wyatt answered only with a look that screamed not the sharpest tool in the shed.


    ¡°Blue! Owen and Lily rushed toward her, but the ground was littered with both cash and coins¨Cthere was nowhere safe <b>to </b>


    step


    They tripped and stumbled their way to Elsie¡¯s side, crawling thest few feet.


    ¡°Owen Mom¡­ Elsie murmured weakly, copsing into Owen¡¯s arms.


    Owen¡¯s <b>eyes </b>turned bloodshot <b>as </b>he cried out in anguish. ¡°Elsie!¡±


    Paul¡¯s <b>mouth </b>hung open; his lips and pupils trembled as if Elsie had justid down her life for a greater cause.


    ¡°Get her to the hospital! We need to get her to a hospital right now!¡± Owen shouted in a panic, scooping Elsie up in his arms.


    ¡°What hospital? Aren¡¯t <b>you </b>and I both doctors?¡± Yunice had walked over <b>at </b>some point and now stood squarely in his path.


    Lily, sobbing uncontrobly, lunged at <b>Yunice </b>to shove her out of the way¨Cbut Gill casually caught her wrist.


    ¡°Yunny, your sister¡¯s unconscious. <b>You </b><b>won¡¯t </b>even let us take her to the <b>hospital</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Lily cried.


    <b>Yunice </b>calmly pulled <b>a </b><b>short</b>, <b>one</b>¨C<b>inch</b>¨Clong needle from her meridian <b>pouch</b><b>. </b>¡®Didn¡¯t I already say? I¡¯m the one who practices medicine. If Mr. Owen can¡¯t treat <b>her</b>, I <b>can</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Gill threw in a jab. ¡°And this guy calls himself a director? The second anything goes wrong, he¡¯s panicking and rushing to send her off to the hospital. No wonder your dad¡¯s hospital went downhill with <b>you </b><b>in </b>charge


    Owen choked on the <b>insult</b>, then snapped, ¡°Who says I can¡¯t treat her? Of <b>course</b>, I can!¡±


    He <b>immediately </b>pressed his fingers to Elsie¡¯s philtrum. When she didn¡¯t wake, he applied more pressure.


    Chapter 147 Stabs and Wins as Usual


    Owen red at Yunice. ¡°See for yourself¨Cshe¡¯s really unconscious!¡±


    Finished


    Yunice strolled up, calm as ever, and pinched Elsie¡¯s middle finger. ¡°If she won¡¯t <b>wake </b>up, it only means your skills <b>are </b>


    useless.¡±


    The moment she said it. Elsie let out <b>a </b>shrick and jolted upright from Owen¡¯s arms.


    Owen flinched in shock, then noticed a long needle sticking out of Elsie¡¯s middle finger.


    He immediately snapped, ¡°Of course she woke up¨Cyou stabbed her! Anyone would wake up if you torture them like that!¡±


    Yunice replied coolly. ¡°I didn¡¯t just wake her up. I can get her back on her feet, good as new,¡±


    She raised the needle again. Elsie, already traumatized, darted behind Owen and sobbed, ¡°Why did it hurt so much? It felt like it pierced my soul!¡±


    Yunice sneered. Of course it hurt


    That technique was powerful enough to rouse someone from even the deepest unconscious state.


    It was the same method she¡¯d used to revive herself back <b>when </b>Owen had drugged her.


    Now <b>that </b>Elsie was clearly fine, Owen turned <b>pale </b>and looked at Yunice. ¡°We already paid you back. You got your revenge. What more do you want?¡±


    ¡°What more do I want?¡± Yunice sneered, stepping closer to Elsie. ¡°Now it¡¯s time to settle everything¨Cone by one.¡±


    Gill crossed her arms with satisfaction, her gaze fixed smugly on Elsie.


    Every single time in the past, Elsie would fake fainting at a crucial moment to draw everyone¡¯s attention. Then Yunice¡¯s grievances would just fade away, but not this time.


    Yunice stared Elsie down, then leaned in close until their eyes met¨CElsie¡¯s filled with panic and wariness.


    She whispered so only the two of them <b>could </b>hear, ¡°Tve changed my mind. I¡¯m done begging you to give me my identity back. I¡¯ll make you cough up everyst thing you stole from me, until you¡¯re running on empty¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 148

    Chapter 148 Nothing Left to Say


    Elsie shivered, but her terrified gaze slid past Yunice¨Clocking instead on Wyatt standing behind her.


    Yunice caught that small detail instantly.


    Finished


    She straightened up and spoke clearly, ¡°You may have scraped together 4 million dors, but as the victim, Mr. Quinton hasn¡¯t agreed to settle.¡±


    Owen, reminded of this, nced at Quinton with growing unease.


    4 million dors could be raised. sure¨Cbut they couldn¡¯t buy back a jade bracelet that rare. Whether or not <b>to </b>ept the settlement was still Quinton¡¯s call,


    Quinton took in the wrecked courtyard and the bruises on Yunice¡¯s body.


    He knew she wasn¡¯t doing all this to make things <b>hard </b>for the Saunders family; she was waiting on <b>his </b>stance.


    After all, the gifts had to be returned to him through Yunice.


    Quinton said. ¡°Then, for Ms. Saunders¡® sake, I¡¯ll let it go.¡±


    He said it skillfully¨Cand pped the Saunders family in the face even harder.


    The one they¡¯d always called the most useless had now be the only reason they were getting forgiven.


    <b>Owen¡¯s </b>pride was crushed. He stayed silent, seething, waiting to see what Yunice would throw at them next.


    Yunice stood tall. ¡°Since Mr. Quinton has spoken, then Mr. Owen, please take charge and deposit this money into the bank Transfer it to Mr. Quinton¡¯s ount so both parties have a record, yes?¡±


    Paul red at Yunice, fuming. So now we have to clean up this mess too?


    Yunice threw him a mocking look, as if to say: Sure had fun throwing it, didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d be the one stuck picking it all up, huh!


    She could guess <b>Paul¡¯s </b>original n: toss the money, then sit back and watch her crawl on the ground, picking up every single bill while begging for mercy.


    Too bad for him¨Cit didn¡¯t go that way.


    <b>Yunice </b>shifted her gaze <b>and </b>added, ¡°Also, the coins Mr. Cooper lost on the Saunders property¨Cplease collect those and send them to the west wing courtyard.¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°What gives-¡±


    He was about to ask what gave her the right, but Yunice raised a finger to her lips. Owen <b>turned </b><b>red </b><b>as </b>a beet but bit his


    <b>tongue</b>.


    Yunice lowered her hand and smiled. T¡¯m sure Mr. Owen wouldn¡¯t <b>want </b>a reputation for keeping other people¡¯s property¡±


    No one said a word. Even if the coins had been dumped in the Saunders courtyard, as long as Wyatt hadn¡¯t said they were a gift, they weren¡¯t theirs to keep.


    And even if the Saunders family technically had a case, Wyatt could make sure they lost anyway.


    This defeat left no <b>room </b>for debate.


    Yunice took Gill¡¯s phone and said, ¡°Also-¡±


    Owen canned ¡°Are You ever shine in he done?¡±


    Chapter 148 Nothing Left to Say


    Elue¡¯s face turned ghostly pale.


    Owen frowned, torn. ¡°You were friends once. If you do this, how¡¯s Elsie supposed to make friends in the future?¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t tell if he truly didn¡¯t see the truth or was just covering for Elsie. Not that it mattered.


    She treated his words like a fart¨Cnot worth hearing, let alone catching the stink.


    Finished


    Before he could finish, Yunice turned her back to him and raised the phone slightly. Til be watching for that apology.


    As Wyatt and the others left the Saunders mansion, Elsie¡¯s legs gave out and the copsed to the ground.


    She stared at the home ruined by money that was never hers, at the people dragged down because of her¨Cregret flooded her.


    She¡¯d thought smashing Yunice¡¯s jade pendant would leave her no choice but to suffer in silence.


    She never expected things to escte like this¡­


    Yunice! If Wyatt Kadn¡¯t helped you today¡¯s win wouldn¡¯t have been yours!


    Rage and frustration overwhelmed her; her eyes rolled back, and she passed out cold.


    Being taken to the hospital gave Elsie a brief reprieve, but Owen and Paul¨Cthe two who <b>had </b>to face the consequences¨Cwere left behind to deal with the aftermath,


    The money scattered across the courtyard was a disaster to clean up.


    Paul considered hiring help, but Owen stopped him. ¡°<b>What</b>, you want to make the Saunders and Powell families even more of a joke!


    All that cash lying around while they had to clean it up themselves¨Cit would just confirm for outsiders that they¡¯d tried to show off and ended up humiliating themselves.


    Paul snapped, ¡°So what, who¡¯s gonna clean it? Don¡¯t expect me¨CI¡¯m in pain head to toe!¡±


    Owen <b>was </b>still fuming. ¡°And whose fault is that? You could¡¯ve just wired the money if you wanted to help Elsie. Why the <b>heck </b>go through all this to get it in cash-


    He stopped mid¨Csentence. Something clicked<b>.</b>¡°¡­<b>You </b>weren¡¯t here to help Elsie. You were here to humiliate Yunice.¡±


    If Wyatt hadn¡¯t shown up and flipped the script, this mess would¡¯ve been Yunice¡¯s burden.


    Paul didn¡¯t deny it. He said nothing.


    Because Owen was right¨CPaul had nned it exactly that way.


    He just hadn¡¯t counted on Wyatt ruining everything.

 Daghter 149

    Chapter 149 All Roads Lead Back


    He said coldly, ¡°That cripple Wyatt keeps ruining everything for me; I¡¯m not letting him off the hook.¡±


    #Finished


    Owen grabbed Paul by the cor, teeth clenched. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to dodge responsibility? If you hadn¡¯t kept going after Yunice, why would Wyatt step in for her? You and Yunice are over¨Cwhy don¡¯t you put all that energy into Elsie for once!¡±


    <b>Paul </b>had noeback, so he shot back with equal venom. ¡°Well, maybe <b>that¡¯s </b>because you don¡¯t have 4 million dors. If you did, I wouldn¡¯t have had to get involved.¡±


    Painting <b>at </b><b>a </b>man and calling him broke and useless¨Cthat was a brutal blow.


    Owen¡¯s face cracked. He let go of Paul, defeated. Today they¡¯d both lost face, but Paul had also lost real money.


    Paul yanked on his cor to smooth out the wrinkles Owen had left and, realizing he may have gone too far, asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Saunders hospital <b>always </b>bringing in good money?¡±


    Why else would they be so desperate over 4 million dors that we¡¯d talk about selling the <b>house</b><b>! </b>


    Owen didn¡¯t want to get into it. Ever since Yunice had been locked away in the psych ward, the Saunders hospital had mysteriously lost its edge in treating rare andplex cases, and patients had been leaving in droves.


    Lost the edge overnight? What kind of nonsense is that?


    Owen shook his head. ¡°No idea. Same prescriptions¨Cjust no results.¡±


    Paul muttered. That¡¯s just weird¡­¡±


    Owen said quietly, ¡°Sometimes I wonder if my mom was right¨Cmaybe Yunice really did take the Saunders family¡¯s luck with her.


    Paul frowned. He was about to call him superstitious but then paused, thoughtful.


    Come to think of it


    Ever since he started dating Elsie, it felt like everything had gone downhill. He¡¯d constantly found himself dragged into one mess after another for her, <b>and </b>even his father and grandfather had started voicing their disapproval.


    Meanwhile, Wyatt¨Cever since word got out about his engagement to Yuni?e¨Chad barely been scolded by his OWEL grandfather. Thend deal in <b>Northvale</b>¨Cno one even tried to fight him fort.


    Could it be that Yunice actually brings luck to her man and his family?


    Owen didn¡¯t notice the shift in Paul¡¯s expression. He crouched down, picked up a stack of bills, and stayed quiet for a while.


    Then, under his breath, he tried to rally himself. ¡°One hurdle at a time, the road ahead is long, but it¡¯ll shine bright.¡±


    <b>Just </b>as he tried to summon some determination, his gaze dimmed again.


    That line he¡¯d just used¨C<b>that </b>was <b>something </b><b>Yunice </b>used to say all the time¡­.


    His eyes began to sting. Red¨Crimmed, he kept picking up bill after bill<b>, </b><b>as </b>if burying himself in work could numb the feelings building inside.


    Even after everything today, he still missed the obedient, thoughtful Yunice from before.


    Under the starlit sky outside the car window, Yunice sat in the same <b>car </b>as Wyatt.


    The <b>leather </b>seat felt like it <b>had </b>needles in it; she kept shifting restlessly, ncing back toward the rear window every few seconds.


    Chapter 149 All Roads Lead Back


    <b>Yunice </b>had nned to ride with Gill, but when Jordan came to call her over, she couldn¡¯t keep pretending anymore.


    Not seeing Gill¡¯s ear now, Yunice sat up straight and looked down at her hands, ying with her fingers.


    Finished


    She still remembered what Wyatt had said back at the Saunders mansion. We¡¯ll settle this when we get back. So now he is taking me back to settle it! But¡­ what exactly is there to settle?


    She stole a nce at Wyatt from the corner of her eye, waiting for him to speak. But of course, he was frustratingly quiet- making her guess everything.


    So she had to go first. ¡°Why¡­ did you go to the Saunders mansion?¡±


    Wyatt sat stone¨Cfaced, clearly not in the mood to respond. His eyes were fixed on the window outside.


    Yunice was starting to feel awkward¨Cuntil Jordan chimed in to save <b>the </b>moment. ¡°Come on, Ms. Saunders, Wyatt keeps a close eye on everything <b>about </b>you.¡±


    <i>Keeps </i>an eye on me¡­ Probably just because she was the woman he had to marry. It was a <b>matter </b>of appearances¨Cif she embarrassed herself, it would <b>make </b>him look bad too.


    Husband and wife, tied at the hip.


    Yunice nced at Wyatt again, then pointed at his sulking expression and asked Jordan, ¡°Why does he look so mad?¡±


    She¡¯d noticed that the people around Wyatt were all pretty decent¨Cfriendly, even. As long as it was something they could talk about, they were never stingy with words.


    Jordan nced up and checked the rearview mirror, not clear if he was looking at Wyatt or Yunice.


    He smiled and <b>said</b>, ¡°Of course, he¡¯s <b>mad </b>at you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Wyatt¡¯s woman, but instead ofing to him, you went to that slimy old Quinton for help<b>. </b>Doesn¡¯t that make it seem like you look down on Wyatt?¡± Jordan¡¯s tone lifted yfully at the end, like he was deliberately putting her


    on the


    spor


    But Yunice could tell¨Cthis wasn¡¯t a trap. Jordan was throwing her a lifeline. More friends, more options; fewer friends, more hoops to jump through.

 Daghter 150

    Finished


    Yunice didn¡¯t <b>want </b>to let Wyatt down. She looked at him and said, ¡°I thought you guys were too busy; didn¡¯t want to bother you with something this <b>small</b>.


    ¡°And what exactly counts as something big?¡±


    This time, it wasn¡¯t Jordan stepping in as the mouthpiece¡ªWyatt turned his head and asked her himself.


    ¡°Was dangling off a high¨Crise like some death¨Cdefying stunt not dramatic enough for you?¡±


    Yunice went quiet. He knew about that? But why is he so angry? We had barely met enough times to count on two hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e,¡± Wyatt said, his voice tight. The wedding¡¯s almost here. You trying to die and stick me with a reputation as some sort of wife¨Ckiller?¡±


    Yunice blinked in disbelief¨Cagain and again¨Cuntil she heard his words. That¡¯s when it finally clicked. So that it it


    Wyatt didn¡¯t care about her¨Che cared about his reputation, about whether or not he could still marry someone else in the


    future.


    And fair enough his reputation <b>was </b>already terrible. No properdy wanted to marry him <b>in </b>the first ce. If he tacked on the whole ¡°bad luck in love¡±bel on top of that, even regr girls would run for the hills.


    Wyatt leaned back in his seat, eyes dark, clearly irritated. ¡°What a pain. Maybe I should just kill them all.¡±


    Jordan kept driving smooth as ever, but Yunice said, ¡°No. Their lives belong to me.¡±


    Wyatt gave her a cold look.


    Yunice didn¡¯t flinch. If something needed to be <b>said</b>, she would say it. ¡°You didn¡¯t kill Jackson¨Cwas that because you couldn¡¯t?¡±


    Jordan shot her a quick nce. He hadn¡¯t expected her to be so bold.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t care if people called you a patricide, Yunice said. ¡°But you didn¡¯t go through with it. Why? Because you wanted the ones who failed you to end up crawling at your feet, begging for mercy!¡±


    ¡°Killing them isn¡¯t hard. If I wanted someone dead by midnight, I could slip something in their food, and they¡¯d never <b>make </b>


    it to dawn. But what¡¯s the fun in <b>that</b>?¡±


    ¡°I want them to see just how wrong they were. I want to give them back everything they ever dished out to me. I want them to feel the same suffering I did. I <b>want </b>their nights to be sleepless, filled with regret¨Cnot just some clean cut that buries them and me in one <b>go</b>.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t say anything, but his eyes darkened in thought.


    Jordan chuckled. ¡°If I weren¡¯t <b>the </b>one <b>driving</b>. I¡¯d be pping for Ms. Saunders¡® grand ambitions.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Not as grand as Mr. <b>Cooper¡¯s</b><b>. </b>I¡¯m just fighting small fish; he¡¯s gambling with sharks.¡±


    Taking on the Powell family <b>made </b>the Saunders family look like child¡¯s y.


    Jordan gave a low whistle. Not bad, she sure knows how to tter when it counts.


    Maybe it was just her imagination, but Yunice felt like Wyatt¡¯s mood had <b>eased</b>. The rigid tension in his shoulders <b>had </b>rxed a bit; now he just lookedfortably indifferent.


    He <b>said</b>, ¡°Didn¡¯t expect <b>you </b>and I were on the same page. Even better.<b>¡± </b>


    Chapter 150 Don¡¯t Go Begging


    Yunice blurted out, ¡°Sounds more like a setup to me.¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°d you know.¡±


    Finished


    She nced his way again, then heard Jordan say, ¡°Since Ms. Saunders is new to the family, there¡¯ll definitely be some¡­.. friction. So we kindly ask that Ms. Saunders not cause Wyatt any unnecessary trouble over irrelevant people.¡±


    What¡¯s that supposed to mean! But no one gave her an answer.


    Jordan continuedying out the n like it was no big deal. ¡°There are some arrangements for the dinner, so Ms. Saunders will stay at Pavilion Hall tonight. It¡¯s easier for me to coordinate that way


    Of course, what Jordan meant¨Cwas what Wyatt meant.


    The car turned into Pavilion Hall, Jordan guided the way and <b>gave </b>her the rundown. ¡°Ms. Saunders, <b>you¡¯ll </b>be on the first floor. Wyatt¡¯s room is on the third. You only go up there if he tells you to.¡±


    Yunice looked up and saw that Pavilion Hall had a kind of castle¨Clike architecture. When you looked up <b>from </b>the lobby, the railings of <b>every </b>floor were in <b>in </b>view.


    Likewise, from any upper floor, you could clearly see down into the living room. The floors were stacked inyers¨Clike an Ivory tower


    She turned around and saw that Wyatt had already entered the elevator alone, clearly heading to the third floor.


    The moment he left. Yunice felt so much more at ease.


    She asked Jordan. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see any staff around?¡±


    For a ce this big, it was strange to have no servants.


    Jordan answered. ¡°Wyatt doesn¡¯t like being disturbed. The staff onlye in when he¡¯s not home.¡±


    Yunice nodded thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s actually kind of nice. Wake up early, step outside, lean on the railing look down and see your lover. No one to bother you.¡±


    Jordan froze, giving her a surprised look.


    Yunice noticed and asked. ¡°What?¡±


    Jordan smiled. ¡°Nothing, Just. it¡¯s funny. <b>You </b>and Wyatt really are a good match. Pavilion Hall was built with exactly that <b>vision </b>in mind.¡±

 Daghter 151

    Chapter 151 Who¡¯s Sleeping in Wyatt¡¯s Bed?


    Yunice narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. So there really is ady of the house, huh?


    Jordan hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d just walked into a trap.


    Finished


    He said, ¡°Take today for example¨Cwhen you said you wanted to bury Paul in cash, didn¡¯t Wyatt end up on the exact same page?¡±


    That was true; going through all those <b>steps </b>did take time. Wyatt couldn¡¯t have seen iting¨Che really had just ended up on the <b>same </b>page <b>as </b><b>Yunice</b>.


    Still, it was just a coincidence. It didn¡¯t prove anything.


    Yunice moved into the room Jordan had arranged for her. After he left, the entire castle went quiet.


    The room had everything she might need for daily life. After making sure there weren¡¯t any cameras installed, Yunice took a shower and carefully cleaned up every strand of fallen <b>hair</b>.


    She didn¡¯t touch any of the skincare products or face masks in the cab. Since this ce had ady of the house, she figured she¡¯d better have some self¨Cawareness and try not to stir up any drama.


    Her marriage to Wyatt was just for show; no need to make the real woman of the house ufortable.


    She pulled a medicated oil from her bag and rubbed at the bruises the flying cash had left on her body. After that, she dabbed ointment onto the scar on her face.


    Looking in the mirror, the scar had already faded quite a bit; a quick touch¨Cup with powder would make it nearly invisible.


    Once she was done, Yunice crawled into bed in her pajamas. As she tugged the nket over herself, she found herself wondering why the whole room was done up in ck, white, and gray.


    Even the nket was made of silvery¨C<b>gray </b>silk.


    Probably bought <b>as </b>a set, she figured, not thinking much of it. Before falling asleep, Yunice gave <b>Gill </b>a quick call


    Gill had already returned to Maplevale Estate. Just thinking about the revenge on Elsie earlier that day <b>had </b>her too giddy to sleep.


    Yunice, on the other hand, wasn¡¯t quite as cheerful


    Elsie feared Wyatt¨Cnot <b>her</b>. Using that leverage worked, but Yunice knew she¡¯d have to put in a lot more effort on her own.


    What frustrated her the most was that she hadn¡¯t used today¡¯s incident to get the Yun family¡¯s house. She¡¯d let them catch a breath.


    Elsie


    clung to <b>Paul </b>like a lifeline, giving the Yun <b>family </b>a solid pir of support


    Still, there <b>was </b>no rush. If Owen was already desperate enough to consider selling the house, that only meant Yun General <b>Hospital </b>was running red lights all the way <b>down </b>the line.


    She still had <b>a </b>shot.


    Ms. Saunders, are you sleeping over at Mr. Cooper¡¯s <b>ce </b>tonight? Gill asked in a teasing tone.


    Yunice responded dryly. ¡°You really hope I¡¯m gettingid that badly?¡±


    Gill burst outughing. ¡°Come on, Mr. Cooper¡¯s not <b>bad</b>¨Clooking¨Cyou wouldn¡¯t be losing out.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°He¡¯s already <b>got </b>someone. I¡¯m not even allowed to touch him<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Chapter 151 Who¡¯s Sleeping in Wyatt¡¯s Bed?


    She dropped the Wyatt topic quickly.


    Switching gears, she said. ¡°By the way, Ms. Saunders, Taylor¡¯s meds are almost out. Time to start <b>round </b>two.¡±


    Yunice let out a sleepy hum, her voice drifting off like a breeze.


    Today had drained her; lying in afortable bed made it even harder <b>to </b><b>stay </b>awake.


    Finished


    Gill could hear the <b>fatigue </b>in her voice and hung up. Yunice fell asleep with her phone tucked under her pillow, sleeping <b>like </b>a baby.


    Even in her dreams, sh


    her¡­


    wasn¡¯t idle. She dreamed someone was on top of her, slipping a hand under the covers and kissing


    In her sleep, Yunice arched a brow. Am I about to get my period or something? Why the heck am I dreaming about this stuff? Let¡¯s see who the male lead is¡­


    In her <b>dream</b><b>, </b>Yunice opened her eyes


    She saw a figure leaning over her, the scent of perfume thick in the air. A sultry voice whispered in her ear. ¡°Wyatt, aren¡¯t you lonely?¡±


    Yunice shoved the person off her in an instant.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± came as <b>voice </b>as the girl tumbled right off the bed.


    Yunice sat up and flipped on the light.


    Instant daylight.


    The <b>girl </b>sat on the carpet, shielding her eyes from the sudden brightness, whining, ¡°Wyatt, it¡¯s me!¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>grabbed a <b>pillow </b>and hugged it like a weapon. ¡°Open your eyes and take a good look at who I am!¡±


    As soon as Yunice spoke, the girl on the floor went quiet. She moved her hand away from her face and locked eyes with Yunice for three solid seconds.


    ¡°Ahhh<b>¡± </b>


    The <b>scream </b>


    nearly burst Yunice¡¯s eardrums.


    Covering her ears, Yunice watched as the girl scrambled to her feet, frantically searched the bed, then darted into the bathroom. When she couldn¡¯t find any trace of Wyatt, she ran out the door.


    ¡°Wyatt! There¡¯s an intruder in the house!¡±


    The girl¡¯s panicked yelling echoed from the hallway. Yunice quickly <b>put </b>on her slippers and straightened out her clothes


    Wyatt would probably show up any <b>second </b>now.


    She sat calmly at the edge of the bed, waiting. She figured this girl <b>was </b>probably Wyatt¡¯s lover. Once he showed up, she¡¯d have to exin their rtionship clearly.

 Daghter 152

    Chapter 152 She Called Me What Now


    Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before the elevator doors slid open. Wyatt stepped out in his pajamas and turned on the lights in


    the hall


    The girl immediately threw herself at him like she was nning to take him down by force.


    Wyatt frowned and said coldly. ¡°Stop¡±


    She barely managed to halt in time, pointing pitifully behind her. ¡°Wyatt, there¡¯s an intruder in your room!¡±


    Just then. Yunice stepped out, wrapped in a robe.


    The girl pointed usingly. ¡°It¡¯s her! She even dared to sleep in your bed¨Cshe¡¯spletely shameless!¡±


    Yunice had been sleeping on the first floor, his room was on the third. How could I possibly have ended up in his bed?


    Wyatt nced at Yunice, then looked back at the girl. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. That¡¯s your sister¨Cinw.¡±


    ¡°Sister¨Cinw?¡± The girl¡¯s delicate expression began to crack like porcin, as if she couldn¡¯t process the news.


    Wyatt stepped around her and said. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear I was getting married?¡±


    The girl spun around to keep up with him, practically in tears. ¡°But I heard it was fake¨Cthat you were just doing it to make Mr. Jackson happy. How could you let her stay in Pavilion Hall¡±


    Yunice tightened her grip on her robe, feeling more than a little awkward standing there.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond, but the girl wouldn¡¯t drop it. If you married her, then what about Morgan-


    Before she could finish, Wyatt cut her off with an icy snap. Ami I not allowed to get married?¡±


    The girl flinched, clearly spooked, and didn¡¯t dare say another word


    Wyatt¡¯s expression <b>was </b>downright terrifying. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but all she could manage was a meek. ¡°I¡¯m som


    was wron


    Yunice walked over. She felt the need to rify. ¡°We¡¯re not really married. You don¡¯t need to see me as a threat¨CI¡¯m not here to get in the <b>way </b>of anyone¡¯s rtionship.¡±


    The girl¡¯s tears finally spilled over. She gave Yunice a sidelong nce, probably thinking she was just pretending to be nice


    now.


    Wyatt turned to Yunice, needling her. ¡°Not threatening anyone? She¡¯s the Powell family¡¯s adopted daughter¨Cnna Fiona¡±


    1


    <b>Adopted</b>? Must¡¯ve been recent. I¡¯ve never heard of her before. Yunice thought


    Some elite families adopted orphaned girls to strengthen alliances through marriage, but Elianna seemed a little too interested in the nearest eligible man..


    Without missing a beat, Yunice extended a hand <b>toward </b>her. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m <b>Yunice</b>.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s your name Yunice too¡­¡± Elianna muttered under her breath, but still, shook her hand.


    That onement told Yunice everything she needed to know¨CElianna didn¡¯t know much about the Powell family and had clearly been sidelined.


    <b>She </b>wasn¡¯t an important ver


    Chapter 152 She Called Me What Now


    Wyatt looked at the suitcase Elianna had left in the living room and asked, ¡°Why¡¯d youe back at this hour?¡±


    ¡°Dad told me to. He said there¡¯s a family banquet tomorrow and everyone needs to be there.¡±


    She nced at Yunice again, clearly confused why Jackson cared so much about this in¨Clooking woman.


    Finished


    Wyatt checked the time. It was alreadyte. He turned to Elianna and said. ¡®Pick any room you want¨Cjust don¡¯t bother your


    sister¨Cin¨C<bw</b>.¡±


    Then he wrapped an arm around Yunice and guided her toward her room.


    Elianna¡¯s eyes went wide. Wait what? They¡¯re going into my room?


    Yunice tried to say something, but Wyatt gave her shoulder a firm squeeze, and she shut her mouth


    She didn¡¯t know the Powell family that well¨Cdidn¡¯t know what was appropriate or not¨Cso for now, she figured she¡¯d just go along with Wyatt.


    He shut the door behind them, and Yunice could still hear faint crying from outside.


    Elianna had totally lost it.


    Yunice locked the door behind them, then asked Wyatt, ¡°This is your room?¡±


    Wyan sat on the edge of the bed and dodged the question. The Powell family has a curfew. Since lens came back thiste, she could only crash here.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound right.


    Sure, there was a curfew, but it wasn¡¯t like an adopted daughter wasn¡¯t allowed toe home.


    And even if that were the case, there were hotels. Why¡¯d she have toe here!


    Still, if Wyatt was bothering to exin, it probably meant he didn¡¯t want her overthinking it


    He pulled back the covers andy down. ¡°Go to sleep.


    Yunice climbed in from the other side; they each stayed in their own space.


    If they were married, sharing a bed was bound to happen eventually.


    <b>But </b>thanks to Elianna¡¯s drama, Yunice wasn¡¯t sleepy anymore.


    Out of <b>nowhere</b>, <b>Wyatt </b>reached over and pulled her into <b>his </b>arms.


    Startled, Yunice pressed <b>against </b>his chest, trying <b>to </b>push him away<b>, </b><b>but </b>he easily locked her in ce.


    With his chin resting on the top of her head, <b>Wyatt </b>closed <b>his </b>eyes and murmured. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Yunice pressed <b>a </b>silver needle <b>against </b><b>his </b>throat. ¡°Don¡¯t <b>think </b><b>just </b>because I¡¯m not rejecting you <b>that </b>you can keep pushing your luck.¡±


    Wyatt lifted her chin and kissed her.

 Daghter 153

    Chapter 153 My Needle My Rules


    ¡°You¡­ Yunice couldn¡¯t really do anything to him.


    Wyatt scoffed. ¡°Still not over Paul, huh?


    Yunice rolled over and sat up. ¡°Who said I¡¯m not over him!¡±


    Wyatt rested his head on his arm, his tone light andzy. ¡°You¡¯re staying pure for him while he¡¯s out there having a great time.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. so Wyant added, ¡°I never said this marriage was fake.¡±


    Yunice said. ¡°That day, I saw you picking someone up at the Silk House.¡±


    As soon as the words left her mouth, she saw Wyatt¡¯s face darken. ¡°<b>So </b>what?¡±


    She didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Is she someone important to you<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°No.¡± His reply came even faster than her question¨Cfirm, evenced with a kind of cold hatred.


    ¡°Are you actually single?¡± Yunice pressed on.


    Wyatt looked annoyed now. He sat up, grabbed the cor of her shirt, and yanked her close. ¡°I¡¯m a virgin. Got it!¡±


    Their faces were barely an inch apart. Yunice stared into his eyes and stayed quiet. She understood¨Cshe¡¯d known from the first time she saw him.


    But that didn¡¯t mean anything. Yunice said, ¡°A woman¡¯s purity has never been about what¡¯s under her skirt. I¡¯ve never minded fulfilling a need, but if the price of pleasure is hurting another woman, I¡¯m not doing it


    There were plenty of men in the world. She had no desire to steal someone else¡¯s¨Cshe didn¡¯t even have the pride for that.


    I¡¯ll say it again¨Cthere is no other woman.¡± As soon as he finished, Wyatt rolled over and pinned Yunice beneath him.


    The tables turned¨CWyant on top, Yunice underneath. She could feel how unstable his emotions were, but she didn¡¯t know what was behind it.


    His breathing was heavier now. He didn¡¯t go any further; he just stayed there, holding her down.


    He stared at her for a long while before finally muttering. ¡°I¡¯ll wait¡­ until after the wedding¡±


    Wyatt climbed off her andy down on his side.


    Yunice didn¡¯t get it. Why is he so set on sleeping with me? Couldn¡¯t he just spend some money on a willing woman in need?


    ¡°Mmph!¡±


    Yunice let out a muffled grunt as Wyatt pulled her back into his arms.


    She frowned but didn¡¯t fight it this time. She was <b>twenty</b>¨Cone; Wyatt was five years older. They were both at the peak of their physical needs.


    <b>And </b>neither of them knew how long this marriage wouldst¨Cat some point, taking care of each other¡¯s needs <b>might </b>be part of the arrangement.


    Maybe it was the stress, but Yunice ended up dreaming about men all night. Before dawn, she felt something sticky between her legs.


    Wean donened hi? mes and looked at Vimnice umirmine in his arms


    Chapter 153 My Needle My Rules


    He came back <b>a </b>short w


    Finished


    whileter with a pack of sanitary pads. Elianna¡¯s voice was locked out on the other side of the door.


    Yunice reached out and took them, ncing <b>down </b>to see he¡¯d gotten the exact brand she wanted. She held her clothes behind her and hurried into the bathroom<b>.. </b>


    A few minutester, Wyatt¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Just leave <b>your </b>dirty clothes there¨Csomeone wille get


    them.¡±


    Yunice looked down at her bloodstained pajama pants. She¡¯d wanted to wash them herself. But this was Wyatt¡¯s bathroom; he might be averse to the blood.


    So she folded the pants neatly and dropped them into the trash. When she came out, she was fully dressed.


    Wyatt <b>was </b>still in her room¨Cno, his room.


    Yunice asked, ¡°What did Elianna say just now?¡±


    ¡°She said breakfast¡¯s ready¡±


    When they stepped out, Elianna was indeed at the dining table, arranging tes. Without even ncing at her, Wyatt <b>said</b>, ¡°You can eat by yourself. We¡¯re going to the Powell family mansion first.¡±


    Elianna blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    She¡¯d gotten up at the crack of dawn to make breakfast.


    Wyatt took Yunice¡¯s hand and led her out of Pavilion <b>Hall </b><b>and </b>into the car.


    Yunice found his attitude toward Elianna odd. Normally, if he didn¡¯t want to deal with someone, he¡¯d have no problem getting rid of them entirely.


    But with Elianna, there was impatience, sure¨Cbut also tolerance.


    ¡°How did Elianna end up getting adopted by the Powell family!


    Wyatt nced over at her. She was getting bolder¨Casking anything she wanted now.


    ¡°Two years ago, an ident urred at the Westvale steel nt. Two people died.¡±


    Two years ago, Yunice had been in the psych ward; no wonder she hadn¡¯t heard about something <b>so </b>minor.


    ¡°One of the dead was Elianna¡¯s father,¡± Wyatt said. ¡°He was hit by molten steel trying to stop the ident. There wasn¡¯t even a scrap of bone left. To appease the Fiona family, Grandpa adopted Elianna.¡±


    ¡°That steel nt belongs to me. If it weren¡¯t for Elianna¡¯s father, hundreds could¡¯ve died that day!


    <b>Yunice </b>froze. Suddenly, she understood why Wyatt tolerated Elianna the way he did:

 Daghter 154

    Chapter 154 Parrot Attack


    Finished


    Elianna¡¯s father hadn¡¯t just traded one life to save a hundred; he¡¯d also kept Wyatt out of prison. Two years ago had been a turning point in <b>Wyatt¡¯s </b>career.


    Everything he had now had been exchanged for with Elianna¡¯s father¡¯s life¨Cno wonder things were the way they were.


    Yunice couldn¡¯t help but feel a little more respect for Elianna, though it was only for her father..


    Meanwhile, at the Powell family banquet-


    Taylor was sitting in the garden of the Powell mansion, with Linda keeping herpany.


    Linda was Jensen¡¯s second wife¨Cone he had taken after Taylor¡¯s mother¨Cand Taylor didn¡¯t think much of her; naturally, she didn¡¯t talk to her either.


    Just then, her phone buzzed twice. It was a message from Elsie: ¡°Taylor, my brother¡¯s going fishing at Silverline Bay today. I¡¯lle to get you and we can hang out!¡±


    Elsie was still in the hospital, but Paul¨Cfor some reason¨Chad kept using work as an excuse and hadn¡¯t shown up all day.


    So she was killing time by texting Taylor. She already knew Taylor wouldn¡¯te; Taylor had saidst time that she was about to get engaged and wasn¡¯t going to consider Elsie¡¯s second brother anymore.


    Sure enough. Taylor replied with two words: ¡°No time.¡±


    That was exactly the reply Elsie had been waiting for. She quickly sent another message: ¡°Taylor, are you busy going on a date with your husband? Haha.¡±


    Taylor didn¡¯t respond


    Elsie¡¯s next message popped up: ¡°Taylor, I really envy your family background. Your dad¡¯s so rich; he¡¯s bound to find you <b>a </b>great husband, right? Let me guess¨Cis it Mr. Hayden from the Rhett family? His background¡¯s just a tiny bit worse than Paul¡¯s, but he¡¯d still be a great match for you!¡±


    She typed with obvious smugness. So what <i>if </i>Taylor came from money!


    If she married Mr. Hayden and ended up bumping into her in thedies¡® social circles after the wedding, Taylor might even have to beg her to help make connections.


    Taylor frowned at the message.


    Hayden? That idiot? He wasn¡¯t good enough for her.


    She replied, ¡°Why <b>don¡¯t </b>you guess Paul? You think I¡¯m not worthy?¡±


    <b>Just </b>as she hit send, a sudden gust of sharp wind swept through.


    Taylor looked up¨Conly to see a massive parrot flying straight toward her. <b>Its </b>hooked talons were about to tear across her face.


    ¡°<b>Moss</b>!¡± Linda barked, but it was no use.


    Taylor threw her hands up to protect her hair, <b>falling </b><b>back </b>with <b>a </b>cry.


    Just as disaster was about to strike, <b>a </b><b>soft </b>voice rang out. ¡°<b>Moss</b>,e here.¡±


    Powerful wings pped, and the parrot soared upward, veering away from Taylor.


    Linda raised an arm to shield herself from the dust kicked up by the wings, then turned toward the direction the parrot had


    flown.


    Chapter 154 Parrot Attack


    Finished


    It was a blue¨Cand¨Cgold macaw¨Cvibrant, dazzling in color¨Cand the contrast between it and Yunice made both stand out event


    <b>more</b><b>. </b>


    Especially with the man beside Yunice; he was impossible to ignore. Dressed <b>in </b>a ck suit with a deep tan tie, his steady <b>presence </b>perfectly bnced the brilliance at his side.


    Linda turned fully around, struck by the contrast; it shouldn¡¯t have worked, but somehow it did. Strength with grace; grace with wildness; wildness with a bit of defiant ir.


    Taylor, still shaken, waved her hands to brush away the tension and managed to stand up. She caught sight of Yunice not far


    away.


    She paused, taken <b>aback</b>; then <b>she </b>saw the parrot perched on Yunice¡¯s arm and snapped, ¡°Did <b>you </b>send that parrot to attack


    met


    Judging by how well¨Cbehaved it was with her, it had definitely been trained¨Cso the attack had to have been deliberate.


    Before Yunice could answer, Linda cut in awkwardly, ¡°Ms. Taylor, that¡¯s Paul¡¯s pet¨Chis <b>name </b>is Moss. He <b>wasn¡¯t </b>trying to jattack you; he probably <b>just </b>thought you were pretty <b>and </b>wanted to y.¡±


    Taylor didn¡¯t buy it. ¡°I can tell the difference between someone trying to hurt me <b>and </b>someone just ying <b>around</b>.¡±


    She looked Yunice up and down. <b>¡°</b><b>Paul¡¯s </b><b>pet</b>, huh? Why does it listen to you so well¨Care you <b>an </b>animal trainer?¡±


    But when she saw Wyatt standing next to Yunice, Taylor wasn¡¯t so <b>sure </b>anymore.


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer her; she simply turned and left with Moss and Wyatt.


    Taylor watched the two of them <b>walk </b>away, her instincts picking up on something odd.


    Linda smiled and tried to soothe her. ¡°Ms. Saunders was just Paul¡¯s childhood ymate, so she¡¯s familiar with Moss. But she¡¯s about to marry Wyatt.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s face registered surprise. Wyatt¡¯s fiancee was her?


    ¡°Not as useless as the rumors say, Taylor muttered as she sat back down.


    The rumors had imed Wyatt¡¯s fiancee was ugly, came from <b>a </b>poor background, and possibly had mental issues¨Cbut the woman just now didn¡¯t match any of that. Linda looked surprised too; the <b>Yunice </b>she¡¯d just seen was nothing like the one she¡¯d met before.


    But she couldn¡¯t quite put her finger on <b>what </b>had changed.


    She just suddenly sparkled.


    Taylor¡¯s phone <b>buzzed </b>on the table, pulling her back to the chat she¡¯d almost forgotten about

 Daghter 155

    Chapter 155 Birds of a Feather


    Finished


    She picked up her phone and nced at the screen¨Csure enough, it was <b>Elsie</b>. The message read: ¡°Taylor, Paul¡¯s always had a fiancee; he can¡¯t marry two women at once, right?¡±


    Taylor¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Paul <b>has </b>a fiancee?¡±


    Linda flinched at her reaction. Damn it, why¡¯d she have to blurt that out?


    <b>Paul </b>and Elsie were still dating; with someone like Taylor, this kind of thing would never sit well.


    Linda scrambled to cover it <b>up</b>. ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b>all in the past. Paul already broke off the engagement with Ms. Saunders a long <b>time </b>ago.¡±


    Taylor shot to her feet. ¡°Ms. Saunders? You mean <b>the </b>one who just left?¡±


    Linda gave a stiff smile, awkwardly replying, ¡°Yeah¡­ her.¡±


    Taylor let out a cold <bugh</b>. ¡°The Powell family really knows how to keep things lively¨Cbreaking off an engagement with the nephew, only for the woman to marry the uncle!¡±


    What bothered Taylor wasn¡¯t that the woman had been engaged twice; it wasn¡¯t even Paul¡¯s romantic history. It was that the Powell family had deliberately kept it from her.


    She¡¯d spent all this time around Paul and hadn¡¯t known a thing about his past engagement. Clearly, the family had gone out of their way to keep her in the dark.


    If they¡¯re this calcting before the marriage, what happens afterward! Will I be manipted at every turn?


    Her opinion of the Powell family dropped even lower. Linda, of course<b>, </b>could read her like a book. She spoke gently, ¡°Ms. Taylor, we¡¯re all from powerful families. We¡¯re not fragile little girls who cry over <b>love </b>and heartbreak. Who hasn¡¯t had a few people pass through their lives? You¡¯re someone who¡¯s destined for bigger things¡±


    That struck a nerve with Taylor.


    She was <b>the </b>only child of the Kendall family. Her father doted on her, yes¨Cbut deep down, he believed a man should inherit


    the business.


    Taylor wanted to prove herself, but there was never any real opportunity.


    Now that her father was aging and growing weaker, he had no choice but to seek out a power alliance¨Cone that could support the family, and her.


    It wasn¡¯t just a lifeline for the Kendall <b>family</b>; it was her lifeline too.


    Taylor <b>sat </b>back down, still frowning. ¡°Even if the engagement <b>was </b>off, I should¡¯ve been told. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m the jealous type.¡±


    Linda smirked ever so slightly. She knew Taylor had been caught; if she couldpromise today, she¡¯d keeppromising


    in the future.


    Meanwhile, <b>Yunice </b>was taking Moss back to the pet room to lock him up.


    Moss had a bad habit¨Che liked <b>plucking </b>feathers. Any kind of feathers.


    ¡°<b>Don¡¯t </b>mess with Ms. Taylor again next time, or you¡¯re the one getting your feathers plucked and tossed <b>in </b><b>a </b>stew pot!¡± Yunice scolded, tapping Moss on the head.


    <b>Moss </b>whimpered miserably, eyes squeezed <b>shut</b>.


    Wyatt looked on with amusement. Hrious. Those slender arms of hers were holding up a hefty bird like it was nothing.


    Chapter 155 Birds of a Feather


    But Moss red his feathers and went straight for Wyatt¡¯s finger with his beak.


    <b>Startled</b>, Yunice snapped, ¡°Moss!¡±


    ¡°Cawk!¡± Moss¡® head jerked sideways as Wyatt smacked him with a t palm.


    The squawk was so sudden, it made Yunice jump.


    Two secondster, Moss seemed to realize he¡¯d just been hit. He buried his head in the crook of Yunice¡¯s arm <b>and </b>whimpered, ¡°Whimper whimper¡­ whimper whimper!¡±


    He¡¯d <b>never </b>cried this miserably before.


    Yunice instinctively shielded him. ring at Wyatt, she said angrily, ¡°Why¡¯d you hit him<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°He bit me¨Cdidn¡¯t you see?¡±


    ¡°He bit you because you flicked him first!¡±


    ¡°I was smacking Paul¡¯s bird. Why are you so upset?¡±


    ¡°How old are you? How old is he? You proud of bullying something that small?¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m bullying Paul now?¡± Wyatt¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    Yunice looked genuinely confused. ¡°What¡¯s this got to do with Paul<b>? </b><b>I </b>was talking about <b>Moss</b>!¡±


    Finished


    She didn¡¯t want to keep arguing. Turning her back to him, sheforted Moss, then gently locked him up in the pet <b>room</b>. ¡°y by yourself for now, I¡¯lle visit when I have time.¡±


    Moss spread his wings, clinging to the pet room¡¯s floor¨Cto¨Cceiling ss, crying out in that pitiful little voice¨Clike he wanted break through the barrier, just to be held by Yunice again


    But Moss belonged to <b>Paul</b>; he had nothing to do with her. Parting was inevitable.


    If not for this unexpected encounter, Yunice wouldn¡¯t havee to see Moss at all.


    Because once you look<b>¡­ </b>you¡¯re afraid he¡¯ll remember you forever and <b>never </b><b>let </b><b>go</b><b>. </b>


    She turned her back on Moss¡® silent plea and started walking¨Conly to suddenly spot Paul.


    No one knew when he¡¯d <b>shown </b>up. He stood quietly in a shadowed corner, his expression unreadable.


    His brows were drawn together; his gaze shifted from Yunice to Wyatt, eyes burning <b>with </b>hostility.


    Once he realized they¡¯d seen him, Paul shoved his hands into his pockets <b>and </b><b>walked </b>forward<b>, </b>his tone confrontational. ¡°Who told you two toe into my yard?¡±


    At the Powell <b>mansion</b><b>, </b>Paul <b>carried </b><b>a </b>natural sense of entitlement. He could say <b>this </b>was his home<b>, </b>no questions asked.


    Wyatt couldn¡¯t.


    Not a single courtyard in the mansion truly belonged to him.

 Daghter 156

    Chapter 156 The Family Table


    Neither of them paid any mind to Paul¡¯s arrogance. Wyatt chuckled. ¡°Your face doesn¡¯t hurt anymore?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. The coins from yesterday hadn¡¯t seriously injured him, but they had left his face ck and blue.


    He¡¯d left the house today with a bruised and swollen face; it was only thanks to Elsie¡¯s careful application of concealer that he¡¯d dared to go out in public.


    As Yunice and Wyatt turned to leave, Paul was hit with a wave of frustration at being ignored. ¡°Who said you could leave?¡±


    Yunice turned her head. ¡°Moss nearly flew out and hurt Taylor. I stopped it in time and brought it back. If you keep pushing <b>this</b>, we can have a little chat with Taylor about it¡±


    ¡°You!¡± Taylor again!


    She really thought he was afraid of her just because she had a little leverage over him. Even after Yunice and Wyatt left, Paul couldn¡¯t let it go.


    He looked over at Moss, who was circling the pet room with open wings, clearly reluctant to part from Yunice.


    After a moment of hesitation, Paul stepped forward and opened the ss door of the pet room.


    The Powell family dinner parties were all about rules. The seating arrangement at the long table, the cement of silverware, bowls, and sses¨Ceverything had to follow tradition. The chores were handled by the staff, but the table itself had to be arranged by the women of the household.


    And when it came to details, getting anything wrong would be aughingstock.


    Linda specifically came over to invite Yunice to help set the cutlery.


    Just as Yunice was about to stand, she saw Wyatt nce over, frowning. ¡°What is it that only she can do?¡±


    Linda smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a Powell family tradition. Asking her to help shows we trust her and value her effort.¡±


    Wyatt said nothing, just gave a mocking nce at Taylor, who satacross from him fiddling with her phone.


    This time, it was Linda¡¯s turn to lose face. She forced a smile. ¡°Ms. Taylor¡¯s not feeling well¡­¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face turned <b>cold</b>. ¡°And Yunice has ¡®feeling great¡® written on hers?¡±


    Linda <b>looked </b>awkwardly toward Yunice. She didn¡¯t dare argue with Wyatt, so she turned to Yunice with concern. ¡°Ms. Saunders, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Yunice sat with poise and thought. So Linda¡¯s trying to get me to volunteer?


    Well, she had the wrong idea.


    Just yesterday, Jordan had reminded her not to go against Wyatt over trivial things <b>that </b>had nothing to do with her¨Cand she¡¯d taken it to heart.


    Yunice forced a smile and replied, ¡°Not feeling too well¡­¡±


    Linda frowned slightly <b>and </b>tried to persuade her. ¡°Just push through it a bit. You¡¯re about to marry into the family; working hard and showing initiative will <b>make </b>Mr. Jackson like you more.¡±


    Trying to use Mr. Jackson to pressure me? Yunice thought.


    Yunice smiled politely. ¡°My <b>dear</b>, I really don¡¯t feel well. I wouldn¡¯t want to steal your chance to shine. The more you do, the more Mr. Jackson will value you<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Chapter 156 The Family Table


    Ignoring the way Linda¡¯s face turned pale, Yunice stayed firmly nted on the sofa, unmoving-


    Linda stood there awkwardly, with people ncing in her direction. She finally snapped, ¡°Fine, sit there then.¡±


    With that, she turned and stormed off.


    Not long after, Yunice saw Taylor get up and start setting the cutlery.


    Probably trying to show off in front of Jackson too.


    Finished


    Yunice nced over at Wyatt. He was looking at his phone. As if sensing her gaze, he spoke without lifting his head. ¡°The Powell family¡¯s got <b>a </b>million ways to wear people down. Don¡¯t bother trying to please them.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Yunice¡¯s first time dealing with the Powell family¨Cshe knew exactly how they yed. If she¡¯d gone with Linda, she would¡¯ve wound up scrubbing dishes in freezing water, ¡°identally¡± breaking something, or getting med for setting the <b>table </b>wrong¨Canything to make her look clueless and out of ce in front of everyone.


    Her embarrassment would¡¯ve been Wyatt¡¯s embarrassment too.


    Sure, Yunice was confident she could handle it all, but it was still better when Wyatt took the hit for her.


    Besides, she couldn¡¯t care less about Linda or Jackson¡¯s approval; she knew it was never going to happen anyway.


    So <b>why </b>waste the energy


    At first, Yunice sat prim and proper, trying to follow all the rules. But eventually, she just pulled out her phone <b>too </b>


    With people walking by back and forth, all anyone saw was the two of them on the same couch, both leaned back, glued to their phones¨Clike they were waiting to be served


    As time passed, Yunice leaned toward Wyatt and whispered, ¡°I need to go to the bathroom.¡±


    She had no idea how long the family dinner wouldst; she needed to change her pad before it started.


    Wyatt looked up, <b>grabbed </b>his <b>cane</b>, and began to rise.


    Yunice blinked. ¡°You¡¯reing too?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me just so I¡¯d go with you?¡±


    She¡¯d only been giving him <b>a </b>heads¨Cup. He was a big shot, not her personal assistant; one word and he was following her to the bathroom?


    Wyatt was already standing. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    From the corner of her eye, Yunice saw Taylor holding a goblet, watching as the two of them turned together toward the hallway.

 Daghter 157

    Chapter 157 Torn Between Loyalty


    Her expression dimmed.


    Finished


    Even though the outside world wasn¡¯t optimistic about Wyatt¡¯s marriage, at the very least, he knew how to put <b>on </b>a good front. Compared to that, she¡¯d been running around here all day, yet Paul hadn¡¯t even shown his face.


    She knew there was no love in this arrangement, but being treated like this still stung.


    As she returned from the bathroom with Wyatt, a maid rushed over, her voice urgent the moment she spotted Yunice. ¡°Ms. Saunders! I finally found your¡±


    Yunice recognized her¨Cshe was the one in charge of caring for Moss at Paul¡¯s residence.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± <b>Yunice </b>asked.


    The maid nced nervously at Wyatt, gave him a quick bow, then tugged Yunice aside. Whatever she whispered, it nearly brought her to tears.


    Yunice¡¯s face visibly tightened with anxiety. She nced at the time; the dinner was about to begin.


    The maid sniffled and said in a trembling <b>voice</b>, ¡°Ms. Saunders, we¡¯re out of time,¡±


    Wyatt eyed the maid coldly before stepping forward. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t hide it from him. ¡°Moss suddenly fell seriously ill. It¡¯s toote to get him to a vet.¡±


    Wyatt caught the implication and frowned. ¡°You want to go?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose.¡± Yunice said hesitantly, ¡°you have a way to dy the dinner for a bit?¡±


    If the dinner began and everyone was present except <b>for </b><b>her</b>, the gossip would be merciless.


    She knew this would make things hard for Wyatt, but Moss¡® condition was urgent. Birds were delicate creatures¨Cany dy could mean death.


    Moss was the one she¡¯d raised from the start¡­


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Are you really this <b>naive</b>, or are you pretending?¡±


    Dragging her away right before the dinner to save a bird¨Cthis had clearly been nned.


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She was torn, both by her worry for <b>Moss </b>and the impossible choice between <b>Moss </b>and Wyatt.


    Each second that ticked by felt heavier than thest. In the end, she couldn¡¯t betray her feelings. Her voice was low but firm. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ll take full responsibility for the consequences.¡±


    With <b>that</b><b>, </b>she lifted her <b>skirt </b>and <b>took </b>off running <b>toward </b>Maplecrest <b>Manor </b>


    She didn¡¯t <b>want </b>Moss to die; she didn¡¯t want to let Wyatt down either¡­


    Dragging the <b>maid </b>along. Yunice burst into Maplecrest Manor and immediately <b>saw </b>Moss lying motionless in the pet room.


    His head was tilted to one side, eyes <b>wide </b>open but clouded and dim with the <b>shadow </b>of death. There was a faint secretion at the edge of his beak.


    His enormous wings were syed out,pletely still and lifeless.


    Chapter 157 Tom Between Loyalty


    Finished.


    The maid had dealt with Yunice before, but never like this¨Cnever with this intensity. She flinched. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t me¡­..


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re the one in charge of feeding Moss,¡± Yunice snapped. ¡°You think you¡¯re off the hook if something goes wrong with his diet?¡±


    The maid trembled.


    Yunice¡¯s voice dropped into an icy tone. ¡°You still have a chance to fix this. Do everything you can to stall Paul; buy me time,¡±


    ¡°Stall..¡± The maid¡¯s mind had long since stopped working. ¡°How?¡±


    Yunice whispered instructions in her ear.


    The maid nodded and darted off.


    With the backup n in ce, Yunice headed straight into the pet room. She pressed <b>down </b>on Moss¡® crop.


    Moss twitched and vomited up some food.


    Yunice caught a <b>sharp</b>, chemical stench.


    Something like disinfectant. Her eyes shot to the bottle of sanitizer kept in the room for daily use.


    Moss was mischievous: he could open caps, so idental ingestion was possible¨Cbut this wasn¡¯t an ident. This had been done on purpose.


    Meanwhile, at the dining room. Linda saw that Wyatt was the only one sitting on the couch, his face like stone. She smiled and instructed the staff nearby, ¡°Start preparing the meal. Go invite Mr. Jackson¨Ctell him everyone¡¯s here.¡±


    Then she walked over to Taylor with a pleasant smile. ¡°Ms. Taylor, <b>would </b>you mind fetching Paul?¡±


    Taylor frowned slightly. She didn¡¯t like the task, but she knew Linda was <b>handing </b>her an opportunity.


    She had something to say to Paul anyway. After Taylor left, the others began <b>taking </b>their seats one by one.


    Elianna, having just finished helping out, noticed the empty seat beside Wyatt. Only then did she dare approach. ¡°Wyatt, it¡¯s time to sit down¡±


    Wyant sat there silently, his face still cold.


    Elianna nced at the empty space next to him. ¡°Where¡¯s Mrs. Cooper?¡±


    And then, as if realizing something, she frowned. ¡°Wyatt, you spoil her <b>way </b>too much. It¡¯s bad enough she won¡¯t help out- now she¡¯s just running off and leaving you behind!¡±

 Daghter 158

    Chapter 158 At the Table


    Wyatt looked up. ¡°Don¡¯t talk badly about my wife.¡±


    Finished


    Elianna was full of resentment. Il hat exactly was it about Yunice that made


    att so protective?


    Wyatt continued. ¡°And by seniority, you <b>can </b>address me as your elder brother. If you don¡¯t want to, just call me Wyatt.¡±


    Don¡¯t let me hear any more inappropriate titles. Wyatt thought.


    Elianna stood there awkwardly for a moment, then quietly made her way back to the table.


    The side branches of the Powell family were already seated, and all eyes turned to Elianna the moment she came over alone. Someone immediately asked, nosy as ever, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring Wyatt with you?¡±


    Elianna muttered, clearly anno


    ¡°He¡¯s waiting for Mrs. Cooper.¡±


    The moment she said it, <b>a </b>wave ofughter followed.


    ¡°You really treat that lunatic like your sister¨Cinw?¡±


    ¡°What lunatic?¡± Elianna had spent the past few <b>years </b>abroad; she barely knew anything about Yunice.


    ¡°You joined the Powell familyte, so you wouldn¡¯t know. Ms. Saunders was originally supposed to marry Paul, but then she had a breakdown and stabbed someone. Spent three years in a psych ward. When she got out, somehow shetched onto Wyatt


    Elianna frowned in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s outrageous¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just the beginning. Paul figured things out early¨Che¡¯d been sleeping with her for years. But Wyatt? He¡¯s not picky, I <b>guess</b>. He can even stomach that..¡± They exchanged mocking looks, theirughter full of scorn.


    Just then, Linda walked over. ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. No need to gossip or stir up drama. Whatever Ms. Saunders <b>is </b>like, the only thing that matters <b>is </b>that Wyatt likes her.¡±


    The others forced some smiles, all thinking the same thing. Who¡¯kahe trying to fool?


    The whole reason this family dinner was organized <b>was </b>so they could talk about exactly this.


    Still, with Linda stepping in, Elianna clenched her fists under the table, silently feeling indignant on Wyatt¡¯s behalf.


    At that moment, a maid approached <b>and </b>whispered something <b>in </b>Linda¡¯s car.


    Linda nced at the seating chart and frowned. Why hasn¡¯t Taylor brought Paul over


    or wit


    Jensen entered through the doorway and took the second seat at the head of the <b>table</b>. He nced at Wyatt, <b>who </b><b>still </b><b>hadn¡¯t </b>taken his seat, and said with irritation, ¡°Where¡¯s <b>Paul</b>? The dinner¡¯s about to <b>start</b>. He thought he can act like someone else and ignore all decorum?¡±


    Everyone subtly looked Wyatt¡¯s way¨Cthey all knew Jensen was throwing <b>shade</b>.


    Linda <b>had </b>already tried calling <b>Paul</b>, but he wasn¡¯t answering.


    Just then, footsteps echoed from the hall. <b>Linda </b><b>smiled</b>. ¡°Paul and Ms. Taylor must¡¯ve lost track of time talking. They¡¯re on their way now.¡±


    Hearing that, the guests exchanged nces. Sounds like Paul and Taylor are basically a done deal


    Everyone turned to the door, <b>waiting </b><b>to </b>offer well¨Cwishes to <b>the </b>presumed couple.


    Chapter 158 At the Table


    Finished


    Under the weight of all their stares, she didn¡¯t flinch; she simply ignored them and walked withposure toward Wyatt


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting,¡± she said softly, leaning down and meeting his cold.


    gaze.


    Knowing he was angry, Yunice whispered, ¡°Save it forter, okay? Yell at me when we get home.¡±


    She raised her brows slightly and pressed her lips together¨Can expression of sincere apology, quietly asking for forgiveness.


    Wyatt held his cold expression for a solid half¨Cminute before his eyes dropped to her hand.


    Yunice, sharp as ever, held out her hand like a servant offering help to an old empress.


    Only then did Wyatt take it, rising to his feet with her help.


    Yunice quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Wyatt¡¯s a bit dramatic, but at least he¡¯s easy to coar


    Everyone at the table stared as the two of them walked over and sat down together, hand in hand, exchanging stunned <b>nces </b>with each <b>other</b>.


    Almost as soon as they were seated, the old man finally made his entrance.


    As the eldest of the Powell family, Jackson naturally came inst, with all the weight of tradition behind him.


    He sat down and first looked toward Wyatt and Yunice, then noticed two empty chairs. His brow creased. ¡°Who¡¯s missing?¡±


    Jensen shot Linda a re, and Linda couldn¡¯t have looked more embarrassed.


    She¡¯d already sent someone to find <b>Paul</b>, but not only was the boy missing¨CTaylor was nowhere to be found either.


    Seeing Jackson¡¯s face begin to sour, Linda quickly improvised. ¡°Paul¡¯s with Ms. Taylor. They must¡¯ve gotten caught up talking.


    <b>Others </b><b>around </b>the table <b>jumped </b>in,ughing to lighten the mood. ¡°Exactly, young people! Let¡¯s not box them in with rules. Love¡¯s more important,¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face eased up slightly. If Paul and Taylor were really getting that close, it was a good thing.


    He said, ¡°It¡¯s been years since the Powell family added <b>a </b>new branch<b>.¡± </b>


    Then he looked at Wyatt. ¡°You¡¯d better not let your child fall behind Paul¡¯s.


    The side rtives chimed in with chuckles. ¡°Age gap doesn¡¯t matter¨Cif Paul¡¯s kides first, Mr. Jackson¡¯s dream of seeing four generations under one roof could finallye true.¡±


    Everyone at that table was <b>a </b>pro. Not a single <b>word </b>was wasted.

 Daghter 159

    Chapter 159 Crossing the Line


    Finished


    That remark was a veiled jab¨Cmocking Wyatt¡¯s bail leg, implying he couldn¡¯t have children, so of course Paul¡¯s kid would be


    born first.


    Yunice looked up, meeting the crowd¡¯s smug, malicious smiles. They weren¡¯t just mocking Wyatt¡¯s condition; they were also mocking her personal life.


    Some people simply couldn¡¯t <b>stand </b>to see others doing well. They always found a way to unt their sense of superiority by picking at someone else¡¯s weakest point.


    Like ants biting an elephant¡¯s leg¨Cthen running off, bragging like they¡¯d conquered a mountain.


    Yunice shot the rtives a <b>mocking </b>nce<b>, </b><b>then </b>turned to Jackson with a smile. ¡°<b>Uncle</b>, I¡¯ll do my best to give you a grandchild.¡±


    The moment the words left her mouth, the room plunged into an awkward silence.


    The others looked at her with barely concealed contempt, while Jackson still hadn¡¯t recovered from her switching ¡°<b>Grandpa</b><b>¡± </b>to ¡°Uncle.¡±


    She stone.


    <b>Wyatt </b>sat in silence, face like stone.


    Wyatt sat in


    To him, Yunice¡¯s attempt to defuse the situation only made things worse¨Ctrying to cover <b>it </b>up only drew more attention.


    Sure enough, someone couldn¡¯t help themselves. ¡°Ms. Saunders wants to beat Paul to the finish line, <b>huh</b><b>? </b>But having a <b>kid </b>isn¡¯t something you can do on your own.¡±


    Another chimed in, ¡°Come on, she¡¯s not new to this¨Cplenty experienced. Maybe she really can crank out a kid or two.


    They bounced off each other, treating Yunice¡¯s bedroom life like <b>a </b>joke¨Cjabbing at her history with Paul.


    Elianna clenched her fists under the table, bitter that Yunice¡¯s big mouth was dragging Wyatt into public embarrassment.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes dropped, the look in them ice cold. His lips were tight, the corner of his mouth twitching <b>with </b>a <b>murderous </b>edge.


    He was about to <b>snap</b>¨Cuntil <b>a </b>soft <b>hand </bnded on the back of his under the table.


    That feather¨Clight pressure held back a storm.


    Yunice turned slightly, eyes on the woman who¡¯d just spoken, her tone smooth and mocking. ¡°You tter yourself. You¡¯re the one with a son and a daughter¨Cyou¡¯re the real expert. Must¡¯ve racked up a lot of hands¨Con experience, right?¡±


    The woman forced a smile. ¡°Just <b>a </b>joke. <b>Don¡¯t </b>tell me you¡¯re mad?¡±


    ¡°Oh, <b>not </b>at all,¡± Yunice <b>said</b>, still smiling. ¡°I¡¯mplimenting you. And it¡¯s perfect timing¨Cmy dear nephew could <b>use </b>some of that experience.¡±


    The woman recoiled. ¡°Your nephew?¡±


    ¡°Yep, Yunice said pleasantly. ¡°Paul.¡±


    Linda and Jensen both turned to look at Yunice. Even <b>Jackson </b><b>gave </b>her a sharp nce.


    Jensen already didn¡¯t like her. ¡°Why are you dragging Paul <b>into </b>this? We¡¯re talking about <b>you</b>.¡±


    Linda followed up <b>awkwardly</b>. ¡°Ms. <b>Saunders</b>, this is the Powell <b>family</b>. It¡¯s not like the Saunders family, where you talk about such crude topics at the dinner <b>table</b>.¡±


    Chapter 159 Crossing the Line:


    Finished


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t finished. ¡°Besides, the Powell family¡¯s lineage depends on us now. Paul can¡¯t have kids anyway..¡±


    Jensen caught a hint of her muttering and mmed his palm on the table. ¡°What did you just say?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer. She just gave him a look¨Cfigure it out yourself.


    That pause made the atmosphere at the table suddenly feel scalding hot


    What did she meant Paul can¡¯t have children? How would she even know that? Could it be because of that


    Everyone¡¯s faces stiffened, lips tight, like they¡¯d just heard juicy gossip but were pretending they hadn¡¯t.


    Jackson¡¯s expression darkened with barely <b>restrained </b>anger. Jensen, furious and humiliated, snapped, ¡°Wyatt! Can¡¯t you control your woman?¡±


    Wyatt looked up. His cold, mocking gazended on Jensen, but his words were meant for Yunice. ¡°Why waste time talking to them<b>?</b>¡±


    His eyes swept over the two gossiping women. ¡°If you¡¯ve got a tongue and don¡¯t know how to use it, I can cut it off for you.¡±


    Both women stiffened in fright, eyes dropping to the fork Wyatt was casually spinning in his fingers.


    Wyatt losing it at the dinner table wasn¡¯t new. Last time, he¡¯d stabbed a rtive¡¯s hand with a steak knife. Ever since, the family made sure no knives were ced at any table where Wyatt was present,


    But back then. Jackson hadn¡¯t let him off easy. No one thought he¡¯d dare pull that again.


    Of <b>course</b>, <b>Jackson </b>was right there, <b>and </b><b>he </b>wasn¡¯t about to let Wyatt act like <b>that</b><b>. </b>


    Jackson grabbed the porcin bowl beside him and flung it at Wyatt.


    Everything happened fast¨CYunice leapt up <b>and </b>threw herself in front of him.


    The bowl smashed against the back of her head.


    Sull fuming. Jackson snapped, ¡°Shameless! Ruining a perfectly good family dinner!¡±


    Wyatt looked at Yunice, struck by the bowl, and fury ignited behind his eyes<b>; </b>a vein throbbed at his temple.


    He pushed himself up with one hand on the <b>table </b>and yanked the tableclothin one motion¨Ctes, cups, silverware, all flew off, soaked in sauces <b>and </b>broth, crashing toward the other side.


    People screamed and ducked, but it <b>couldn¡¯t </b>drown out Wyatt¡¯s low, furious growl.


    ¡°If no one wants to eat¨Cthen <b>no </b>one eats!¡±

 Daghter 160

    Chapter 160 Scorched Earth


    Finished


    <b>Yunice </b>and Elianna were both startled, but since they were seated on Wyatt¡¯s side of the table, they managed to avoid the


    chan


    Jackson¡¯s face was already dark with fury after such tant defiance. ¡°You little <b>bastard</b>! Think I can¡¯t handle you? Go kneel!¡±


    ¡°Heh¡± Wyatt kicked aside a shattered porcin bowl with his cane, took Yunice by the hand, and swaggered right out of the dining room.


    her he left, the rest of the guests, now sttered with sauce and stunned into silence¨Cdidn¡¯t know whether to sit or stand. Everyone stared nervously at Jackson, terrified he¡¯d turn his wrath on them next.


    Just then, rushed footsteps echoed from the hallway. Taylor appeared at the dining room entrance, panting and out of breath.


    She froze when she saw the wreckage.


    Linda, noticing she was alone, quickly asked, ¡°Ms. Taylor, where¡¯s Paul!¡±


    Only then did Taylor seem to realize Paul wasn¡¯t in the room. Her face turned cold. ¡°I didn¡¯t see him.¡±


    After that, her cheeks flushed with humiliation, and she stormed off, clearly furious,


    <b>Linda </b>stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly caught on. Don¡¯t tell me Taylor never found Paul at all?


    ¡°Ms. Taylor Linda¡¯s face turned pale as she hurried after her.


    Of course Jackson and Jensen understood exactly what had happened.


    Paul had <b>always </b>been tangled up with Elsie. Ignoring Taylor was one thing, but making her <b>lose </b>face in front of everyone! That kind of embarrassment¨Chow was the engagement supposed to go forward now?


    <b>Jackson</b>, already seething, exploded. ¡°Find that useless brat and bring him back to me?¡±


    Everyone knew exactly <b>who </b>he meant


    When they found Paul, he was entangled with Elsie¨Cagain.


    Jackson immediately dragged him to the ancestral hall, where he struck him with his <b>cane </b><b>over </b>a dozen times, <b>hard </b>enough to break the skin. <b>Paul¡¯s </b>mouth <b>was </b>bleeding from biting <b>down </b>too <b>hard</b>.


    He had never been punished like this in his life. And worst of all, he genuinely didn¡¯t understand what he¡¯d done wrong.


    Jensen and Linda stood silently by, not daring to intervene. Jackson pointed at him furiously. ¡°You were supposed to be with Taylor What the heck were you doing?¡±


    Linda tried to smooth things over. ¡°<b>Paul</b>, Ms. Taylor felt humiliated because you ignored her. Apologize to Mr. Jackson.¡±


    All Paul had to do was take the out Linda offered. But instead, still riding a wave of youthful arrogance, he didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d done anything wrong


    He felt the beating had beenpletely unjust. So he snapped. ¡°It¡¯s <b>not </b>like I invited Taylor here! She came running <b>to </b>the Powell family to make a fool of herself¨Cthat¡¯s not on me!¡±


    Jackson shouted, ¡°Say that again!¡±


    I¡¯m serious What, she can¡¯t get marned to anyone else, so <b>now </b>she¡¯s got her ws in me?¡± Paul continued. ¡°She acts like: (man¨Cbossy and self¨Ccentered. I never even liked her!¡±


    Jackson¡¯s cane mmed onto the table with a deafening crack


    Chapter 160 Scorched Earth


    Paul froze, thinking he¡¯d misheard. He raised his voice in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m not functioning?¡±


    Finished


    No one answered. They all just <b>stared </b>at him¨Cheavy, silent, as if the usation had already been decided. And he, flustered as he was, only looked defensive.


    Truth was, their suspicion had a basis.


    They knew Paul. He was the first among his peers to start messing around with women.


    And the women he dated <b>were </b>all schemers. Hooking up with <b>a </b>wealthy heir like him, any one of them would¡¯ve killed to have his kid and leverage it into status.


    But Paul¨Csimpleminded as he was¨Chad never had <b>a </b>single woman show up <b>with </b>a surprise pregnancy. Not once.


    Even those two girls from the Saunders family¨Che¡¯d had both of them, and neither ended up with so much as ate period.


    So if there was <b>a </b>problem, it was probably with him.


    If Yunice hadn¡¯t made that little jab at dinner earlier, none of them would¡¯ve dared say it out loud. But now¡­


    Jackson <b>said</b>, ¡°If it¡¯s really your issue, you¡¯ve got no right to reject Taylor. This is a business marriage. Love and children aren¡¯t part of the deal. Marry her first, then get <b>treatment</b>. Medical tech these days can fix anything.¡±


    Paul stood there, stunned. ¡°Wait, what do you mean my issue? What treatment? Can you <b>all </b>stop being so cryptic?¡±


    But no one was listening. Jensen said, ¡°If you don¡¯t <b>cut </b>things off with that girl from the sticks, don¡¯t me me if-


    ¡°If what?¡± Paul cut him off, annoyed. ¡°<b>You </b>gonna have another kid? Look at how <b>old </b><b>you </b>are. Do <b>you </b>think you <b>can </b>still pull that off? Hah<b>, </b>maybe grandpa should try it too.¡±


    Even if Jensen had another kid now, there was no way they¡¯d catch up to Wyatt. That was just the truth.


    The three of them fell silent.


    Paul wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, growing more self¨Crighteous by the second. ¡°This is what this is about, huh? You can¡¯t deal with Wyatt, so you¡¯re taking it all out on me!¡±

 Daghter 161

    Chapter 161 Nothing Left to Hold Onto


    ¡°You!¡±


    Finished


    Paul snapped, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Wyatt flipped the whole table and smashed dishes in your faces. You didn¡¯t hit him back, and now you¡¯re taking it out on me?¡±


    With that, he stood up angrily. If Wyatt won¡¯t beg for mercy, then I won¡¯t either!¡±


    He stormed off¨Cand no one stopped him.


    Once he stepped out of Heritage Hall, Paul came to a halt, his face still cold. He turned back to look at the grand hall behind him.


    Could it <i>be </i><i>that </i>the Powell family <i>really </i>can¡¯t <i>keep </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>in </i>check anymore<i>? </i>


    He frowned, a crushing sense of helplessness slowly weighing him down like a mountain on his shoulders.


    Inside Heritage Hall, Jackson had his eyes closed, trying to rein in his fury. Jensen stood before him, too afraid to speak.


    In order to gain rights to participate in the Westvalend deal, Jackson had handed over the hostages from the separate residence.


    From that point on, they had nothing left to use against Wyatt. And now Wyatt didn¡¯t give a damn about respecting elders or showing filial piety; he probably wouldn¡¯t even bother attending family banquets anymore.


    <i>Were </i><i>they </i><i>really </i>going to just sit back and <i>watch </i><i>Wyatt </i>split from the <i>Powell </i><i>family </i>and rise to <i>power </i><i>alone</i><i>? </i>


    Jackson opened his eyes. ¡°The Powell family can only have one person in charge. Now that we¡¯ve secured Westvale, we don¡¯t need the extra one anymore.¡±


    Jensen lowered his gaze. Hearing the old man¡¯s decision, he could barely contain his excitement. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Paul returned to his own courtyard, still aching from the injuries. His chest was tight with frustration<b>. </b>


    If Elsie hadn¡¯te looking for him behind his back today, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten beaten up


    like that.


    dib


    He¡¯d told her clearly not toe see him today; he¡¯d said it more than once. Why didn¡¯t shdb


    listen?


    Elsie was too reckless. She never cared about the bigger picture. No one knew what kind of mess she¡¯d drag him into next.


    This secret rtionship with Elsie¨Cit wasn¡¯t going to stay hidden for long.


    3.01 PM c


    Chapter 161 Nothing Left to Hold Onto


    family¡¯s matriarch.


    But if he didn¡¯t take responsibility for her¡­.


    Finished


    Paul took a deep breath and walked to the pet house, wanting to check on Moss. But as soon as he reached the ss enclosure, he froze. It was empty. Moss was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Moss?¡± Paul grabbed the maid responsible for taking care of the bird.


    She recoiled in fear, her voice trembling. ¡°Moss identally drank disinfectant¡­ he didn¡¯t make


    it¡­


    Paul couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to get Yunice to treat him? She didn¡¯te?¡±


    There was no way Yunice wouldn¡¯te. Moss was the pet they¡¯d raised together.


    He wasn¡¯t the attentive type¨Che lost interest in things quickly. Back when Moss was still small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, he¡¯d yed with him a few times before leaving him alone. After that, it was Yunice who raised Moss¨Ctraining him, teaching him, coaxing him to perch on her arm.


    To Moss, Yunice was like a mother.


    There was no way she would just ignore him when his life was on the line!


    The maid said, ¡°Ms. Saunders dide¡­ but she said birds are fragile creatures. Once they get sick, there¡¯s usually no cure. By the time she arrived, Moss wasn¡¯t moving at all. She couldn¡¯t even give him medicine, let alone save him¡­¡±


    A wave of grief crashed into Paul. He stood frozen, his senses momentarily misfiring. He felt a flicker of pain¨Cthen nothing.


    He stared nkly at the empty pet house. A hallucination crept into his mind.


    He saw Moss, just after growing his feathers, fluttering down from the swing set. The blue¨Cgold shimmer of his plumage sparkled like a rainbow in the sunlight.


    Yunice sat on the swing, and he stood in front of her. Moss pped his little wings and tried tond on his <b>arm</b>.


    He saw the sharp ws and instinctively wanted to pull back. Yuniceughed gently from the swing. ¡°Don¡¯t move. You¡¯ll scare him; he might miss and scratch you.¡±


    Not wanting to look weak in front of her, he forced himself to keep his arm out, though his back. leaned away like he was dodging.


    Sure enough, Moss missed and fell face¨Cfirst right in front of him.


    Embarrassed and angry. Moss jumped up and bumped Paul¡¯s leg with his head, ming him for being such an idiot.


    3:01


    Chapter 161 Nothing Left to Hold Onto


    ¡°Moss,e here,¡± Yunice called softly.


    Finished


    Moss spread his wings and flew to her. As he came down, Yunice calmly held out her arm, letting himnd gracefully.


    The vision blurred and melted into reality. The swing set, Yunice, and Moss all faded away, leaving Paul standing alone with an overwhelming sense of sorrow and istion.


    Seeing how pale he looked, howpletely out of it, the maid nervously asked, ¡°Mr. Paul¡­ Moss body is still in the storage room. Do you¡­. want to go see him?¡±


    <i>See </i><i>him</i><i>? </i><i>Just </i>a pet. Dead is dead. All <i>dirty </i>and stiff<i>, </i>what¡¯s <i>the </i>point?


    Paul told himself that. But his eyes darted away, avoiding her gaze. He didn¡¯t want to admit he was too scared to look at Moss¡® body.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 162

    Chapter 162 No Room to Breathe


    Finished


    The maid studied his expression carefully and asked, ¡°Then¡­ Mr. Paul, if you¡¯re not going to look, I¡¯ll go ahead and take care of Moss¡® body.¡±


    A corpse wasn¡¯t allowed to remain in the courtyard overnight; it had to be cremated or buried right away.


    Paul nodded twice, fast and frantic, like he couldn¡¯t wait to get it over with.


    The maid, still unsure, added, ¡°Mr. Paul, should I call a doctor for you? The injury on your back¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Paul snapped, furious. ¡°Why do you talk so damn much? Just go take care of the body!¡±


    Hurry up and burn it; once it was gone, it¡¯d be like he never had the bird. That way, he wouldn¡¯t have to sit with this sickening guilt anymore.


    His eyes flicked toward the bottle of disinfectant in the corner of the pet room¨Cthen darted away just as quickly. He didn¡¯t want to face the truth that it had been him who poisoned Moss.


    Paul leaned against the wall and left the pet room without a word, his face nk.


    He sat in his room for what felt like forever, from morning until nightfall.


    Finally, footsteps echoed from outside. He turned toward the door, eyes lighting up with a sh of hope¡­


    ¡°Paul!¡± Elsie burst in, wearing a maid¡¯s uniform, ready to surprise him.


    The light in Paul¡¯s eyes faded. He frowned and walked toward her. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest and recover? Why are you here again?¡±


    Elsie slipped into his arms and murmured, ¡°I missed you.


    ¡°Hiss-¡± She touched the injury on his back, and Paul winced sharply.


    Seeing the state of his back, Elsie¡¯s expression shifted. ¡°Paul, what happened to you¡­¡±


    Paul was already in a foul mood¨Ceverything irritated him. And on top of that, this whole beating had been because of her. Now she had the nerve to act surprised?


    He moved her hand away, sat down, and grumbled, ¡°I haven¡¯t even asked you¨Cwhy didn¡¯t you listen to me today and show up at the Powell mansion?¡±


    Today had been a Powell family banquet. All the major rtives were there, and the whole point was to publicly announce his engagement to Taylor.


    Even if he didn¡¯t like Taylor, he couldn¡¯t disregard the honor of his family. That¡¯s why he¡¯d told Elsie he was busy and asked her not toe.


    101 PM


    Chapter 162 No Room to Breathe


    Finished


    Paul¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. His frustration hit a boiling point. ¡°I never said I was ming you- why are you making stuff up now?¡±


    He was already trying to avoid her as it was. Why would I text her toe?


    Elsie looked even more innocent. She hurried to pull out her phone and show him. ¡°Look¨Cyour messages are right here¡­.¡±


    le me down? You¡¯re


    Paul didn¡¯t even nce at the screen. ¡°Elsie, could you stop trying so hard to starting to turn into Yunice¨Csmothering me, leaving me with no space to breathe!¡±


    Elsie stood there, stunned. Starting to turn into Yunice<i>! </i>


    Back when Paul was still into her, he used toin about Yunice all the time¨Chow she was too controlling, how annoying it was. He¡¯d said the more Yunice tried to rein him in, the more he wanted to rebel¨Cjust to see who could out¨Cstubborn who.


    He used to say men should be free, that women should just stay home and stop nagging so much. All that yapping only made things worse.


    Back then, Elsie had gone along with everything he said. She¡¯d told him women were short- sighted anyway, that a smart woman would let her man go out and make something of himself. If <i>she </i>were Yunice, she¡¯d give Paul all the space he needed; whatever he did, she¡¯d support him.


    And now <i>he </i><i>is </i>calling me the same? But Elsie recovered quickly. She wasn¡¯t about to end Yunice¨Cpushed aside and abandoned.


    <b>up </b>


    like


    Her eyes turned red. She stayed put, her voice small and choked. ¡°Paul, I¡¯m sorry¡­ it was all my fault. I won¡¯t bother you again like this¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s brow twitched slightly. He already felt guilty, and now Elsie was acting all submissive and understanding. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of pity.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ve had a rough day; maybe I was too harsh. But you better learn from this.¡± He reached out his hand, and Elsie obediently ced hers in his palm.


    Paul said, ¡°I¡¯m not going to abandon you, so stop overthinking everything. It¡¯s not good for either of <b>us</b>, okay?¡±


    Elsie lowered her eyes and nodded. Her tears slid down silently.


    Paul wiped her face for her, then winced. ¡°My back¡¯s killing me. Can you help me with the


    ointment


    Of course, Elsie was more than willing.


    Paul took off his shirt andy face¨Cdown on the bed. The sight of his injuries made her heart ache -but she knew Paul cared about saving face.


    She¡¯d learned her lesson, and this time she didn¡¯t dare <b>ask </b>what had happened.


    Chapter 162 No Room to Breathe


    He seemed lost in thought. After a while, he muttered, ¡°Elsie, Moss died¡­¡±


    Finished


    Elsie froze. Paul turned his head to look at her. ¡°You didn¡¯t notice the pet room was empty when you got here?¡±

 Daghter 163

    Chapter 163 Red gs and Redder Lies.


    It was strange that Elsie, who always acted like she loved Moss, hadn¡¯t even noticed he was gone.


    ¡°I saw it¡­¡± Elsie scrambled to exin. ¡°I just didn¡¯t bring it up because I was afraid it¡¯d upset you.¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes were red as he looked at her. ¡°Moss is dead. Does that make you sad?¡±


    That huge parrot¨Cwith its sharp ws and habit of flinging itself at people, yanking out hair- was something she¡¯d only ever tolerated to seem sweet in front of Paul.


    If it weren¡¯t for appearances, she wouldn¡¯t have forced herself to stomach the fear and disgust of interacting with Moss.


    And Moss was raised by Paul and Yunice. Moss¡® death made her feel like she was on cloud nine, not crying. <i>Why </i>would I <i>feel </i><i>sad</i>?


    She pinched her thigh hard, forcing out a few tears. ¡°Of course I¡¯m sad¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s frown deepened. His face clouded over again, and heid down in silence, sulking.


    Elsie had only yed with Moss a few times and still acted heartbroken; yet Yunice, who¡¯d raised Moss single¨Chandedly, let him die without a fight. His body had been dumped like trash in the storage room and tossed out for disposal¨Cshe didn¡¯t even stop to take ast look.


    Paul¡¯s fists slowly curled into tight balls, his knuckles creaking with the strain. Yunice had the nerve to <i>y </i>the victim, like I am the one <i>who¡¯d </i><i>failed </i>her, when really<i>¨C</i><i>she </i><i>is </i><i>the </i><i>coldest</i>, most <i>heartless </i><i>one </i>of them all! One day, everyone would see her true colors.


    Outside the gates of the Powell mansion, Wyatt¡¯s Vertex was parked on the roadside.


    jordan stood next to the car with Yunice.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯re really not going to stay in Pavilion Hall? If you turn it down this time, there won¡¯t be another chance.¡±


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t the type to offer twice.


    Yunice smiled politely. ¡°I¡¯m used to living on my own. Please thank Mr. Cooper for his kindness<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Jordan hesitated. ¡°Ms. Saunders, can¡¯t you tell that Wyatt¡¯s pissed?¡±


    And she wanted to thank him while he was fuming¨Cthat was <b>just </b>asking to poke the bear.


    Yunice smiled again. ¡°He¡¯s got a temper. Maybe he could use more lemongrass tea in the mornings.<b>¡± </b>


    Faced with Yunice¡¯s polite, neutral smile, Jordan finally realized¨Cshe wasn¡¯t clueless; she was pretending not to understand. She knew exactly what she was doing. Since he couldn¡¯t sway her, Jordan had no choice but to climb into the car <b>himself</b>.


    Chapter 103 Red gs and Redder Lied


    posture screaming <i>do </i>not approach. Wyatt said coldly. ¡°Drive.


    Great. Holding a grudge again.


    = Finished


    The Vertex roared off in a st of wind, its exhaust practically venting Wyatt¡¯s displeasure in Yunice¡¯s direction.


    Yunice didn¡¯t take Wyatt¡¯s temper to heart. She had no intention of staying in Pavilion Hall. There was too much she still needed to do; she wasn¡¯t ready to get tangled up in hisplicated world.


    Not long after, Gill¡¯s Volkswagen pulled up in front of her. Yunice walked over, just about to open the back door when a voice called out behind her.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders.¡± There was a sneer in the voice.


    Yunice subtly shielded the car door with her body and closed it behind her before turning around.


    Standing in front of her was Elianna. Yunice didn¡¯t need to hear another word to guess what this was about.


    She spoke first. ¡°My engagement was arranged by Jackson. I had no say in the matter. If you¡¯re unhappy, Ms. Elianna, feel free to take it up with Mr. Jackson. Honestly. I hope you seed.¡±


    ¡°Cut the act,¡± Elianna sneered, eyes low and scornful. ¡°I¡¯ve never once considered you a threat. You can pretend to be some innocent virgin all you want¨Che¡¯s never going to like you.¡±


    As she spoke, she tossed a package at Yunice. Yunice caught it and opened it¨Cinside was the blood¨Cstained pajama pants she had discarded in Pavilion Hall.


    She looked at Elianna and pondered. Seriously? Are <b>you </b>mentally okay?


    Elianna¡¯s lip curled. ¡°You humiliated Paul at the table, then staged that whole blood¨Con¨Cthe- sheets thing to trick Wyatt into thinking you¡¯re still pure. But I know you¡¯ve been defiled for a long time<b>.¡± </b>


    Yunice took a deep breath. <i>Some </i>people were just born brainless, and they seemed to be getting worse.


    She let out a sharpugh and fired back, ¡°Ms. Elianna, do you not get periods?¡±


    Elianna <b>froze</b>.


    Yunice held up the pants and kept going. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m a man. My periods are fake. This blood? Totally made <b>up</b>. Happy now?¡±


    Her expression <b>said </b>loud and clear. You really don¡¯t have two brain cells <b>to </b>rub together


    Elianna¡¯s face turned beet red.


    Yunice rolled her eyes and got into the front passenger seat.


    Chapter 163 Red gs and Redder Lies


    Finished


    Yunice nced toward the backseat and finally allowed a rare look of relief to cross her face.


    Gill kept his hands on the wheel. ¡°Ms. Saunders, Ms. Taylor called. She said she¡¯s out of medication and wants two full rounds for the next treatment¨Cone to pick up, and one that she wants you to deliver personally to her house.¡±


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. She understood Taylor¡¯s message loud and clear.


    The next morning, someone showed up at Virtue Hall to pick up the medicine.

 Daghter 164

    Chapter 164 Bitter Medicine


    Finished


    Gill yawned as he led the man inside. ¡°You¡¯re way too early. Ms. Taylor¡¯s medicine isn¡¯t ready yet.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not ready? Ms. Taylor ced her order a long time ago. You people really don¡¯t take this seriously!¡±


    Gill scoffed. ¡°So what? If it¡¯s not done, it¡¯s not done. You want to take the raw herbs back and have Ms. Taylor chew on them instead?¡±


    ¡°You-! I¡¯m going to tell Ms. Taylor exactly how rude you¡¯ve been!¡±


    Gill rolled his eyes and walked off to the pharmacy, leaving the delivery guy standing in the clinic. by himself.


    Inside the pharmacy, more than a dozen y pots were bubbling on three rows of <b>stoves</b>. Yunice. kept a close watch on them while flipping through a book in her hands.


    Even though modern technology had made it easy for most herbal pharmacies to use machines. that could prepare entire batches at once, Yunice still preferred the traditional way¨Cslow simmering in ceramic pots.


    Gill walked in and saw her reading. ¡°Ms. Saunders, the guy picking up the medicine is in the front hall,ining that we¡¯re too slow.¡°¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°Close the shop door in a bit. Don¡¯t let him leave.¡±


    Gill nodded, then added, ¡°I heard Paul got beat up yesterday. His shirt was shredded into ribbons ¨Ccovered in blood.¡±


    Yunice gave a cold littleugh. ¡°Serves him right.¡±


    Gill was confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Powell family treat him like their golden child? Why turn on him. all of a sudden?¡±


    Naturally, <b>this </b>was Yunice¡¯s doing.


    Paul had tried to use Moss to humiliate Yunice during the family banquet. So she used the same trick¨Cshe sent a message to Elsie, posing as Paul, inviting her to the Powell mansion.


    When Paul found out, he scrambled to intercept Elsie to keep her from running into Taylor. In doing so,


    he missed the banquet and ended up neglecting Taylor as well.


    As luck would have it, Wyatt had just flipped a table and left Jackson fuming. All that anger had to go somewhere¨Cand itnded squarely on Paul.


    Yunice said coldly, ¡°He poisoned Moss. A beating was the least he deserved.¡±


    People said pets symbolized a person¡¯s children in their astrological chart. In a way, Moss was a child Paul had raised¨Cand he¡¯d still been heartless <b>enough </b>to use the bird¡¯s life as leverage over


    her.


    Chapter 764 Bitter Medicine


    That alone showed how untrustworthy he truly was.


    Yumice was grateful she¡¯d managed to extract herself from their enga


    Even though Taylor got dragged into it this time. Yunice didn¡¯t think Taylor was a bad person. If this helped her see Paul for who he really was maybe she could escape the Powell family before at was too inne


    Just as Yumice was reading, a loud pounding echoed from the front. ¡°Hello? Is anyone here? Is the medicine ready yet? I¡¯m in a hurry


    Yunice looked up and locked eyes with Gill


    He walked out and shipped. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? If the timing¡¯s off the medicinal properties will be ruined. If the medicine doesn¡¯t match Ms. Taylor¡¯s needs, who do you think she¡¯ll me¨Cte or


    The delivery guy looked irritated and pale. Then hurry it up already!¡±


    ¡°Tesh, path¡± Gill waved him off and stepped outside Virtue Hall


    The man couldn¡¯t sit still¨Che kept pacing the front hall, checking the time every few seconds.


    he was distracted Gill circled around and pulled the rolling door shut


    ¡°Hey!¡± The guy jumped up, rushing to the door and wing at the seam. ¡°What the heck? Why are you locking the door in broad daylight? Open it! Let me out! If you don¡¯t. I¡¯m calling the cops!¡±


    He scrambled to his feet, scanning for a window to escape from¨Cthere wasn¡¯t one. He lunged for the pharmacy door, but it was locked from the inside


    Yumice stood calmly by the simmering pots, unfazed by the pounding and yelling outside. One by one she filtered the finished decoctions her rhythm unbothered.


    Then came the sound of someone racing the shutter from outside, followed by crashing noises. And then¡ªa scuffle. It didn¡¯tst long


    After a few moments of silence, Gill knocked on the pharmacy door and cheerfully called. ¡°Miss. in¡¯s handled¡±


    Yunice sealed thest packer of medicae just as he spoke.


    She shung ber bag over her shoulder and stepped into the clinic. The ce was a wreck- shamered vases mered the foot. The delivery guy was tied up and shivering.


    Sunding nearby was a well¨Cdressed man in a suit¨Csomeone Yunice recognized as one of Taylor¡¯s trusted andes. He modded at ber and said. ¡°De Ryde, I¡¯ve covered the damages to the clinic I¡¯ll be taking this man with me to bund over to Ms. Taylor¡±


    Rybe was Yunice¡¯s pseudotriton in public.


    Chapter 164 Bitter Medicine


    with.


    Finished


    After Taylor¡¯s medicine was tampered withst time, neither of them had made it public. They were just waiting for this next pickup, baiting the culprit intoing to them.


    Now that the man was in Taylor¡¯s hands, how she investigated was up to her.


    Yunice personally delivered the medicine to Taylor.


    Meanwhile, at the Kendall mansion.


    Taylor was furious when she learned her meds had almost been swapped again.


    ¡°I will find out who¡¯s behind this,¡± she growled. ¡°Let¡¯s see who¡¯s so desperate to see me suffer.¡±


    Send Gifts


    20

 Daghter 165

    Chapter 165 That¡¯s a Whole Lie


    After saying her piece, Taylor asked Yunice, ¡°You took the swapped medicine backst time¨Cdid


    you ever figure out what it would¡¯ve done if I¡¯d taken it?¡±


    Yunice, wearing a baseball cap and a mask that covered most of her face, replied, ¡°It would¡¯ve caused insomnia, loss of appetite, irritability¡­ and eventually, make you ugly.¡±


    ¡°Ugly?¡± Taylor sneered. The medicine wasn¡¯t meant to make me sick; it was meant to make me ugly?


    Now she was even more intrigued by whoever was behind it.


    Her trusted aide was still trying to break the delivery guy¡¯s silence. It¡¯d probably take some time before they got him to name names.


    Yunice was taking Taylor¡¯s pulse as they spoke. ¡°How have you been feelingtely?¡±


    At that, Taylor actually lit up a little. ¡°Pretty good, actually. I¡¯ve been sleeping well at night.¡±


    She¡¯d been anxious and tightly wound since childhood. Every doctor she saw told her the same thing¨Cshe thought too much, worried too much, needed to rx.


    She understood all that in theory, but she couldn¡¯t help herself. Yet after just one week on Rylie¡¯s medicine, she felt like her mood had genuinely improved.


    Even yesterday, after that humiliating scene at the Powell family gathering, her father had hovered around nervously, afraid she¡¯d have a meltdown. He practically shadowed her every step. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, she ate and slept just fine.


    She was convinced the medicine Rylie had given her worked wonders.


    Speak of <i>the </i>devil. A maid arrived and announced, ¡°Ms. Taylor, Mr. Paul brought a lot of gifts. He¡¯s here to apologize.¡±


    Paul?


    Taylor¡¯s expression shifted slightly; her voice turned cold. ¡°Bring him to me.¡±


    She¡¯d lost face at the Powell mansion yesterday¨Cshe nned to get it all back from Paul. So <i>he </i>came <i>after </i>all?


    Yunice started to make herself scarce, but Taylor stopped her. ¡°I heard real doctors are good at reading people¡¯s faces. Can you?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°I <b>know </b>a little.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough<b>.¡± </b>Taylor motioned for her <b>to </b>stand behind her, then said, ¡°Help me get a good read on Paul.¡±


    Paul hadn¡¯te willingly¨CJackson and Jensen had forced him to visit the Kendall residence to apologize. That being the case, his face was naturally sour.


    Chapter 165 That¡¯s a Whole Lie


    e


    Finished


    If he wasn¡¯t going to be polite, then she definitely wouldn¡¯t be. This was a marriage between two powerful families; if it worked, great. If not, the Kendall family wasn¡¯t about to grovel to the Powell family.


    Why should she care about his mood?


    Paul came in and saw Taylor hadn¡¯t even stood to greet him. That made him like her even less.


    He preferred women like Elsie¨Csweet, amodating, and gentle. Taylor¡¯s proud. aloof attitude wasn¡¯t his type at all.


    He pulled out a chair and sat across from her, getting straight to the point. ¡°Yesterday was my mistake. I¡¯m here to apologize.¡±


    Even while apologizing, he kept his chin raised, wearing a cocky expression.


    Taylor had to resist the urge to p him.


    At first, she¡¯d wanted to go along with her parents¡® wishes and try to get along with Paul¨Cafter all. his family background was impressive


    But after a few interactions, she realized Paul was a terrible person.


    She didn¡¯t bother saving his pride. She sneered. ¡°And I¡¯d really love to know what exactly made you so busy you forgot about me.¡±


    Whatever it was, it had to be important enough for him topletely ignore her at the family banquet<b>. </b>


    Paul said, ¡°I slipped up, that¡¯s all. Does it even matter why anymore?¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s your apology?¡± Taylor raised a brow. ¡°You can reven be bothered to make up a decent excuse? Looks like we¡¯re a bad match. Why don¡¯t you call off the engagement right now?¡±


    Paul froze, frowning at her. Taylor stared back calmly, showing no sign of panic.


    The Kendall family did want this alliance¨Cbut not at any cost. It had never been about Paul specifically.


    He thought she was clinging <b>to </b>him, when in fact, it had been Jackson who reached out to the Kendalls in the first ce.


    They wanted a mutually beneficial partnership, not to serve the Powell family like ves.


    After the humiliation Taylor suffered at the banquet, her parents immediately called Jackson and made it clear the Kendall family had no intention of ¡°marrying up


    That exined why Paul was here today¨Cto smooth things over.


    Too bad he still didn¡¯t understand what was really going on.


    Chapter 165 That¡¯s a Whole Lie


    Before he could finish, Taylor cut in. ¡°This personal matter¨Cwas it your friend¡¯s sister?¡±


    Paul didn¡¯t follow.


    Finished


    Taylor looked up. ¡°You had a fianc¨¦e once. We ran into her at Virtue Hall. Back then, you told me she was just your friend¡¯s sister.¡±


    Paul¡¯s face stiffened. ¡°That¡¯s all in the


    past.


    Taylor let out a coldugh. ¡°Then what¡¯s that on your neck?¡±


    Paul blinked, confused. Just then<b>, </b>Yunice, standing behind Taylor, stepped forward and held. mirror for him to see.

 Daghter 166

    Chapter 166 A p in the Face


    Paul was too busy checking himself out in the mirror to notice Yunice.


    Finished


    The moment he did, though, his heart started racing like a drum. He tried to y it cool. ¡°Just a mosquito bite,¡± he said, brushing it off.


    Taylor didn¡¯t say whether she believed him or not; her gaze stayed lowered, the corners of her lips curling into a cold smile.


    Inside, Paul was a mess. He was furious at Elsie for being so clueless. He¡¯d let her stay the night in his room, and she¡¯d gone and left hickey marks on him when he wasn¡¯t paying attention.


    Jackson had made it clear. if he couldn¡¯t win Taylor back, he could forget about returning to the Powell family.


    Now Elsie was making things worse.


    Just as the tension peaked, a man dressed like a corporate hotshot walked up to Taylor and whispered something in her ear.


    Taylor let out a chillyugh. ¡°Perfect timing.¡±


    Yunice and Paul both looked over at her, wondering who had just arrived,


    ¡°Elsie¡­¡± Paul almost stood up when he saw her walk in.


    Elsie was just as surprised to see Paul there. Taylor, meanwhile, had no idea what kind of rtionship the two shared. Only Yunice caught on to the tension in the room and smirked quietly to herself. This is about to get <b>good</b><i>. </i>


    Taylor sneered at Elsie. ¡°Stunned?¡±


    Only then did Elsie realize she¡¯d been staring at Paul the whole time. His expression was sharp andmanding, silently warning her not to give away anything about their <b>rtionship</b><b>. </b>


    Taylor added, ¡°This is Mr. <b>Paul</b>. Not someone you¡¯d normally get to meet. No wonder you¡¯re so starstruck.¡±


    There was a hint of smugness in her tone. It didn¡¯t sit right with Elsie, but with Paul¡¯s silent cue hanging over her, she only dared to argue in her mind.


    I¡¯ve done more <i>than </i>just meet <i>Paul</i>. We <i>did </i>something badst night¡­.


    <i>But </i>why was Paul even at the Kendall mansion? Was he <i>here </i>for business? Since Taylor already had someone, the thought of marriage didn¡¯t even cross Elsie¡¯s mind.


    Taylor reached out and motioned for Elsie to <b>sit </b>next to her.


    Elsie assumed Taylor still saw her as a close friend, so she didn¡¯t think twice. She sat down and <b>was </b><b>just </b>about to make <b>small </b>talk. ¡°Taylor, my brother <b>has </b>been-


    Chapter 166 A p in the Face


    ¡°Elsie, what do you think are my best qualities? Taylor cut her off with a smile.


    Elsie froze for a second: something about Taylor felt off today


    Finished


    Still, she didn¡¯t want to seem out of ce, so she kept up her usual persona. ¡°Do I even need to list them? Anyone with eyes can see them.¡±


    Taylor nced at Paul deliberately and said with biting sarcasm. Funny how some people our there have eyes but no taste.¡±


    Paul caught the jab and looked at Elsie. He¡¯d always thought she was honest and kind, but now she was shamelessly ttering Taylor of all people.


    Taylor clearly wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Be specific.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s smile stiffened. An odd sense of dread started creeping in. She hesitated before saying ¡°You¡¯ve got great family background, a nice personality, and really good taste!¡±


    ¡°You think I¡¯m pretty? Taylor asked next


    ¡°Of course you are.¡±


    -So between you and me, who¡¯s prettier?¡±


    Elsie paused, reluctant. ¡°Looks are subjective, everyone has their own standards. But in my eyes, of course you¡¯re prettier. Taylor¡­¡±


    Paul frowned at the exchange, growing more and more annoyed with Taylor. How narcissistic can she <i>be</i><i>? </i>Forcing Elsie to praise her beauty like this?


    But Taylor wasn¡¯t satisfied with the answer. She grabbed Elsie¡¯s chin, turned her face up, and examined it carefully. Her voice dropped, cold and slow.


    ¡°So you think that just because I¡¯m prettier than you, you switched my meds on purpose¨Csold get ugly and no one couldpare to you. Is that it?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes widened in horror. With Taylor gripping her jaw. the fear crawled over her like maggots gnawing at her nerves.


    Paul was stunned. He turned toward the two women. There was bad blood between them? That didn¡¯t sound like the Elsie he knew. He was just about to speak up and tell Taylor not to throw her weight around when¨Csmack!


    A crisp p rang out


    Taylor¡¯s hand came down fast and sharp, sending the delicate Elsie flying off her stool


    Shended at Paul¡¯s feet, her cheek swelling almost instantly.


    Something snapped in Paul. He shot up and yelled, ¡°Just hitting people like that¨Cis that what the Kendall family calls proper manners?¡±


    Chapter 166 A p in the Face


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. He hadn¡¯t expected them to show up just then


    Remembering Jackson¡¯s warning, he stood and bowed slightly. ¡°Mr. Gerardo. Madam K didn¡¯t mean it that way. But hitting someone like that¨CTaylor was out of line!¡±


    Frished


    Yunice curled her lips in a smirk. Did Paul seriously think the same lines he used on me would work on the Kendall family?


    Sure enough. Gerardo gave Paul a sidelong nce like he was looking at an idiot. ¡°You¡¯ve never hit anyone?¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 167

    Chapter 167 The Day Paul Forgot to Man Up


    Paul was left speechless.


    Gerardo let out a coldugh. ¡°So only officials can set fires, andmon folks can¡¯t even light amp? The Powell family sure knows how to throw its weight around, even trying to control my daughter.¡±


    Paul¡¯s lips tightened with frustration; his expression was defiant, but he didn¡¯t dare talk back to


    Gerardo.


    The Powell family might be powerful, but Gerardo was a seasoned force in his own right.


    Yunice¡¯s mocking gaze swept over Paul. He was so used to pushing people around with his linfluence, it clearly never crossed his mind that there¡¯s always someone stronger.


    Gerardo and K took their seats. Gerardo looked down at Elsie on the floor with disdain. ¡°What did she do?¡±


    One of Taylor¡¯s assistants brought over a bag of herbal medicine. Taylor looked at Elsie and gave a chillingugh. ¡°This tramp got sneaky while working beside me¨Cshe secretly swapped out my meds, trying to make me ugly.¡±


    Elsie shook her head from where she


    sat on the ground, eyes brimming with tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Taylor replied. ¡°If I pped you, that means I¡¯ve got solid proof.¡±


    A daggernded in front of Elsie. She stared up at Taylor in shock. What did that mean?


    Taylor said, ¡°I don¡¯t tolerate betrayal. You tried to hurt me, so I won¡¯t let you off, I¡¯ll leave you with two fingers as a warning, and then we¡¯ll call it even.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face went ghostly pale. She¡¯d never imagined Taylor had figured out the meds had been. switched¨Clet alone caught her red¨Chanded.


    She quickly tried to defend herself. ¡°Taylor, it really wasn¡¯t me! You¡¯re mistaken! If you don¡¯t trust me, don¡¯t you at least trust my brother? Didn¡¯t you say you liked¡ª¡±


    Taylor cut her off with a <b>swift </b>kick, sending her sprawling. ¡°What does your brother have to do with the stupid crap you pulled?¡±


    Clutching her chest, Elsie winced. Taylor was way too domineering¨Cthere was no way to get out of this by ying the victim.


    She could only tremble and turn her tear¨Cfilled eyes toward Paul, locking onto him like she was gambling everything on his conscience. Is he really going to stand there and do nothing?


    Paul¡¯s face had darkenedpletely; his fists clenched tight at his sides. But even as his emotions hit the boiling point, he still didn¡¯t open his mouth to admit their rtionship.


    Gerardo and K were sitting right there. If he said anything, it would be an admission that the


    Chantren The Day Phull Forge


    But even winbown a word, Gerardo picked up on the signals he does she keeps volume at your


    look


    Frana sand. ¡°1.*


    Seeing hiban Fall smill would admit it. Elsie made a desperant deciom She med ¡°Pl help me!!¡±


    ¡°Pa¡±


    Tarchon¡¯s suspicious vested between the two <b>of </b>them


    and the


    Maybe semisting Else was casero prere, Sayden mermere fully ventinis volut


    L¨¹be


    Elste vook a brewith, sightened her back and spoke with me any of some dag hver


    ghaful ce. Tim Paul¡¯s fiancee.¡±


    She though revealing her sims would em some hock or at least a bit of respect¨Cbben in


    Gemando und K immediandyard beir eyes to Phul.


    2


    m


    Even Taylor washed. She just clenched herbs and coldly asked one in umee Then whan


    ¡°You be bin


    With all the les exposed and to cover lei, ce cast a ul nce toward Fall He clenched his wand then his eyes like a man finally epting the burden held on arvondled¡­.


    jaw shun


    long


    Like he was stuldering the weight of the wond¡­ finally manganate has fate Bar Yurice just foaminughable. Paul had always been simeless. He¡¯d made the mistake, yet he managers when it mamered most¡ªlenting two women tear each other apart while he stayed dean. No mamer who won be wouldn¡¯t lose a ab


    ling


    But she knew bemen¨Cwihem you betray someone who muly cared, you¡¯d get bemased in remin His hard days were just beginning


    Elsie, though, shi hadn¡¯t fully processed what was happenting. Or maybe she had and just didn¡¯t wont to believe it.


    Taylor answered. ¡°Funny thing¨CI¡¯m also Pull¡¯s fiancee. But at yesterday¡¯s Penwell family dinner. you werent there. Why was in


    Elsie stared at Tavier¡¯s seeming face. There was no way to keep pretending anymore.


    Her mouth opened, but only a gumrall sound came out, like a wounded animal. She finally turned her head and looked at Paul


    ¡°Paul, you betrayed me?¡± Her voice cracked with tears.


    Paul¡¯s eyes reddened too. He lowered his head and said nothing, wearing the pained expression of a man too heartbroken to speil


    The room fell into heavy silence.


    Finally, Gerardo gave his verdict. ¡°Since she¡¯s the Powell family¡¯s future daughter low the bet


    Chapter 167 The Day Paul Forgot to Man Up


    So they were dragging


    Paul¡¯s anger fared ¡°Mr. Gerardo


    But Gerardo and Ayia stood up giving him no chance to arme.


    Taylor¡¯s people moved fast. They showed a rag into Else¡¯s mouth <b>and </b ber up tiger with chick rope. Elsie cried oun through the guy, sobbing moherently and pleading with Paul


    Paul¡¯s face turned bright red. The moment Gerando was out of sight be spun around and habend


    our at Taylor ¡°You¡¯re a woman too¨Ctreaming her like this only makes you look jealous and vicious. It just makes me like you even le


    Send Gifts


    Çú 20


    ËÄ

 Daghter 168

    Chapter 168 No Room for Sand


    Taylorughed like she¡¯d just heard a joke. ¡°You think I¡¯m trying to win you over? Get over yourself.¡±


    Finished


    She stood up and walked off, calling Yunice along. Yunice followed without a word, passing by Paul <b>as </b>she walked.


    A faint, bitter scent drifted past Paul¡¯s nose; puzzled, he looked toward Yunice but only caught a glimpse of her profile,pletely hidden beneath her cap.


    A flicker of her gaze met his for just a second under the brim of that baseball cap¨Cjust long enough for him to feel something strange¨Cthen it was gone.


    Paul frowned and reached out as if to grab her arm, but behind him came Elsie¡¯s frantic cry.


    ¡°Paul, help me!¡±


    He turned around just in time to see Elsie breaking free of her restraints, trying to run toward. him. Before she got far, someone stuffed the rag back into her mouth and tied her down even tighter.


    Once they finished, they started dragging her out right there in front of everyone.


    If she got dragged all the way to the Powell mansion like this, the whole city would find out.


    Paul rushed over to stop them, trying to wrestle her back from the Kendall family¡¯s people.


    Upstairs on the balcony, Taylor stood watching Paul struggle in the chaos. Her face twisted in disgust.


    Yunice stood c


    calmly beside her, her <b>eyes </b>steady <b>as </b>she watched the scene unfold below.


    <i>If </i><i>this </i>whole mess actually got back to the <i>Powell </i><i>family</i>, what would <i>Jackson </i><b><i>do </i></b>then¨C<i>him</i><i>, </i><i>of </i><i>all </i><i>people</i>, so <i>obsessed </i>with keeping up appearances?


    Tonight wouldn¡¯t just be <b>a </b>storm for the Powell family; even the Saunders family would be thrown into a boiling <b>pot</b>. Not even Yunice could predict how the two families would clean this.<ol><li><b>up</b><b>. </b></li></ol>


    But¡­ no matter what happened, she would be the one toe out on top.


    Truth be told, she actually admired Taylor¡¯s personality. Someone this decisive and ruthless would pair well with Wyatt.


    Wyatt was <i>by </i><i>far </i>the best investment¨Cthe real ace up their <i>sleeve</i>.


    She just wasn¡¯t <b>sure </b>whether Gerardo would care about him being an illegitimate <b>son</b>.


    Taylor, of course, had no idea Yunice was already plotting to matchmake her behind her back.


    Chapter 168 No Room for Sand


    Does Paul have some kind of condition


    Yunice replied, ¡°He¡¯s a yboy¨Cbeen through a lot of women.¡±


    ¡°So basically, he just changes partners too often?¡± Taylor leaned on the railing, lowering her gaze as if trying to see into the shadow under Yumice¡¯s cap. ¡°I heard he¡¯s infertile?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°Gun¡¯s fine; no bullets.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got azoospermia?¡± Taylor burst outughing, then nudged Yunice yfully. ¡°You and your cryptic metaphors. Just spit it out next time seriously.¡±


    The mask beneath Yunice¡¯s cap crinkled slightly he was probably smiling.


    Taylor found her pretty interesting. She didn¡¯tpete, didn¡¯t meddle, and was easy to be


    around.


    ¡°It¡¯s not azoospermia,¡± Yunice said with a quiet smile. ¡°But it¡¯s true he can¡¯t have kids.¡°¡±


    Taylor gave her a thoughtful look, just about to ask more when a servant walked over to say that Gerardo wanted to see her.


    Probably to talk about the marriage with the Powell family


    Taylor told the servant to escort Yunice out while she headed into the main hall. But Yunice didn¡¯t get a moment¡¯s peace either. She had barely stepped out of the Kendall mansion gates when Owen called her.


    He sounded like he was driving; the roar of the engine sted through the line. But even louder than the car was his voice, shaking with urgency. ¡°Yunny! Something¡¯s happened at home. Where are you? I¡¯lle get you right now!¡±


    Yurice casually kicked a small rock on the ground, calm as ever.


    Owen, on the other hand, was running around like a deer in headlights. ¡°Can we just call a truce? swear¨Cno more yelling, no more punishments!¡±


    Like that¡¯s some kind <i>of </i>promise? <i>Isn¡¯t </i>that just basic decency?


    When Yunice still didn¡¯t respond, Lily took the phone from Owen, her voice choked with tears


    Yunny, it¡¯s me


    So what?


    Lily¡¯s tears pattered down on herp, soaking her clothes.


    It took her a while to force out something coherent through the sobs. ¡°Yunny, please¡­ Fm begging you. Just show your face, and we can talk about your and Elsie¡¯s identities, okay


    Just then, a car window rolled down, <b>and </b>Gill waved, excitedly at Yunice¨Cshe¡¯d been waiting to take her back to Virtue Hall


    302 PM c


    Chapter 168 No Room for Sand


    On the other end, Lily exhaled sharply with relief, then gave her an address.


    Yunice hung up and stared at the floor, her face a closed book.


    But only she knew how much it burned beneath hershes, how badly she <b>wanted </b>to cry.


    Finished


    Owen was her real brother. Lily was her real mother. Yet when it came to choosing sides, their love for Elsie was so tant, so obvious.


    Even after seeing the truth over and over again, she still couldn¡¯t stop the sting in her chest.


    She popped a pill from her purse. Her heart stopped aching, her mood leveled out¨Cbut the tears still slid silently down her cheeks.


    She <b>got </b>into the car like nothing had happened, but Gill reached out and gently wiped her face. ¡°Ms. Saunders, why are you crying?¡±

 Daghter 169

    Chapter 169 The One Who Stayed Quiet


    Finished


    ¡°You got bullied, didn¡¯t you!¡± Gill¡¯s eyes burned with fire as she raised her sleeves like she was ready to throw down.


    Yunice swiped at her cheek, a little confused. It really was wet.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the wind making my eyes water.¡±


    Gill paused, seeing Yunice¡¯s face looked totally normal, so she didn¡¯t press the issue. But Yunice kept rubbing the dampness on her fingers, her expression distant and quiet.


    The damage from her family¡­ it never really faded.


    After giving Gill a rough rundown of what happened, Yunice asked her to drop her off at Aurora Bend to meet up with Owen.


    Gill was clearly unhappy about it. ¡°Lily¡¯s obviously lying to you! Unless she puts out a public statement right now admitting Elsie¡¯s her illegitimate daughter, I¡¯m not buying it!¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Yunice said. ¡°But I still want to go see the drama unfold at the Powell family.¡±


    That snapped Gill out of it; she smacked her thigh. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±


    Owen was clearly heading there to beg for Elsie.


    It was the perfect chance for Yunice to watch him eat his words. How could I miss it?


    Gill drove her to Aurora Bend. From a distance, they could already see Owen and Lily standing. out in the cold wind, checking their watches over and over with anxious faces.


    Elsie had been tied up and dragged to the Powell mansion. There was no way she¡¯d be treated. kindly.


    Every second they werete, Elsie would suffer that much longer.


    Gill stopped the car and told Yunice not to get out just yet.


    When Owen and Lily walked over, bracing <b>against </b>the cold, Yunice finally rolled down the window.


    Owen wasn¡¯t thrilled with her attitude, but now wasn¡¯t the time to argue.


    He reached in through the window to open the door and drag her out, but Gill quickly rolled the window back up.


    Owen yelped and nearly got his fingers caught.


    He frowned and barked at Yunice, ¡°Quit wasting time. Get in the car<b>.</b>¡±


    Vunice gave a cold smile ¡°Get in ou


    Chapter 169 The One Who Stayed Quiet


    Finished


    <i>Only </i>the one at the wheel <i>gets </i><i>to </i>call the shots. Owen nced at the cramped little junker of a car and hesitated.


    But Lily didn¡¯t even think twice¨Cshe opened the door and climbed right in.


    Left with no choice, Owen squeezed in too, his long legs all bunched up like he¡¯d been wrapped in twine with nowhere to stretch.


    ¡°Go to the Powell mansion!¡± Lily ordered urgently.


    Once Gill turned the wheel and got them going. Lily finally looked at Yunice¡¯s profile, her eyes swollen from crying. ¡°Yunny, you have to save your sister this time!¡±


    Owen patted Lily¡¯s back while trying to calm her down, scolding Yunice at the same time. ¡°Mom¡¯s crying her eyes out here¨Ccan¡¯t you at least nod or something?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even want <b>to </b>argue..


    So the entire ride was filled with nothing but Lily¡¯s near¨Cfainting sobs and the sound of Owen softly patting her back.


    When they arrived at the Powell mansion, Gill was about to get out too, but Owen stopped her.


    ¡°The Powell family¡¯s all about pedigree. It¡¯s one thing to bring Yunice in, but you¡¯re just a servant -how could you go in?¡±


    Gill knew even if Owen hadn¡¯t said anything, the Powell family would¡¯ve blocked her at the door. anyway. But she had to make sure Yunice <b>was </b>safe.


    Yunice walked over and whispered something to Gill. Only then did she rx and wait in the car.


    Yunice gave


    her a thankful look as Owen pulled her into the Powell mansion.


    They headed to Jackson¡¯s Shoukang Courtyard.


    The moment they stepped inside, Owen saw Elsie, she was lying on the ground, bound hand and foot like a twisted bowstring. Her mouth was stuffed with a dirty rag, so she couldn¡¯t make a sound.


    Whether it was from crying or from struggling too much, her hair was damp with sweat and stuck <b>to </b>her face.


    Maybe she¡¯d run out of strength¨Cor maybe she¡¯d just given up hope. When she saw her family walk in, she didn¡¯t ev


    try to scream for help. She justy there, silently crying.


    That broken image shattered Owen and Lily¡¯s hearts.


    Lily wailed, her face contorting in grief. She rushed forward to untie Elsie, but was stopped by the Powell family¡¯s people.


    Owen¡¯s eyes turned blood¨Cred as he locked eyes with Paul, who sat nearby. Rage surged through


    Chapter 169 The One Who Stayed Quiet


    <i>the </i>heck <i>could </i><i>he </i>just sit <i>there</i><i>? </i>


    Finished


    Paul could feel Owen¡¯s burning re like knives on his skin. His face was burning with shame. Sitting down felt like being perched on des.


    But he had no choice. His grandfather and father were ruthless men. The more he showed he cared about Elsie, the harsher they¡¯d punish her.


    Not to mention, the Kendall family was sitting right there, watching. All he could do was pretend he didn¡¯t care.


    In the back of the crowd, someone noticed Yunice.


    She locked eyes with Taylor, who was seated in a ce of honor. Taylor lifted her chin slightly- then looked away.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 170

    Chapter 170 A Name to Be Tarnished.


    Finished


    Taylor had no idea Yunice and Rylie were the same person. From her point of view, Yunice was <b>a </b>discarded fianc¨¦e¨Crejected by the Powell family, then handed off to their illegitimate son <b>as </b>some kind of emotional dumping ground.


    She¡¯d been through so much that Taylor couldn¡¯t help but take a bit of <b>interest </b>in her.


    Now that everyone had arrived, Jackson¨Cscated in the highest seat¨Cfinally gave his verdict with a grim face.


    ¡°Mr. Owen, by rights, the trouble your sister stirred up should be yours to take care of. But her mistake lies in poisoning the Powell family¡¯s future granddaughter¨Cinw. As the wronged party. the Powell family will be the one to handle this matter.¡±


    Owen and Lily both looked up. ¡°The Powell family¡¯s future granddaughter¨Cinw?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t that supposed <i>to </i>be Elsie?


    Owen argued, ¡°Elsie is Paul¡¯s fiancee! Your family has known this from the start!¡±


    <i>How </i>could they <i>let </i>their <i>own </i>future granddaughter¨C<i>in</i><i>¨C</i><iw </i>be tied up and humiliated like <i>that</i><i>? </i>


    Linda smiled politely. ¡°Mr. Jackson and Mr. Gerardo are both present. Let¡¯s not make wild usations, Mr. Owen. The Powell family has never formally agreed to a marriage with the Saunders family.¡±


    What <i>do </i>you mean never agreed? Elsic and Paul¡¯s rtionship was practicallymon knowledge!


    Owen was about to speak again when Linda went on, ¡°But with the Kendall family, we did send a matchmaker and write a formal betrothal letter two months ago


    Would you care to take a look?¡±


    Owen froze. The implication was clear.


    Paul and the Kendall family had followed a traditional, proper engagement process- matchmaker, gifts, everything official. But Elsie had only given herself away, with no promises. exchanged in return.


    Owen¡¯s mouth went dry. He couldn¡¯t let Elsie be cast aside like this. <i>The </i>Saunders <i>family </i><i>couldn¡¯t </i>afford that kind of disgrace!


    He spoke coldly. ¡°If you¡¯re determined to twist the truth and deny Elsie¡¯s rtionship with Paul, then we¡¯ll use Paul of <b>assault</b>¡±


    Everyone in the room turned to look at Owen.


    Owen grabbed Yunice and shoved her forward. ¡°Elsie¡¯s the victim. My sister is the witness!¡±


    Yunice suddenly found herself the center of attention, every eye falling on her like a floodlight. In that instant, she was dragged back to years ago¨Cwhen her rtionship with Paul had been exposed at <b>a </b>banquet.


    #me#


    bidstream.campin


    Those hundreds of says hither like needles threading through heroistream teamditer


    hutherliikemedies antiemstttenu


    Ownthracite mye.


    ? </b>


    pu


    Themshaundicebamo unike Ms. Sauniers, omistance. Everyone knows s ITILUTE THISion. Paul was justasamith whwilked at Ms. Samuer


    money<b>. </b>intonemuraged him howwanie invented up making that domstalte?


    Yumeels faceturnedinitas she smellindia.


    Owen emintied. ¡°Sonowyincesayung Raul astray?¡±


    Linda amiledswenty. ¡°Dralt be fomitiboWas Skaunter muzentace. ckthem, sheteri Pausining off his contest she wantinotched msny. Turns outthe checkumwass fake and she just waned og mimcated.¡±


    ut ¡°Who


    unmanded. ¡°Who made upthimuline?¡±


    Linda shrugged. Everyonelmowathestoryusantiimself.llim aure <b>Ms. </b>Saunders remembers the demiis. Talbertoo embarrassevanematthem.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how disgustingthose made up tamils musthave theen. Yunicis aves


    umus she slowig looked Paul¨Cbuthe wnutiumderguze.


    Paul admitted in¨Cbathem, whim he was young and fullprit liedmade up some things c mulice in seem like Yumice had throwniherself am..wantdosanvel face.


    Ban <b>than </b><b>had </b>all been years ago. Benever thought any woulddigit¨¹ckum.


    Sheknew unite was immonem. Butright now, mutthism.emittitsny.worth to tierente


    Seng Paul say silent after using all this¨Cshrinding bau lillenward Yuminew delin


    The spread file wilding, while the truth is still atragging its feat.


    These people diety wamed mucidy the waters¨Ctime wasno wayytheylistettanything


    ¡ú <b>Wh</b>. Saunders wetting the example, atnesurprise <b>M. </b>Elsie followedsan. Uniin tiitel


    tumil mmg Paul and damaging the health¨Cand vanishponging


    WE WILL great. Lt weer whose nume get dinuggerithreanghatic mutat


    ¡°Vers¡ª|| ? (0)Mets<b>) </b>was so fuminus the martystarredumppuising. Bedinovan samsumum An


    Chapter 170 A Name to Be Tarnished


    Finished


    Yunice, meanwhile, noticed Lily staring at her. Her mother¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, blocked by someone from moving forward, but that look¨Cfull of resentment and indignation¡ªwasn¡¯t aimed at the Powell family.


    It was aimed squarely at Yunice.


    up


    She actually believed Linda¡¯s twisted logic. She med Yunice for all of this. If Yunice hadn¡¯t dragged the family name through the mud with her scandal, Elsie would¡¯ve never ended being misunderstood like this.

 Daghter 171

    Chapter 171 Scapegoat in Scarlet


    Finished


    Yunice and Lily locked eyes for a long moment. The more Yunice saw the me burning in her gaze, the stiffer her body became. She wanted to look away, to escape those eyes filled with disced anger, but her muscles refused to move, frozen in ce.


    ¡°Have you sorted out your mess? Or is it my turn to speak now?¡± The voice belonged to Taylor.


    She could no longer stomach the Powell family¡¯s twisted narratives. She did not know Elsie or Yunice well, but she knew one thing for certain¡­ Paul was far from the innocent man they painted him to be.


    Still, she was younger. The Powell family¡¯s actions were not for her to question, so she stood her ground, speaking only from her own position.


    No one objected. Taylor gave a discreet signal to someone behind her. At once, her trusted aide. stepped forward and handed a stack of A4 papers to Owen.


    ¡°Here is all the evidence proving Elsie deliberately poisoned Ms. Taylor. Mr. Owen, please review


    It


    Owen took the documents, and Lily quickly broke free from those restraining her to read them with him.


    It was a thick file, more than twenty pages, detailing the altered medication¡¯sposition and the potential damage it could cause. There were surveince images showing Elsie apanying Taylor to the Virtue Hall, and even a statement from the pharmacy runner who had been caught,


    Owen¡¯s expression shifted to one of utter shock. For a moment, he could not ept that Elsie could do such a thing.


    But no matter what she had done, as her brother, he had to protect her.


    Leaning on the goodwill he still held with Taylor, he began, ¡°Ms. Taylor, there has to be some misunderstanding. Please give me some time to investigate this properly. I swear on my integrity. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it.¡±


    Taylor frowned slightly. She had once admired Owen, maybe even liked him a little.


    Sensing her hesitation, he pushed further. ¡°Elsie didn¡¯t even know about your rtionship with Paul before this. She had no motive to hurt you! Ms. Taylor, surely you wouldn¡¯t want to wrong <b>the </b>innocent and let the <b>true </b>viin walk free?¡±


    Even Gerardo and K began to furrow their brows. <i>His </i>words made <i>sense</i>.


    They were not fools. The Powell family had hidden the truth from both women. If Elsie did not even know who Taylor was, why would she try to hurt her?


    Just as the tide began <b>to </b>shift, Yunice let out <b>a </b>quiet, derisiveugh.


    <i>Or</i>¡­ is it possible <i>that </i>Elsie didn¡¯t need a motive? That <i>she </i>was simply rotten to the core, that she was unable


    3:02 PM ? c


    Chapter 171 Scapegoat in Scarlet


    Finished


    The room¡¯s mood shifted again. Linda exchanged a nce with Jackson beside her, as if receiving. silent permission.


    Her eyes glinted as she spoke. ¡°I think Mr. Owen raises a fair point. Compared to Ms. Elsie, perhaps the one with the real motive here¡­ is Ms. Saunders.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no secret that Ms. Saunders and Paul were once engaged. She probably heard about his engagement to Ms. Taylor through Wyatt and grew bitter. What if, out of jealousy, sheshed out at Ms. Taylor?¡± She turned her eyes on Yunice, her gaze sharp and probing, like she truly believed she had found the culprit.


    The Kendall family members looked toward Yunice as well, some of them clearly considering the logic in Linda¡¯s usation. But the Kendall family had never been hasty in judgment. Without solid proof¡­


    ¡°It was her. It was her!¡±


    Suddenly, Lily, who had been all but invisible in themotion, screamed and sprang to life, gripping the evidence papers in one hand and shoving Yunice forward with the other. Her voice was shrill and furious. ¡°You did it! You tried to frame your sister for your own crime!¡±


    Yunice stumbled,pletely unprepared, and fell hard to the ground. Her palm red with pain. She turned it over to see streaks of blood where her skin had been scraped. But she did not immediately speak. Maybe it was all too sudden, too surreal. She did not rush to defend herself.


    Instead, she sat there in silence, brows faintly furrowed, eyes fixed on the blood in her palm.


    The Kendall family and Owen stared at Lily in shock, unable toprehend her sudden. outburst.


    Even Owen was dumbfounded. ¡°Mom¡­ you¡­¡±


    Why had <i>she </i>pushed Yunice out like that?


    He could not understand, but the Powell family could.


    Someone had to take the fall for the poisoning. That was already a certainty. And the Powell family, who had dealt with the Saunders family for years, knew exactly how this would go. Yunice would be the sacrificial pawn. The Saunders family would shield Elsie no matter what.


    Pushing Yunice forward now <b>was </b><b>a </b>tactical move.


    Normally, she meant nothing. But now she was tied to Wyatt. Her fall would drag him into the fire too. Diverting the disaster, they would turn the Kendall family against Wyatt, and the Powell family could wash their hands clean.


    Owen leaned close to his mother and whispered, ¡°Mom, Yunice¡¯s here to help us. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re breaking her heart? And besides¡­ this won¡¯t work.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s evidence was <b>too </b>solid. No amount of denial would undo it.

 Daghter 172

    Chapter 172 Staged Guilt


    ¡°I have proof,¡± Lily dered, turning to face the crowd.


    Yunice looked at her too, curious to see how far she would go to twist the truth into lies.


    Finished


    Lily unfolded the stack of evidence and held up one particr page. ¡°This fingerprint, this is the key w!¡±


    She looked between Elsie and Yunice, her voice unwavering. ¡°They are both my daughters. I know their fingerprints like I know my own. Elsie is gentle andposed. Her fingerprints are smooth and clear. But Yunny is lively and mischievous. She once injured her finger, and her prints have a visible break.¡±


    She raised the paper in her hand. ¡°Look closely. This is Yunny¡¯s fingerprint.¡±


    Yunice nced up. Sure enough, on the magnified fingerprint printed on the page; there was <b>a </b>thin, dark streak extending from the center like an old scar.


    She shifted her gaze away from the paper almost immediately, then looked at Lily with a bitter smile. ¡°So you do remember I have a scar on my hand. I thought you never paid attention to me.¡±


    A flicker passed through Lily¡¯s eyes. Her heart twisted, and she could not quite meet Yunice¡¯s


    gaze.


    Her feelings for Yunice had always beenplicated. She did not want her to suffer, but she also. did not want her to be too happy. If it had not been Elsie who was caught up in this today, she would not have forced Yunice to take the fall.


    <i>But</i>¡­ <i>wasn¡¯t </i>it the elder <i>sister¡¯s </i><i>job </i>to protect <i>the </i>younger one? <i>Was </i>it really wrong <i>to </i><i>expect </i>that<i>? </i>


    Suppressing the guilt in her chest, Lily softened her tone. ¡°You¡¯re my daughter. Of course I care about <b>you</b><b>. </b>


    She said it for the Kendall family to hear to prove she was being fair and that she was not shielding Elsie out of favoritism.


    Then, her voice trembled with emotion as she added, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you did this of your own. will. Someone must¡¯ve forced you. Tell us who it was. All these elders are here. They¡¯ll stand by. <b>your </b>side.¡±


    Tears welled in her eyes <b>as </b>she looked at Yunice, but behind that watery gaze was something else. Something sharper.


    She was giving Yunice a way out. A script. Adder to climb down from. All she had to do was follow the n, and the Saunders family would walk away unscathed.


    Pass <i>the </i><i>me</i><i>. </i><i>me </i><i>Wyatt</i><i>. </i><i>Say </i>it was <i>Wyatt </i>who manipted you. <i>Say </i>he couldn¡¯t <i>stand </i>to see <i>Paul </i>happy, so he <i>targeted </i>his <i>fiancee </i>out of spite.


    The reasoning had already been prepared. Lily had even rehearsed it in her mind. All Yunice had


    <b>3:03 </b>PM


    Finished


    Chapter 172 Staged Guilt


    Owen¡¯s eyes were locked on Yunice too, his concern etched deeply in his face.


    Do it. Say it. Push the me, and <i>you¡¯ll </i><i>be </i>safe.


    This was exactly what the Powell family wanted. As long as Yunice yed along, no one woulde after her. But as everyone waited, Yunice simply looked at their faces, one by one. Finally, she let out a coldugh.


    ¡°What are you trying to suggest? You¡¯re going to be disappointed,¡± she said tly. ¡°No one ordered. me to do anything.¡±


    Owen¡¯s and Lily¡¯s expressions darkened instantly, their eyes full of disappointment and disapproval. They thought they were helping her. Offering her a way out. But they had forgotten that this entire mess was not Yunice¡¯s fault to begin with.


    They were the ones trying to pin this disaster on her. And now they expected her to be grateful?


    Linda, who had not heard the answer she wanted, grew impatient. She needed to redirect the Kendall family¡¯s focus to keep the heat off the Powell family.


    But Yunice, in her eyes, was too stupid to catch the hint.


    Linda pressed harder. ¡°Yunice, think carefully. Intentional harm leads to prison. Are you really going to keep hiding the truth?¡±


    A second chance, dangled in front of her again.


    Even Paul spoke up, blunt and urgent: ¡°Was it Wyatt who forced you?<b>¡± </b>


    The Kendall family turned toward him immediately, considering a new possibility.


    Paul and <i>Wyatt </i>were rivals. <i>It </i>wasn¡¯t impossible¡­


    Yunice let her gaze sweep across the room. A cold smile curled on her lips. Only after they had all jumped in did she finally speak, ¡°So you¡¯ve all decided I¡¯m guilty, just with words alone?¡±


    The sentence rang through the room like a p.


    The Kendall family snapped out of it.


    She was <i>right</i><i>. </i><i>Nothing </i>had <i>been </i>confirmed<i>. </i><i>How </i><i>had </i>we <i>started </i>using someone else <i>already</i>?


    Lily clutched the fingerprint sheet like it was an imperial decree. ¡°This is evidence! What more do


    you need?*


    ¡°If fingerprints are the issue, why not test them here and now?¡± Taylor¡¯s voice was sharp. She hated being manipted. She wanted rity, and she wanted it now.


    She stood and strode over to Yunice and Elsie, instructing her people to bring the ink pad.


    3.03 PM c d ¡¤


    Chapter 172 Staged Guilt


    Finished


    It was clear who she was criticizing. Everyone felt the sting, but no one dared reply. The room fell into a heavy silence.


    Taylor, however, nced at Yunice again, her eyes lingering.


    She had not been mistaken. There was something in this girl. A quiet defiance, a strength that refused to be broken.

 Daghter 173

    Chapter 173 You Chose the Wrong Pawn


    Finished


    The ink pad was brought over quickly. Taylor personally pressed Elsie¡¯s fingers onto the sheet of white paper, one by one.


    Elsie¡¯s face twisted with stubborn tears, as if Taylor were hurting her deliberately.


    When all ten prints were done, she copsed onto the ground dramatically, like she¡¯d been shoved.


    Taylor nced at her coldly. ¡°I¡¯m not a man. Save the damsel act.¡±


    Paul turned his head and muttered under his breath, ¡°Crazy woman¡­<b>¡± </b>


    Taylor picked up Elsie¡¯s fingerprints and carefullypared them to the ones on the report.


    Elsie¡¯s prints were indeed clear and smooth. It waspletely different from the wed one on the original sheet.


    She nced sideways at Elsie. <i>Could </i><i>I </i>have <i>wrongly </i><i>used </i>her?


    If so, the Kendall family had made a big scene over nothing.


    Lily noticed her hesitation and pressed the advantage. ¡°Ms. Taylor, there¡¯s no need to continue the investigation. Fingerprint scars like this can¡¯t be faked, especially not in such a short time.¡±


    Paul saw an opportunity and pounced. ¡°Taylor, you¡¯ve ndered someone¡¯s name, taken justice into your own hands, and deliberately humiliated her. You owe Elsie an apology andpensation.¡±


    Elsie, with a rag in her mouth, looked up at Paul with emotion sparkling in her eyes.


    Paul pursed his lips. He knew Elsie had been wronged. Now was the time to fight for her justice.


    Taylor was in an awkward position, but before she could speak, Yunice interrupted, ¡°Mr. Paul, aren¡¯t you a little too eager to y the hero?¡±


    Hero?


    Both Gerardi and K frowned, their gazes turning icy as they looked at Paul.


    <i>Just </i>who exactly are you trying to <i>defend</i>?


    Even Jensen and Jackson gave Paul a cold stare <b>as </b><b>a </b>silent warning.


    Say one more word for Elsie, and we won¡¯t let it slide.


    Paul flushed with embarrassment and quickly returned to his seat, not daring to speak again.


    Yunice reached <b>out </b>her hand. <b>¡°</b>You haven¡¯t tested mine <b>yet</b><b>.¡± </b>


    Chapter 173 You Chose the Wrong Pawn


    Ms. Taylor raised her voice, cutting her off, ¡°Madam Lily, you seem very eager for to be guilty.¡±


    Lily instantly looked awkward. ¡°I¡­¡±


    Finished


    your daughter


    Taylor did not bother listening to her excuses. Without dy, she had Yunice leave her fingerprints on a fresh sheet of paper. Secondster, Taylor lifted the paper, nced at it, and stood up. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her.¡±


    Owen and Lily looked at her in disbelief.


    <i>But </i>Yunice¡¯s finger <i>is </i><i>injured</i>. <i>How </i>could it not <i>be </i><i>her</i><i>? </i>


    ¡°Ms. Taylor, are you sure you looked carefully?¡± Owen pressed.


    As he reached forward, Taylor deliberately pulled the paper back. ¡°So you¡¯d rather doubt my eyes than trust your own sister?¡±


    Owen was momentarily speechless, then quickly backtracked. ¡°Of course I hope it wasn¡¯t her.¡±


    Only then did Taylor hand the sheet to him.


    Owen took it and looked. His brow furrowed. Lily peeked over his shoulder, and her eyes went wide. ¡­ How is that possible?¡±


    The fingerprints were clearly visible. Smooth and unbroken. Not a single w. Instead, there was a faint smear of fresh blood, likely from a scratch.


    A scratch caused by Lily earlier. ¨C


    Yunice said calmly, ¡°I did have a scar<b>, </b>but that was three years ago. My fingerprints have long since regenerated. You just never noticed.¡±


    Three years ago, when something fell from above and nearly struck Lily, Yunice had reacted quickly and shielded her. Her finger had taken the brunt of it.


    Lily remembered the incident, but not that the injury had long since healed.


    When the evidence did not match her expectations, Lily knew her n had failed. She turned her me on Yunice. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, why didn¡¯t you <b>say </b>so earlier?¡±


    Yunice raised her eyebrows. ¡°If I¡¯d spoken up too soon, wouldn¡¯t I have missed your spectacr little performance?¡±


    Faces from both the Powell <b>and </b>Saunders families turned grim. They had all gone along with trying to pin this on Wyatt.


    The elder members of the Kendall family said nothing, but their minds were clear.


    <i>The </i><i>Powell </i>family <i>really </i>doesn¡¯t want us getting close to Watt, do they?


    Chapter 173 You Chose the Wrong Pawn


    from here.¡±


    Jensen rushed over to help him out.


    Finished


    Once they were alone, Jackson¡¯s face turned cold. His voice dropped low. That girl, Yunice¡­ she¡¯s. tough. Three years in a psych ward and still didn¡¯t break. Must have some real luck in her fate.¡±


    Jensen, however, was worried about something else. ¡°Dad, what about Paul and the Kendall family alliance¡­?¡±


    <i>It </i>might <i>be </i>over.


    The Kendall family had only one daughter, Taylor. And with all this drama over Elsie, the Powell family¡¯s true colors had been exposed. Gerardo probably would not risk an alliance now.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 174

    Chapter 174 Punishment Delivered.


    Jackson bellowed, ¡°It¡¯s all because of that brainless son you raised!¡±


    Finished


    Jensen lowered his head under the scolding, then quickly tried to salvage the situation. ¡°Marriage alliances were never about love. As long as Paul gives the Kendall family an exnation, they¡¯ll still consider the benefits.¡±


    Jackson snorted coldly and stormed off.


    Back in the hall, Linda was still smoothing things over on behalf of the hosts.


    ¡°If neither Ms. Elsie nor Ms. Saunders poisoned the tea, then the Saunders family must be uninvolved,¡± he said smoothly. ¡°Ms. Taylor and Mr. Owen are acquainted. Why not let this matter go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not possible.¡± Yunice held up the pile of evidence, lightly brushing her fingers. against it before turning to Taylor. ¡°Ms. Taylor, do you happen to have a digital copy of this. document?¡±


    ¡°The ink on this one¡¯s been smudged,¡± Taylor replied.


    With a loud bang, Lily, having her trick exposed, lost control and snapped at Yunice, ¡°How can you be so scheming?!¡±


    Taylor shot her a cold look. Lily did not even have time to retract the venom in her eyes.


    A new copy of the digital file was brought over. The fingerprints on it were perfectly clear and matched Elsie¡¯s.


    Elsie copsed to the floor instantly.


    Jensen happened to return just in time to witness this and dered, ¡°Now that the truth is out, I leave the punishment to Ms. Taylor.¡±


    Taylor said calmly, ¡°I was born with a nature that repays every slight¡­¡±


    Owen interrupted gently, ¡°Ms. Taylor¡­¡±


    His face was handsome, his expression serene, and he spoke with a touch of mournful benevolence.


    Once, Taylor had been fooled by this fa?ade, believing him to be a rare gentleman hidden among men. But today, having seen with her own eyes how they tried to push Yunice out to take the fall, she saw Owen clearly.


    Taylor smiled. ¡°Mr. Owen and I are somewhat acquainted. For his sake, I¡¯ll show some mercy today.¡±


    Hearing that, both Paul and <b>Lily </b>sighed in relief.


    01 PM & d


    Chapter 174 Punishment Delivered


    Finished


    <b>But </b>before the words were out, Taylor¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Initially, I intended to have two of her fingers cut off. But for your sake, I¡¯ll just <b>have </b>them broken.¡±


    With no hesitation, her subordinate stepped forward and snapped Elsie¡¯s fingers back toward the back of her hand.


    Elsie¡¯s scream was muffled by the cloth stuffed in her mouth..


    It all happened too quickly for Owen or Paul to react.


    As the dust settled. Gerardo and K stood up. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    The Kendall family exited. As they passed, Jensen shot Paul a harsh warning nce. Unable to withstand the pressure, Paul had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow.


    Linda smiled politely. ¡°Mr. Owen, Madam Lily, from now on, our families are no longer associated. Please also keep your rtives in check. We do not wish for further entanglements.¡±


    With Linda gone, only the Saunders family remained in the massive hall.


    Yunice coldly observed Elsie, now writhing in pain. Had she not been cautious on the day of the medicine change, Taylor would have been poisoned, and Virtue Hall would have borne the brunt.


    Elsie had nearly wrecked her carefullyid ns. This ending was her just desserts.


    The show over, Yunice curled her swollen palm and prepared to leave. But as she turned, she noticed Owen¡¯s bloodshot eyes. He was trembling with fury, fists clenched tight by his sides. looking like he might erupt in violence at any moment.


    Instinctively. Yunice stepped back, but it was toote.


    Owen lunged and grabbed her by the throat. Eyes wide with rage, he shouted, ¡°We all could¡¯ve walked away clean, but you had to y smart! Do you think you¡¯re so clever?!¡±


    Yunice felt her neck about to snap. She reached up and pressed hard on the acupoint inside his


    WTIST


    The sharp pain made him loosen his grip instantly.


    Shrinking into the antique chair, Yunice clutched her throat, ring warily at him. She would no longer take abuse without striking back.


    Owen held his injured wrist, looking at her with disappointment and anger. ¡°That¡¯s the second ?ime you¡¯ve raised a hand against me, Yunice. Am I no longer your brother?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s throat burned, but she sat up straighter, lifting her gaze. ¡°And how many times have you raised your hand against me! Can you still count them?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve raised my hands, but when have I ever truly hurt you? I¡¯ve never used real force!¡± he argued, red¨Ceyed. ¡°Look at you, sitting here unharmed! But look at Elsie and me. We both work in the medicine industry you tha

 Daghter 175

    Chapter 175 The Gaze of the Powerful


    Tears slipped down Owen¡¯s cheeks. His face, filled with despair, looked as though he could already see the downfall of the Saunders family.


    Finished


    ¡°Hah.¡± Yunice let out a coldugh. ¡°How many surgeries do you even perform in a year? Let¡¯s be honest. You and Elsie were never good in the medicine industry. Now you want to use your injuries to cover up your own ipetence?¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Owen¡¯s fragile pride shattered. Enraged, he raised his hand to strike her.


    But Yunice grabbed a porcin cup from the table to defend herself.


    Before they could sh, Lily threw herself between them, sobbing uncontrobly. ¡°Stop it, both of you! Elsie¡¯s passed out. We need to get her to the hospital!¡±


    Owen flung her off angrily, scooped Elsie into his arms, and left the Powell mansion in a panic.


    Yunice had arrived with the Saunders family, but she left alone.


    As she stepped over the threshold of the Powell mansion, fresh finger marks still visible on her neck, she expected to see Gill waiting outside.


    Instead, it was Taylor¡¯s people.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, Ms. Taylor would like to invite you for coffee. Would you honor her?¡±


    Yunice looked toward the luxury car. The window lowered, revealing Taylor¡¯s face with red lips in icy elegance.


    They locked eyes. Yunice had dealt with Taylor before, and knew something of her character, so she nodded.


    At a high¨Cend caf¨¦ in Silverburgh, just one pot of coffee cost thousands.


    Taylor casually ordered a few desserts, then <b>nced </b>up at Yunice while passing her the menu.


    The first time she met Yunice was at Virtue Hall, during an argument with Dr. Rylie. Back then,


    gan <b>Paul </b>had introduced her <b>as </b>a friend¡¯s little sister. She had worn <b>in </b>clothes <b>and </b>had a small, porcin¨Cpale face. She was an unremarkable girl, clean like a ss of water.


    <b>That </b>was Taylor¡¯s first impression<b>. </b>Simple and forgettable.


    The second time <b>was </b><b>at </b>the Powell family banquet. She wore a princess dress <b>and </b>stood beside Wyatt, catching a two¨Cmeter¨Clong macaw with ease.


    That¡¯s when Taylor <b>saw </b>the strength beneath the surface.


    Today was the third meeting, and <b>this </b>time, what struck her <b>was </b>Yunice¡¯s calm.


    Her clothes were still simple. Her long <b>ck </b><b>hair </b><b>was </b>neatly tucked behind her ears<b>, </b>making her


    <b>3:03 </b>PM <b>? </b>?


    Chapter 175 The Gaze of the Powerful.


    a <b>man</b>.


    Finished


    There was only one likely culprit.


    Taylor frowned. She once had a good opinion of Owen, thinking him a refined gentleman. Turns out, he was just another abuser.


    Maybe I¡¯m cursed to attract trash.


    Like all those in power. Taylor did not bother to look discreetly when she was curious. Instead, she stared openly.


    Most people would squirm under such a gaze. Yunice? She sipped her coffee without flinching.


    A faint smile touched Taylor¡¯s eyes. ¡°You remind me of someone I know.¡±


    At those words, Yunice¡¯s eyes flickered but were barely noticeable.


    Taylor truly thought Yunice resembled Dr. Rylic. Both quiet, calm, and unshakable.


    And even though Yunice had no idea why she had been summoned, she did not question it.


    Taylor appreciated that. She did not want to reveal her illness or mention Dr. Rylie at all.


    Stirring her coffee with the spoon, Taylor said. ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but I still n to marry Paul.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brow furrowed deeply. She set her cup down and looked at her seriously.


    Taylor continued, ¡°I can tell that you put on that whole show today just to open my eyes to what the Powell family¡¯ is really like, hoping I¡¯d back off.¡±


    Her gaze sharpened. ¡°Was that Wyatt¡¯s idea?¡±


    Yunice knew that suspicion came naturally to the powerful, but Taylor had clearly overthought it.


    She replied, ¡°My rtionship with Wyatt isn¡¯t as close as you imagine. He doesn¡¯t need me to act on his behalf. And Paul¡¯s character is indeed garbage. That much doesn¡¯t need scheming.¡±


    Taylor suddenlyughed. Yunice blinked, unsure which part she found amusing.


    ¡°I did see one thing clearly. Taylor said. ¡°You really do despise Paul.¡±


    Then, her smile vanished. She extended a hand toward Yunice.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, I look forward to having you <b>as </b>a rival.¡±


    Yunice was stunned. ¡°You really n to marry him?<b>¡± </b>


    Taylor said, ¡°Whether your warning came from kindness or calction, I appreciate it. But let¡¯s be honest. How many <b>young </b>men in Silverburgh can match my family¡¯s power? Every household


    Chapter 175 The Gaze of the Powerful


    <b>3:03 </b><b>PM </b>


    In that moment, Yunice felt like she had been schooled.


    Finished


    Taylor dered boldly, ¡°Jackson is already fading. Paul is unfit to lead. If I can carve out power in the Powell family and rise to the top, that will be my real aplishment.¡±

 Daghter 176

    Chapter 176 ying with Fire


    Use others to your advantage; stay centered in yourself; never see marriage as turning into someone else¡¯s essory¨Cthat¡¯s what a strong, independent woman was supposed to do.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes lit up with admiration, her voice burning with excitement.


    ¡°Then you should marry Wyatt!¡±


    Taylor nearly spit out her coffee.


    Finished


    When Taylor gave her a look like she¡¯dpletely lost her mind, Yunice quickly exined, ¡°I¡¯m serious! Wyatt may note from a great background, but his capabilities are on par with the Powells. You and him together¨Cthat¡¯s a real power couple!¡±


    Taylorughed, a little mischievously, then nced behind Yunice and tilted her chin in that direction. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a look behind you first.¡±


    Yunice turned around¨Cand froze. Jordan stood there, wearing an earpiece, giving her a polite but awkward nod.


    She stared at the earpiece, and her mind went nk. <i>Don¡¯t </i>tell me¡­ <i>Wyatt¡¯s </i>on the other end of that.


    Taylor said, ¡°Hey, this wasn¡¯t me setting you up. I just saw him, too.¡±


    There was definite amusement in her voice. She hadn¡¯t expected Yunice to say something that wild, either.


    ¦°


    ¡°Looks like Ms. Saunders has something to handle Taylor said with augh, picking up her purse. in an entirely unapologetic tone. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to it, then.¡±


    Even after stepping out of the caf¨¦, Taylor was stillughing to herself.


    ¡°Ms. Taylor,¡± n said as he opened the car door for her.


    Taylor crossed her arms, still amused. ¡°Can you believe it? Yunice actually told me I should marry Wyatt.¡±


    n smiled and said, ¡°And what did you say, Ms. Taylor?¡±


    Taylor replied, ¡°I know myself. If I chose Wyatt, I¡¯d lose control of the narrative.¡±


    She wanted to build an empire for herself, not someone else.


    She couldn¡¯t handle Wyatt. That man is <i>unhinged</i>.


    She tilted her head and looked toward the caf¨¦, where Yunice had just stepped out.


    n followed her gaze and said, ¡°If even you can¡¯t handle him, then she definitely doesn¡¯t stand <b>a </b>chance.¡±


    3:03 PM ? S


    Chapter 176 ying with Fire


    Finished


    At the Powell family dinner the other day, even though the encounters had been brief, she could tell¨CWyatt treated Yunice differently.


    Yunice got into Jordan¡¯s car.


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t in it, though. Jordan drove her to a banquet hall.


    It was a seaside hotel; the event space covered over five thousand square feet. Inside the hall, sses clinked and conversations ovepped; elite guests filled the space shoulder <b>to </b>shoulder.


    Yunice walked through the VIP entrance, which led straight to the wraparound terrace. Wyatt was out there, leaning against the railing with the wind in his hair.


    Like he had eyes in the back of his head, Wyatt spoke. ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t my fiancee, out and about. recruiting new concubines for me.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t think she was in the wrong. The two of them had been forced. into this arrangement from the beginning.


    He hadn¡¯t really wanted to marry her; she hadn¡¯t really wanted to marry him.


    In fact, Taylor and Wyatt were the ones who were more aligned. Both were career¨Cobsessed and matched in every way¡­


    Wyatt turned around and kept poking at her. ¡°My fiancee¡¯s so considerate. How lucky am I


    No matter how sarcastic he got, Yunice just stood there and listened, as if nothing could get through to her¨Clike a bad student tuning out the teacher.


    Fine.


    Wyatt slid something off his wrist and held his hand out over the railing, using the item to tease the decorative fish in the artificial sea below.


    The fish must have been used to being fed; as soon as they noticed the shadow dancing on the surface, they swam up with wide¨Copen mouths, trying to snatch it away.


    Yunice finally tilted her head to take a look, intrigued. <i>A </i>string <i>of </i><i>worry </i>beads.


    Wyatt was teasing with the bracelet her father had given her!


    ¡°The bracelet can¡¯t get wet¡­ Yunice ran over and reached for the bracelet. ¡°Give it back<b>¡­¡± </b>


    But Wyatt had long arms, and she had to climb up on the railing to try and grab it. He kept messing with her, swinging the bracelet around like he was teasing a cat.


    ¡°Can¡¯t get wet?¡± Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°I don¡¯t buy it. Let¡¯s see what happens if it does.¡±


    ¡°Seawater¡¯s full of corrosive substances. It¡¯ll ruin the natural oils on the surface, destroy the scent, and damage the wood¡¯s quality¡­¡±


    3:00 PM ct c


    Chapter 176 ying with Fire


    ¡°I didn¡¯t go to college, no idea what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    Yunice gritted her teeth and gave in.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t feed my bracelet to the fish.¡±


    Wyatt turned his wrist and finally gripped the bracelet in his hand.


    Finished


    Yunice let out a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve had my bracelet for a while now. Should be tired of ying with it, right? Can I have it back?¡±


    ¡°Had it?¡± Wyatt said, not letting it go. ¡°Is your whole family this good at twisting the truth? I paid for this thing. What¡¯s it got to do with you?¡±


    <i>He </i>kind of had a point.


    Yunice said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy it back. How much do you want?¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Not for sale.¡±


    Yunice went silent.


    ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s just a material possession anyway.¡± Her expression darkened as she stepped down. from the railing.

 Daghter 177

    Chapter 177 Moss Died and So Did the Vibe


    Finished


    No one expected the floor to be that slippery; the small footstool she brought over to stand on suddenly slid forward. Just as Yunice¡¯s waist was about to m into the railing and she started toppling into the sea, Wyatt grabbed her around the waist.


    He casually kicked the stool aside and wrapped his arms around Yunice, pressing a kiss to her lips.


    It was quick, like a brush of dragonfly wings. He nced at Yunice; when he saw she wasn¡¯t resisting, he deepened the kiss possessively.


    }


    ¡°Mr. Paul, what are you looking at?¡± Jordan walked up beside Paul with a champagne ss in hand and a grin that practically screamed flirtation.


    Paul was standing in front of the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, staring out toward the terrace. Between the ss and the terrace, lush seaside nts had been arranged like a screen, partially blocking the view.


    Still, through the gaps in the foliage, you could make out what was happening on the terrace. Because their backs were turned, Jordan didn¡¯t see Wyatt¡¯s face but he did see Yunice.


    ¨C


    He assumed Paul was interested in the woman and leered, ¡°She¡¯s got fair skin and a tiny waist. If you¡¯re into it, Mr. Paul, I can get her for you tonight<b>.</b>¡±


    Paul had been dragged to this party by Jensen. He didn¡¯t expect to show up and immediately see Yunice and Wyatt making out.


    His mood tanked. Everything felt off, and now everyone looked like an eyesore. He shot a re at the man trying to suck up to him and said coldly, ¡°Sure, bring her to me.¡±


    With that, Paul mmed his ss down and headed inside


    Jordan blinked, confused by the look he got. He didn¡¯t think he said anything wrong.


    Meanwhile, the couple on the terrace finally broke apart. With the change <b>in </b>angle, Wyatt¡¯s face came into view; Jordan¡¯s hand slipped, and he nearly dropped his champagne<b>. </b>


    No wonder Paul had red at him. Competing with Wyatt over was practically suicide. Wyatt¡¯s fingers brushed the red marks on Yunice¡¯s neck.


    The handprint was <b>a </b>real eyesore<b>. </b>


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes grew darker <i>by </i>the second. Jordan walked out onto the terrace and said, ¡°Wyatt, everyone¡¯s <b>waiting </b>for you.¡±


    Wyatt gave a low grunt of acknowledgment. After a few seconds, he finally let go of Yunice¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Wait here for me,¡± Wyatt said, then walked into the hall without looking <b>back</b>.


    The ce was packed with entrepreneurs and executives ¨C elites from all industries. Yunice.


    3:03 PM c <b>d </b>


    Chapter 177 Moss Died and So Did the Vibe


    So she stood by the window, gazing outside.


    ¡ú Finished


    Behind Wyatt on the stage was a row of ribbon gands for a ceremonial cutting. It looked like <b>a </b>productunch event.


    Jensen stood to the side, leading the apuse with a smile that gave nothing away.


    Everyone in the Powell family could put on a show


    except Paul. His face always gave him away.


    Wait. Why wasn¡¯t Paul onstage? <i>Would </i><i>the </i><i>Powell </i>family really pass up a chance <i>to </i><i>let </i>Paul soak up the spotlight?


    Just then, a server came in with dessert and tea for Yunice. She pulled her gaze back and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the event outside?¡±


    The server bowed slightly. ¡°Good evening, ma¡¯am. It¡¯s theunch and distribution ceremony for Alphasirox pills.¡±


    ¡°How are the sales?¡± Yunice asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a new release; demand far exceeds supply.¡±


    After the server left, Yunice sat down. She hadn¡¯t expected Huaxin Pharma to move so fast. With Anning monopolizing the market, no one was catching up anytime soon.


    She checked her phone ¨C sure enough, Huaxin¡¯s stock had skyrocketed.


    With results like this<b>, </b>someone in the Powell family probably wasn¡¯t going to sleep tonight.


    Just as Yunice snapped back to the moment, a pair of brand¨Cnew leather shoes appeared in her line of sight.


    She looked up and met Paul¡¯s eyes.


    His brows were tightly furrowed, a deep line between them. His gaze swept over her critically, and his tone was cold as he said, ¡°Yunice, how c


    you sit here sofortably?¡±


    Yunice thought he was talking about Elsie. She shot back sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re fine attending this party, but I¡¯m not allowed to be<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Elsie,¡± Paul said tly.


    Yunice waspletely lost now. So maybe she had wronged someone in his family again.


    He couldn¡¯t even bother showing up to celebrate¨C<b>just </b>came straight to her to ruin the night.


    Paul stepped forward quickly, invading her space. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Moss<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Moss is dead did you know that? The pet you raised yourself is dead. You killed it!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression turned mocking: she was at a loss for words at his usations.


    Chapter 177 Moss Died and So Did the Vibe


    Finished


    he died. Don¡¯t you feel guilty when you dream at night? Can¡¯t you hear him calling for you?¡±


    Even Paul got emotional as he spoke. His eyes turned red, his voice caught in his throat.


    If Yunice hadn¡¯t known the truth, she might¡¯ve been wracked with guilt and grief over Moss<b>¡® </b>death. But she knew everything.


    Everyst bit.

 Daghter 178

    Chapter 178 Did You Just Say I Killed Moss?


    Finished


    Yunice stayed seated, her voice calm and distant. ¡°Do you dream about Moss at night? Hear him calling your name? Asking why you hurt him? How you could be so cruel? How you could turn on a pet you raised for over four years?¡±


    Paul froze. Whether it was guilt or the intensity of Yunice¡¯s stare, he actually took a step back; his bluster faded fast. ¡°No, I never dreamed that! You¡¯re the one who abandoned Moss; you¡¯re the one who dyed his treatment. If he¡¯sing after anyone, it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Still pretending?¡± Yunice cut straight through it. ¡°Moss was poisoned by disinfectant. He was a handful, sure, could unscrew a bottle cap, but you tell me, when did he learn to screw it back on, perfectly tight?¡±


    after


    That was Paul¡¯s slip¨Cup. His guilty conscience had him thinking he could cover it up forcing Moss to drink the disinfectant, he¡¯d screwed the cap back on, thinking no one would notice<b>. </b>


    Yunice slowly stood. ¡°You say I killed Moss? That I dyed treatment? Then tell me ¨C when Moss was dying, where were you, his so¨Ccalled owner?¡±


    ¡°Did you take care of the body afterward? Were you there when he was cremated? Did you say goodbye? You did nothing -but now you put on this show of devotion, just to shove all the guilt onto me? Trying to cover up your own conscience?¡±


    ¡°Paul, is it because I¡¯ve been too easy to push around all these years? So now, every time something goes wrong, it¡¯s just second nature for you all to pin it on me¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s face twisted with frustration. He cut her off loudly. ¡°You¡¯re just making excuses-¡±


    Ssh!


    A full ss of red wine hit Paul in the face, cutting off whatever insult he was about to spit out.


    ¡°If


    you want a fight, Mr. Paul, I¡¯m right here,¡± Yunice said, mming the ss down hard on the


    table


    <b>Paul </b>stood there, jaw clenched, holding his breath. The wine ran down his face like blood, staining his white suit red. Looking like that, there was no way he could show his face in public. again tonight


    He wiped his face, veins bulging in rage, but he didn¡¯t dare make a scene not with all the guests around. He¡¯d embarrassed himself too many timestely. His grandfather and father had been disappointed in him for a while now.


    With so many people watching, he couldn¡¯t afford another mistake.


    He shot Yunice a vicious re, swallowed his anger, and turned to go change his clothes.


    Yunice was just starting to rx when Paul¡¯s phone rang. He paused mid¨Cstep, answered the call, then turned to Yunice with a frown. ¡°She¡¯s with me. Alright, I¡¯ll bring her over now.¡±


    He ended the call came storming back, and yanked Yurice by the arm. ¡°You reing with


    ice gasped but couldn¡¯t break free. Paul dragged her to the eles:


    At the Saunders mansion. Yunice was shoved into Elsie¡¯s room


    Paul mmed the door shut behind them. Yunice took a breath and calmed herself as herr swept the room the whole Saunders family was there.


    Elsiey pale and unconscout on the bed.


    Lily had passed out crying at her bedside, barely breathing.


    Oween the only one still standing stepped forward and grabbed Yumice¡¯s ar


    rage ¡°This is your doing


    stayed cold.


    ¡°You think we don¡¯t know?¡± Owen roared. ¡°We tried to take Elsie so the hospital but every single one turned us away. Not one expert in the entire Suverburgh would touch her case. Who else could be behind that but you?


    Vunce let out a dryugh. ¡°You think I¡¯ve got that kind of pull¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t ¨C but Wyatt does!¡± Owen snapped. ¡°You clearly talked him into making this happen!


    Paul sneered. ¡°So that¡¯s why you were cozying up to him on the terrace at the party ¨C bumering him up to do your dirty work.¡±


    Owen looked at frunice with even more contempt. Did you forget how Madam Linda cursed you out! Have some shame. Even if you¡¯ve lost all self¨Crespect, the Saunders family hasn¡¯t.¡±


    If I have to shame, then what does that make Else?¡±


    Paul cut in impatiently. ¡°Stopparing yourself to Elsie. I love her; we¡¯re in a real rtionship: You sold yourself. Just like the girls who work clubs and lounges ¨C no, worse. At least they get paid. You give it away for free Pathetic.¡±


    His trade came out in a flood- not so much defending Else as it was exposing his own bitterness, his own broken pride


    ¡°Watch your mouth, Paul Owen barked Paul¡¯s words had crossed a line even Owen couldn¡¯t


    Yurace was still his sister Only he had the right to scold her ¨C Paul had no ce talking to her like deat


    Tunace and Wyatt are engaged. So what if they¡¯re a little close?¡± Owen sand sharply. ¡°It¡¯s sall better than certain people who shack up like they¡¯re married, then pretend it never happened Paul anyone who betrays someone who truly loves them should swallow a thousand needles Can you really say you¡¯ve done right by Else


    The Daughter in the Shadows

 Daghter 179

    Chapter 179 Still Blocking for Elsiey


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. ¡°We¡¯re talking about her why drag me into this again? It¡¯s grandpa and dad who won¡¯t acknowledge Elsie, not me. I never said I wouldn¡¯t take responsibility.¡±


    Owen scoffed. ¡°What use is a coward like you to her anyway? I might as well let Elsie marry into a decent family better than watching you chase after your wealth.¡±


    they¡¯d tear each other apart


    Yunice watched the two men tear into each other with a cold sneer; when people were rotten enough, you didn¡¯t have to lift a finger. Just let their interests sh on their <b>own</b>.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Paul picked up on the jab, visibly annoyed.


    Owen jabbed him right in the ego. ¡°It¡¯s all over Silverbrough the Powell family keeps getting crushed by Wyatt.¡±


    how useless you are. That¡¯s why


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re marrying Taylor? She¡¯s rich and powerful; that¡¯ll keep you living off a woman for the rest of your lifel¡±


    Paul¡¯s face flushed bright red. He yanked his tie loose, furious. ¡°Say that again knock you so senseless you¡¯ll be drinking from a straw the rest of your life!¡±


    ¨C I dare you. I¡¯ll


    ¡°Go ahead hit me! I¡¯ve had it with your whole damn Powell family!¡± Owen raised his fist too<b>. </b>


    ¨C


    Just as the two were about toe to blows- crash!


    Lily hurled a vase at the floor; it shattered loudly, sending shards flying and stopping the fight cold.


    She cried out, voice raw and shaking, ¡°What the heck are you two still fighting about? Isn¡¯t Elsie¡¯s hand more important right now?¡±


    Stumbling toward Yunice<b>, </b>she dropped to her knees with a thud on the broken porcin. Her voice rasped. ¡°Yunny¡­ it¡¯s all my fault, every bit of it. Elsie¡¯s innocent. Please, I¡¯m begging you give her a chance¡­¡±


    Blood seeped from Lily¡¯s knees where the sharp edges had cut into her skin.


    Panicked, Owen shoved Paul aside and rushed forward to help her.


    But Lily refused to get up.


    Her eyes locked onto Yunice, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, ¡°Your brother said if Elsie¡¯s fingers don¡¯t get treated within twelve hours, the swelling will deform them permanently. You studied medicine with your dad; you know I¡¯m not lying¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you me me ¨C you think I pushed you out <b>as </b><b>a </b>scapegoat in the Powell family. But you¡¯re wrong. That evidence was wed; it misled me. But I always believed in you. Even if <b>you </b>did do it, I knew someone must¡¯ve forced your hand. I never stopped believing in you.¡±


    3.03 PM & c


    Chapter 179 Still Blocking for Elsiey


    thought the same thing. You really can¡¯t me Mom for that.¡±


    Trying to flip the script again?


    Finished


    Yunice said coldly, ¡°Was it really a mistake in the file ¨C or did you smear your finger <b>on </b>it on. purpose?¡±


    The report had been rushed; the ink hadn¡¯t driedpletely. A simple swipe would¡¯ve smudged it ¨C Lily had done that deliberately to clear Elsie¡¯s name.


    That so¨Ccalled belief in her was nothing more than guilt¨Cher way of easing a guilty conscience.


    It was her way of pretending the damage had never happened, wiping the te clean with a single line that imed she had saved her too, as if that somehow canceled everything else out.


    When Yunice.refused to let it go, Lily looked wronged. ¡°Fine. Say I did it. I¡¯m admitting it I¡¯ll even kneel to you if that¡¯s what it takes!¡±


    True to her word, Lily bent at the waist and lowered her forehead toward the sharp shards on the floor, clearly ready to bloody herself to win some sympathy.


    Owen caught her just in time, arms tight around her; he wasn¡¯t about to let her do that.


    your


    Paul, who¡¯d had enough, snapped, ¡°Yunice, no matter what she did, Madam Lily is still mother. You¡¯re really gonna let her beg and kneel to you like this? Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯ll shave years off your own life?¡±


    Yunice shot back, ¡°Did I ask her to beg me?¡±


    ¡°Well, you forced her <b>into </b>it!¡±


    This whole performance


    the tears, the blood, the kneeling


    Elsie always used. Whoever looked more pitiful got to be ¡®right.¡±


    ¡°If emotional ckmail¡¯s your game, that¡¯s fine by me.¡±


    At Yunice¡¯s words, Lily¡¯s eyes lit up with hope.


    it was the same old trick she and


    But Yunice¡¯s voice stayed ice¨Ccold. ¡°Is it really so hard to admit you don¡¯t love me? I¡¯d rather you spell out what you want than keep using fake motherly love to guilt me into doing things.¡±


    Lily choked up again. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°What now ¨C gonna say I¡¯m overthinking it? That I¡¯m the one with a ck mark on my soul?¡± Yuniceughed bitterly and tugged up the hem of her pants. ¡°Take a look.¡±


    She was wearing light beige pants the kind that stained easily and showed everything. Blood had already seeped through the fabric for quite some time, but no one had noticed.


    Not until she pointed it out and lifted the leg did they finally see the cut on her ankle.

 Daghter 180

    hapter 180 I Never Forgot


    Lily stared at Yunice¡¯s expression and froze. Owen turned away and began rummaging through the medical kit.


    Yunice met Lily¡¯s gaze and said steadily, ¡°You don¡¯t love me. Stop forcing yourself to pretend you do.


    Lily¡¯s lips trembled; tears slid silently down her cheeks. No one could say how much of it was genuine.


    Yunice let her pant leg fall and said softly, ¡°You say you care about me, that when you threw that vase, you didn¡¯t aim it between Owen and Paul. You threw it at me. You


    you love me but didn¡¯t want the shards to hit Elsie, so you stood protectively in front of her bed.¡±


    Lily shook her head and rushed to exin, ¡°That¡¯s not it; I was just so angry I lost control. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you¡­


    <b>¦³¦¥ </b>


    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t mean to hurt me. But that¡¯s the thing calctions. You thought about everyone else¡¯s safety but mine.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t even part of your


    Paul frowned. ¡°You¡¯re blowing this way out of proportion. Madam Lily just didn¡¯t think that far.¡±


    ¡°Shut up,¡± Yunice snapped. ¡°You¡¯re an only child. You¡¯ll never understand what it¡¯s like to grow up in a family with more than one kid.¡±


    ¡°You really think your grandfather didn¡¯t favor your dad over Wyatt? You don¡¯t know the answer


    to that?<b>¡± </b>


    Paul fired back, ¡°Wyatt¡¯s a bastard. Of course it¡¯s different.¡±


    But the moment the words left his mouth, Lily¡¯s face went pale through the heart.


    like she¡¯d been stabbed right


    Realizing what he¡¯d said, Paul stiffened awkwardly. ¡°Madam Lily, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡±


    Elsie was born from a kidnapping¨Ctechnically a child of sin. She wasn¡¯t any different from Wyatt.


    Lily closed her eyes, then opened them slowly.


    Her voice trembled, scattered. ¡°I loved all of you the same. How could I not? When they first took me into those mountains, I <b>was </b>terrified and hopeless, but I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you. You were only four days old. Every day, I cried and cried, wondering if a baby that tiny¨Cwho couldn¡¯t move or speak¨Cwas screaming from hunger. Was anyone feeding you without me there? I still had milk, but I was <b>so </b>scared and anxious it nearly dried up. And I thought, no¨CI have to hold on. What if I¡¯m rescued? I need to be able to feed you. So I forced myself. I did everything I could to keep the milk flowing. Eventually, I started bleeding. Do you have any idea how painful that is? Do <b>you </b>know <b>what </b>it feels like to have mastitis?¡±


    Tears streamed down Lily¡¯s face as she clutched her chest. ¡°<b>I </b>got a fever from the infection. I was I was


    Chapter 180 I Never Forgot<ul><li>Finished</li></ul>


    bastard rolled me up in a mat and left me there to die. I could barely breathe, but even then, I kept repeating your names. It was the thought of you three that kept me alive. Do you understand that?¡±


    Even Paul was moved by the pain in her story. He looked over at Yunice, frowning in disapproval.


    She had tears in her eyes, too- but her face remained distant, unreadable. Even after all that, she stood like a block of stone.


    ¡°No heart,¡± Paul muttered under his breath.


    Just then, Owen finally found the first aid kit. Hearing Lily¡¯s story had him in tears; he rushed over, dropping to a crouch in front of Yunice. He quickly opened the iodine and gauze, ready to treat her wound.


    Choking on his emotions, he said, ¡°Yunny, let me take care of this. Once it¡¯s wrapped, it won¡¯t hurt anymore. I care about you. Mom cares about


    you. We¡¯re family -we should all be okay, alright?¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t tell if Owen was crying for Lily or for her. She quietly moved her leg away, refusing to ept a meaningless gesture ofpensation.


    Owen¡¯s hand, still holding the cotton swab, froze midair like her avoidance had genuinely hurt him.


    Yunice took a breath. ¡°I¡¯m not saying you never loved me; I¡¯m saying that love changed. Time and fate moved it somewhere else. It¡¯s just not with me anymore.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you did love me once¨Cbut we only spent three days together. Three days of motherly affection can¡¯tpete with fifteen years by Elsie¡¯s side. I only have one mom, but I¡¯ve never been your only daughter. That ¡®love¡® you talk about? It feels more like duty you¡¯re supposed to give me just because you¡¯re my mother. But do you really love me? Do you


    -like something even know me at all? When you testified against me, you said Elsie was quiet and gentle and I was wild and hyper, so it must¡¯ve been me who caused the injury. But was <b>I </b>really wild and hyper? The scar on my hand that was from shielding you from falling debris. Do you even remember that? What about the day I broke my finger? I was lying there in pain, asking if you were okay. Do you even remember what you said to me?¡±


    ¨C


    Lily¡¯s eyes went nk she couldn¡¯t recall.


    ¨C


    But Yunice remembered perfectly. ¡°You didn¡¯t answer. You had your back to me. You were busy fussing over Elsie ¨C checking to see if she was hurt.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 181

    Chapter 181 No Mercy


    Finished


    Yunice went on, ¡°Elsie didn¡¯t even have a scratch on her. She cried and said she was scared¨Casked if that heavy thing was going to kill her. And youforted her, told her, ¡®Don¡¯t be scared, it¡¯s okay, it wasn¡¯t going to hit you; see? It hit Yunice. You sounded so relieved when you said it¨C<b>so </b>calm. But you never once looked back at me. Elsie was already fifteen, and I was just sixteen, but you neverforted me. That day, while you held her and wiped her tears, you told me to clean the blood off my hand <b>so </b>I could drive you both to the hospital. Did you beg for me then, like you¡¯re begging now? Did you get down on your knees and plead with the doctors to treat the kid with a fractured hand? Did you tell them if it wasn¡¯t treated right, it¡¯d heal wrong, leave scars, ruin her grip¨Cdestroy her dream of bing a lead surgeon?¡±


    Paul looked at Yunice, slightly stunned, as if he¡¯d never heard about any of this before. If it was true, then Lily really had gone too far.


    Owen stayed half¨Ccrouched on the floor, not saying a word; Lily sat in silence, tears running down her face.


    Time ticked by. Finally, like he couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Owen suddenly snapped¨Che threw the disinfectant tray from his hands and shouted, voice shaking with emotion, ¡°How much longer are you going to keep dragging up the past!¡±


    Tears streamed down Owen¡¯s face as he broke down, yelling, ¡°Can¡¯t you see we¡¯ve been trying to make it up to you? Sure, you were wronged¨Cbut haven¡¯t we done everything we could to fix it?¡±


    He grabbed Yunice and shoved her forward, pointing straight at Lily. ¡°Look at mom. Look at her! She¡¯s begging you for mercy¨Ccan¡¯t you see she¡¯s bleeding, crying too? You think you¡¯re the only one who¡¯s been wronged? You think what she¡¯s been through isn¡¯t just as bad?¡±


    Yunice said tly, I never asked for yourpensation. I¡¯ve tried again and again to cut myself out of your lives, but you¡¯re the ones who keep dragging me back. Elsie lost her finger because she had bad intentions. She brought it on herself. That whole thing had nothing to do with me. Whether she can get treatment or not¨Cthat¡¯s not my problem.¡±


    Owen gritted his teeth. ¡°You¡¯re really not going to give an inch?¡±


    Yunice answered, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    The air grew heavy again; only the sound of grinding teeth broke the silence<b>. </b>


    This feeling<b>¨C</b>Yunice knew it too well. It usually meant one thing, when they felt they couldn¡¯t <b>take </b>it anymore, they¡¯d turn to violence.


    ¡°I had no idea the hospital refused to admit her,¡± Yunice said quickly, just before they made a


    move.


    Seeing her back down, Owen thought his threats had worked. His expression eased a little.


    But then Yunice continued, ¡°But l¡¯in guessing Wyatt saw the marks on my neck¨Cthat¡¯s probably why he told the hospital not to take Elsie in.¡±


    Chapter 181 No Mercy


    Finished


    about how much Wyatt cared about her. None of them believed Wyatt would go that far for her.


    Owen said. ¡°I might not know Wyatt, but I sure know you. You don¡¯t understand people, you¡¯ve got no real talent¨Cyeah, you¡¯re pretty, but Silverburgh¡¯s full of beautiful women. What could Wyatt possibly see in you? All that kindness he showed you? He was putting on a show for us, and we all knew it. Do you think we don¡¯t get it? Why lie to us?¡±


    Honestly, it wasn¡¯t surprising Owen didn¡¯t believe her. Even Yunice didn¡¯t know why Wyatt had gone so far to protect her¨Cbut he had.


    He¡¯d treated her better than her own blood, who never stopped preaching about family.


    Yunice nced at Paul, surprised he hadn¡¯t chimed in. Isn¡¯t he always the one shouting <i>the </i><i>loudest</i>?


    But Paul just sat there, quiet, eyes focused like he was lost in thought.


    Yunice noticed how odd he was acting, but now wasn¡¯t the time to ask.


    She checked the time, then said, ¡°Here¡¯s a word of advice, you¡¯d better send me back before Wyatt finds out. Otherwise, Elsie¡¯s the one who¡¯s really going to suffer.


    ¡°Stop waving Wyatt¡¯s name around like it¡¯s a badge of honor. You think-¡± Owen had just raised his voice when Lily suddenly threw her arms around his leg and shook her head.


    Owen frowned. ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t believe her too, do you? What could Wyatt possibly like about her? She¡¯s just riding his coattails; now that she¡¯s climbed thedder, she thinks she can act all high and mighty¨Clike we¡¯re supposed to bow to her or something<b>¡­¡± </b>


    He shot Yunice a defiant look. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s really that tough. You don¡¯t know pain until the knife¡¯s in your own hand. If she lost a finger like Elsie did, then she¡¯d understand what Elsie¡¯s going through!¡±


    Yunice snapped her head toward Owen, voice cold as ice. ¡°You want to break my finger?¡±


    Owen had only meant to scare her. He knew Yunice feared pain; just mentioning it would make her cave and agree to get Elsie the treatment she needed.


    ¡°Yunny, don¡¯t push Owen, Lily pleaded. ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to hurt you¨Cbut we really can¡¯t dy Elsie¡¯s treatment any longer. Owen knows you¡¯re jealous of her<b>; </b>you¡¯ve always wanted to ruin her. But hurting yourself just to get back at her? It¡¯s not worth it¡­ Yunny, please. Let it go.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 182

    Chapter 182 Shattered Pride


    Finished


    Owen furrowed his brow and walked toward Yunice with a look of benevolent concern, hoping she would finally understand that hurting others often meant hurting yourself even more; he didn¡¯t want to keep fighting her, but if she pushed him any further, he really might¡­.


    ¡°Owen, are you seriously about toy a hand on her?¡± A figure darted between them¨CPaul stepped in and stood protectively in front of Yunice.


    Owen¡¯s scheme was cut short; he shoved Paul impatiently. ¡°Get out of the way.¡±


    But Paul didn¡¯t budge. He red at him. ¡°Owen!¡±


    Owen hissed through his teeth, finally snapping, ¡°Whose side are you on? Can¡¯t you tell I was just trying to scare her? If she won¡¯t give in, what happens to Elsie?¡±


    Paul hesitated, then said, ¡°Even if other hospitals turned her away, doesn¡¯t the Saunders family own one? Wouldn¡¯t getting Elsie treated be better than wasting time arguing with Yunice?¡±


    At that, Owen¡¯s face twisted further. He had thought of using their own hospital, but, ¡°Elsie¡¯s hand needs a top¨Ctier specialist, or she¡¯ll havesting damage. Our hospital¡­ just isn¡¯t up to it right.


    now.¡±


    That was the polite version. Yunice had seen the current staff list at Saunders Hospital. Over the years, Owen had pulled strings for Elsie, which had stirred trouble for many of the attending doctors.


    They never said it out loud, but as the hospital¡¯s reputation and performance slipped, the more capable, well¨Cknown doctors had all jumped ship.


    What was left were physicians with unremarkable backgrounds and no drive.


    Owen knew that all too well¨Che¡¯d never risk Elsie¡¯s future on them.


    Still, he wanted Yunice to help. But Paul blocked him and turned to Yunice. ¡°You should go.¡±


    Yunice studied the situation, then left the Saunders family estate without hesitation.


    Owen tried to stop her, but Paul held him back until Yunice disappearedpletely.


    Watching Elsie¡¯sst hope walk away, Owen exploded. ¡°Who do you think you are, ying the hero? First you feed her when she¡¯s just a kid, and now you¡¯re chasing after her like a lovesick. puppy right before her wedding?<b>¡± </b>


    Paul¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°We don¡¯t need her to save Elsie¡¯s <b>hand</b>.¡±


    He continued, ¡°<b>If </b>Silverburgh¡¯s experts won¡¯t help, we¡¯ll find someone from out of town. I¡¯ll get a helicopter¨Csend her there<b>.¡± </b>


    Owen scowled. ¡°You¡¯re <b>not </b>going with her?¡±


    Chapter 182 Shattered Pride


    Finished


    A helicopternded directly in the Saunders family courtyard. Owen and Lily hurried to help Elsie board.


    After Yunice left, Paul didn¡¯t see any sign of her. He figured she¡¯d gone back to the banquet hall and, pretending nothing had happened, drove over to the hotel.


    But the moment he arrived, a bald man pinned him down!


    The ribbon¨Ccutting ceremony had ended, and inside the banquet hall, Jensen was effortlessly working the room, clinking sses with top execs.


    Just one wall away, Paul was being forced to half¨Cbeg for mercy at Wyatt¡¯s feet.


    Paul had never bowed his head to anyone. Now, struggling under the bald man¡¯s grip, his face. turned red with rage.


    Wyatt nced down at him. ¡°Where¡¯s Yunice?¡±


    ¡°How the heck should I know!¡± Paul shot back.


    But even as he said it, he realized¨Chad Yunice note back to the banquet hall?


    People inside were already ncing toward the terrace. Panicking that someone might see him like this, Paul caved. ¡°I took her to the Saunders house, okay? But she left a while ago.¡±


    Then he added, snidely, ¡°I figured she¡¯de crawling back to you. But looks like she couldn¡¯t care less. Ha!¡±


    He¡¯d barely finished before the bald man grabbed him by the cor and smacked his waist with full force. ¡°Out you go!¡±


    The guy was strong¨CPaul stumbled, lost his footing, and went tumbling out the terrace door!


    He tripped on his own pants and hit the ground hard¨Cright in front of a gawking crowd.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, pants half¨Cdown¨Cdude must¡¯ve gotten drunk and couldn¡¯t find the bathroom!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s gotta be the most embarrassing thing I¡¯ve seen all year. Anyone know him?¡±


    Paul stayed face¨Cdown, too mortified to lift his head as the crowd burst intoughter.


    In a sh, he yanked his jacket up to cover his face, scrambled to his feet, and ran off¨Calmost tripping again on his damn pants.


    He fled in humiliation. From the banquet hall, Jensen caught sight of him.


    No one else might recognize that back, but Jensen knew it was his son.


    His expression darkened with fury; he mmed his wine ss down hard.


    Chapter 182 Shattered Pride


    Finished


    On the fourth day, she arrived at Virtue Hall. She pulled out her key, unlocked the rolling shutter, and shoved it up with force.


    The clinic hadn¡¯t opened once


    We she¡¯d been gone.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 183

    Chapter 183 Too Late to Leave


    Finished


    Gill was sound asleep on the camp bed, wrapped up in a nket, when she vaguely heard some rustling nearby.


    She stirred, mumbling as she sat up. ¡°Stupid rat, I¡¯m gonna beat you to death!¡±


    She opened her drowsy eyes¨Cand froze. Yunice was standing nearby, boiling water.


    Yunice pressed the


    button on the kettle, then turned slightly to examine the herbs in the apothecary cab. A slender, pale wrist slipped out from her sleeve and rested against the bronzed wood; the image looked like a painting


    ¡°Ms. Saunders¡­¡± Gill thought she was dreaming.


    Yunice turned around when she heard her. ¡°Did I wake you?¡±


    <i>It </i>really was Yunice! Gill nearly burst into tears. She shuffled off the camp bed in her slippers. ¡°Ms. Saunders, where have you been the past few days? I¡¯ve been going out of my mind!¡±


    She¡¯d known Yunice would definitelye back to the clinic, so she¡¯d stayed here day and night, just to make sure she returned safe and sound.


    Yunice answered calmly, ¡°I went to Quinton to settle a favor.¡±


    Gill pondered. Quinton?


    ¡°He asked me to keep his condition a secret, so I couldn¡¯t contact you these past few days.¡±


    Gill wanted to ask what sort of illness required that kind of secrecy, but Yunice had just said she had to keep it confidential¨Cclearly, it wasn¡¯t something she could share.


    But at least Yunice was okay.


    Thinking back on the chaos of thest three days, Gill blurted out, ¡°The Saunders family and the Powell family have both been looking for you. I heard Elsie¡¯s bones were set, and she was taken back to the Saunders house to recover. Paul still hasn¡¯t gone <b>to </b>see her, and Owen totally blew Even Mr. Jordan called asking where you were¡­¡±


    Yunice quietly sifted through the drawers of herbs, listening to Gill ramble on and on, without responding once.<ol><li>up.</li></ol>


    It wasn¡¯t until Gill finally stopped talking that Yunice spoke up, her voice low. <b>¡°</b><b>Gill</b>, do you have any dreams? Studying, starting a <b>business</b>, getting married?¡±


    Gill was stunned. <i>Why </i>is she suddenly asking about that?


    Yunice set the drawer down and looked at Gill like she¡¯d made up her mind. ¡°Whatever you want to do, I¡¯ll support youpletely. Money, connections¨CI can get them for you.¡±


    Gill brightened. ¡°Ms. Saunders, <b>what </b>happened while you were gone? Did <b>you </b>turn into some


    Chapter 183 Too Late to Leave


    Finished


    Yunice gave a soft grunt. Her expression was stiff as she said. ¡°Quinton owed me a favor. Helping you out is something he can do.


    Sensing something off about her. Gill slowly stopped joking around. She cautiously asked. ¡°Ms. Saunders did something happen? Did those bastards from Owen¡¯s side mess with you again?¡±


    -No. Yunice said. ¡°I just think you¡¯re still young. You should be doing something more meaningful with your life¨Cnot wasting your time with me, worrying every day.¡±


    Gill¡¯s mouth dropped open. She was stunned for a moment before she finally reacted. ¡°Saying/ you wanna help me chase my dreams. Miss, you¡¯re really just trying to get rid of me, aren¡¯t you?


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s exactly what I mean. Yunice lowered her head, rummaging through the drawer of honeysuckle.


    Gill instantly choked up, her voice full of resistance. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. If I go, who¡¯s gonna protect


    you?


    Yunice replied. ¡°Other than being strong enough to block a few bricks for me, what else can you do? With the Saunders family and the Powell family pressuring us, you¡¯re just a punching bag- cannon fodder at best.¡±


    Gill¡¯s pupils trembled. ¡°You¡¯re really saying that about me?¡±


    ¡°Better decide before I change my mind.¡± Yunice said tly. ¡°If you end up beaten to death one day, do you have any idea how much trouble that¡¯d bring me?¡±


    Gill¡¯s throat burned painfully. She stared at Yunice, who hadn¡¯t looked up once. pretending to be busy. Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Yunice¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, did someone say something to you is someone threatening you with me? I know you. Whatever awful things you say to me, they don¡¯t work. I know that even if I really were about to get beaten to death one day, you¡¯d still throw yourself in front of me to protect me¡ªjust like I¡¯d do for you!¡±


    Gill turned Yunice¡¯s face toward her and looked her in the eyes, her voice hoarse. ¡°Ms. Saunders. is it all just too much? The Saunders family, the Powell family¨Cthey¡¯re all ganging up on you. Wyatt¡¯s allegiance is still up in the air. Silverburgh¡¯s turning into a nightmare for you. That¡¯s why you¡¯re scared, isn¡¯t it


    Gill knew better than anyone how much responsibility Yunice carried. What happened thest few times had clearly left a scar on her. That had to be why she wanted Gill to <b>leave</b>.


    If they couldn¡¯t stay in Silverburgh.


    Gill got an idea!


    ¡°Ms. Saunders, let¡¯s leave Silverburgh! Let¡¯s go somewhere far away¨Cabroad, anywhere¨Cwe¡¯ll just get away from all this mess. Nobody¡¯ll ever find us. Didn¡¯t you say Mr. Quinton owes you? Then it shouldn¡¯t be hard for him to get you a fake ID. You¡¯ve got real medical skills¨Cyou could make it anywhere. Why stay here in Silverburgh, tangled up with all these awful people


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    Chapter 184 The Familiar Taste of Home


    Gill¡¯s voice rose sharply, full of confusion. ¡°Why not?¡±


    Finished


    Yunice wasn¡¯t married to Wyatt yet¨Cshe could still walk away from the Saunders family. This was the perfect time to run!


    When Yunice stayed silent, Gill knew there had to be more. ¡°Ms. Saunders, I know you¡¯ve got your own ns, and may


    there¡¯s a lot you can¡¯t tell me, but you¡¯ve got no one backing you; no


    one standing behind you. How could I possibly walk away knowing that?¡±


    Yunice lowered her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not working for my family anymore; we don¡¯t have any rtion.¡±


    Gill stood there quietly for a moment. When it was clear Yunice wasn¡¯t going to change her mind, she sniffled and turned to leave Virtue Hall.


    Footsteps faded into silence. Only then did Yunice slowly lift her eyes, tears brimming in hershes<b>. </b>


    She¡¯d been alone for so long. She couldn¡¯t bear dragging Gill into more danger.


    If something really went wrong, she wouldn¡¯t be able to repay her¡­


    After Gill left, the clinic didn¡¯t see a single patient all day. Yunice busied herself with sorting herbs and reading to pass the time.


    The day slipped by inplete quiet. That night, she curled up on the camp bed Gill had left behind.


    Somehow, that made her feel like she wasn¡¯tpletely alone.


    Even in sleep, she couldn¡¯t rest easy. Her dreams kept circling¨CLauren, the bizarre, chaotic scenes from the asylum.


    Distorted and oppressive images shed through Yunice¡¯s mind. Her body twitched without warning, like it was reacting to real pain.


    It felt like sleep paralysis¨Cher mind was awake, but she couldn¡¯t move.


    Or like she was drowning in wet concrete; every time she pulled one foot free, the other sank deeper. Trying to move only made her lose bnce.


    Her arms got stuck next, and then she was being smothered¨Cmouth and nose sealed off while her limbs were trapped.


    That suffocating feeling pressed in on her; even asleep, her face turned pale from theck of air. Finally, her mind wentpletely nk with a sudden crash.


    She shot upright, gasping, haunted by what she¡¯d just seen.


    Chapter 184 The Familiar Taste of Home


    Finished


    The next day, life carried on in silence. Yunice lived like someone the world had forgotten, she wasn¡¯t in any hurry to step outside.


    and


    The peace wasn¡¯t bad. She sat in the sunlight by the shop¡¯s entrance, sorting herbs. Her hat and mask were pulled snug, but on the ground before her stretched a long shadow.


    Thinking it was a patient, Yunice looked up¨Conly to see Gill, back again.


    Gill was holding a thermos and grinning so wide her eyes disappeared.


    Yunice blinked, about to ask why she¡¯de back, but Gill had already dropped into the seat across from her like nothing ever happened. ¡°You used to love the meatballs the Saunders family made. He¡¯s been swampedtely and figured you¡¯d be craving them, so he taught me how to


    make ¡®em.¡±


    Gill opened the thermos, and the savory aroma instantly filled the air.


    ¡°Try it¨Csee if it tastes just like his,¡± Gill said, smiling as she handed her a spoon..


    Yunice¡¯s brow twitched. She tried to keep a cold expression, but Gill was quicker¨Cshe stuffed at meatball right into Yunice¡¯s mouth.


    Tears always seemed to know when to follow taste.


    The familiar vor hit her tongue, and Yunice couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Was it really so wrong to want someone beside her?


    She wanted someone to stay, to hold her¨Cbut some people couldn¡¯t be relied on. Others didn¡¯t want to protect her. And the ones who truly cared¨Cshe couldn¡¯t bear dragging them into her pain.


    Gill said, ¡°I thought about it all night yesterday. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just one person, and at best I¡¯m cannon fodder. I can¡¯t help you the way Mr. Cooper or Mr. Quinton can. But I still want to stay with you. Like when we were kids¡­¡±


    At those words, the tears Yunice had been holding back finally fell.


    Gill continued, ¡°Hey, good thing I can cook. I¡¯ll open a deli right next to Virtue Hall! Sure, it¡¯s out of the way and foot traffic is light, but that just means I won¡¯t be too busy. I can help watch the clinic too. And whenever you want that taste again, it¡¯ll be right here, waiting for you.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s lips trembled; she looked at Gill with emotion she could no longer hide.


    Gill sighed. ¡°You¡¯ve got your little secrets¨Cfine, keep ¡®em. I don¡¯t know many people in Silverburgh either. I just wanted something that felt like home, close to you. You called me your sister, so I¡¯ve always thought of you as my little sister.¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. She buried her face in Gill¡¯s shoulder and tried not to sob.


    And that was that.


    Chapter 184 The Familiar Taste of Home


    The days passed slowly. Her wedding with Wyatt crept closer and closer. Whether Wyatt genuinely couldn¡¯t find her or just didn¡¯t care to look¨Cno one came to bother her.


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    Chapter 185 This Isn¡¯t That Kind of Asylum


    Finished


    That morning, Yunice packed up some prepared food and left the clinic early, locking up behind her. Gill didn¡¯t ask where she was going, and she didn¡¯t follow.


    Yunice drove off in Gill¡¯s car and headed to a psychiatric hospital..


    This ce was nothing like the private asylum she¡¯d stayed in before. That one catered <b>to </b>the rich, this one was <b>a </b>shelter for refugees with mental illness.


    It was free, which said all there was to say about the resources they had.


    Yunice carefully avoided the messes of feces and urine scattered across the floor as she made her way past patients who reached out at her from where they sat, sprawled on the ground¨Csome clearly unstable, others possibly faking it.


    Eventually, she arrived at a small room. This room was much cleaner and morefortable than. the crowded dormitories outside. It was bright and tidy, with sunlight filtering in.


    Yunice had slipped the staff some money to make sure it stayed this way.


    ¡°Grandma¡­¡± she called softly and had a warm tone.


    The elderly woman sitting by the window turned her head in surprise, reaching out eagerly. ¡°Lauren, it¡¯s been so long! Come here, let me feel your face¡­¡±


    Her name was Melina. Her skin was in decent condition, but her hair had gonepletely white, giving her the appearance of someone well into old age. Her features still held a trace of the grace and softness she must¡¯ve had in her youth¨Cbut those pale, clouded, misshapen eyes made her look uncanny.


    Yunice stepped closer and leaned in so Melina could touch her face.


    Melina¡¯s unseeing eyes stared straight ahead as her coarse fingers gently traced Yunice¡¯s features.


    Then her voice deepened with concern. ¡°You¡¯ve lost weight¡­ Your uncle and aunt aren¡¯t feeding you again, are they?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yunice said with a smile, standing upright and opening the food container. Her voice was calm. ¡°I¡¯m all grown up now. I¡¯ve got a job. My uncle and aunt can¡¯t control me anymore<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Melina let out a sigh of relief as she epted the bowl Yunice handed her. ¡°Lauren, you have to make something of yourself. One day, you¡¯ve got to get even¨Creally get even.<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice looked at her, weighed down by her thoughts, and slowly sat down. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m about to get promoted <b>at </b>work. They¡¯re sending me abroad. The pay will be better, but¡­ if I go overseas, I won¡¯t have time to visit you anymore.¡±


    Melina raised her brows in delight. ¡°A promotion? That¡¯s wonderful! You deserve to <b>soar </b>to new heights!¡±


    Chapter 185 This isn¡¯t That Kind of Asylum


    Finished


    Melina shook her head without hesitation. ¡°No, no. I¡¯m staying right here. I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    Yunice had asked her this many times before. Every time, the answer had been the same.


    Even if she tricked her into moving somewhere nicer, Melina would find a way back here, back to this ce.


    Melina was still smiling, still thrilled about Lauren¡¯s promotion, happily eating the food Yunice had brought. But those sightless eyes¡­ they were deeply unsettling.


    ¡°Yunice.¡± The door burst open without warning. Owen and Paul appeared in the doorway, eyes locked on Yunice.


    She froze, instinctively standing as her brows drew tightly together. How <i>did </i><i>they </i><i>find </i>this ce? <i>Did </i>they spot my <i>car</i>? Just a coincidence?


    Yunice gripped the edge of the table; her fingers tensed with uncertainty. She couldn¡¯t tell what they were here for.


    Before anyone could speak, Melina broke the silence. She set her bowl down and greeted them warmly. ¡°Is that you, Owen and Paul?¡±


    Owen responded with a heavy hum, but his eyes never left Yunice.


    Melina said, ¡°Did I just hear you say Yunice¡¯s name? Lauren talks about her all the time. She says Yunice is her best friend, always looking out for her. Did shee today too?¡±


    Her face glowed with hope; she clearly wanted <b>to </b>thank Yunice in person.


    But Owen was still staring at Yunice. He finally said, ¡°Grandma, Yunice didn¡¯te. We¡¯re here for your granddaughter, Lauren. We heard she¡¯s getting promoted and heading abroad. We came


    to celebrate.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s grip on the table suddenly loosened. A wave of exhaustion washed over her down to her bones. They knew everything. Owen <i>and </i><i>Paul </i>knew it all.


    Melina couldn¡¯t see. She really thought these men were Lauren¡¯s friends.


    But Owen¡¯s gaze was suffocating. He was daring Yunice. <i>Are </i><i>you </i><i>really </i>going to <i>keep </i>hiding <i>here</i>?


    Yunice drew <b>a </b>slow breath, then spoke in her dialect. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m going to meet with my friends. I¡¯lle see you next time.¡±


    She clenched her fists and hurried out of the hospital.


    It wasn¡¯t until she ducked into a deserted alley that she finally turned and exploded. ¡°You two cling to me like maggots on a bone. When are you going to <b>stop</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Owen wasn¡¯t impressed with her outburst. ¡°I looked into your time at the asylum. I know everything about you and Lauren. If you want to keep screaming<b>, </b><b>go </b>ahead.¡±


    Chapter 185 This Isn¡¯t That Kind of Asylum


    Owen took her back to the Saunders mansion. On the way, Yunice nced at Paul in the passenger <b>seat</b>..


    Her expression said it all. <i>Why </i>did <i>you </i><i>bring </i>him?


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    Chapter 186 The Secret Exposed


    Finished


    Owen was clearly displeased with her. ¡°It was the Powell family who found out about this. If Paul hadn¡¯te to me personally, I¡¯d have never known you were capable of something so insane!¡±


    Yunice frowned, saying nothing. But deep down, she felt a wave of relief; so it was the Powell family investigating her.


    As long as no one had betrayed her, she could live with that. Over the years, she¡¯d found it harder and harder to trust anyone.


    When Owen called her to his study, Yunice had assumed he¡¯d finally grown a brain¨Crealizing some things were better said in private than in front of others. But the moment she stepped into the room, she saw everyone was already there.


    Lily, whose knee was injured, was seated. Elsic, her fingers wrapped in bandages, stood behind


    her.


    The moment Yunice walked in, the two of them looked at her with aplicated mix of sympathy and difort¨Clike they pitied her, but also didn¡¯t know how to talk about it.


    That one look told Yunice everything, the secret she¡¯d buried deepest was no longer a secret.


    Paul came in behind her with Owen, who turned around and locked the door.


    ¡°There¡¯s no outsiders here,¡± Owen said. ¡°You don¡¯t have


    to worry about this getting out.¡±


    Yunice felt a sharp stab in her chest. These people were the outsiders.


    She sneered. ¡°So, you all know now?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s voice was filled with sympathy. ¡°Yunice, if Owen hadn¡¯t told us himself, we never would¡¯ve known something so horrible happened to you. We really feel for you.


    Owen added, ¡°Elsie cried so hard when she heard, her eyes are all swollen. And her hand¡¯s still hurt; if she keeps crying like that, it¡¯ll slow down the healing.¡±


    He meant it as a way to show Yunice that the family cared about her; that they were worried for her.


    But Yunice remained cold and numb. ¡°If you knew it would upset her, why did you tell her in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t be mad at Owen. I kept asking him. I¡¯m part of this family too. I just wanted to help Elsie looked at her with red, tear¨Cfilled eyes, like she was scared Yunice mightsh out


    Of course, Owen jumped in to defend her. ¡°Elsie¡¯s <b>just </b>worried about you. Don¡¯t be so ungrateful!¡±


    Then he turned to soothe Elsie, ¡°Don¡¯t cry anymore. You love looking pretty, if <b>it </b>affects how your <b>hand </b>heals, <b>that¡¯s </b><b>not </b>worth it.¡±


    Chapter 186 The Secret Exposed


    Finished


    Paul stepped up, dabbing at Elsie¡¯s tears with a tissue. ¡°Her heart¡¯s made of stone. You cry for her. and she won¡¯t appreciate a damn thing.¡±


    See? They said she¡¯d been called in so they could help her, but the moment Elsie shed a couple of tears, the whole room revolved around her again.


    And of course, they had to throw in a jab¨Csaying she was ungrateful.


    Yunice gave a mockingugh. ¡°Are her tears some kind of magic potion? She cries a little and suddenly I¡¯m supposed to get on my knees and thank her?¡±


    Owen shot her a re, but she kept going. ¡°Cry, cry, cry¨Cthat¡¯s all she ever does. She¡¯s bawled away every ounce of good luck in this house! If a few tears could magically fix my life, then sure -I¡¯ll drop to my knees and thank her myself!¡±


    That shut Elsie up instantly. If she kept crying, it¡¯d seem too performative; but if she stopped, it would look calcted.


    Owen, too, seemed to realize¨Cmaybe for the first time¨Cthat crying wasn¡¯t going to fix anythin


    Paul narrowed his eyes at Yunice. ¡°You need to tone it down. We¡¯re all here to help you fix this, not be your emotional punching <b>bags</b>.


    ¡°Help me?¡± Yunice slowly shook her head, as if she¡¯d just heard the biggest joke of her life.


    If they really wanted to help, they would¡¯ve kept their mouths shut the moment they found out. Not gone around spreading it under the guise of concern until everyone knew.


    She wished she could bury her head in the sand. The nightmare she couldn¡¯t outrun, night after night, had now been handed¨Con a silver tter to the people who relished seeing her fall.


    Elsie and <i>Lily</i>? Their mouths were poisoned. They¡¯d love nothing more than to pin her to the pir of


    shame.


    There was no way they¡¯d keep any of this to themselves.


    And Paul and Own?Those two lost <i>their </i>minds the moment emotions got involved. What kind of secrets could they <i>keep</i>? Oren actually thought locking the study door and sealing the windows shat meant <i>her </i>secrets wouldn¡¯t leak?


    The truth was, it had already spilled out like water through a sieve. Owen looked at her like she was some rebellious troublemaker, but no matter how reckless or defiant Yunice was<b>, </b>she was still his uster¡ªstill a part of the Saunders family.


    One day. Oscar would return, and Owen would have to answer to him.


    So Yunice¡¯s mess had to be dealt with


    He said darkly. ¡°Lauren was the scapegoat you chose for yourself, wasn¡¯t she?¡±


    She¡¯d been prepared for it, but hearing Lauren¡¯s name still made her pupils tremble


    Chapter 186 The Secret Exposed


    Finished


    Secing Yunice ring at him without a trace of regret, Owen continued, ¡°You were afraid the truth behind Lauren¡¯s death woulde out, so you kept pretending to be her to visit Melina, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Yunice snapped, her voice sharp and forceful, like she was finally letting it all out.


    Owen fired back, ¡°No? What do you mean? I¡¯ve already visited Madam Melina a few times. She still thinks we¡¯re Lauren¡¯s friends; she still doesn¡¯t know Lauren died in your ce!¡±


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    Chapter 187 The Scapegoat


    Finished


    As he spoke, Owen tossed a handful of candy onto the desk. His eyes turned red; he was clearly moved. ¡°Melina even praised you. She said even though she¡¯s never met you, she just knows your must be a good kid. She even asked me to bring you some candy!¡±


    His nose tingled with emotion, but when he saw Yunice still standing there stiffly like a piece of wood, he couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. Furious, he grabbed her and pushed her toward the desk, forcing her to look at the candy.


    ¡°She saved these one by one for you¨Csaid you¡¯re picky and only eat the good stuff. Do you know how much effort it took for a blind woman in a ce like that to stash these away? Do you even think about Lauren¡¯s face every time you visit her? Doesn¡¯t it eat at you at all?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s throat tightened as she stared at the candy.


    Melina was blind¨Chow could she even tell which ones were good? But these candies were clean, high¨Cend, expensive.


    She must¡¯ve tried everything, asked person after person, filtered through them all just to set aside these few for her.


    Yunice¡¯s fingers curled inward as she gently gathered the candies together, her voice low and quiet. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Owen¡¯s brows locked in a hard frown. Everything was right there in front of her, and she still wouldn¡¯t admit it?


    He snapped, ¡°You think if you just deny it, no one wille after you? The investigation records. from the psych ward are crystal clear¨CLauren was only outside that day because of you! You tricked her into taking your turn outside, made her carry your bag, and that¡¯s why those lunatics mistook her for you. That¡¯s why they picked her for that game of human pyramid! She was young: she didn¡¯t even know how to y. And just like that, she died in your ce¡­¡±


    Owen was full of guilt and regret.


    Yunice gave a bitter smile and replied, ¡°So, since I had experience, I should¡¯ve been the one to


    die


    Owen choked on his words; he realized his phrasing had been all wrong. He¡¯d been through that pile¨Cup himself. How could anyone call it a game? I was abuse and torment.


    Just because Yunice didn¡¯t die the first time it happened didn¡¯t mean they had to keep making her their target<b>. </b>


    If they hadn¡¯t gotten the wrong person that day, then Yunice might have been the one who died


    instead.


    A heavy pressure sank into Owen¡¯s chest. He still thought Yunice bore some responsibility, but maybe not as much as he¡¯d thought


    Chapter 187 The Scapegg


    Finished


    Elsie, ever <b>the </b>peacemaker, spoke up gently, ¡°<b>Yunice</b>, of course you feel guilty. I knew you would that¡¯s why I went to see Lauren¡¯s rtives yesterday and gave them somepensation. You don¡¯t have to carry this alone


    She hadn¡¯t finished before Yunice cut her off with a sharp re. ¡°Who did you go see?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elsie let out a startled gasp, as if Yunice¡¯s tone had frightened her. She clutched her injured hand and immediately ducked behind Paul.


    Paul ¡®moved to shield her, snapping coldly, ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, don¡¯t even think aboutying a finger on Elsie again!¡±


    Yunice ignored him like he didn¡¯t exist. Her eyes stayed locked on Elsie. ¡°You went to see Lauren¡¯s uncle and aunt? And you gave thempensation?¡±


    Owen stepped in to block her. ¡°Elsie meant well. Lauren died in your ce¨Cour family should be the one to make it right. Elsie knew you¡¯d never swallow your pride to do it yourself, so she did it for you. You should be thanking her.¡±


    ¡°I should be thanking her. ¡°Yunice said¨Cand without warning, pped Elsie across the face. Paul didn¡¯t even have time to react.


    No one had expected Yunice tosh out so suddenly.


    ¡°You know why I hit you?¡± she barked, halting both Owen and Paul in their tracks as they moved to defend Elsie.


    ¡°You all focused on how Lauren died, but did any of you bother to ask why she was sent to the psych ward in the first ce? Her eyes bore into Elsie.


    Elste held her cheek, tears brimming in her eyes, her expression full of helpless grievance. ¡°She was mentally ill


    Owen scolded Yunice too. ¡°What are you getting Lauren was institutionalized?¡±


    at? Are you saving there was some other reason


    ¡°Just because someone¡¯s in a psych ward doesn¡¯t automatically mean they¡¯re mentally ill,¡± Yunice said, turning to face Owen head¨Con.


    Owen fell silent. He knew that wasn¡¯t true. Yunice herself had beenmitted on a forged diagnosis.


    She¡¯d been perfectly sane.


    Wait. Owen¡¯s eyes widened with realization ¡°Lauren¡¯s uncle and aunt forged documents to get hermitted?¡±


    Notpletely brain¨Cdead after all. Yunice curled her lips into a cold smile. ¡°Lauren was an orphan. Her uncle and aunt were her legal guardians. They treated her like freebor. Then one day. when their kid got <b>into </b>trouble, they used <b>Lauren </b>as the scapegoat. That¡¯s how she ended up that institution.<b>¡± </b>


    Chapter 187 The Scapegoat


    Owen hesitated. ¡°Even so, they were still her legal guardians. Elsie going to them withpensation wasn¡¯t technically wrong.¡±


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    Chapter 188 Don¡¯t Pretend It¡¯s Charity


    Finished


    ¡°If you¡¯re so determined topensate someone,¡± Yunice said bluntly, ¡°why notpensate Melina directly?¡± She exposed them without hesitation. ¡°When Lauren died, the Drake family took a sum of money and walked away. They never cared about her. So why should they getpensated? They don¡¯t deserve it. That


    not kindness¨Cthat¡¯s enabling the wicked.¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t reply, choosing instead to defend Elsie. ¡°Elsie didn¡¯t know the full story. She didn¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    ¡°No harm?¡± Yunice¡¯s eyes locked onto Elsie. ¡°She¡¯s the worst of you all!¡±


    She stared her down, voice rising with each word. ¡°Everyone knows the Drake family treated Lauren like garbage. If you could dig up information on them, then you must have seen what kind of people they are. And instead of feeling outraged, you hand thempensation like a reward. Are you praising them for what they did? Or are you just hoping they¡¯lle after me


    next?¡±


    Elsie let out a shocked little gasp, startled by the usation. She pushed away from Paul¡¯s protective embrace, flustered and eager to exin. ¡°It¡¯s not like that! I didn¡¯t say anything! They still don¡¯t know Lauren died in your ce¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice cut in like a de. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again¨CLauren didn¡¯t die in my ce. Don¡¯t try to trap


    me.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes darted, avoiding her gaze as she subtly slid her phone behind her back¨Crecording. But Yunice had been too sharp, too guarded. She hadn¡¯t given them even a sliver of evidence.


    Owen, of course, had no idea Elsie was recording. He still jumped to defend her. ¡°Elsie didn¡¯t lie. I did tell her about your situation, but I made it clear¨Cnobody¡¯s allowed to leak anything.¡±


    Elsie chimed in earnestly. ¡°That¡¯s right, Yunice. Your reputation is tied to the Saunders family¡¯s reputation. I¡¯d never say a word.¡±


    She¡¯s <i>the </i>most <i>likely </i>one to spill it all.


    Yunice said tly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend. The less you do, the safer we all are. But now that you¡¯ve gone and delivered gifts to the Drake family, with their greedy nature, they¡¯ve probably already set their sights on our family. When theye knocking, are you all going to throw me under the bus to calm things down again?¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°Well<i>, </i>you caused this mess! Are we wrong to try and fix it?¡±


    Lily, who¡¯d been silent until now, quietly added, ¡°Yunny, if we really wanted to throw you under the bus, why would we go out of our way to speak up on your behalf?¡±


    Madam Lily.¡± Yunice sneered, ¡°do you really think that¡¯s fair to say? The Powell family¡¯s usations were just a few days ago¨Cdid you forget <b>that </b>already?¡±


    They were always willing to protect her over small things<b>; </b>but once things got serious, she¡¯d be the first one offered up <b>as </b><b>a </b>scapegoat.


    chapter 108 Don¡¯t Pretend It¡¯s Charity


    Finished


    When Lily lowered her head in shame, Yunice continued, her voice heavy with irony. ¡°Lauren¡¯s death was already closed and buried. No one cared. Yet here you are, digging it back up just to pin the me on me. You stirred up the Drake family and pointed them straight at the Saunders family¨Creal clever of you.¡±


    Owen was speechless, suddenly struck by how dangerous things really were.


    He¡¯d signed off on Lauren¡¯s autopsy report himself. He¡¯d seen the true nature of the Drake fa -shameless and ruthless, willing to stoop to anything-


    Owen hesitated. ncing at Elsie. His look clearly carried a hint of me. When Paul first brought up Lauren, Owen had originally wanted to keep it buried.


    After all, so much time had passed. No one was going to reopen that wound. But it was Elsie who kept preaching about conscience, saying they couldn¡¯t stay silent just because no one else knew.


    She even threw it back at him¨Casked if he wanted to be as heartless and cold¨Cblooded as Yunice.


    He¡¯d been provoked, and that¡¯s what led him to agree to let her take the money to the Drake famil


    But now that he thought about it, they hadpletely oveplicated something that could¡¯ve stayed simple.


    Sensing Owen¡¯s shifting me, Elsie scrambled to fix things. ¡°Going to the Drake family was my mistake. I didn¡¯t think it through. The person I should¡¯ve made amends to first was Madam Melina. I¡¯ll go to her right now and apologize¡­


    Whether it was ignorance or just poor timing, Lily actually nodded in agreement and took off a jade bracelet, handing it to Elsie. ¡°Bring some valuable things with you.


    Elsie was moved. ¡°Mom, this was <b>a </b>gift from dad. You¡¯ve never even let anyone touch it


    neve


    The ¡°Dad¡± in her mouth was Will. Ever sinceing into the Saunders family, she really had started acting like his rightful daughter. The worst part was no one thought anything was wrong


    with that


    Lily stroked the bracelet in her hand, her voice soft and solemn. Take it. If it helps clear Yunny name, dad would¡¯ve wanted that.¡±


    ¡°Mom,¡± Owen said, clearly reluctant to see Lily sacrifice something so important, ¡°I¡¯ll find something better to offer Madam Melina. We can¡¯t give away that bracelet.¡±


    But Lily¡¯s eyes welled with tears. ¡°We already lost a jade banglest timepensating Mr Quinton. The Saunders family took a massive hit from that. There¡¯s no money left to buy anything better.¡±


    Owen frowned, already eyeing Yunice.


    If Yunice would just hand over her father¡¯s medical notes, he could sell them to the rescim institute¨Cand that would more than make up for the S

 Daghter 189

    Chapter 189 y With Fire


    Finished


    ¡°Yunice-¡± Owen turned around, just about to speak to her¨Conly to find the spot where she¡¯d been standing was now empty. He froze, scanning the room, until his gazended on his expensive desk¨Cthen he shouted, voice sharp with rm, ¡°Yunice! What the heck are you doing!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes shot toward his direction.


    Yunice was standing on the desk¨Cnearly waist¨Chigh off the ground¨Chauling a heavy wooden chair in her hands, staring intently up at the ceiling¡¯s decorative paneling. Nobody knew what she was up to; they just thought she looked dangerously unhinged.


    Before anyone could stop her, before anyone could reach up and pull her down, Yunice suddenly swung the heavy chair over her head¨Cand smashed it into the ceiling.


    With a thunderous crash, chunks of ster and dust rained down; everyone instinctively dove toward Elsie, terrified she¡¯d get hit.


    Yunice didn¡¯t stop. She mmed the chair into the ceiling again and again¨Cuntil a loud metallic sound rang out.


    In the midst of the dust and debris, Owen¡¯s panicked voice cut through. ¡°Yunice! What are you doing? That¡¯s the gas line! If you rupture it, we¡¯re all dead!¡±


    Almost instantly, a sharp hiss filled the room as the gas valve cracked. The collective gasp from everyone was nearly lost beneath the sound of Yunice¡¯s ragged breathing.


    She stood on the desk, clutching the stool in her hand, smiling darkly at what she¡¯d done.


    Owen rushed to the study¡¯s door, fumbling to unlock it but because it had been bolted from the inside, he struggled. His hands were clumsy; the door wouldn¡¯t budge.


    Paul and Lily held tightly onto Elsie, dragging her as far from the leak as they could.


    <i>But </i>what good was distance?


    All it would take was one spark<b>, </b>one burst of static¨Cand none of them would make it out alive.


    Yunice <b>stood </b>in the thickest cloud of <b>gas</b><b>, </b>watching the others scatter like terrified vermin.


    ¡°You¡¯re the ones who wanted me dead,¡± she said with a crooked, half¨Cmad smile.


    Owen shouted, ¡°Yunice, what are you saying? That¡¯s crazy talk! Get down right now¨Cit could


    blow


    any second!¡±


    The sudden concern caught her off guard. <i>So </i>he actually did care about me? A littler <i>But </i>what does that matter now? <i>No </i>one is getting out of this room alive.


    Owen kept struggling with the door¨Cuntil he realized the key was missing.


    Chapter 189 y With Fire


    Finished


    Yunice finally jumped down from the desk. Her voice was clear and cold. ¡°You all insisted on going to Madam Melina. Then I¡¯ll just have to make sure you never leave.¡±


    Paul was filled with both rage and fear. He shouted, ¡°What the heck is wrong with you? We went to Madam Melina for you! To help you!¡±


    Yunice yanked Elsie out of his arms in one sudden move. Paul started to block her, but she raised her other hand¨Crevealing a lighter¨Cand stared him down.


    Owen shouted, ¡°Nobody moves! Static sparks could set this whole ce off! Yunice, calm down!¡±


    Elsie was frozen in Yunice¡¯s grasp, trembling in pure terror.


    She was certain Yunice would light it. With the gas this thick, even if it didn¡¯t kill them instantly, it would tear them apart.


    Dragging Elsie with her, Yunice turned to face the others. ¡°Madam Melina only has one thing left in her life¨CLauren. If she lives the rest of her life in peace, then fine. But if any of you go stirring. things up in front of her and let her find out Lauren¡¯s dead¨Cthis is what you¡¯ll get.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want us to see Madam Melina?¡± Owen raised both hands in the air, trying to calm her. ¡°Okay. Give me the key first. We¡¯ll talk, alright?¡±


    Yunice tightened her grip on Elsie. ¡°No.¡±


    Yunice pondered. After <i>all </i><i>these </i>years of empty <i>promises</i><i>, </i><i>you </i>think I¡¯d still <i>fall </i><i>for </i>that?


    Elsie¡¯s legs were giving out, her body sinking lower as she cried and called for her mother.


    Lily¡¯s fingers twitched, trying to inch closer and save her daughter¨Conly to be stopped again by Yunice and her lit lighter.


    Lily broke down, sobbing<b>. </b>¡°Yunice! Don¡¯t underestimate a mother¡¯s determination to protect her child!¡±


    She¡¯d do anything for Elsie.


    She¡¯d forgotten, in that moment, that the person she was treating like an enemy¨Cwas her child<ol start="100"><li>100.</li></ol>


    But Yunice had no time for sentiment. The gas concentration was rising <b>fast</b>; her time was running out,


    She stared Lily down. ¡°And don¡¯t underestimate the resolve of someone with nothing left to lose.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll protect Madam Melina no matter what. None of you can keep your mouths shut¨Cthen you might <b>as </b>well shut them forever.¡±


    Yunice moved as if she were about to spark the lighter.


    Everyone screamed and ducked, ready to beg her for mercy if <b>that¡¯s </b>what it would take.


    Chapter 189 y With Fire


    no one will say a word about any of this!¡±


    Finished


    Yunice finally looked at him. ¡°Then swear all of you will take this secret to the grave¨Cbecause if anyone talks, Elsie will never die in peace.¡±


    The moment the words left her mouth, everyone¡¯s face changed.


    They thought Yunice had gone too far¨Ctoo cruel.

 Daghter 190

    Chapter 190 Swear on Her Life


    They all truly cared about Elsie; swearing something like that felt like inviting a curse.


    Finished


    <b>But </b>Owen was thinking further ahead. He took the lead and swore, ¡°Fine. If any of us breaks this promise, then¡­ then Elsie won¡¯t die a peaceful death.¡±


    He naively believed no one would ever purposely reveal Yunice¡¯s secret. So to him, making a vow


    didn¡¯t


    like that seem like a big deal. The moment he forced out thest word, Yunice finally threw


    <b>him </b>the key.


    Owen rushed to unlock the door. Paul and Lily quickly grabbed Elsie and hurried out.


    Yunice was thest to leave the study. On the staircase, from inhaling too much gas, Lily and Elsie clung weakly to the railing, barely able to stand.


    Paul was breathing hard¨Chaving just escaped death¨Cand sneered as he aimed a <b>jab </b>at Yunice. ¡°So in the <b>end</b>, you got scared too. I don¡¯t <b>think </b>you ever had the guts to kill anyone.¡±


    Yunice smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m legally insane. I can kill without punishment. Three years ago, I didn¡¯t stab Elsie to death. Tell me¨Cthree yearster, do you think I¡¯d hesitate to stab you?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Your <b>mental </b>illness certificate is fake. One look into it and they¡¯ll know.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Then let¡¯s wait until after you¡¯re dead and your dad can investigate.¡±


    Paul stared her down, for a second genuinely tempted to tackle her.


    She used to keep her head low around him, obedient and submissive.


    <i>Who </i>gave her <i>the </i>nerve <i>to </i>act so arrogant <i>now</i>? He rolled up his sleeves, eyes shing with a heavy. silent threat. ¡°Then let¡¯s see who kills who first<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Lily leaned against the stairs, eyes cold as she watched¨Clike she was hoping Yunice would finally be taught a <b>lesson</b>.


    Now that the gas had dispersed enough to not blow them all sky¨Chigh, Yunice¡¯s threat no longer held power.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± Owen <b>had </b>juste <b>back </b>with outside help.


    He rushed in and forced the two apart.


    Paul wasn¡¯t ready to let it go. ¡°She almost killed us in there! And you¡¯re still letting her off easy?¡±


    Owen kept his voice steady. ¡°Yunice does deserve a reckoning<i>. </i>But I don¡¯t want anyone else getting hurt.¡±


    He nced warily at Yunice. Her psychiatric file had been forged by him. If she really harmed Paul, that forged report woulde back to <b>haunt </b>him


    3:05 PM <b>ct </b>ct.


    Chapter 190 Swear on Her Life


    Finished


    Owen had never imagined the fake record he created would one day turn into the very chain. shackling him.


    She strutted down the stairs, unbothered, while everyone else red at her like they wanted to tear her apart.


    But everyone knew¨Cfighting a mentally ill person, no matter who won or lost, only left them looking like fools.


    Because someone dered legally insane wasn¡¯t responsible for their actions.


    Only when she stood face¨Cto¨Cface with Owen again did Yunice finally speak. ¡°I know an oath won¡¯t really shut your mouths, but I swear¨Cif anything happens to Madam Melina, Elsie won¡¯t die peacefully.¡±


    Elsie went pale. Lily snapped, ¡°There are plenty of people who know what happened. Why are you only going after Elsie?¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Because you all care about her. For her sake, I know you¡¯ll go to any length to keep everyone else quiet.¡±


    No one could argue with that. They just red at her with eyes full of hatred.


    Yunice kept thatposed, calcted smile on her face, even though inside, it stung like a ton of bricks.


    These were the people she used to be closest to<b>¨C</b><b>now </b>they all wanted her dead. And still, she couldn¡¯t utter <b>a </b>single word of grievance. She could only stand here, banished to the other side.


    She added, ¡°Even if Madam Melina learns about Lauren, all I¡¯m facing is a moral dilemma. But for you all? It¡¯s Elsie¡¯s life. So before you run your mouths, think hard about which matters more<b>.</b>¡±


    Elsie¡¯s hands trembled with rage. She¡¯d finally gotten her hands on something to use against Yunice; she¡¯d nned to use Madam Melina¡¯s life as leverage¨Cto make Yunice bend to her will. But <b>now</b>, <b>that </b>mental illness certificate <b>had </b>turned into Yunice¡¯s shield.


    to stop


    But the road was long. Her mouth still worked. <i>Did </i>Yunice really <i>think </i>a threat would <i>be </i>enough to


    me


    When Yunice walked out of the Saunders mansion, not <b>a </b>single person tried to stop her.


    It wasn¡¯t until she was halfway down the street that Owen ran after her. ¡°Your wedding with Wyatt. is almost here. Oscar already got the message¨Che¡¯ll be back soon. So behave yourself until then. Don¡¯t go running <b>off</b>. <b>You </b>won¡¯t be able to get away with anything once he¡¯s here.¡±


    Yunice ignored him and walked straight out the gate.


    She could feel eyes burning into her back. Spinning around without warning, she caught sight of two heads ducking behind a wall.


    The Drake couple


    Chapter 10 sweat on Her Life


    suspicious. Especially the greedy, conniving Drake family.


    Yunice turned <b>away </b>again.


    Finished


    Silencing the Saunders family wasn¡¯t enough. Oaths and threats might work temporarily¨Cbut they were just psychological weapons. In the end, they wouldn¡¯t hold forever.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 191

    Chapter 191 Old Enemies, New Trouble


    Finished


    Fortunately, the Drake couple didn¡¯t notice her¨CYunice¡¯s clothes were far too in for people like them, who had no interest in anyone poor and powerless.


    After Yunice left, the Drakes still lingered near the Saunders estate.


    Inside the living room, Owen stared at the wrecked room and drew in a long, heavy breath. In the end, he warned everyone, ¡°For Elsie¡¯s safety, no one is to mention Lauren again. We¡¯re not going to provoke the Drakes or Melina¨Cpretend none of this ever happened.¡±


    Eyes red, Elsie said softly, ¡°Owen¡­ it¡¯s all my fault. I dragged everyone into this¡­¡±


    Owen replied, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as dragging anyone down. Yunny¡¯s family. We should¡¯ve kept her secret safe.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Elsie bit her lip, stunned that Owen was still standing by Yunice.


    Owen looked toward his destroyed study and said coldly, ¡°Oscar¡¯s due back any day now. Once he returns, he¡¯ll deal with her.¡±


    Elsie frowned. She wasn¡¯t sure if Oscar¡¯s return was a good thing or a bad one.


    Oscar was the eldest of the Saunders siblings. When Elsie married into the family, Oscar had just left to join a research program.


    The project was rigorous and highly confidential¨Che wouldn¡¯t be allowed home for five years.


    All Elsie knew was that Oscar was stern and inflexible. Given that he¡¯d spent more time with Yunice than anyone else, would his return make things harder for her?


    just then, Paul got a phone call¨Che had to leave.


    Elsie walked him out, only to find a red Mercedes G¨Css parked outside the Saunders estate.


    Taylor leaned against the door, one hand hooked on the handle. She swung her long legs down from the car, her red lips and tailored coat glowing against her dark curls¨Ca radiant,manding presence.


    Elsie clung to Paul¡¯s arm and whispered, ¡°Paul¡­ is Ms. Taylor here to seduce you?¡±


    Paul¡¯s brow furrowed, his voice cold, ¡°Taylor, quit wasting your time. I¡¯ll never be into you.¡±


    Taylor snorted, raising an eyebrow. ¡°You think I like you? I go for men with presence, courage, broad shoulders, a tapered waist, and long legs. You know¨CWyatt Cooper types¡±


    She gave Paul an obvious once¨Cover, her gaze dripping with scorn. ¡°You have any of that?¡±


    Of all people, she had to name Wyatt. Paul clenched his bat


    But no matter how angry he rot. Tavlor had both the Kendall and Powell families behind her.


    3.05 PM c d


    Chapter 191 Old Enemies. New Trouble


    Taylor pointed her chin toward the car. ¡°Get in. Mr. Jackson¡¯s waiting.¡±


    She tossed a look Elsie¡¯s way before opening the car door and climbing in.


    Elsie shrank behind Paul, just one nce from Taylor made her fingers ache.


    But this time. Paul didn¡¯tfort her. ¡°Go back inside. Elsie. I need to deal with Taylor.¡±


    Elsie froze, watching Paul get in the car with her.


    They chatted easily in the car for a while, and then it drove off, washing from her sight.


    Inside, Paul buckled his seatbelt while jabbing at Taylor, ¡°How¡¯d you know I was at the Saunders ce? Were you following me?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Taylorughed. ¡°You¡¯re not that hard to figure out. I don¡¯t need to follow you.¡±


    Paul gave her a sidelong nce, tapping the window with his fingers.


    Taylor added. ¡°Mr. Jackson asked me to let you know our wedding will be on the same day as Wyan¡¯s. He called you here today for a prenuptial health screening.


    She nced sideways at him. ¡°I don¡¯t just marry anyone, you know.¡±


    Paul scoffed. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Meanwhile, Yunice drove with a heavy heart. She had thought about it over and over¨CMelina was a time bomb.


    Lauren hadn¡¯t exactly died because of her, but.. if you looked closely, Yunice had yed a role in


    That¡¯s why she was fulfilling Lauren¡¯s final wish¨Cdoing her best to care for Melina in her ce.


    Thankfully, Melina was blind. She¡¯d touched Yunice¡¯s face many times and long since epted her as Lauren


    Even if someone showed up talking nonsense, as long as Yunice didn¡¯t admit anything, Melina probably wouldn¡¯t believe them.


    That thought brought Yunice somefort.


    Just then, the phone on the passenger seat rang


    an unfamiliar number. She hesitated, then picked it up.


    A t, emotionless voice care through- was Wyatt. ¡°Come to the hospital.¡±


    Yunice blinked ¡°Are you hurt? Sick?


    Chapter 191 Old Enemies, New Trouble


    A pause on the other end, then. ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    Wyatt followed with a warning. ¡°Don¡¯t defy me twice.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t forgotten how she¡¯d ditched him at the banquet hallst time.


    Finished


    ¡°¡­Got it.¡± Wyatt wasn¡¯t someone you wanted to provoke. Yunice turned the wheel and made a U-


    Turn.


    At the hospital, as soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she ran into Jordan¨Calready waiting for her at the door.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 192

    Chapter 192 Massages and Misfires.


    Finished


    Jordan approached with a perfectly polite, professional smile and handed Yunice a thick stack of papers. ¡°Ms, Saunders, here you go.¡±


    Yunice looked down and saw a brown words ¡°Premarital


    Medical Exam¡± stamped across the velope full of documents¨Cwith the


    top.


    She blinked. ¡°We¡¯re doing a physical exam before marriage?¡±


    She¡¯d thought people like these powerhouses usually just skipped everything except the marriage license and the wedding <b>night</b>.


    Jordan replied, ¡°It¡¯s best to be sure. That way Wyatt¡¯s at case, and you are too¨Cright?¡±


    True, Yunice thought. Wyatt probably just wanted to make sure she was clean. In this day and age, it made sense to check.


    ¡°Wyatt¡¯s over there,¡± Jordan said, gesturing.


    Yunice followed his hand and spotted a <b>tall </b>figure, head and shoulders above the back of the bench..


    She hesitated, then leaned in to ask, ¡°Do we really have to wait in line for a premarital exam<b>?</b>¡±


    Shouldn¡¯t someone like Wyatt be able to wave his hand and summon an entire streamlined. service staff just for the two of them?


    ¡°Ms. Saunders<b>,¡± </b>Jordan replied solemnly, ¡°as citizens, we <b>must </b>uphold public order and refrain. from abusing our privileges. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±


    Yunice gave him a look like he¡¯d lost his mind, then turned away and headed toward Wyatt with the paperwork.


    Unfortunately, Wyatt had his arms crossed and his eyes closed¨Cshe couldn¡¯t tell whether he was actually asleep or just resting.


    Yunice nced at the long <b>line </b>ahead. It would be a while before their turn came, so she didn¡¯t wake <b>him</b><b>. </b><b>She </b><b>sat </b>beside <b>him </b>and started <b>scanning </b>the medical forms.


    Just then, a man¡¯s voice nearby¨Cgrating and unfiltered¨Ccut through her thoughts.


    ¡°She¡¯s loose and saggy now, I¡¯d rather do it myself than touch her. When she <b>was </b>pregnant, her neck<b>, </b>armpits, and chest turned ck. I swear, it was disgusting. She gained 50 pounds! I had to lift her belly just to¨Cugh, forget it, I couldn¡¯t even get <b>in</b>¡­¡±


    Yunice grimaced, eyebrows scrunching in revulsion. She nced <b>up </b><b>and </b><b>saw </b>a <b>slick</b>¨C<b>haired</b>, wiry man with a leather portfolio under his arm plop down in the row <b>ahead</b>.


    Holding back the urge to gag, she lowered her eyes and focused on the exam forms, trying to


    tune him out.


    3:05 PM <b>? </b>? ¨C


    Ste


    Pinice jumper stock.


    Exprescoes. be calmly lowered the leg bed fun used to incl


    The song of draus bad shithed of coat, and the man on the pinone hand gune Iv


    them pitame fr


    who had bel


    But when the locked eve


    People around them he whispering and posting. The man tried, mom bew


    Pacam was mood someone to mess with be found a bean fe


    ¡°Was be bothering


    wem velked, voice low.


    The locks had been to cite werk pun cuer good leg, The visi?


    -v?rda jim carrer, he sail sent the g


    Wyatt rubbed the bridge of his mose. ¡°I w


    Yumice


    nice bitmker. m. surprised. It was mate for Wes¨Cshow aw potion in Sean of Them


    ¡°Want me to gre


    Wyat gave a soft grunt, Setting


    When he opened his eyes a muentter he found


    attunement A?IPSUITE,


    the web between his thumb and index finger with her small fronts.


    ¡°Seriously Your intentions couldn¡¯t be more asm.¡± she were his tracetim the pose of a massage¡±


    ¡°Maaping this pressure pom helps calm the nerves¡± Yamer wat only Theme one of t to help you sleep. But it be our turn won.¡±


    Finished


    Chapter 102 Massages and Misfires


    Wyatt didn¡¯t argue and let her hold his hand.


    Yunice looked up slightly, catching the faintest trace of henbane on him¨Cbarely there, but unmistakable.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 193

    Chapter 193 Lines, Lies, and Unwanted Ties


    Finished


    Yunice had clearly already prescribed detox medication for Wyatt under Dr. Rylie¡¯s identity¨Cso why hadn¡¯t he taken it?


    Did he not trust her, or did he not want to get better?


    Before she could ponder further, the nurse called their names. It was their turn for the exam..


    Wyatt picked up his cane, and Yunice tucked the documents away and stood.


    As they passed the greasy¨Chaired man from earlier, Yunice deliberately leaned toward Wyatt and. said, ¡°Later, crush some gardenia seeds and rub them on your face. My cousin swears by it- every guy in the family who used it had a son. Works every time!¡±


    Wyatt cast her a nce, then noticed the man he¡¯d kicked earlier seemed to be eavesdropping.


    Once inside the examination room, Wyatt asked without even looking at her, ¡°What¡¯s gardenia seed?¡±


    Yunice tried not tough. ¡°A prank ingredient.¡±


    Wyatt gave her a sideways nce¨Cying games again, huh?


    <b>Yunice </b>exined, ¡°That stuff stains. Turns your skin purple¨Cck like you¡¯ve been beaten¨Cand the color won¡¯t fade for months.¡±


    She added casually, ¡°With how rotten he is, he deserves a little lesson.¡±


    Wyatt took a couple of seconds to process that, then gave a soft, cynical snort. ¡°You¡¯re devious.¡±


    After their blood was drawn<b>, </b>the nurse pressed cotton balls on both of them. Yunice obediently held hers in ce, then looked up and saw Wyatt toss his aside, tugging down his sleeve even though the wound <b>was </b>still bleeding.


    She frowned. ¡°Hold it a little longer.¡±


    ¡°No need. It¡¯s <b>annoying</b>.¡± He had to hold a cane¨Che didn¡¯t feel like bothering with the <b>rest</b>. The bleeding would <b>stop </b>on its own anyway.


    ¡°Then <b>at </b>least <b>wait </b><b>a </b>bit before we leave. You already waited out there earlier¨Cwhat¡¯s the rush now?¡± Yunice rolled up <b>his </b>sleeve again.


    Sure enough, male cirction was wild. Her own blood had barelye <b>out</b>, but Wyatt¡¯s <b>had </b>already trickled along his arm in a bright red trail.


    She quickly pressed the cotton back down. ¡°Look¨Cit¡¯s getting everywhere¡­¡±


    Wyatt looked down at the top of her head, his expression unreadable. Since when did she start giving him orders?


    Chapter 193 Lines, Lies, and Unwanted Ties


    Finished


    Taylor, holding her own paperwork, first noticed Paul¡¯s lingering gaze. Then she turned to see Wyatt and Yunice sitting side by side. ¡°Well, what a coincidence.¡±


    Paul quickly looked away from Yunice. A moment ago he¡¯d been in a fine mood¨Cnow, something dark stirred behind his eyes.


    Taylor went off to get her blood drawn, and Paul followed soon after.


    Only then did Wyatt murmur, ¡°Paul¡¯s wedding is scheduled for the same day as ours.¡±


    Yunice blinked. Then it made sense¨Cof course the Powell family had topete with Wyatt¡¯s every move, even down to the wedding date.


    She looked subconsciously at Taylor¡¯s back. High¨Cborn, poised, beautiful¨Cjust standing next <b>to </b>someone like that gave them status. Compared to her, Yunice felt like a downgrade.


    As if reading her mind, Wyatt said with a snort, ¡°If you¡¯re standing next to me, no one <b>dares </b>look down on you.


    So quit doubting yourself, he thought. Thest thing Wyatt feared was public ridicule. Anyone who daredugh would just be a future target.


    Paul, <b>now </b>done with his blood draw and still holding the cotton to his arm, turned to look back- only to find Yunice¡¯s seat empty.


    Taylor tossed her cotton in the trash and smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. She¡¯s long gone. Didn¡¯t even nce at <b>you</b>.¡±


    <b>Paul </b>scoffed, ¡°Who <b>cares</b>?¡±


    Taylor chuckled. ¡°You guys are all the same¨Cdon¡¯t cherish her when you¡¯ve got her, can¡¯t stop eyeing her when she¡¯s gone. You think you¡¯re some golden trophy everyone wants to orbit?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Just hearing her <b>speak </b>made his skin <b>crawl</b><b>. </b>


    After that, Wyatt headed off to the urology department while Yunice was sent to gynecology.


    When she came out, she had her head down, reading her results¡ªand walked straight into someone¡¯s chest.


    Startled, she instinctively stepped back¨Conly to feel a hand mp down on the back of her neck.


    Yunice looked up and locked eyes with <b>Paul</b>.


    His gaze dropped to her long, delicate neck. If he left a hickey there¨Cwhat would <b>Wyatt </b>think!


    <b>Paul </b>had never known fear. Every mess he¡¯d ever made, the Powell family <b>had </b>cleaned <b>up</b>. He figured Wyatt wouldn¡¯t kill him¨Cso if he wanted to teach Yunice a lesson, why not?


    Driven by impulse, Paul leaned down, aiming to bite the side of her neck.


    3:06 PM <b>? </b>?


    Chapter 193 Lines, Lies, and Unwanted Ties


    ¡°Paul!¡±


    Taylor.


    Yunice and Paul both stiffened, hearts hammering with guilt.


    There was no talking their way out of this situation.


    Finished


    Taylor¡¯s high heels clicked authoritatively against the tile as she marched over and came to a stop in front of them..


    Then she raised her hand¨Cand pped Paul hard across the face.

 Daghter 194

    Chapter 194 Scent of Distrust


    Yunice flinched instinctively and stepped back to distance herself from them.


    Taylor merely nced at her coolly and <b>said</b>, ¡°Rx. I¡¯m not here to p you.¡±


    Paul had taken a full¨Cforce p to the face. For a second, he was stunned. Then he turned his head, rage shing in his eyes.


    Taylor, however, remainedpletely unfazed. With arms crossed, she said coldly. ¡°As long <b>as </b>you¡¯re with me, you¡¯d better cut the cheating crap. Otherwise, I¡¯ve <b>got </b>plenty more ps where


    that came from.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± he growled.


    un


    Taylor scoffed. ¡°I¡¯ve got the Kendall family behind me. What, you think I¡¯m gonna put up with you like yourst doormat did?¡±


    <b>She </b>gave him a dismissive look. ¡°If you¡¯ve got a problem with that, keep it to yourself.¡±


    Yunice barely stifled a smile¨Cjust a small twitch of her lips. But Paul caught it and immediately snapped, ¡°She <b>was </b>the one seducing me.¡±


    Taylor raised a brow. ¡°Really? In the gynecology department?¡±


    She rolled her eyes. The sight of him was enough to make her sick.


    She turned and shot <b>a </b>nce at Yunice. ¡°<b>That </b>perfume¡¯s so strong it¡¯s choking<b>. </b>A man who <b>spends </b>all his brainpower on scheming against women¨Cno wonder you¡¯re <b>a </b>failure.¡±


    Yunice <b>didn¡¯t </b>even <b>wear </b>perfume¨Cbut now that Taylor pointed it out, she did smell something


    on herself.


    It was Paul¡¯s cologne.


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. He thought he¡¯d hidden it well. Clearly, Taylor had <b>seen </b><b>right </b>through him.


    Taylor stormed off without another word. Paul followed, fuming.


    Once they were alone, she snapped, ¡°You¡¯re a disgrace. We¡¯re in the same damn boat <b>now</b>. Do me a favor¨Ctry using what little brain you have on the business war ahead, and maybe I¡¯ll think <b>a </b>little better of you


    Paul red. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to teach me.¡±


    Taylor stopped, turned, and looked him dead in the eye. ¡°If you keep screwing around, there won¡¯t even be a Powell family left. Just wait till the wedding¨Cyou¡¯ll see.¡±


    Paul frowned. He didn¡¯t understand what she was hinting at<b>. </b>What did she know <b>that </b>he didit?


    Meanwhile. Yunice rushed toward the restroom desperate to eet the lineering colorne off her


    3:06 PM ? ? ¡¤


    And of course¨Cbecause life had a sense of humor¨Cshe ran smack W


    Why are your ning Wyatt frowned. His tr


    into


    instinct was that some


    But before he could even look around, he caught a


    Paul¡¯s cologne.


    Yunice¡¯s face burned. Just as sh and strode ahead


    *tse cole dinemu


    as about to exin. Wyatt turned away with a cold


    Yunice hurried to catch up. ¡°You¡¯re mad


    She tried to coax him ¡°Don¡¯t be mad


    Wyan only walked faster


    ¡°If you¡¯re really mad you should just grab Panal and beat him up¨Cit¡¯s better than bouling it im


    B


    Wyatt suddenly stopped. Tanice couldnt brake in time and bumped straight into his back. He nose nearly broke on impact


    Wyatt let out a coldugh ¡°Beat him up? So you can be heartbroken and poison me in reveng


    Yunice raised her hands in render. ¡°If you smack him a few extra times. I¡¯d be even more grateful


    Wyatt went silent giving her a long look


    ¡°I mean it.¡± she added.


    readable flickering in his eve


    He gave a low scoff lips curling in dry amusement, and resumed walking¨Cwithou waiting for her


    He was seriously hard to please.


    so much as


    Yunace jogged after him ¡°Do you think I still have feelings for him? That he sent me to get close you? That I¡¯m some undercover spy¡± She chew b arms out. That¡¯s all in your head. You re


    the onebeling me with tinted sses¡ª¡±


    Wyatt snapped. ¡°If you¡¯re going to defend yourself, at least wash off the other guy¡¯s scent tirs


    Yamane huffed. ¡°I was literally on my way to do that¨Cyou just showed up at the worst time


    ¡°Oh so¡¯s my fault now


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± she sand instantly, without missing a beat


    Nose arguing with ham. Better to humor han l?rane kad


    Chapter 194 Scent af Distrust


    couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Still, she couldn¡¯t help grumbling to herself. Just because you be got long legs doesn¡¯t mean you have to


    walk like a racehorse¡­


    Back home, Yunice took a long shower and changed into clean clothes. The only scent left on her was fresh soap.


    The moment she got into Wyatt¡¯s car, the faint aroma of her shampoo and steam clung to the air.


    Wyatt¡¯sshes flickered slightly. The air reminded him of early morning after a night together.


    He quickly shut down that line of thought, closed hisptop, and turned to her. ¡°Come to an


    event with me?¡±


    Yunice blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Wyatt, for once, didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°You¡¯ve heard about thend zoning ns in Northvale, right?


    Of course she had. It wasn¡¯t exactly a secret. Rumor had it they were nning to build a major hospital there. Once it wasplete, the entire economy of Northvale would take off.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    <b>20 </b>

 Daghter 195

    Chapter 195 The Game Table Test


    Finished


    Thework of interests behind this project was bound to be tangled andplex.


    Wyatt raised <b>a </b>brow. ¡°I¡¯ve run into a tough nut. Want to help me crack it?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°If you think I can be of use, then I¡¯m in.¡±


    From the driver¡¯s seat, Jordan chuckled as he turned the wheel. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Ms. Saunders and Wyatt should be <b>on </b>the same team¨CWyatt will treat you right.¡±


    Wyatt kicked the back of Jordan¡¯s seat hard enough that Jordan nearly crashed into the wheel.


    The meeting was set at a private club. When Yunice followed Wyatt inside, she spotted a middle-ged man in a gray vest ying pool..


    Jordan leaned in and murmured, ¡°That¡¯s our target for today.¡±


    Yunice took <b>a </b>closer look, mentally assigning herself the role of assistant.


    She figured she was here to help, same as Jordan.


    The room was warm from the AC, and Wyatt took off his jacket, leaving only a dark te¨Cblue shirt underneath. He rolled up his sleeves with precise movements, securing them with arm bands, and casually passed the jacket to his side.


    Yunice instinctively reached out to take it, but Wyatt shifted his hand away.


    Jordan quickly stepped in and caught it. ¡°I got it.¡±


    With Wyatt¡¯s jacket over his arm, Jordan stood to the side while Wyatt brought Yunice over to the pool table.


    Yunice knew she didn¡¯t have any particrly dazzling talents¨Cwhat she could offer was reading faces and diagnosing illness. If their <b>target </b><b>had </b><b>a </b><b>major </b>health <b>issue</b>, she might have leverage.


    But when the man looked up, she saw clear skin and a healthy glow. No weakness.


    The <b>man </b>pulled back his cue stick and nced briefly <b>at </b>Yunice before focusing on Wyatt again. With a slick smile, he gestured to the table. ¡°Care for a game?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt smiled faintly. ¡°Not convenient.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± the man replied, as if only now remembering Wyatt¡¯s leg. Still, he didn¡¯t back down. He leaned over and made another shot, then added pointedly. ¡°You didn¡¯t check my rules beforeing? No one speaks to me unless they beat me at pool¡±


    Yunice kept her gaze neutral. Some people had power and quirks to match, and this guy¡¯s arrogance was uniquely executed.


    Pood required both hands¨Cone to set the bridge, one to sunke Wyatt needed <b>his </b><b>cane</b>. How <b>could </b>


    3:06 PM c c.


    Chapter 19¡¯s The Game Table Test


    Yunice could step in. but the guy probably wouldn¡¯t ept that.


    She nced at Jordan, who subtly shook his head. No good.


    People like this thrived on rules and hierarchy. If Yunice, with no name or credentials, stepped forward, she¡¯d just provoke disdain.


    Just then, a bunny girl in heels and a skimpy outfit sashayed over with a tray. She handed a drink to the middle¨Caged man with a sultry smile, then turned to Wyatt, giving him an equally suggestive look as she ced another ss on the table.


    Then she twirled around and approached Yunice.


    Yunice nearly got smacked in the face with cleavage, but managed to maintain herposure.


    The bunny girl seemed intrigued by Yunice¨Cor maybe she just thought she was easy to provoke. -Such a modest outfit, youngdy.


    She batted hershes. ¡°So what¡¯s your rtionship with Mr. Cooper?¡±


    Yunice answered with a smile, dodging the question. ¡°I told him I wanted to y pool, and he brought me<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Then she shot back, ¡°Do you y?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± The bunny girl scoffed like Yunice had just said the moon was made of cheese. ¡°You¡¯re not seriously thinking of ying me, <b>are </b>you?¡±


    Yunice nodded earnestly. ¡°I¡¯d like to try.¡±


    The middle¨Caged man chuckled¨Cnot politely. ¡°Kids these days really don¡¯t know their


    That jab was aimed at Yunice, but the undertone clearly included Wyatt.


    ¡°Boring.¡± the man grumbled. He tossed his cue back into the rack and headed to the lounge area. drying his hands. With a <b>nce </b><b>at </b>the <b>bunny </b>girl, he said. ¡°You y with her


    The girl understood instantly, her eyes glinting ¡°dly


    Yunice and Wyatt exchanged a nce. As she passed him, she whispered. ¡°He¡¯s perfectly healthy


    No weaknesses to exploit.


    Wyan looked at the bunny girl, then raised a hand to block Yunce ¡°Stand down.¡±


    The bunny giriughed. ¡°Rs. Mr. Cooper I won¡¯t bully the youngdy


    Wyatt said a smelly. ¡°If your skills are crap and you injure my wife, can you atbord the consequences?¡±


    Youk


    Your wile¡± dhe ty girl blinkest now truly apexting Yonice.


    Chapter 195 The Ganze Table Teat


    From the lounge, the middle¨Caged man sipped tea and said bluntly. ¡°This is a pool hall. If you¡¯re not ying, don¡¯t get in the way


    3:06 PM ? ?

 Daghter 196

    Chapter 196 Break Shot Showdown


    The man¡¯s words held no attempt to hide his disdain for Wyatt.


    Finished


    Yunice could clearly feel Wyatt¡¯s anger darken. She quickly pinched his arm, then rose on tiptoe to whisper something in his ear..


    The bunny girl perked her ears to listen, but heard nothing.


    This time, Wyatt didn¡¯t stop Yunice.


    She walked over to the rack and picked the lightest cue stick.


    The bunny girl exchanged a quick nce with the middle¨Caged man, then strolled to the table. Without <b>so </b>much as a nce at the rack, she casually grabbed a cue and broke.


    Everything was routine. The bunny girl sank a shot with ease. Yunice, on the other hand, fumbled -she didn¡¯t just miss<b>, </b>she didn¡¯t even hit the cue ball properly.


    The bunny girl had initially thought Yunice might have a trick or two, and was ready to test her out. But realizing she was dealing with aplete newbie, she immediately lost interest and shot again withzy indifference¡­.


    Except this time, the ball carne flying¨Chard¨Cstraight at Yunice¡¯s face.


    In pool halls, injuries weren¡¯t rare. A flying cue ball like that could easily break someone¡¯s nose or


    <b>worse</b>.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders¡­¡± Jordan called out nervously,


    The middle¨Caged man took a sip of tea, ncing at Wyatt, whose expression remained


    unreadable.


    The bunny girl curled her lips, already bracing for Yunice¡¯s scream.


    Just a naive little girl. In the face of something unexpected, she probably wouldn¡¯t even move. Good¡ªmaybe she¡¯d learn a lesson from <b>this</b>.


    But before the bunny girl could finish the thought, her eyes narrowed sharply.


    Yunice moved.


    At thest possible second, she lifted her hand into a palm block, tilted her head to one side, and spun on her heel.


    There was no loud thud. No cry of pain


    <b>unice </b>opened her hand and gently ced the now energy¨Cdrained <b>ball </b>back on the table. With a smile, she nudged it gently toward the bunny girl. ¡°<b>Your </b>ball. I¡¯m returning it.¡±


    The bunny girl¡¯s face turned green <b>as </b>she watched the ball roll to <b>a </b>stop just three inches from


    3.06 PM c d


    Chapter 196 Break Shot Showdown


    ¡°How did you do that?¡± she asked, dumbfounded.


    Finished


    ¡°Javelin mechanics. Middle school PE. Reverse the force.¡± If Yunice had blocked it with raw strength, her fingers would¡¯ve been wrecked. But by timing it just right and redirecting the momentum, she had absorbed the force without injury.


    Of course, dodging would¡¯ve been safer. But she wanted to show off a little.


    <b>Now</b>, instead of looking like a flustered amateur, she had the upper hand¨Cand the bunny girl couldn¡¯t read her anymore.


    Seeing her opponent rattled, Yunice added with a smile, ¡°Even though that flying ball was technically a foul, I¡¯ll let you go first. Shall we continue?¡±


    ¡°Let me?¡± the bunny girl¡¯s expression cracked like a porcin mask. That sloppy shot and she still had the nerve to say she was letting her?


    Determined to crush Yunice, the bunny girl bent down and yed seriously.


    In one clean sequence, she sank the remaining four solids. Only the ck eight remained.


    Yunice, on the other hand, hadn¡¯t sunk a single ball. She still had all seven stripes on the table.


    The bunny girl sneered. Yunice was done for.


    She was about <b>to </b>pocket the eight when Yunice suddenly piped up sweetly, ¡°Could you give me one more chance, Lady?¡±


    The <b>bunny </b><b>girl </b>scoffed. ¡°What, afraid of losing? Worried Mr. Cooper will be disappointed?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice made a pitiful face.


    The bunny girl, now fully amused, leaned back and handed over the cue. ¡°Fine. I did nearly smack <b>you </b>earlier. Call <b>it </b><b>an </b>apology.¡±


    But if she still couldn¡¯t <bnd </b><b>a </b>shot? Even more humiliating.


    ¡°Thank you, Lady.¡± Yunice stepped forward, narrowed her eyes, <b>and </b>struck.


    The hit echoed sharply. The bunny <b>girl¡¯s </b>eyes widened in shock <b>as </b>a ball hurtled directly at her.


    She dodged in <b>a </b>panic, <b>iling </b>awkwardly¨Conly for the ball to knock her bunny¨Cear headband off and mess up her carefully styled curls.


    She snapped, ¡°Are you blind?!<b>¡± </b>


    But before she could keep yelling, she looked <b>back </b>at the table¨Cand froze.


    The middle¨Caged man hadn¡¯t expected anything either. When he nced over, he caught sight of the bunny girl looking <b>like </b>she¡¯d seen a ghost.


    3:06 PM c d


    Chapter 196 Break Shot Showdown


    Wait¡­ hadn¡¯t Yunice just had all seven of her striped balls on the table?


    Now, aside from the eight ball, the table was empty.


    Finished


    As if to answer his unspoken question, the quiet room suddenly filled with the low rumble of rolling.


    Seven striped balls dropped one by one into various pockets, before gently clicking into the ball return tray¨Clined up perfectly.


    The entire room was silent.


    ce on

 Daghter 197

    Chapter 197 The Perfect Shot


    A seven¨Cball shot in one stroke?


    Finished


    In the professional billiards world, the record for a maximum break is 15 balls. The bunny girl. had earned the favor of the middle¨Caged man precisely because of her billiard skills¨Cand her best record was also a seven¨Cball break, something she couldn¡¯t even replicate consistently.


    The fact that Yunice had also sunk seven balls in a single shot¨Cwhile appearing to be a total amateur¨Cwas already hard to swallow. But what made it worse was that only seven balls had been left on the table. Which meant¡­ seven wasn¡¯t even her limit.


    No¨Cwait. There was still the ck eight, which had been hit off the table.


    The bunny girl was certain that Yunice had not hit it by ident. That had been deliberate- meant to toy with her.


    Not only could Yunicend a seven¨Cball shot in one stroke, she could calcte and control every ball¡¯s trajectory with razor precision. That kind of skill¡­.


    ¡°You faked being a newbie just to set up the perfectyout!¡± the bunny girl snapped.


    Yunice calmly set down her cue. ¡°No need to get upset, Lady. I scratched the eight ball. That means I lost this round.¡±


    ¡°You-!¡±


    Yunice really knew how to make someone explode from frustration and still smile sweetly doing


    IL


    The bunny girl wanted a rematch, but Yunice had already taken cover behind Wyatt.


    Today, she took a page from Elsie¡¯s ybook and tried ying two¨Cfaced. And honestly? It worked. The bunny girl was practically fuming with rage.


    Then came a quiet tap¨Cthe <b>sound </b>of the middle¨Caged <b>man </b>cing his teacup down. ¡°Mr. Cooper. Have a <b>seat</b>.¡±


    That was his way of acknowledging Yunice¡¯s disy. The meeting was on.


    Even Jordan, normally stoic, shot Yunice a thumbs¨Cup behind his back.


    Knowing that things were about to get serious between Wyatt and the man, Yunice quietly.


    cused herself and went to stand with Jordan.


    The bunny girl, trying to save face, shoved a headband <b>back </b>over her tousled <b>hair </b>and muttered. ¡°Come on I¡¯ll take <b>you </b>somewhere for tea¡±


    They moved to a side lounge. Yunice and Jordan sat across from each other as the bunny girl served fruit juice


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    306 PM


    Chapter 197 The Perfect Stat


    Fulushed


    Then, nervously, ¡°Ms. Saunders, this isn¡¯t something we can resolve over the phone. Can we meet in person?¡±


    That might be the best solution, but Yunice nced at the time. Wyatt¡¯s meeting didn¡¯t look like it¡¯d be wrapping up soon.

 Daghter 198

    Chapter 198 A Familiar Face


    Finished


    Yunice had just made a solid impression in front of Wyatt. If she left early now, it would definitely rub him the wrong way.


    So she said into the phone, ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound too serious. It¡¯s probably something <b>you </b>ate. I¡¯lle by after I wrap thi<ol><li>up. In the meantime, just don¡¯t-¡±</li></ol>


    A loud crash came from inside the room.


    Yunice, Jordan, and the bunny girl immediately turned toward the billiards room where Wyatt and the middle¨Caged man were.


    The doors were closed, so they couldn¡¯t see what was going on, but the sounds of smashing and crashing inside were deafening.


    Something was definitely wrong.


    The bunny girl was the first to rush forward and shove open the door. Yunice and Jordan weren¡¯t far behind and squeezed in right behind her¨Cthree people, one doorway, too cramped.


    Jordan grabbed the bunny girl in a bear hug, while Yunice slipped past them and darted into the


    <b>room</b>.


    The middle¨Caged man and Wyatt were in a brawl.


    Yunice grabbed a golden ornament off the ceremonial shelf without a second thought and <b>charged </b>toward the man.


    Jordan <b>caught </b>a glimpse and shouted, ¡°Hey, hey, hey!¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>nted herself behind the man and raised the ornament. ¡°Don¡¯t move! I¡¯m mentally <b>unstable</b>! If I hit someone, it doesn¡¯t count as a crime!¡±


    The middle<b>¨C</b>aged man turned around slowly. When he saw Yunice holding the ornament over her head, he reflexively <b>shrank </b>back.


    As his face turned, Yunice froze for <b>a </b>second.


    The man was covering his head, and his face was streaked with blood.


    The sound of a <b>cane </b>tapping echoed across the room. Wyatt, his eyes locked onto the man. calmly walked over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Yunice.


    The man, now being stared down by four people, let out a sneering sigh, then looked exasperated


    he protested, ¡°What the hell do you people think you¡¯re doing? I was just messing around.¡±


    He moved his hand away from his head and grimaced when he saw the blood ¡°Damn it. I¡¯m bleeding


    Yuuice gripped the ornament tighter. She was afraid he might retaliate or call <b>for </b>hai kup


    haikup


    3:06 PM ct c


    Chapter 198 A Familiar Face


    Finished


    After all, this was his turf. They were the ones who¡¯d barged in like wolves into the lion¡¯s den.


    The bunny girl shook off Jordan¡¯s hand over her mouth and shouted, ¡°Somebody! The boss got attacked! Get in here!¡±


    A rush of enforcers came storming in. Even Jordan tensed up at the sight.


    The middle¨Caged man raised his hand, and the group froze instantly.


    Yunice watched as he pulled the patterned silk scarf from around his neck and wiped the blood, off his face<b>. </b>


    Unfortunately, the more <b>he </b>wiped, the worse it looked. His face ended up smeared and


    gruesome.


    But he didn¡¯t seem to care. He casually tossed the scarf aside and said to Wyatt, ¡°Young man<b>, </b>being hot¨Cheaded doesn¡¯t pay. You two might not care about broken bones, but there¡¯s a youngdy with you¡­¡±


    He pointed straight at Yunice.


    He probably thought she¡¯d be scared. But instead, she raised the golden ornament even higher and snapped, <b>¡°</b>Take down the boss first¨Cif any of you so much as touches <b>us</b>, I¡¯ll smash this thing right over your head!¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened, then he curled his lips in a strange, amused smirk. ¡°What, is this what your father taught you? Risking your life over some guy?¡±


    Yunice nced at Wyatt, also thrown off. The guy had just gotten his head busted open and still <b>had </b>the nerve to be lecturing people?


    But she wasn¡¯t taking any chances. After exchanging looks with Wyatt, she quickly shifted her stance <b>and </b><b>readied </b>herself for another strike.


    The <b>man </b>nced at her, unimpressed, then casually picked up his teacup and brushed <b>away </b>the foam <b>on </b>the surface.


    Yunice paused.


    Mountain <b>Rose </b>Bitter Blend Tra?


    That was the kind <b>of </b><b>tea </b>her father used to drink <b>all </b>the time<b>. </b>She knew that <b>scent </b>like the back of her hand. No way she <b>was </b>mistaken.


    The more she thought about it, the more something felt off about what he said earlier Most people would say, ¡°Is <b>that </b>what your mom taught you?¡± Not ¡°<b>dad</b>¡°-unless he really did <b>know </b>her father¡­


    With a loud ng, the ornament slipped from her fingers and hit the floor.


    ¨C Mr Carl, she whispered.


    2:06 PM <b>c </b>c


    Chapter 198 A Familiar Face


    But before she could even finish the <b>sentence</b>, she noticed the middle¨Caged man actually chuckling. He set down his teacup and gave a warm smile.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± he said.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes welled with tears. ¡°Mr. Carl¡­¡±


    Carl Crawford raised an eyebrow. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just about to bash my skull in?¡±


    Finished


    Yunice shook her head furiously, tears streaming down her face. She looked at his bleeding head and quickly said, ¡°Mr. Carl, let me dress your wound¡­


    The shift in tone was so sudden that nobody in the room knew what to do with themselves.


    Carl Crawford¡­ <b>was </b>someone Yunice already knew?


    What was their rtionship?


    Wyatt looked from Carl to Yunice, who was now crying as she fussed over him, and his stomach turned.


    So who had he just smashed a tea tray over?


    As if he could sense Wyatt¡¯s difort, Carl¨Cunapologetically petty¨Cpointed straight at him.


    ¡°Yunice, he¡¯s the one who hit me.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 199

    Chapter 199 Her Father¡¯s Brother


    Finished


    Carl gestured animatedly with his hand. ¡°A bottle this big¨Cbam!-right to the head. You tell me, <b>what </b>should I do about that?¡±


    Wyatt, facing Yunice¡¯s gaze, instinctively averted his eyes..


    ¡°He¡­¡± Yunice faltered for a while, then finally said, ¡°He assaulted a senior. That¡¯s on him.¡±


    Carl clicked his tongue. ¡°If I¡¯d known this is the kind of guy you were marrying¨Creckless and violent I wouldn¡¯t have bothered showing up for your wedding.¡±


    Yunice lowered her head and muttered, ¡°Mr. Carl¡­ You already know about the wedding?¡±


    Carl snorted, ¡°I heard the Powell family had something to celebrate. Asked around, found out Paul wasn¡¯t marrying you¨Cthis guy is marrying <b>the </b>Saunders girl. And there¡¯s only one Miss Saunders, right? So here I am.¡±


    A bunny girl walked in with a first¨Caid kit, setting it down while eyeing Yunice with clear disbelief. She probably never imagined the least eye¨Ccatching woman here would turn out to be someone. Carl personally favored.


    Yunice hesitated. The truth was, she was no longer the only daughter of the Saunders family, and the reason the Powell family continued to publicly call her Miss Saunders was because she didn¡¯t even have a real name in that household.


    Still, Carl likely didn¡¯t know that. He must¡¯ve arranged today¡¯s meeting with Wyatt as a character


    Test.


    From the looks of things¡­ Wyatt hadn¡¯t passed.


    Carl had leverage over Wyatt¡¯s development project. If he wanted to, he could help Yunice stop. the wedding altogether.


    But things had changed. Her father was gone. Yunice wasn¡¯t sure how <b>much </b>Carl still cared.


    After all, even her own family had betrayed her.


    Seeing the sadness on her face, Carl assumed she was still upset over Paul. He huffed, ¡°I never liked <b>that </b><b>punk </b>anyway. <b>Good </b>riddance.¡±


    Then his eyesnded on Wyatt <b>again</b>, full of scrutiny. ¡°Mr. Cooper, you¡¯ve already taken your


    wing. Don¡¯t <b>you </b>think it¡¯s time to sit down for a bit?¡±


    Vyati frowned slightly, then turned to Yunice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going <b>to </b>introduce <b>us</b><b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yunice realized, flustered. This is Mr. Carl. He was my father¡¯s senior¨Chis sworn brother.. My dad went into medicine, Mr. Carl went into business.¡±


    Carl nodded with mock solemnity. ¡°That¡¯s right<b>. </b>We were close. I treat Yunice like my own daughter Which makes me your dad, too¡±


    106 PM <b>? </b>?


    The sheer shamelessness made Yunice want to crawl into a hole. Afted Wyatt would and punch someone again, she hurried to change the subject¨Conly for Carl to see her.


    He pressed on with a scoff. ¡°Look at him¨Call decked out in designer clothes¨Cmeanwhile you¡¯re wearing some cheap polyester junk from a sidewalk sale. I got zapped by static three times just standing near you?¡±


    Xunice was so embarrassed, she didn¡¯t even dare to look up


    Carl wasn¡¯t finished ¡°Honestly, he¡¯s no better than Paul Maybe you should ditch


    a ditch he too you a real man back in Murica¨Ccall strong muscles for


    ¡°Mr. Carl Yunice practically shrieked


    Carl shrugged ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sweetheart. He wants to build a hospital in Northvale¨Cbe has to go through me first¡±


    nd


    He suddenly grew serious, locking eyes with her. ¡°Yunny. Tell me the truth. Do you really want to marry this guy!¡±


    Though the question was directed at Yunice, his piercing


    Wyatt¡¯s grip on his cane visibly tightened


    He cared.


    gaze was fixed on Wyatt


    The question caught Yunice off guard. She didn¡¯t know how to answer.


    Carl waited a few seconds, then let her off the hook, ¡°No rush. We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    Both Yunice and Wyatt rxed a little.


    Just then, the bunny girl approached and whispered something in Carl¡¯s ear


    Whatever it was, it seemed urgent. Carl ended the meeting abruptly and arranged another time


    to see Yunice.


    As he left, he rubbed his bruised head and muttered curses under his breath


    Wyatt said nothing


    Once Carl was gone. Wyatt and Yunice also left the buildi


    Yuruce frowned. ¡°What were you even negotiating with Mr Carl about?


    If the deal wasn¡¯t going well, couldn¡¯t they just talle at out by go strenght to violence?


    opened his mouth, then closed it again. Instead, he asked ¡°Why didn¡¯`) you ask Carl


    off the engagement


    Chapter 190 Her Father¡¯s Brother


    <b>Yunice </b>replied evenly, ¡°I changed my mind.¡±


    ¡°Just like that?¡±


    Finished


    ¡°Everyone thinks we¡¯re doomed. Let¡¯s prove them wrong. Make them regret ever putting us together.¡±


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re doing all this¡­ out of spite?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I¡¯m not leaving Silverburch. And since someone insists on making me their enemy, I might as well go all in.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 200

    Chapter 200 All Tied In


    Finished


    It was Taylor who inspired her. Love and marriage didn¡¯t have to be shackles for a woman. <b>As </b>long as you were clear on your ultimate goal, even marriage could be a powerful tool.


    Yunice looked over at Wyatt again. ¡°I¡¯ll help smooth things over with Mr. Carl. If the deal goes through, you pay me what I¡¯m worth¨Cfair and square.¡±


    ¡°A transactional partnership?¡± Wyatt lifted a brow, lips quirking. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Money was always a good thing. Yunice needed to stockpile funds. Once the Saunders family began to falter, she could pounce¨Ctake back the old family estate and the Saunders Hospital <b>in </b>


    one <b>move</b>.


    When they reached the car, Yunice didn¡¯t get in. Wyatt got the message and called for a separate driver to take her home.


    Nothing was explicitly said, but the two had alreadye to a mutual understanding¨Crespecting each other¡¯s space, giving full freedom as long as boundaries were honored.


    It was exactly this kind of freedom that convinced Yunice to stay in the marriage.


    More importantly, Carl might have been her father¡¯s old friend, but he wasn¡¯t just her Mr. Carl.


    Sure, she could¡¯ve begged him to help her dissolve the marriage. But if she could ask him, what was to stop Owen or Lily from doing the same? People were creatures of profit¨Cand businessmen even more so. If she could tie Carl¡¯s interests to her own, she¡¯d gain a permanent advantage<b>. </b>


    That would be far more effective than cashing in a one¨Ctime favor.


    Yunice was starting to understand the sweetness of having someone powerful at her back. With that in mind, she no longer resisted her marriage to Wyatt.


    Whileying out her ns, Yunice messaged Wyatt. ¡°Try to stop Mr. Carl from meeting with anyone from the Saunders family until your deal is done.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s reply came quick. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Putting her phone away, Yunice switched vehicles.


    The new <b>car </b><b>took </b>a different route and brought her to the private residence of the Qiao family.


    As soon as she entered, she heard Quinton¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Honey, this is all your favorite food. I <b>put </b>it in the fridge. Even if I¡¯m not here, just grab whatever you want if you¡¯re hungry. I might have to leave for a while¡­ so you¡¯ll need to take care of yourself, <b>okay</b>?¡±


    His voice rambled on, but no one replied. A flowing piano piece yed softly in the background


    Chapter Do All Tied in


    Just as Wyatt had said¨CQuinton was a widower.


    He had lost his wife early in life and was left with only one son, who had autism.


    Finished


    Bobby was already 14 now, with delicate features and a lean jawline¨Che looked like a future celebrity. But his eyes never focused, and he never responded when spoken to. He remained trapped in his own world.


    Some even called his condition ¡°depression.¡±


    The reason Quinton had once gone to such great lengths to get Yunice¡¯s medical notes was to try and cure his son.


    In fact, Yunice¡¯s three¨Cday disappearancest time had been <b>because </b>she was observing Bobby.


    Seeing her arrive, Quinton looked up. Yunice immediately frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a serious internal heat issue,¡± she said.


    Quinton¡¯s eyes were red, his chin was inmed with breakouts, <b>and </b>the tip of his nose <b>was </b>unnaturally red and dry. ssic symptoms of heat excess.


    But Quinton was already convinced he was dying of cancer.


    Face ashen, he asked in despair, ¡°Ms. Saunders, <b>how </b>much longer do I have?¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    Quinton looked <b>up </b>at the ceiling, voice soft and mournful. ¡°If I die<b>, </b>all this property one to inhent. And Bobby¡±


    He choked, unable to continue.


    Bobby was worse off <b>than </b>a fool. A fool at least knew to eat when hungry, <b>but </b><b>Bobby </b><b>had </b>to be spoon¨Cfed just to swallow <b>anything</b>. If <b>Quinton </b>died, <b>Hobby </b>probably wouldn¡¯t <bst </b>either.


    Covering his face with both hands. Quinton rasped, ¡°Ms. Saunders before I go, could you please ruthanier Hobby for me? I can¡¯t leave him here to suffer


    ¡°Mr Quinton.¡± Yunor said dryly as she flipped through his recent meal ns, ¡°If you wanted to the. I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be that easy¡±


    Quinton looked at her in shock. ¡°You can cure cancer tout


    Who said you had cancer?


    ¡°Google. All my symptoma mach¡±


    Yunace rolled her eyes ¡°Ever heard the saying ¡°No one walks out of Google alive?¡±


    She set down his meal logs. ¡°You¡¯re just overheated. Think hard¨Chave you eaten anything super


    Qumton was still trying to remember, but Yunce had already spotted the answer, a teacup beside him filled with some kind of herbal root steeping


    water.

 Daghter 201

    Chapter 201 The Ginseng


    Yunice picked it up and nced at it. ¡°Is this ginseng?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Quinton said. ¡°Ginseng helps with energy and vitality. I¡¯ve always had a habit of drinking ginseng tea.


    Yunice fished out the ginseng and brought it close to her nose for a sniff.


    Quinton looked puzzled. ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    Then he shook his <b>head</b>, thinking it couldn¡¯t be. ¡°I¡¯m in the pharmaceutical business myself. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d end up with fake medicine.¡±


    ¡°You usually drink ginseng that¡¯s under six years old?¡± Yunice asked.


    ¡°Of course not, Quinton denied. This one¡¯s <b>a </b>rare hundred<b>¨C</b>year¨Cold root. If it weren¡¯t for this recent diagnosis, I wouldn¡¯t have had the heart to use <b>it</b>.¡±


    ¡°But this isn¡¯t even six years old. Yunice <b>said</b>. ¡°Immature ginseng is considered hot in nature. Taking it directly like this is bound to cause inmmation<b>. </b>


    ¡°So I¡¯m just inmed?¡±


    ¡°Even with cancer, there¡¯s no way it jumps from early stage to advanced in just three days,¡± Yunice replied


    Hearing that, Quinton lit up <b>and </b>quickly asked for confirmation. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is, my condition didn¡¯t suddenly worsen¨Chese symptoms were all caused by over¨Csupplementation?¡± Yunice didn¡¯t answer directly. ¡°Do you still <b>have </b>any of this ginseng left?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course!¡± Quinton immediately pulled a box of ginseng from the medicine cab


    Even before he opened the <b>package</b>. Yunice recognized it. ¡°Wait isn¡¯t this one of the gifts you sent to the Saunders family


    She remembered it clearly¨Camong the ten gifts he <b>had </b><b>sent</b>, the jade bracelet <b>and </b>the hundred- year old ginseng had been the most valuable.


    Quinton opened the wooden box ¡°Exactly. I couldn¡¯t re¨Cgift something like that after it had already been given It felt like such a waste to just leave it sitting there, so I started brewing it for


    Ar that. Yunice got a bad feeling Once the box was open, sure enough, there was a huge ginseng


    outside Quinton said. ¡°See How could a sis year old ginseng grow this bag?


    De root was indeed mastive, and every fase tendril was secured with gold wire¨Cperfectly arranged and visually impressive.<ol start="11"><li>11.</li></ol>


    The whole ginseng looked samless, nothing like a malles immature six year old one


    Yunice reached out, sappest o tendril, and hewed it before spitting it out.


    Then she broke oil another from the opposite side and tasted it again.


    Quiton had no idea what she was doing, but Vinice desred with certainty. ¡°This is a high- quality counterfeit


    a spliced rot


    Because it was pieced together, stifferent sections of the root had wildly inconsistent medicinal properties


    And since all the parts used were under six years old, the overall effect was heating in nature.


    Quinton refused to believe it. I got this through a reliable source, all tested. No <b>way </b>it¡¯s fake. I¡¯ve been in this business for years¡ªmy reputation counts for something.¡±


    If a business partner handed him counterfeit medicine, that partner wouldn¡¯tst long in the industry.


    ¡°It might not have been fake from the supplier.¡± Vunice said.


    Quinton caught something in her tone. Sure enough. Yunice continued, ¡°It¡¯s possible someone awapped it out after testing¡±


    ¡°Tonly handed it to the Saunders family no one else touched it after that.¡± Quinton said.


    That statement en little room for doubt


    Yunice said nothing


    Quinton¡¯s expression darkened His voice mest cold ¡°They really stared to pull something <b>like </b>this im me Looks like Chwen doen¡¯t take me seriously at <b>all </b>


    He looked like he was about to go confient twen


    Junion skinford Owen¡¯s your brother, sure, but after everything he¡¯s done to you.


    Tis not defensiling him I just know the kind of person he is. He¡¯s arrogant <b>and </b>pretentions, even if he waited southing he wouldn¡¯t up to stealing it


    ¡°And you slet¡¯s have proof the ghsseng was swapped. If you go straight to Owen, the real culprit. will just sit back and ending the them ¡°


    new that family all too well. fi dicboy take much to figure out who would sa home bo vaku


    nha slikita have harderndena to use Elite juu yet, but the had better ways to make her nefter


    ANNGJITEV ZAKE THAPASAKANG


    Quinton waved her off. ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression turned cold. ¡°This isn¡¯t about a single root of ginseng. It¡¯s time I fought back.¡±


    She was going to make sure Elsie learned the hard way, taking what didn¡¯t belong to you came with consequences.


    Meanwhile, at the Saunders mansion, Guana stood outside Elsie¡¯s room, holding a delicate in box, and delivery just came from Wyatt¡¯s people.¡±


    knocked on the door. Ms. Saunders¡­


    Grinning with smug satisfaction, Giana looked like a cat who¡¯d stolen cream. Elsie sat at her vanity, trying on different pieces of jewelry, and replied offhandedly, ¡°Put it there¨CI¡¯ll take a


    look.¡±


    It was her usual routine. Anytime a letter or gift arrived at the house, Giana would always bring it to her first for inspection

 Daghter 202

    ¡°Ms. Elsie, it¡¯s a gown. ¡°Giama pulled the dress out and admired it with wide eyes wonder.


    eved


    Elsie¡¯s hand, mid¨Cmotion as she tastened her earring, fore She stared nkly at the dress spread out in front of her. The tabric and cut were absolutely stumming, wearing it would no doubt turn heads and steal the spotlight.


    She reached out to gently touch the material so soft and smooth and her face unconsciously revealed a mix of awe and envy. ¡°Wyatt really went all


    out for Yunice, Doesn¡¯t he realize that backwoods girl doesn¡¯t deserve it?¡±


    Giana, practically buzzing with excitement, suggested, ¡°Ms. Elsie, I think this <b>dress </b>would look perfect on you. She doesn¡¯t even live here anymore; who¡¯s going to know Wyatt sent it?¡±


    e leanedzily against the vanity and


    Elsie <b>had </b>been thinking the same thing. sneered, ¡°Her name might be Yunice, but 177


    ID says Yunice too. It has my name on it, so obviously, it was


    meant for me¡±


    <b>Giana </b>quickly chimed in. ¡°Exactly, exactly


    As she unfolded the gown and was just about to help Elsie try it on, a card slipped out from between the folds. ¡°Ms. Elsie, there¡¯s a note inside¡­¡±


    Ebie took it, scanning the contents. It was a message from Wyatt, outlining his arrangements.


    ¡°Jackson¡¯s birthday is tomorrow?¡± Her brow furrowed.


    <b>Such </b>an important asion, and Paul hadn¡¯t mentioned it <b>at </b>all. Even someone as insignificant as Yunice had received a gown for the event, and yet she she had gotten nothing. Did Add never intend to bring me to Jackson¡¯s birthday celebration!


    ¡°All that talk about marrying me. Looks like it was just empty promises to string me along Elsie crumpled the letter and tossed it into the trash in frustration


    The thought of Taylor hoking arms with Paul, smiling as the so tal elite showered her withpliments, made jealousy churn like a storm inside her.


    I¡¯m Paul¡¯s woman<b>. </b>I¡¯m the one who should be at an event like this,¡± she snapped


    Giana while also feeling it was unfair, couldn¡¯t help but remind her. ¡°But Ms. Elsie, the Powell family already kaid you wereich wee anymore.


    ¡°There be of guests What


    son could they jusuibly use so throne me out in front of everyone? Die graded the dress Tm going¡±


    Then she ordered Ghana to take the gun to her tonal tailor to have a retired to be her


    Thena eft, or went over the note agam Wyan had went that belt prepares a gift of


    Chapter 2¡ä; ku se ita Mine


    Ciucted


    mind.


    The next day, at the Powell mansion. the parking lot overflowed with luxury cars. <b>Titans </b>of finance¨Cpeople who only ever showed up in stock reports¨Cwere suddenly asmon as vegetables at a farmers¡® market.


    Elsie walked toward the Powell family¡¯s attendant, exuding confidence in the dress Wyatt had prepared. She handed over her invitation.


    After scanning it, the attendant gave her a once¨Cover, then stepped aside. ¡°Please go in.¡±


    She epted the <b>invite </b>back with a smile. Thank God for Wyatt. If he hadn¡¯t set me up with everything I needed. I never would¡¯ve gotten in so easily.


    Once inside, she followed tradition and


    staff wrote her name down <b>on </b>the gifted her birthday gift. Only after making sure the


    the main hall.


    exactly as she requested did she move on toward


    In the grand hall, she scanned the room. To every eligible bachelor who met her gaze, she returned a gentle smile <b>and </b>a poised nod.


    But each of them only gave her a puzzled look before ncing away, clearly unimpressed. One might have been a fluke, but all of them?


    Self¨Cconscious, Elsie reached up and touched her face. Did my makeup smudge? This doesn¡¯t make sense¡­ <i>I </i>haven¡¯t lost my charm. Maybe I just need to freshen up in the restroom.


    Then came the chatter.


    ¡°Ms. Taylor and Mr. Paul really are a stunning couple.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just waiting for their wedding invitation!¡±


    Elsie froze in her tracks. She turned just in time to lock eyes with the <b>radiant </b>Taylor.


    Taylor¡¯s smile faded as her gaze swept over Elsie from head to toe, then curled into a mocking smark


    The tant disdain in Taylor¡¯s expression quickly <b>drew </b>the attention of the nearby guests, who turned to look at Elsie¨Cgiving her the same up¨Cand¨Cdown once¨C<b>over</b>.


    Someone frowned. ¡°Why is she wearing the same dress as Ms. Taylor


    A vice dripped with contempt ¡°At such an important event, someone actually wore a knockoff? How endarrassing for the host family.¡±


    How the even get in wats such an dus blunder?


    Fiske¡¯s face turned crimson Hustered and corseret she blunted. ¡°This isn¡¯t a fake?


    Someone scuffed. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying Ms. Taylor¡¯s dress is the bus ko? That she copied


    Burning with humiliation, Elsie¡¯s eyes welled up. ¡°You can¡¯t judge people based on where they


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 203

    There¡¯s no way Wyatt would give Yunice ake gown. If Yunice was humiliated, that would mean Wyan lumiliated himsell too


    Elsie was certain the gown she wore was the real one stood firm in that belied, she suddenly felt a tug at the


    Taylor¡¯s hard to be the fake. Just as she small of her back.


    Whipping around, she saw a girl pulling a loose thread from her dress,


    The girlughed like she¡¯d discovered buried treasure. ¡°Wow, this is a first¨Ccustom couture with ngling threads?¡±


    Elsie clurched the back of her dress, her face burning. She knew that truly expensive gowns were custom tailored, handmade, andpletely one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind.


    What¡¯s more, formal gown were only ever worn once in public. Which meant only one gown could be real¨Chers or Taylor¡¯s.


    But hers couldn¡¯t possibly be fake. She defended herself, ¡°That thread must¡¯ve been left by the railer during alteration¡±


    She had barely finished the sentence when the others around her startedughing.


    The girl holding the thread scoffed, ¡°All I know is, custom gowns are made to fit. Who alters a dress and leaves a thread hanging? Still want to im it¡¯s not fake?¡±


    The others chuckled, while Taylor gave her a look like she wasn¡¯t even worth the effort and turned to leave the embarrassing scene,


    The same girl flung the thread aside and said, ¡°Don¡¯t let people like this dirty the Powell family¡¯s ce b


    ¡°Paul ¡°Elsie turned to Paul, panie rising in her voice. ¡°You know this gown isn¡¯t fake, right?¡±


    Tears shimmered in her eyes as she looked at Paul with heartfelt desperation.


    Taylor¡¯s expression darkened. I¡¯ve already tolerated her this much, and she still dares flirt with Paul in


    Taylor stepped forward, but Paul extended an arm to stop her, though his eyes stayed on Elsie.


    he said with grace, ¡°Her gown


    Dressed in a crisp white suit, he lookedposed and elegant as he said with Isn¡¯t Take For my sake, please don¡¯t make this difficult for her


    Then he waved a server over ¡°Take Ms Elsie to the inner lounge to rest?


    Hold Taylor snapped, narrowing her eyes at Paul What was that supposed to meant Just because I Ben made ne yet he thought he would test wey limits #haut did he expect people to think?


    The dust puldic by defended de woman wearing the same dress as her Swallowing her pride


    307 PM c <b>d </b>¡¤


    Crobter 20S YOU SO That Custom


    She blocked Elsie¡¯s path, arms crossed, face inches away. ¡°So you¡¯re saying her dress is real<b>, </b>and


    mine¡¯s the fake?¡±


    Paul was cornered, silently pleading with Taylor using his eyes.


    She understood him perfectly¨CSo many people are watching: give me some face. <i>Let </i>this go.


    <i>If </i>Elsie¡¯s humiliated, it reflects badly on all of us.


    But Taylor wasn¡¯t falling for it. If she let Elsie walk away today, she¡¯d be the one humiliated. Paul was supposed to be my husband<i>. </i><i>And </i>now he is openly protecting another woman? How am I supposed to hold her head up?


    Pretending not to see Paul¡¯s signals, she lifted her hand. n immediately stepped forward and handed her a tablet.


    Taylor held it up. ¡°This gown was designed and hand¨Cstitched by Peter himself. It¡¯s the only one of its kind in the world.¡±


    She disyed the designer¡¯s sketches and her fitting photos, then tossed the tablet back to n with a sneer. ¡°So tell me who did you hire to rip off this design?¡±


    Paul panicked. ¡°Rip off? What do you mean¡­.


    Then he realized <b>what </b>mattered and quickly corrected himself. ¡°Who said I gave her that gown?¡±


    Taylor pressed, ¡°If you didn¡¯t give it to her, then what gives you the right <b>to </b>im hers is genuine?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes welled up. She looked pitiful. ¡°Taylor, please don¡¯t be mad at <b>Paul</b>. I know you don¡¯t like me. If you¡¯re upset that I wore the same dress. <b>I¡¯ll </b>take it off, okay?¡±


    She actually started tugging at the dress.


    Her pale cheeks flushed red, eyes teary with a touch of stubbornness¡ªa look <b>that </b>caught the attention of every man with a heroplex in the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it off!¡±


    ¡°Maybe it really was just <b>a </b>mistake. She¡¯s young and didn¡¯t know better. Ms. Taylor, let it go.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already apologized. She clearly doesn¡¯t want to cause trouble. Can¡¯t you give her a break?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s voice trembled. Tears spilled onto the floor. ¡°Taylor, I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I just wanted to look nice. That¡¯s why we <b>ended </b>up in matching dresses. Please forgive me, okay?¡±


    Paul frowned and leaned toward Taylor, muttering. ¡°She¡¯s already apologized. Don¡¯t make this harder than it needs to be.¡±


    A man beside them echoed, ¡°Yeah, look <b>at </b>her. She¡¯s crying, her dress is all messed up. Let¡¯s not make things worse for her.¡±

 Daghter 204

    Chapter 204 The Powder Room Trap


    Finished


    He added, ¡°It¡¯s just a dress¨Cwhat¡¯s the big deal? She can wear whatever she wants; it¡¯s her choice.¡±


    Someone else spoke up, using Jackson¡¯s name to persuade Taylor. ¡°Today is Mr. Jackson¡¯s birthday. Ms. Taylor, you wouldn¡¯t want to upset him, right?¡±


    Sensing the shift in momentum as the crowd began siding with her, Elsie lifted her hand and gently wiped away her tears, her lips curling into a victorious smile.


    Taylor saw it¨Cof course she did¨Cbut she couldn¡¯t explode, not with Jackson¡¯s reputation at stake.


    What she really marveled at was Elsie¡¯s maniption. y the victim, and <i>you </i>win the <i>crowd</i>.


    Elsie had it down to an art. She wore a fake <b>dress </b>and stole the spotlight, yet with a few tears and Paul¡¯s defense, she was the one painted as aggressive <b>and </b>overbearing.


    Taylor had once thought Yunice was too much of a pushover; now, caught in a trap herself, she finally understood what Yunice had been living through.


    Taylor curled her lip into a cold smirk and shot Elsie. I won¡¯t forget this.


    After Taylor and Paul walked off, a few gentlemen politely offered Elsie tissues.


    She epted with practiced grace, dabbing at her tears with delicate fingers. When she looked up again, her expression had transformed into a demure and elegant smile.


    She¡¯d actually managed to best Taylor tonight. <i>Unbelievable</i>. So what <i>if </i><i>Taylor </i>came from an elite family?


    That didn¡¯t make her invincible. But <b>the </b><b>gown</b>¡­


    Elsie wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence that she showed up in the <b>same </b>dress as Taylor. <i>If </i>Yunice had been the one wearing this gown, I would¡¯ve been the one humiliated just now.


    Elsie couldn¡¯t figure out why Wyatt would do this. She began <b>scanning </b>the crowd for any sign of Yunice. Is she even <i>here </i>tonight?


    ¡°Yunice Elsie turned her head and, through the <b>crowd</b>, spotted her.


    Yunice wore <b>a </b>princess¨Ccut gown, her pale skin glowing under the lights as she stood quietly among the guests.


    Smiling softly, she set down her champagne and gracefully made her way toward the restroom


    She went alone. No one followed her Elsie¡¯s eyes darkened. She followed immediately¡ªshe had questions, and she wanted answers.


    The restroom was at the end of a quiet hallway, tucked away from the main bustle. Hardly anyone passed through there


    307 PM <b>? </b>? ¡¤


    Chapter 204 The Powder Room Trap


    up her pace.


    Yunice turned a corner, and Elsie, lifting the hem of her dress, rushed to catch up.


    But the moment she stepped inside the restroom, the door mmed shut behind her.


    Finished


    Startled, Elsie spun around¨Conly to see several well¨Cdressed women standing at the entrance, arms crossed. Yunice was nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yunice?¡± Elsie realized she¡¯d been tricked. But as she looked at the group of women, their upscale fashion made one thing clear¨Cthese weren¡¯t Yunice¡¯s type of friends.


    Timidly, she asked, ¡°<b>Are </b>you friends with Yunice? Or¡­ with Taylor?¡±


    ¡°You still have the nerve to call her Taylor?¡± One of the women exchanged a look with the others.


    -and they all burst intoughter.


    When theughter died down, the woman in front straightened her face. ¡°That sweet little act of yours only works on men. We¡¯re not buying it.¡±


    Another rolled up her sleeves. ¡°What I can¡¯t stand are women who throw themselves at married men. You¡¯re a disgrace.¡±


    Clearly, they hadn¡¯te to talk.


    Elsie stumbled backward, tearful and pleading. ¡°Ladies, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. I knew Paul first- he only married Taylor because he had no choice. I¡¯m the victim here¡­¡±


    They <b>weren¡¯t </b><b>interested </b>in her excuses. They lunged forward and, stripped the dress off her.


    Left in only her underwear<b>, </b>Elsie crouched on the floor, sobbing and hugging herself.


    ¡°If you ever mess <b>with </b><b>our </b>girl again, we¡¯ll strip you every time we see you.¡±


    ¡°Ugh! <b>Trash </b>like you doesn¡¯t deserve to wear the same dress <b>as </b>her.¡± One of them snatched up the gown and walked <b>out </b>with it.


    The women strutted <b>out </b>of the <b>restroom </b>and hung <b>a </b>¡°Maintenance in Progress¡± sign on the door.


    Until the party ended <b>and </b>the <b>guests </b>left, naked little Elsie <b>wasn¡¯t </b>going anywhere.


    Only after everyone had cleared out did Yunice emerge from the shadows. She had heard it all- Elur¡¯s faint voice still echoed from inside, ¡°Hello is <b>anyone </b>out there? <b>Can </b>someone help <b>me </b>


    Yunice ignored her.


    She quietly <b>nudged </b>the ¡°Maintenance sign a few more feet down the <b>hall</b>¨Cjust to <b>make </b>extra sure no one wandered by


    Good deed done, she headed back downstairs.


    Chapter 204 The Powder Imam Trop


    Fuished


    Standing at the railing on the second floor, she calmly scanned the crowd below. Once she located her target, she started down the stairs with a quiet purpose.

 Daghter 205

    Chapter 205 Who¡¯s Really Pulling the Strings


    ¡°Mr. Carl.¡± <b>Yunice </b>stood politely behind him..


    Carl had one hand tucked in the pocket of his cks, the other holding a champagne ss. Surrounded by business elites, he was the picture of charm and eloquence.


    As he turned around, the others naturally followed his gaze¨Cand saw Yunice.


    nished


    She wore a simple princess¨Ccut gown; her delicate face was porcin pale, sweet and demure.


    She looked like a well¨Cbehaved girl, but the slender, pale curve of her neck sparked a flicker of something more suggestive in the minds of more than one man.


    In a crowd full of high¨Csociety fashion, her appearance stood out as uniquely understated.


    ¡°Mr. Carl.¡± <b>Yunice </b>said, ¡°I have the answer to the question you askedst time. Can we talk for a moment?¡±


    Then she added, ¡°I won¡¯t take up much of your time.¡±


    Carl¡¯s expression stiffened slightly. Why is Yunice being <i>so </i><i>formal </i>with me now?


    It was rude of her to bring up business at a social event like this, but still, Carl set down his ss and gestured to a quieter corner. ¡°This way.¡±


    The crowd respectfully stopped following-


    At that same moment, Owen and Paul had also been on their way to find Carl.


    Owen hadn¡¯t originally nned to attend the Powell family¡¯s banquet; he still hadn¡¯t patched things up with Jackson, and swallowing his pride wasn¡¯t easy


    But when Paul mentioned that the Powell family was negotiating a business deal with Carl, Owen perked up


    After all, Carl was his godfather.


    Back in the day, Carl and his father had been sworn <b>brothers</b>. If Owen could represent the Powell family in the deal. Carl would definitely do hum the <b>favor </b>


    And if that happened, Owen would be hailed as the hero¨Cand with Carl as his powerful backer, the Powell family would surely reconsister breaking off Elsie and Paul¡¯s engagement.


    For Elior future. Owen had tried contacting Carl many mes, but always seement to mis him by


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    Wyatt didn¡¯t re up. Instead, heughed, as if the whole thing was hrious. His eyes gleamed


    with derision.


    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯ve let you live this long?


    Paul froze, unease flickering in his eyes.


    Wyatt¡¯s grin turned dark. ¡°Because you¡¯re like a mutt who won¡¯t stop barking but never dares to bite. Killing you would be a waste of my time.¡±


    Send Gifts


    20

 Daghter 206

    Chapter 206 Dead Man Walking


    Paul gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You¡¯re just scared.¡±


    Trying to provoke Wyatt, he sneered, ¡°You talk a big game, but at the <b>end </b>of the day, even your woman¡¯s just my leftovers.¡±


    The smile in Wyatt¡¯s eyes faded.


    Sensing the sudden shift in mood, Paul doubled down, even more defiant. ¡°You like her, don¡¯t you? Too bad. That one moment in her life she¡¯ll always remember¨Cshe gave it to me. No matter how hard you try with her now, every time she closes her eyes, it¡¯ll be my face she sees.¡±


    Got him. He¡¯s pissed.


    <b>Paul¡¯s </b>lips curled into <b>a </b>nasty grin, like he¡¯d <b>finally </b>grabbed Wyatt by the tail. Wyatt started walking toward him¨Cslow and steady¨Cand Paul¡¯s expression darkened in an instant.


    Then, <b>pain </b>exploded across the top of Paul¡¯s foot, forcing <b>his </b>back into <b>a </b>painful arch.


    The end of Wyatt¡¯s cane had dug deep into the leather of Paul¡¯s shoe. He turned slightly, leaned in, and whispered in Paul¡¯s car, ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡±


    Wyatt <b>shed </b>a crooked smile. ¡°Next time <b>she </b>thinks of you, all she¡¯ll picture is the mess you went out in. I¡¯ll <b>have </b>you torn limb from limb <b>and </b>scattered to the four winds. Maybe your hand ends. up in the drink, <b>your </b>head¡¯s <b>six </b>feet under somewhere it doesn¡¯t belong, and what¡¯s left of you goes to the dogs. How¡¯s that for going out with a <b>bang</b>?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face went pale, then green. With every word Wyatt spoke, a vivid image took over his mind until he broke out in a cold sweat.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if Wyatt was bluffing or not, but he wasn¡¯t about to take the risk. He shut up.


    Wyait wasn¡¯t done.


    With a cutting sneer, he added, ¡°Wonder if, once you¡¯re gone, that useless old <b>man </b>of yours will be able to squeeze out another Powell heir Then who¡¯s gonna carry <b>the </b>family <b>name</b>, huh? Eh. whatever that old bastard never did anything good for the world. Maybe it¡¯s better if all of you


    ju raked¡±


    The more Wyatt talked, the hunter Paul¡¯s hands shook¨Cbecause every word hit too close to


    If for died, the old man just might go crawling to Wyatt, begging him toe back into the foll atud take over die Powell name.


    datears ¨C


    Arad Paul could feed it in his Wyan wanted him dead. That cruel grin on tus face, thezy


    w of the cat as he died away


    LI DA PART NES? several antistester that band outaged to shake off the thing weight that beach


    Chapter 206 Dead Man Walking


    His mind finally began to settle.


    No, he couldn¡¯t give Wyatt the chance to kill him. He had to strike first.


    Finished


    Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. Paul couldn¡¯t sit still any longer; he broke into a jog, rushing off to find Jensen.


    Meanwhile, Owen brought a fresh change of clothes to the bathroom and helped Elsie out. <b>But </b>when he returned to look for Paul, the guy had already vanished.


    Calls went unanswered, and Carl was too high up the Powell chain for Owen to bother without permission.


    For <b>now</b>, he was stuck outside, seething and helpless<b>. </b>


    <b>Inside </b>Carl¡¯s <b>private </b><b>lounge</b>, Yunice sipped her <b>tea </b>in peace.


    Carl lounged in a wicker chair across from her <b>and </b>said, ¡°You hesitated when I asked you that question the other day. That¡¯s how I knew¨Cyou want to be with that kid.¡±


    He flipped through the file in his hands, his tone suddenly unreadable. ¡°So you¡¯re here now, asking me to back him?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Mr. Carl, Wyatt¡¯s offering thirty percent profit cuts. That¡¯s something the Powell family will never give.¡±


    Carl furrowed his brow, his thoughts still a mystery. ¡°In this world, there¡¯s no shortage of tailwinds to ride. The trick is knowing which is a spring breeze¡­ and which is a death chill.¡±


    Pick the wrong one, and <b>not </b>only do your investments vanish¨Cyou might go down with them.


    Wyatt was young, untested by time. Meanwhile, the Powell empire was old money: even dying, it <b>was </b>still stronger than most.


    Carl set the document Yunice had brought down on the desk. Her heart sank.


    She was <b>probably </b><b>about </b>to lose the negotiation. Sure enough, Carl gave <b>a </b>heavy sigh and asked, ¡°Yunny, if I don¡¯t sign <b>this </b>today, do you lose all your worth in Wyatt¡¯s eyes?¡±


    The question caught Yunice off <b>guard</b>. I haven¡¯t thought about that.¡±


    Carl continued, ¡°We businessmen¡­ we¡¯re all paranoid by nature. <b>And </b>I¡¯ve got this nagging feeling -he brought <b>you </b>to the billiards <b>hall </b>that day on purpose.¡±


    He was starting to believe Wyatt was using Yunice,


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°That was <b>probably </b>justcidence. Wyatt built everything from the groun up. I¡¯ve never once heard of him leaning on a woman to <b>make </b>it.¡±


    Then she joked, ¡°Mr. Carl, I swear he didn¡¯t force me to bother <b>you </b>You¡¯re my uncle. <b>You </b><b>taught </b>me how to y pool, remember? You and my father always stood on equal ground in my heart I


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 207

    Chapter 907 She¡¯s Not Yours Unless Carl Says So


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    Few them ittigit

 Daghter 208

    Chapter 208 Smile for the Fall Sweetheart


    Wyatt raised <b>an </b>eyebrow. Instead of seeing it as a challenge, he found it amusing


    Yunice set the file down and <b>said</b>, ¡°Mr. Carl is very likely to work with you; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed to meet you. I think he¡¯s waiting on a show of intent.¡±


    Wyatt smiled. ¡°That¡¯s enough business talk for now, Weren¡¯t you nning to stir the pot <b>a </b>little?¡±


    He pondered. Your turn to shine.


    Yunice replied, ¡°I don¡¯t need to lift a finger. Her <b>vanity </b>will ruin her all by itself.¡±


    Both Yunice and Wyatt had a knack for drawing trouble; they knew better than to mingle at the <b>main </b>event.


    Wyatt took Yunice <b>upstairs</b>, where they found a perfect spot with <b>a </b>full view of the room below.


    Yunice sat with her back straight, facing the railing, watching the guests in the hall as if searching


    for someone.


    Wyatt, on the other hand, loungedfortably in a rosewood chair, seemingly indifferent to everything around him. From time to time, he¡¯d nce up¨Calways toward Yunice. If she wasn¡¯t looking, he¡¯d let his gaze linger a little longer.


    She was wearing the dress he¡¯d picked <b>out</b>. He liked seeing her in a princess dress.


    Snapping out of his thoughts, Wyatt <b>asked</b>, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Paul or Jensen anywhere.¡±


    The smile on Wyatt¡¯s lips dimmed slightly; his gaze fell on the delicate curve of Yunice¡¯s neck. and Paul¡¯s words echoed in his mind.


    Sensing a sudden chill, Yunice turned to find Wyatt watching her with a sharp, unreadable look. She had no idea what triggered it <b>and </b>observed him cautiously.


    It took a few seconds before Wyatt pulled himself together and casually said, ¡°Maybe he <b>ran </b>home crying to his daddy.¡±


    Yunice looked back down at the crowd below, though her thoughts drifted. She remembered what <b>Carl </b>had said to her earlier in the lounge.


    Carl had asked, ¡°Do you know why Wyatt suddenlyshed out <b>that </b>day at the pool hall?¡±


    She¡¯d said she didn¡¯t..


    Carl told her, ¡°I <b>said </b>I¡¯d do business with <b>him</b>¨Cif he handed you over to me. And then he hit me¡±


    Her eyes <b>had </b>gone wide when he said that. Hyatt had thrown a punch¡­ for mer


    Now, thinking back to that sh of coldness in Wyatt¡¯s eyes, Yunice picked up on a pattern, every time she brought up Paul in front of him, he seemed unhappy


    A new idea began to take shape in her mind.


    ¡°Mr. Jackson¡¯s looking sharp as ever!¡±


    ¡°With a promising younger generation and the Powell family thriving, no wonder Mr. Jackson¡¯s in such high spirits!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jackson¡¯s granddaughter¨Cinw is quite impressive too¨CI heard she prepared a very special birthday gift. We¡¯re all just dying to take a peek!


    Down in the grand hall, a wave of ttery followed Jackson¡¯s arrival.


    Of course, withpliments came snide remarks too. ¡°Most everyone¡¯s here by now¨Cfunny we haven¡¯t seen your second son and his wife¡±


    ¡°I heard he never shows up to Mr. Jackson¡¯s birthday parties. But then again, what do you expect from someone raised wit no manners? Born with a mother, raised like he didn¡¯t <b>have </b>one.¡±


    ¡°His wife isn¡¯t much better. Doesn¡¯t even try to talk sense into him¡­¡±


    Before the words could even settle, a dark shadow shot down from above. T


    he man who¡¯d just spoken instinctively jumped to the side, and a teapot exploded at his feet.


    ¡°Who the heck?¡± he shouted.


    Everyone looked up toward the second floor, but the railing was empty¨Cnot a soul in sight.


    Someone tugged at the speaker¡¯s sleeve, whispering a reminder that the old man was still present. and it wasn¡¯t the time to make a scene,


    With no one caught red¨Chanded, he had no choice but 10 Wow his anger Jackson, however,


    wasn¡¯t so easy to fool. He gave his butler a look, and the man slipped silently upstairs.


    Meanwhile, downstairs, someone brought out Taylor and began coaxing her to show off the gift.


    They didn¡¯t really care about the gift. They just wanted to fawn over her.


    Taylor pped her hands twice.


    The person keeping the gift ledger stepped forward, followed by a row of attendants, each carrying a present.


    ¡°One hand¨Cpainted marigold vase¡±


    The man stepped forward, presenting the priceless piece to the guests.


    One gold leaf Victorian figurine¡±


    Chapter 208 Smile for the Fall Sweetheart


    Anyone familiar with auctions would know, <b>that </b>vase had once gone for 70 million; and Victorian<b>. </b>figurine was even more priceless, thanks to its sacred symbolism <b>and </b>repeated sky¨Chigh sales.


    Taylor had really gone all out to make a statement.


    The first two gifts were already so extravagant.


    What kind of treasure would the third <b>one </b>be?


    All eyes turned to the third attendant holding a box. Even Taylor looked over¡­ but as soon as she saw what was inside, the smile on her face began to fade.


    She hadn¡¯t prepared that gift.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 209

    apter 209 The Real Show Begins


    ¡°A hundred¨Cyear¨Cold ginseng-


    The attendant holding the gift box stepped forward and was just about to open it when Taylor cut <b>in</b><b>, </b>¡°That¡¯s not one of my gifts.¡±


    She lifted her eyes and said, ¡°I only prepared two gifts. How did you record the gift list? You can¡¯t just stick a guest¡¯s gift under my name what would <b>that </b>guest think?¡±


    Then she turned to the crowd and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know which esteemed guest sent the ginseng, but it was mistakenly listed under my name. Please,e forward so I can apologize to you in person.¡±


    When Taylor finished, the guests all nodded in approval. The daughter of the Kendall family really knew how to <b>handle </b>herself.


    Paul, on the other hand, always came up short in terms of tact. Just like <b>now</b>¨Che hadn¡¯t even shown his face. What a breach of etiquette.


    After Taylor spoke, no one stepped forward.


    The gift ledger keeper was frantically flipping through the pages, cold sweat beading on his forehead. ¡°It can¡¯t be <b>a </b>mistake¡­ it clearly says ¡®granddaughter¨Cinw¡­¡±


    There was only one grandson in the Powell family¨CPaul¨Cso naturally, there was only one granddaughter¨Cinw.


    Who else could it be but Taylor?


    Carl sat <b>at </b>the head of the crowd in a high¨Cbacked seat, while Huajing stood at his side with her


    arms crossed.


    Her long curls fell over one shoulder as she looked in a certain direction, smiling sweetly. ¡°Boss, look¨C<b>what¡¯s </b>Ms. Elsie doing pushing through the crowd like that<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Elsie didn¡¯t hold any real status, and with no one to introduce her, there was no way <b>she¡¯d </b>make it to the front.


    But she¡¯d buttered up Kelvin earlier<b>, </b>so he had taken her up <b>front </b>with him. Now, however, she <b>was </b>sneakily edging her way forward, leaving Kelvin behind.


    Of <b>course</b>, with everyone fixated on finding <b>out </b>who had sent the ginseng, no one noticed her inching ahead.


    Elsie pushed her way to the very front. Seeing that no one had caught her yet, she tugged at her dress hem <b>and </b>let out a soft cry as she pretended to trip.


    <b>That </b>sweet little <b>gasp </b>rang through the room like a sudden thunderp, <b>grabbing </b>everyone¡¯s


    attention.


    Chapter 200 The Bed She beguil


    Everyone instinctively turned to the woman behind her, who lookedpletely baffled She hadn¡¯t stepped on the woman¡¯s dress. She had no idea how the girl h. just gone down like that.


    Realizing she was about to be made the scapegoat, her face flushed red with anger.


    She snapped at <b>Elsie</b>, ¡°Who the heck are you? You mmed right into me! That hurt!¡±


    She clutched her shoulder, making it clear she wasn¡¯t to me.


    Elsie¡¯s eyes went red, and she bowed sis¨Ccan I help you clean it up<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    nervously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s all my fault. Don¡¯t be <b>mad </b>at me,


    The woman <b>was </b>speechless. It¡¯ho is this Juke <b>sweet </b>girl and where did she crawl <b>out </b>from?


    <b>But </b>this was a room full of rich and powerful people. She didn¡¯t know which family Elsie belonged to and didn¡¯t daresh out.


    She didn¡¯t¨Cbut som mne else did.


    A shadow fell over them. Elsie looked up with teary eyes and locked eyes with Taylor¡¯s mocking with teary eyes and locked eyes with Taylor¡¯s mocking smile. ¡°You again.¡±


    ¡°Taylor¡­¡± Elsie <b>shrank </b>back, head down, <b>looking </b>pitiful and <b>scared</b>.


    <b>Taylor </b>ced a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve got pull here. If someone¡¯s bullying you, I¡¯ll back you up.¡±


    What is she ying at? Elsie gave Taylor a wary nce.


    <b>But </b>Taylor turned to the scapegoated woman and coldly asked, ¡°Did you step on her dress?¡±


    The woman broke out in a nervous sweat, frantically <b>shaking </b>her head, ¡°No, she¨Cshe didt in herself¡±


    ¡°You stepped on Ms. Taylor¡¯s friend¡¯s dress, and you¡¯re not going to apologize?¡± Nomeone next to her piled on the pressure,


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, I swear!¡± the woman said, nearly in tears,


    Elsie, all understanding and grace, tried to defuse the situation. ¡°If she says she didn¡¯t, then she didn¡¯t. I¡¯m not hurt anyway¨Cplease, don¡¯t make this harder for her¡­¡±


    The woman <b>was </b>fuming, eyes red with rage <b>as </b>she red at Elsie.


    Elsie reached out to help her up, but just then, Taylor subtly pressed her heel down on the hem


    Elsie took a step and she went flying face¨Cfirst to the floor. Her lip split on impact, blood spilling down her chin.


    2011


    for?


    The woman couldn¡¯t make sense of it bort Ele supposed to be Taylor¡¯s friend¡±


    Taylor siem


    lowncat Elge ¡°That acting of yours needs work. That first fall was so artistic. were you filming a scene?¡°


    The crowd finally caught on. They looked at the woman sprawled on the ground, her skirt torn.ir a mess, blood on her lips. wore that <b>was </b>what <b>real </b>fall looked like


    Up on the second floor, Yunice watched the chaos below with nothing but satisfaction, Only the ruthless con <b>deal </b>with the wicked.


    Elsie might have a talent for stirring the pot, but in the face of real <b>power</b>, the <b>crowd </b>would dly twist truth into fiction.


    Taylor had status¨Cand if she said a deer was a horse, everyone else <b>would </b>just smile and agree. with her.


    Send Gifta


    „ 20

 Daghter 210

    Chapter 210 She¡¯s Crying Again


    In the face of real power, all pretense had to give way.


    Elsie had only managed to stay afloat these past few years by clinging to Owen and Paul, thinking <b>that </b>was enough to elevate her.


    <b>But </b>the truth was, outside of the little greenhouse those two built around her. Elsie couldn¡¯t withstand a single storm.


    ¡°Excuse me please let me through!¡± Owen¡¯s voice rose from the back of the crowd.


    He pushed his <b>way </b>forward, clearly in a rush. By the time he came into view, his neatly styled <b>hair </b><b>had </be undone, strands falling across his forehead, even the cor of his <b>suit </b>hade <b>loose</b>.


    But he couldn¡¯t <b>have </b>cared less about appearances.


    The moment he saw Elsie crying on the ground with blood on her lip, his expression changed. He pulled out a handkerchief <b>and </b>gently pressed it to her wound.


    Elsie gasped between sobs and clung to Owen¡¯s jacket. ¡°Owen, don¡¯t worry about me. I need to apologize to Taylor. I was the one who <b>gave </b>the ginseng. I don¡¯t know how it got listed under her name this whole mess is my fault. If she <b>pped </b>me, I probably deserved it¡­


    ¡°<b>She </b>gave the ginseng?¡±


    ¡°Who is this girl, sending hundred¨Cyear¨Cold ginseng to Mr. Jackson?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her before¨CMs. Saunders, right? She attended a medical conference once. Seemed like a polite youngdy.¡±


    Someone whispered. ¡°Ms.


    unders? <b>Isn¡¯t </b>that Wyatt¡¯s fiander.


    ¡®No, no¨Cthat¡¯s just the one listed under the Saunders name. That girl spent years in a psych ward, from what I <b>heard</b>. This one is <b>the </b>real Ms. Saunders. And unmarried, <b>too</b>,¡±


    Huajing heard the whispers and cast a sideways nce at Carl.


    Sure enough, Carl¡¯s face had gone dark, she¡¯s the real Ms. Saunders, then that does that make Yunice? Just a stand¨Cin? <i>It¡¯s </iughable,pletely backward! What a joke!


    <b>And </b>Owen was devoted to the daughter of the very people who had hurt his parents. It was both pathetic and disheartening.


    Owen helped Elsie to her feet, believing every word she said. His brows drew together as he turned to Taylor. ¡°It was just a mix up with the gitt ledger Ms Taylor, did you <b>really </b>need to be so aggressive? What you did today reflects poorly on both the Powell and Kendall tamilies¡±


    He¡¯d once <b>had </b>a <b>bit </b>of a crush on Taylor, but after she broke Elsie¡¯s finger thest time, that fondness <b>had </b>vanishedpletely.


    Chapter 216 She¡¯s Crying Again


    Taylor shot back. ¡°She deliberately wore the same dress as me and got her gift listed under my name. Mr. Owen, who¡¯s really trying to stir things up here!¡±


    One of Taylor¡¯s friends stepped in to back her up. ¡°Exactly. She obviously wanted to steal the spotlight. Fine, the gift list was a mistake¨Cbut no one forced her to wear that dress.¡±


    Plenty of guests had noticed the identical dresses. <b>And </b>in a crowd like this, full of sharp minds and sharper instincts, everyone could see through the act


    It was so obvious¨Cshe was trying to piggyback on Taylor¡¯s status to boost her <b>own </b>exposure<b>. </b>


    Elsie shook her head in Owen¡¯s arms, tearful <b>and </b>trembling. ¡°Owen, I wasn¡¯t trying topete with Taylor. Someone sent me the dress and told me <b>to </b><b>wear </b>it to the party. I don¡¯t even know <b>how </b>it turned out like <b>this</b>¡­¡±


    Taylor sneered, ¡°You¡¯ve always got an excuse. So who supposedly sent you the dress?¡±


    Elsie whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t <b>know</b>¡­¡±


    Owen¡¯s frown deepened. He didn¡¯t believe Elsie would pull a stunt like <b>that</b>. Someone had to be setting her up.


    Thinking back to the tension between Taylor and Elsie, Owen couldn¡¯t help but spiral into a conspiracy theory. He muttered, ¡°Ms. Taylor¡­ did <b>you </b>send Elsie the dress? Was this your n to humiliate her?¡±


    That dress was a custom piece¨Conly Taylor and her designer had ess <b>to </b>the original. How else


    would Elsie <b>know</b>?


    Taylor¡¯s face twisted in disgust. She had never found Owen so repulsive,


    Before the argument could escte, the old man returned, He had changed outfits and reentered the hall, instantly drawing everyone¡¯s attention back.


    Elsie¡¯s eyes lit up. I need to make the most of this ginseng!


    She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, stepped forward, and positioned herself sweetly in front of Jackson.


    ¡°Mr. Jackson,¡± she said softly, ¡°Paul told me <b>you¡¯ve </b>been under the weathertely. I traveled halfway across the <b>country </b>and finally managed to buy this wild hundred¨Cyear¨Cold ginseng from a farmer. If it <b>can </b>help restore your health, it would be the greatest honor for the ginseng¨Cand


    for me.¡±


    When she finished, Jackson kept his smile, but his expression noticeably stiffened.


    ¡°The <b>Saunders </b>family and <b>Powell </b>family must be real close. Even the old <b>man¡¯s </b>health issues made it <b>to </b><b>her </b>ears..¡±


    ¡°I heard the two families go way back¨Cgenerations of close ties.¡±


    Chapter 210 She¡¯s Crying Agai


    The way people looked at Elsie changed. They figured if she could


    she must be worth cultivating. Connections like that were valuab/. Peak so directly


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 211

    Chapter 211 The Real Show Begins


    were


    This woncerely whn Blue wanted today was Jackson¡¯s intheday and the Powell west end with saving fure


    her they disliked her they don¡¯t afford to fill out with hatre publicly


    that


    Sure enough, Backson gave a nod and lose grund of acknowledgment bedor Linda hedged him tea


    As they passed each other, Lauda nced at Else At that moment, Elsie had truly stolen Taylor¡¯s


    de


    Taylor¡¯s face remained nk, but Elsie took the chance while ****** was watching to lean in and whisper, ¡°beyler, even Mr Jakt holding it against me anymore<i>, </i>so you shouldn¡¯t either Father wise, the only one who¡¯ll look bad is you


    She looked up, eyes locked on Taylor with a challenges


    She knew Taylor had a temper, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take the provocation Sure enough. Taylor¡¯s eyes darkened, and she lost control for a moment, raising her hand.


    i


    This was whn Elsie had been woning for, at Beylor dared to strike her, she¡¯d immediately fall to the ground aber thn, Taylor would be stuck with thebel of a jealous, spiteful woman.


    That was maarily how she had destroyed Yunice back then<i>, </i>Prejudice was <i>stain </i>you couldn¡¯t wash out, wwe peuple got the wrong fen, the truth didn¡¯t stand <i>a </i>chance. How do you argue with a story they¡¯ve


    lyde ideal to belie


    Was this ginseng acquired properly?¡±


    Just me te was about to take a full, a voice rang om from the second floor


    Taylor matumily stopped mud swing, he aggression vinnslung Lake the others, she looked up toward the rail


    There wood girl in princess dress, calm and serene, smiling down at the crowd.


    or cabin


    She turned and began walking toward the andre. As she passed thending, the Powell funily¡¯s


    w toward


    she was the one whood thrown the vase from upstairs audier. Thetter hade up to apuchend hert was pinned down by one of Wyatt¡¯s bald bodyguards


    Your made her way down the stairs with grace and poler, Belly stepping into full view


    on the intr


    ?? ?.


    Back when she and Lily had been tossed back to the Saunders family dressed racy like bar Yunice had been wearing a pristine white princess dress just like this


    No one could ve known how bitter shed felt back then covered the clean, radiant Tunice who looked like a blooming gardenia


    ne, standing across from


    The very first moment she saw Yunice. Elsie had vowed to tear every one of those dresses to shreds with her own hands.


    For years, she thought she¡¯d seeded. Ever since Yunice returned from the asylum she¡¯d only wom cheap street clothes. Elsie hadn¡¯t thought much of it¨Cuntil now. That same old bitterness came rushing back.


    Why did Yunice get to live better than me?


    Yunny, what are you doing here?¡± Owen stepped in front of Yunice, frowning as he whispered. ¡°Mr. Jackson still doesn¡¯t like you being around Wyatt. Don¡¯t ruin the mood on such a happy day.


    Go back inside.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s presence was treated as an honor, while hers was seen as nothing but a disruption.


    Yunice paused. lips curving. ¡°I¡¯m here to wish my father¨Cinw a happy birthday¨Chow is that ruining the mood!¡±


    ¡°What Owen¡¯s face turned awkward as he nced at Jackson. Only then did he remember that Yunice no longer shared the same generation as him.


    She brushed past Owen¡¯s shoulder, not sparing him a second nce. Today was a special day: everyone would be on their best behavior. Anyone who started a fight would be the one under fire.


    The more cautious they were, the more room she had to maneuver.


    Yunice cirded the century¨Cold ginseng.


    Taylor<b>, </b>looking thoughtful, asked. ¡°Ms. Saunders, do you have thoughts about this ginseng? Just now, it sounded like you said it wasn¡¯t obtained properly


    Yunice smiled. ¡°It just looks familiar.


    Elsie clenched her fingers but kept her expression alm.


    Yunice turned to Owen and smiled again. ¡°Mr. Owen, don¡¯t you think this ginseng looks familiar


    too?¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t respond right away. His eyes stayed on the ginseng. The moment he saw it, he¡¯d already thought of the one Quinton had gifted them


    But that one had already been returned; there was no way it was this one


    He had no idea what Yunice was implying¨Che just knew she was stirring up trouble. He


    Chapter 211 The Real Show Begins


    ¡°That¡¯s quite ayman¡¯s take, Mr. Owen.¡± Yunice replied. ¡°How could all ginseng look the same? You¡¯re human; Elsie is human too. Are the two of you identical?¡±


    Owen frowned<b>, </b>warning her. He <b>had </b>told her before¨Cnever call Elsie by her real name in public!


    Fortunately, few people present even knew who Elsie was, so no one <b>really </b><b>paid </b>attention.


    Yunice ignored the warning and continued. ¡°Just like people, every piece of ginseng has its <b>own </b>identity. Even if itsbel is removed, it will still prove its worth.¡±

 Daghter 212

    Chapter 212 Poison in Disguise


    Owen understood the implication in Yunice¡¯s words all too well. Afraid she might expose the identity swap between her and Elsie in front of everyone, he took two steps forward, trying to drag Yunice <b>away</b>.


    ¡°Are you <b>having </b>another episode? Come on,e back with me: I¡¯ll give you your medicine.¡±


    Yunice pondered. Trying to <b>say </b>I am mentally ill again? That everything I said was nonsense?


    Yunice shook off Owen¡¯s <b>hand </b>and said loudly, ¡°So eager to get rid of me¨Cwhat, Mr. Owen, are you hoping Mr. Jackson dies from poison?¡±


    With a sharp sound, Jackson <b>set </b>his teacup down, eyes dark as he red at Yunice.


    Bringing up death at a birthday banquet¨C<b>was </b>she tired of living?


    Owen stared at her, eyes wide and throat dry. ¡°You really must be losing it.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Go ahead and eat <b>that </b>ginseng. One bite, and you¡¯ll never say another


    word.¡±


    Jackson, always suspicious by nature, was furious at first¨Cbut now he was curious, What was wrong with the ginseng?


    <b>Linda </b>asked, ¡°Is there something wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a big problem,<b>¡± </b>Yunice replied, then turned to Elsie. ¡°Was it <b>Paul </b>who told you that Mr. Jackson¡¯s been unwelltely?<b>¡± </b>


    Elsie didn¡¯t know what Yunice was getting at, but she wasn¡¯t going to miss a <b>chance </b>to <b>make </b>herself look good. ¡°Yes. Paul and I grew up together; he tells me everything. Not long ago, he confided in me¨Che said he was worried about Mr. Jackson¡¯s health. So I traveled far and wide to find this century¨Cold ginseng deep in the mountains myself.¡±


    With every word Elsie spoke, Taylor¡¯s expression darkened.


    Elsie yed up the childhood bond between her and Paul like they were soulmates, making Taylor look like the third wheel.


    Carl and Freya watched the drama <b>unfold </b>from <b>a </b>distance.


    Freya scoffed. ¡°That shameless white lotus. She¡¯s trampling all over the legitimate fianc¨¦e <b>and </b>unting her affair like it¡¯s a badge of honor.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t notice Carl <b>watching</b>. She¡¯d led Elsie into her trap, and <b>now </b>she was calmly reeling her in.


    ¡°So Paul must¡¯ve told you that Mr. Jackson is currently taking Veratrum<b>. </b>Which means <b>you </b>intentionally brought him ginseng, a known <b>contradiction</b>. You wanted to <b>poison </b>him, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Chapter 212 Porsc


    Elsie froze, instinctively protesting. ¡°Sis, what are you talking about? Why would I ever want to poison Mr. Jackson?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>smiled. ¡°Because he¡¯s in your way. That¡¯s why you want him gone.


    Others might not understand, but the Powell family knew exactly what she meant.


    stand


    Elsie had been using every trick in the book to w her way into the family. There <b>was </b>no doubt she resented Jackson for standing in her way.


    Jackson had never liked Elsie; now his <b>face </b>turned even grimmer.


    Elsie¡¯s mouth hung open in shock, eyes welling with tears. She cried out, pained, ¡°Yunice, why are you using me like this?¡±


    Owen jumped in to defend her, convinced Yunice was just stirring up trouble. ¡°Elsie did all this <b>out </b>of kindness, and now you¡¯re twisting it into something vile? Apologize to her right now<b>, </b><b>and </b><b>I¡¯ll </b>let this <b>go</b>.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Owen.¡± Yunice said coolly, ¡°you <b>and </b><b>she </b>are both in the medical field. You know drug interactions better than I do. Are you part of this silent assassination too?¡±


    Taylor chimed in, ¡°Exactly. You¡¯re both medical professionals. Your sister knows Mr. Jackson¡¯s condition inside and out. Yet you still brought him a contradicting remedy. <b>That¡¯s </b>not <b>just </b>careless¨Cit¡¯s malicious<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen snapped, ¡°Do you think century¨Cold ginseng is easy toe by? Elsie meant well. So <b>what </b>if she made a mistake<b>?</b>¡±


    Elsie started crying too. ¡°I never wanted to hurt anyone. All I ever wanted was just a little respect. Is <b>that </b>so wrong?¡±


    Hearing that made Owen¡¯s heart ache.


    To him. Elsie was the real victim. He didn¡¯t understand why was everyone always targeting her. She was only fighting for what she deserved!


    Owen, full of righteous anger, dered, ¡°If <b>you </b><b>all </b>can¡¯t appreciate it, then we won¡¯t gift the <b>ginseng </b>at all!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s delicate handnded on the ginseng gift box before Owen could take it back.


    <b>She </b>sneered, ¡°Is it yours to take?¡±


    Shamed in front of everyone, Owen¡¯s face flushed crimson.


    Yunice ignored him. Instead, she turned to Elsie, her <b>smile </b>full of ill intent. ¡°You take it.¡±


    Elsie, proud and stubborn, stepped forward with her chin raised, <b>reaching </b>out.


    Yunice smiled and pulled the box <b>back </b><b>on </b>purpose.


    nished


    was it just so you could steal my ginseng? If you wanted it, you could¡¯ve just <b>said </b>so¨C1 would¡¯ve


    given it to you.


    Yunice raised <b>an </b>eyebrow. ¡°Is it yours to give?¡±


    Elsie frowned, voice shaking but still deliant. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s tone was light, but the words cut deep. ¡°You said you bought <b>this </b>ginseng from deep in the mountains? Never passed through a supplier?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°What <b>are </b>you getting <b>at</b>?¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 213

    Chapter 213 Caught Red¨CHanded


    Yunice kept her hand on the ginseng box, her tone light and deliberate. ¡°Do you know <b>how </b>rare a century¨Cold <b>ginseng </b>is? And do you know that once rare medicinal herbs like this pass through the hands of a licensed supplier, they¡¯re immediately authenticated and tagged with a unique serial number to mark their value?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face showed clear confusion.


    She had never heard of medicinal herbs having serial numbers.


    Yunice asked, ¡°So, do you think this ginseng might have a number on <b>it</b>?¡±


    Elsie hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s so valuable, I was afraid to damage it, so I didn¡¯t check. I¡¯m not <b>sure </b>if there¡¯s a number on it or not.¡±


    Yunice continued, ¡°Then you must not know that a month ago, someone reported a stolen century¨Cold ginseng. They even provided the serial number¨Cthis <b>one </b>right here in my hands.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes flew <b>wide </b>open; she <b>stared </b>at Yunice in shock.


    Yunice held up the gift box. ¡°If you can¡¯t provide proof of purchase for this ginseng. I¡¯ll have every reason to believe you stole it.¡±


    <b>Elsie </b>went pale. She never imagined Quinton would discover the ginseng had been swapped¨Clet alone that he would report it to the police.


    She especially didn¡¯t expect the ginseng to have <b>a </b>serial number, or that she¡¯d get caught red- handed¡­


    Owen stepped up. ¡°You¡¯re just targeting my sister. Someone must¡¯ve switched the ginseng to set her up! I <b>demand </b>to see the security footage!¡±


    He <b>red </b>at Jackson <b>and </b>Taylor, suspecting them of ying dirty tricks just to humiliate the Saunders family.


    ¡°Owen!¡± Elsie <b>was </b>fed up with this idiot of a teammate.


    <b>Linda </b>sneered. ¡°So Mr. Owen allows his sister to gift us stolen property, and instead of taking responsibility, you turn around and use <b>us</b>? Fine, let¡¯s check the footage. You think the Powell family is afraid of <b>you</b>?¡±


    When the security footage was <b>brought </b>out, Elsie stood frozen in ce.


    Everyone knew that prominent families valued their privacy, for banquets like this, photography and <b>filming </b>were strictly prohibited. Surveince? Unheard of But the Powell family had secretly installed cumetai?


    Landa exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry¨Conly the gift table was monitored. Since all your gifts are valuable, we had to verify each one to avoid misunderstandings like this. We wouldn¡¯t want to be assed of anything shady¡±


    308 PM


    Chupter 213 Caught Red¨CHanded


    That <b>line </b>was clearly aimed at Elsie.


    Finished


    Elsie, face flushed with shame, tugged at Owen¡¯s sleeve <b>and </b>whispered with a trembling voice. ¡°Owen, let¡¯s not watch the footage. We¡¯ve obviously been set up¨Clet¡¯s just take the loss¡­¡±


    But Owen, ever the blunt one, dered, ¡°Don¡¯t give up. Elsie¨Cdon¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll clear your


    name.¡±


    Then he turned <b>a </b>cold re toward Yunice <b>and </b>gritted out, ¡°<b>And </b>I¡¯ll make sure the one : your name is exposed too.¡±


    The footage appeared on the big screen. Clear as <b>day</b>, it showed Elsie at <b>the </b>gift table, proudly announcing herself as the Powell family¡¯s future granddaughter¨Cinw.


    ¡°She really <b>had </b>the nerve to me it on the staff messing up the registry. Turns out she just <b>inted </b>her own worth<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°No wonder she kept trying to leech off Ms. Taylor¡¯s <b>status</b>¨Cshe just wanted to get noticed by the <b>Powells</b>.¡±


    ¡°Infamy is <b>still </b>fame, I guess. At least now everyone knows her, huh<b>¡­</b>¡±


    Elsie shook her head in agony and copsed into Owen¡¯s arms. ¡°That¡¯s <b>not </b>true! I wasn¡¯t trying to fake anything¨CPaul promised he¡¯d marry me¡­¡±


    <b>Owen </b>still believed she was innocent. He shouted, ¡°You all know the truth deep down!¡±


    Then he <b>shot </b>a bitter look at Taylor. ¡°Stealing someone else¡¯s man isn¡¯t exactly something to be proud of.¡±


    With that, he wrapped an arm around Elsic. ¡°I¡¯m taking you out of here<b>.</b>¡±


    Yunice took the chance to speak <b>up</b>. ¡°Then I¡¯ll return the stolen ginseng to its rightful owner for you.¡±


    Owen shot her a murderous re. As <i>if </i>things weren¡¯t humiliating enough already.


    Jackson mmed his cane on the ground, face <b>dark </b>with fury. ¡°You think the Powell family is your stage for <b>drama</b>?¡±


    This was his birthday, not a ce for public spectacle.


    Linda didn¡¯t waste another second. She ordered the Saunders family to be escorted out.


    the servants pushed them from the hall, Owen kicked back in frustration.


    Eluc, pale and trembling, choked out, ¡°Owen, I¡¯m sorry. I <b>was </b>just too <b>naive</b>¡­ <b>That¡¯s </b>how I got med. You can hit me if you want

 Daghter 214

    Finished


    OweilTurned just


    to catch aght of Yimice. In that moment, it all clicked.


    to


    He stormed over and grabbed her. ¡°It was you! It had to be you!¡±


    Yunice looked up calmly, meeting <b>his </b>eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right?


    ¡°I simply mailed myself a package. If someone couldn¡¯t resist taking what wasn¡¯t theirs, well- she scoffed, ¡°maybe they shouldn¡¯t assume everyone else is as dumb as they are. In the end, it¡¯s her own greed¡ªand <b>her </b>own arrogance¨Cthat made her look like a fool.¡±


    Send Gifta


    20


    Finched


    Chapter 214 Whose Name Is It, Really?


    Owen couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He shoved Yunice. ¡°Who are you calling an embarrassment? If you hadn¡¯t set this whole thing up, how could our Saunders family be humiliated like this? You¡¯re responsible for ruining our reputation today you¡¯re paying for it!¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll take responsibility. I¡¯ll expose every single dirty deed Elsie¡¯s ever done and rip off thatke, saintly mask of hers.¡±


    ¡°You¡± Owen was at a loss for words, his anger boiling over.


    Just as he raised his hand, another hand blocked it¡ª<b>and </b>then smack¨Ca pnded hard on his


    Owen <b>was </b>stunned. He looked up in shock and saw who it was. ¡°Mr. Carl?¡±


    Carl stood in front of Yunice, flexing his wrist, ¡°Huh, I saw someone trying toy a hand on Yunny from across the room, and it turns out it¡¯s my dear nephew?¡±


    He was smiling, but it was impossible to tell if he was joking or furious.


    Elsie rushed over. ¡°Mr. Carl, it was Yunice who disrespected Owen first. He was just trying to reason with her he did nothing wrong¡­.


    Carl didn¡¯t even look at her.


    Owen, thinking the p was an ident, added, ¡°Mr. Carl, you¡¯ve been abroad all these years;


    she did just now? She


    you don¡¯t know how rebellious Yunice has be. Did you <b>see </b>wen abroad all these years;


    orchestrated all this to drag our Saunders family through the mud!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Carl straightened his face and gave a sharp (sk. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t see a thing.¡±


    He nced at Yunice, then turned a scrutinizing look back to Owen. ¡°<b>And </b>how exactly did she drag your family through the mud?¡±


    Owen thought he had found his moment. He jumped in, ¡°She made Elsie wear knockoff clothes to make everyoneugh at her! And then she nted a stolen ginseng to frame Elsie!¡±


    Carl raised a brow. ¡°Never heard of this Elsie you keep talking about, but is she that stupid? <b>Yunny </b>


    To wear <b>fakes</b><b>, </b><b>and </b>she does? Tells her to give away stolen herbs, and she just goes along


    within


    The moment her name came up, Elsie stepped forward, sweet and pitiful. ¡°I just trusted Yunice


    ¡°I too much. But I don¡¯t think she meant to hurt me. I believe someone must¡¯ve misled her.¡±


    Carl soll treated her like air Elsie bit her lip, feeling awkward. <i>Why </i>does he seem to dislike me so


    You


    turned to her. ¡°Thanks for trying to cover for me, but hate to disappoint you¨C1 did mean to hurt you


    ? ?


    Chapter 214 Whose Name is it Really?


    back in front of Carl.


    Carl¡¯s gaze darkened, catching every movement.


    ished


    Yunice turned to him calmly. ¡°Mr. Carl, since you¡¯re here, may I ask you to judge this fairly?¡±


    ¡°Elsie ims I sent her a package to set her up. So tell me whose name was on that package?¡±


    Elsie hesitated, then answered meekly, ¡°It was addressed to Yunice, of course¡­¡±


    Yunice asked sharply, ¡°Then who is Yunice?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes filled with tears. ¡°Yunice, I¡¯ve been called Yunice for three years. It¡¯s my name too- I¡¯m used to it now.¡±


    Yunice gritted her teeth. What a shameless excuse, stealing and acting like it¡¯s <i>justified</i>!


    Afraid Carl might misunderstand, Owen jumped in. ¡°It¡¯s like this, Mr. Carl. Yunny spent three years in a mental hospital due to her condition. I didn¡¯t want people talking, so I asked Elsie to pretend to be Yunny in public.¡±


    Carl gave a half¨Csmile and nodded. ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Then he finally turned to Elsie, ¡°So you open anything that says ¡®Yunice¡® on it? How were you so sure it was meant for you?¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°If you weren¡¯t sure and opened it anyway, isn¡¯t that just stealing?¡±


    Elsie immediately tried to weasel out of it: ¡°I was sure¨Cbecause she never lived at the Saunders. mansion. If it got delivered there, it had to be for me.¡±


    She nced timidly at Yunice and added in a soft voice, ¡°Yunice knew that, and that¡¯s how she managed to frame me¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Carl looked intrigued. ¡°If she doesn¡¯t live with the Saunders, then where <b>does </b>she live<b>?</b>¡±


    Elsie looked at Owen, <b>unsure </b>what Carl was getting at. Wasn¡¯t he here to back us up? Why is he interrogating me instead?


    Owen, frustrated, snapped, ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s been bothering me! Ever since Dad passed, Yunice has been totally <b>out </b>of control¨C<b>always </b>out running around, never home. I¡¯ve talked to her, yelled at her, but <b>nothing </b>works!¡±


    He grumbled, ¡°Mr. Carl, now that you¡¯re back, <b>you </b>have to <b>help </b>me keep her in line. Otherwise<b>, </b>I won¡¯t even be <b>able </b>to face my dad¡¯s grave<b>!</b>¡±


    Yunice sneered. ¡°Oh, <b>and </b><b>you </b>really care so much about <b>Dad</b>, <b>huh</b>? <b>How </b>many times a year do you even visit his grave?¡±


    What does that <b>have </b>to do with this? Owen snapped. ¡°Stop dragging <b>me </b>into it!¡±


    Elsie jumped in to smooth things over. ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t argue with Owen. He¡¯s been supporting our whole family all by himself. He¡¯s so busy he <b>can¡¯t </b>even take care of himself. Saying that just hits

 Daghter 215

    Chapter 215 Old Scores, New Wounds


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Yunice sneered, watching Elsie¡¯s show. ¡°Do you really think everyone¡¯s as much of <b>an </b>idiot as Owen? That they¡¯ll just dance around your little games?¡±


    Elsie looked confused¨Cuntil Carl¡¯s <b>cold </b>voice cut through the air.


    ¡°So much effort running the show, and yet you can¡¯t even make space for your own sister to stay in the house? What exactly have you been busy with all these <b>years</b>?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face flushed hot. He darted a nce at Yunice, his eyes full of embarrassment and threat, wondering if she¡¯d said something to Carl behind his back. I still need to work <b>with </b>Mr. Carl, <i>I </i>can¡¯t afford to let him think poorly of me!


    Carl <b>said</b>, ¡°Don¡¯t look at her. I¡¯ve seen all the quarterly reports from Saunders Hospital. The ce has been going <b>downhill </b><b>year </b>after year¨Cis that Yunny¡¯s fault too?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Carl¡­¡± Elsie¡¯s voice trembled, a <b>mix </b>of panic and dread. ¡°It¡¯s not Owen¡¯s <b>fault</b><b>¡­</b>¡±


    But before she could finish, Carl snapped, ¡°And who the heck do you think you <b>are</b>, speaking <b>to </b>me<b>?</b>¡±


    His cold, impatient re made Elsie flinch hard. Her eyes reddened instantly, as if she¡¯d been bullied.


    But then, quick as lightning, she ran to Yunice¡¯s side and grabbed her arm, crying as <b>she </b>pleaded, ¡°Yunice, tell Mr. Carl! Tell him how hard Owen¡¯s worked <b>all </b>these years, please. He¡¯ll believe <b>you </b>


    -he trusts you¡­


    Seeing Elsie desperately trying to plead Owen¡¯s case, even while clearly terrified, touched something in Owen.


    Compared to that, Yunice¡¯s icy silence only made his heart chill.


    Noticing Carl¡¯s dislike toward Elsie, Owen made up his mind¨Che¡¯d stand up for her.


    He addressed Carl with solemn resolve. ¡°Mr. Carl, I think you¡¯ve misunderstood Elsie. She¡¯s my real sister, not some outsider. I only hope she can be treated with the same kindness and protection you <b>give </b>Yunny.¡±


    <b>Carl </b><b>had </b>been merely cold before¨Cbut hearing <b>that </b>made his expression darken with genuine fury.


    ¡°Will only <b>had </b>one daughter¨CYunny. And <b>that </b>one? If anything, she¡¯s the reason your father ended up dead.¡±


    Just as he said it, Lily <b>had </b>walked in¨Cand caught every word. With a loud thump, she staggered and copsed <b>against </b>the doorframe.


    The noise caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    Crupter 215 old Scores New Wounde


    Lily clung to the doorframe, her expression crumbling. Her eyes, aged by time, brimmed with tears¨Cthen overflowed.


    Elsic panicked. ¡°Owen, did Mom hear what Mr. Carl said?¡±


    Owen panicked too. He and Elsie rushed to Lily¡¯s side, one on each side supporting her. Owen¡¯s voice shook. ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡±


    Lily nced guiltily at Carl, then tried topose herself. ¡°I heard something happened with Elsie. I <b>was </b>worried¡­¡±


    Owen whipped his head around to re at Yunice. ¡°You called Mom here, <b>didn¡¯t </b>you?¡±


    In <b>his </b>mind, Yunice wanted Lily to witness Elsie being humiliated¨C<b>that </b>way, she¡¯d feel satisfied.


    But Yunice frowned. Lily didn¡¯te because of me.


    Still, with Lily¡¯s arrival, the atmosphere shifted once <b>again</b>.


    Yunice looked to Carl.


    Carl¡¯s brow was furrowed into a hard line, his expression cold, though something unreadable flickered in his eyes.


    He <b>and </b>Will had been <b>as </b>close as family.


    Back when Will married Lily, Carl had been <b>a </b>constant presence. In a <b>way</b>, Carl and Lily were old acquaintances.


    When Lily disappeared, Carl had <b>even </b>used his connections to search for her.


    But after Will died, and with everything that followed, it had been over twenty years since hest <b>saw </b>her.


    Old friends meeting again stirred old memories. Two decades had passed. The kids were grown: time <b>had </b>left its <b>mark </b>on them all.


    Lily stepped forward, her eyes already bloodshot. ¡°Carl<b>.</b>¡±


    Carl <b>didn¡¯t </b>answer. His face remained cold.


    Lily looked down. ¡°I know you me <b>me</b>. You think I¡¯m the <b>reason </b>Will died¨Cyour best friend¡­..¡±


    Her voice was barely more than a <b>whisper</b>. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. All of Will¡¯s friends think the


    Owen and Elsie clutched at Lily¡¯s arms, eyes red with emotion.


    Owen clenched his jaw, fury building as <b>he </b>watched <b>his </b>mother humbled like this. ¡°Mr


    mom is a victim too. <b>For </b><b>blteen </b>years, she lived a life worse than death. No one <b>has </b>the right to me her¨Cnot even you!¡±


    30 PM ? <b>dt </b>¡¤


    Chapter 215 Old Scores New Wounds


    She <b>leaned </b>in and said, ¡°Everyone, if you need to talk, <b>maybe </b>take it somewhere else?¡±


    This is still the Powell mansion. One after another<b>, </b>sobbing and pleading on <b>the </b>floor¨Cit¡¯s starting to look like we¡¯re bullying someone.

 Daghter 216

    Carl said, ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve got something to talk about too. Let¡¯s grab a meal together.¡±


    He turned to Yunice and said, ¡°Yunny, should we wait for you?¡±


    Yunice needed to check with Wyatt before she left.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just give him a quick call,¡± she replied.


    No one said a word. Lily nced at Yunice, who looked stunning in her designer outfit, then lowered her head in silence.


    That girl really has it made<i>; </i>no matter where she goes, someone¡¯s always looking out for her.


    After calling Wyatt, Yunice joined Carl and the others for dinner at a restaurant.


    Carl booked a private room and casually ordered a spread of dishes.


    No one was really going to eat much today anyway.


    Owen and his parents sat side by side, deliberately leaving the seat of honor for Carl, When Yunice was about to find a random seat, Carl waved her over to sit next to him.


    That move, naturally, made the Saunders family turn green with envy.


    Carl had just returned to the country, bringing with him a massive cache of cutting¨Cedge foreign medical equipment.


    And the newly built hospital in the northern district desperately needed those resources.


    Whoever Wyatt or Paul¨C<b>could </bnd a partnership with Curl would gain leverage over the northern district hospital


    Carl showing this much care for Yunice was clearly bad news for Owen.


    ¡°Mr. Carl, a toast to you¡± Owen tried to cozy up, lifting his ss high and downing it in one gulp.


    Carl raised a hand, signaling him to sit. ¡°No need to be so formal,¡±


    Then he asked, ¡°Is Oscar still abroad?¡±


    ¡°He wrote to say he¡¯ll be back soon. When he does, I¡¯ll make sure he visits you right away.¡±


    Carl still making small talk gave Owen a bit of relief.


    After all, Carl was his uncle by generation, he wouldn¡¯t go picking fights with his brother¡¯s widow and the younger folks.


    Then Carl said, ¡°He¡¯sing back for Yunny¡¯s wedding, right?¡±


    thed


    Carl set down his untouched drink, his voiceced with pressure. ¡°I want to know who arranged such a great marriage for Yummy


    He deliberately emphasized the word ¡°great¡±


    Owen tried to smooth things over Mr. Carl, don t listen to any outside rumors Yunny and Wyatt are in love: she insisted on marrying him. We couldn¡¯t stop her even if we tried


    Lily also looked up, her tone gentle ¡°Carl, do you think we¡¯ve been unfair to Yunny?¡±


    Her serene and calm demeanor made it seem like this was all just a harmless misunderstanding between her and Carl


    She smiled. ¡°You care so much about Yunny¨Cif you think this marriage isn¡¯t good for her, then you go ahead and call it off


    She turned to Yunice, her tone serious. Yunny, tell Mr. Carl now¨Cdo you <b>want </b>to marry Wyatt?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t take the bait. She asked in return. ¡°Do you want me to marry <b>him</b>, or <b>not</b>? I¡¯ll go with whatever you say.¡±


    Lily chuckled. ¡°Silly girl. Your happiness is in your own hands. I won¡¯t interfere.


    Yunice turned to Carl. ¡°Mr. Carl, Elsie has always wanted to marry into a wealthy family. I¡¯d like to give her the chance.¡±


    Lily¡¯s hand shot <b>out </b><b>to </b>grip <b>the </b>table.


    She knew Yunice was up to something and instinctively snapped, ¡°No! Elsie can¡¯t marry Wyatt!¡±


    That was exactly the reaction Yunice was waiting for. So you don¡¯t think Wyatt¡¯s good enough?


    Lily¡¯s face froze with embarrassment. Owen mmed his spoon against the table. <b>¡°</b><b>Yunice</b>. <b>how </b>can you act like this in front of Mr. Carl! Your engagement to Wyatt was settled long ago. Now you want to back out? What are people supposed to think? You think this is something you <b>can </b>just <b>swap </b>like clothes?¡±


    Yunice replied. ¡°Didn¡¯t seem thatplicated when you switched it on me.¡±


    He <b>had </b>known all along about <b>Paul </b>and Elsie¡¯s affair and still helped cover it up.


    When the engagement was annulled, he even brought Elsie along, hoping to confirm their rtionship immediately.


    There had never been <b>any </b>rules he felt obligated to follow. If something benefited Elsie, he¡¯d flip heaven and earth to <b>make </b>it happen


    He¡¯d never once considered her feelings.


    Seeing that Yunice was about to dig up all the dirty <bundry</b>, Owen shot her a warning re


    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t figured it out? Ever since that Elsie showed up, your whole family¡¯s been ganging up on Yunny!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true! Lily fired <b>back </b>instantly


    Her eyes were red, her voice shaky with emotion. Elsie hung her head, silently weeping, looking like she med herself for <b>causing </b>all this drama.


    ¡°You really think I don¡¯t <b>know </b>anything?¡± Carl was getting heated. ¡°Save your tears¨CI¡¯m not some soft¨Chearted fool!¡±


    He <b>gave </b>Owen <b>a </b>sharp look, thenid it all out one by one. ¡°You <b>say </b>you haven¡¯t mistreated Yunny? Then tell me how the heck did her name end up on that little brat¡¯s records?¡±


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    20

 Daghter 217

    Owen couldn¡¯t sit still. ¡°Mr. Carl, there¡¯s no need to insult anyone!¡±


    Finished


    ¡°You get this fired up just because I called her a little brat, but you haven¡¯t heard a thing about what people are saying about Yunny out there?¡±


    Owen tried to defend himself. ¡°I¡¯ve said it already¨CElsie only used Yunice¡¯s name to protect her reputation. Technically speaking, Yunice should be grateful to Elsie for preserving her status¡­¡±


    Carl cut him off. ¡°And now that Yunny¡¯s back, howe none of you have given her name back?¡±


    Owen stood his ground. ¡°Because changing someone¡¯s identity isn¡¯t easy. Elsie¡¯s been using Yunice¡¯s name for years¨Cher connections and social ties are already established. It¡¯s not something you can undo overnight. Yunice has already caused a huge stir over this; she¡¯s practically blown the house up. Haven¡¯t I given in enough?¡±


    Carl let out a coldugh. ¡°You people are really full of it. Fine, say you can¡¯t switch it back¨Cwhat then? Yunny¡¯s wedding ising up. What identity is she supposed to show up with? As the daughter of some human trafficker from the mountains<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Carl jabbed a finger at Owen¡¯s nose, yelling, ¡°This is beyond ridiculous! Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself? Don¡¯t you care how badly you¡¯re disgracing your father¡¯s memory? Who¡¯s your real sister here? And who¡¯s the one that tore your family apart? Use your damn brain for once!¡±


    ¡°Ahh!¡± Lily suddenly let out a piercing scream, clutching her ears like she was losing it. ¡°Can you all just stop? Don¡¯t bring up that brat again¡­¡±


    Owen rushed to cover Lily¡¯s ears: His face twisted in resentment, and he turned to Carl. ¡°Mr. Carl, I¡¯ve respected you because you¡¯re a senior to me, but that doesn¡¯t give you the right to hurt my family! My mother suffered severe trauma during the fifteen years she was taken. Please don¡¯t provoke her¡ªif anything happens to her, you won¡¯t be able to live with the consequences<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Elsie watched Lily in pain<b>, </b>then stood up, dazed and shaken, her tear¨Cstreaked <b>face </b>full of guilt.


    She murmured, <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s not Mom¡¯s fault<b>¡­ </b><b>it¡¯s </b>mine<b>¡­ </b>If <b>I </b>weren¡¯t such a burden, no one would bring up memories <b>that </b>hurt her¡­ Mom<b>, </b>I¡¯m sorry. I failed you.¡±


    She gave Lily one <bst </b>longing <b>nce</b><b>, </b>then lifted her <b>dress </b>and ran out the door.


    Yunice saw <b>it </b>and immediately shouted, ¡°Freya, shut the door!¡±


    Freya snapped to attention, but she <b>was </b>a <b>beat </b>toote¨CElsie shoved <b>her </b><b>aside </b>and bolted out. As Elsie rushed <b>away</b>, Owen was the first to chase after her. ¡°Elsie, don¡¯t do anything stupid!¡±


    A long time passed, and neither Owen nor Elsie came back. Looked like he hadn¡¯t caught up to


    her.


    Lily, looking worried, stood up and called weakly for Elsie¨Cbut the emotional strain was too much she suddenly copsed onto the table


    3:09 PM<ul><li></li></ul>


    Finished


    That was when Carl realized things were getting serious. Freya caught Lily and frowned. ¡°Boss, she¡¯s passed out. Should we get her to a hospital?¡±


    If anything happened to Lily, Carl would have a hard time exining it.


    He didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Take her to the hospital.¡±


    Yunice figured Lily was faking it, but she couldn¡¯t risk looking too cold in front of Carl- otherwise she¡¯d just be ying into Lily¡¯s hands,


    So she followed Carl and helped get Lily into the car.


    On the way to the hospital, Carl sat with a deep frown. ¡°That girl¡¯s pretty intense. You don¡¯t think she¡¯s really going to do something drastic, do you?¡±


    Yunice nced at him, then lowered her eyes.


    Elsie was a master maniptor, and ruthless with herself too. She¡¯d used this same trick plenty of times before.


    Every time someone mentioned she was the daughter of traffickers, she¡¯d threaten to kill herself. No one wanted to be med for driving someone to suicide, so eventually, people just stopped bringing it up.


    Now even Carl had fallen for it.


    Yunice said quietly, ¡°Mr. Carl, maybe just let it go.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t catch it. ¡°What?<b>¡± </b>


    She looked up<b>, </b>her <b>tear</b>¨Cbright eyes calm <b>as </b>she said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight for me anymore. So what <b>if </b><b>I </b>don¡¯t <b>have </b><b>a </b>name <b>or </b>an identity? I¡¯m still my dad¡¯s daughter. No matter what anyone eise says<b>, </b><b>that¡¯ll </b>never change.¡±


    Carl was taken aback, then slowly furrowed his brow again.


    Seeing how calm and resigned Yunice was made his blood boil. ¡°Your identity came from your father¨Cif he never gave it up<b>, </b>no one else has any right to touch it. And Elsie? What even is she? The Saunders family fed her, housed her¨Cshe should be thankful she had a roof over her head. What right does she have to steal what¡¯s yours<b>? </b>That little leech is living in your ce like she belongs. She¡¯s the one who should be ashamed, not you!¡±


    He was cursing her out, but in his heart, something else hit him.


    For a second there, he had actually felt sorry for Elsie.


    No one got to choose where they came from. If she had a choice, Elsie probably wouldn¡¯t have wanted to be born into a trafficker¡¯s family either.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 218

    Finished


    When Carl saw Elsie run out, his first thought was that the traffickers were to me¡ªbut not Elsie. But hearing Yunice now epting her fate suddenly snapped him out of it.


    Elsie might be innocent, but Yunice was even more so.


    He had been Will¡¯s best friend. The one he was supposed to protect was Will¡¯s daughter¨Cnot Elsie.


    With his stance now firm, Carl felt a pang of guilt for that fleeting moment of hesitation earlier.


    Freya added fuel to the fire. ¡°If someone really wants to die, you can¡¯t stop them; if you <i>can </i>stop them, then they never really meant it.¡±


    Women understood women best¨Cand every trick Elsie had pulled, Freya had seen before.


    Yunice looked at Freya in surprise. She¡¯d assumed their pool game the other <i>day </i>had turned them into rivals; she didn¡¯t expect Freya to take her side.


    Freya raised a brow and said, ¡°I work for the boss; if he¡¯s protecting you, what sense would it make for me to go against him?¡±


    Yunice looked at her with a curious, amused expression; she¡¯d been wanting to ask about Freya and Carl¡¯s rtionship for a while.


    It was obvious Freya had feelings for Carl¨Cbut Carl¡¯s attitude was harder to read.


    At that moment, the two locked eyes<b>. </b>Just as Yunice was about to test the waters and ask something, the whole car jolted violently.


    Yunice, seated in the back with too much empty space around her, was flung straight into Freya¡¯s arms from the force.


    Freya caught her, and Yunice ended up smacking right into her soft chest.


    Before they could even feel awkward about it, the car jolted again. Carl reached out to steady Lily, who nearly rolled off her seat.


    Freya turned her head back; her expression dimmed, just for a second.


    Up front, the driver fought to steady the wheel, then nced back to report<b>, </b><b>¡°</b>Boss, I think there was <b>a </b>pileup behind us. We got clipped.¡±


    Freya rolled down the window. Yunice looked out at the chaos outside.


    A mess of cars had crashed into one another; several were piled on the emergencyne, smoking from crumpled hoods.


    Carl¡¯s car slowly steadied again.


    3:09 PM ¡¤


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    Carl looked at her.


    Finished


    But Yunice had already stepped out. ¡°Mr. Carl, you go ahead to the hospital first. I¡¯ll wait for Wyatt; we¡¯lle find you together.¡±


    Carl opened his mouth to speak, but Yunice went on, ¡°Rainier Arc Street isn¡¯t safe. I won¡¯t feel right until I see him.¡±


    Carl hesitated, then said nothing.


    Freya stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll stay with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Yunice said. ¡°You¡¯re needed more at the hospital. You should stay with Mr. Carl.¡±


    With that, she waved and shut the door behind her.


    She stood by the roadside, waiting. Freya looked back at Carl, wanting to speak, but held back. Cari seemed deep in thought. After a moment, he raised a hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Freya¡¯s face was tight with worry. She turned to look out the window<b>, </b>watching Yunice¡¯s figure get farther and farther away.


    Riverston Street was rtively safe. Things should¡­ be fine, right?


    Yunice kept checking the time. Five minutes had pas

 Daghter 219

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    Finished


    A little more time passed, but not only did she not see Wyatt¡¯s car, she noticed the road leading to Riverston Street had been blocked off.


    Meanwhile, back at the Powell mansion, the birthday banquet still hadn¡¯t ended. Jackson¡¯s face was flushed with drink, his joy clearly genuine.


    Taylor, clinging to Paul¡¯s arm, received a message from n.


    There had been a car crash on Rainier Arc Street, but the identities of those involved were still unknown.


    Taylor asked Paul if he knew anything; she asked several times before Paul finally looked at her. ¡°What?¡±


    Seeing how out of it he looked, Taylor instantly lost all patience. <i>Useless</i>.


    At that moment, Jensen, looking sharp in his suit, walked up to Jackson and bent down to whisper something in his ear.


    After Jensen finished, Jackson¡¯s gaze darkened; his face showed neither delight nor anger, just a calm remark-¡°Since it¡¯s already done, take care of that Saunders girl too.¡±


    ¡°Which one from the Saunders family?¡±


    Jackson snapped, ¡°Elsie.¡±


    That idiot gave him a headache¨Cbetter to deal with her now and be done with it.


    Jensen gave a short nod, then turned and left to carry out the order.


    ¡°Dad!¡±


    Jensen turned his head and saw Paul rushing over.


    Even now, Paul couldn¡¯t calm down. He asked, ¡°Dad, is Wyatt really going to die this time?¡±


    Jensen shot him <b>a </b>nce. ¡°Why are you panicking?¡±


    Paul didn¡¯t dare admit it was because this was the first time he was involved in something that might get someone killed. His conscience and sense of morality were at war.


    But if he didn¡¯t kill Wyatt, Wyatt would kill him.


    Watt pushed me into this


    Jensen¡¯s eyes were full of cold fury. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯s getting out of this.¡±


    Sull uncary, Paul searched for something else to ask ¡°Then what¡¯s grandpa going to do with<ul><li>IVI</li></ul>


    If Wyatt died, Yunice would be a dead piece on the board.


    Jensen said, ¡°Your grandfather didn¡¯t say.¡±


    Which meant she was no longer worth considering.


    Of course, Jensen never mentioned what he nned to do with Elsie.


    Paul inexplicably felt a small wave of relief. Nervously, he stepped aside.


    Finished


    On Rainier Arc Street, a McMin TAC¨C50 sniper rifle was set up by the window of a tall building. Only the ck muzzle poked through the gap in the curtains.


    The shot hit its target. The ck Vertex jolted to the side, but somehow kept moving forward.


    Behind the curtain, the man clenched a cigarette between his teeth, sharp eyes narrowing. <i>That </i><i>car¡¯s </i><i>bulletproofing </i><i>is </i><i>solid</i><i>. </i>


    He looked through the scope again, tracking the Vertex and waiting for his next clean shot.


    Inside the Vertex, Jordan wrestled with the steering wheel.


    The windshield in front of him already had several impact craters, spiderweb cracks radiating out from each point.


    Cars all around were trying to force them in; all he could do was swerve hard enough for the tires to screech sparks against the asphalt.


    From Riverston Street¡¯s direction, a ck cloud rolled in, blotting out the sun.


    Within seconds, raindrops started pelting the windows. Then came the downpour¨Cfierce and


    <b>fast</b>.


    Jordan flipped on the wipers<b>. </b>They swished back and forth in rhythm, each pass clearing the windshield just long enough for the view to blur again with the next rush of rain.


    At the same time<b>, </b>Yunice¡¯s car <b>was </b><b>also </b>pushing forward along Rainier Arc Street<b>, </b>struggling against the storm<b>¡­ </b>


    Owen was also driving<b>, </b><b>having </b>entered Rainier Arc Street.


    He had barely managed to catch up to Elsie and persuade her toe back. But <b>once </b>they got back on the road, there were barricades everywhere<b>; </b>the only way through <b>was </b>Rainier Arc Street.


    The rain was pouring. On the roadside barriers, several vehicles with shing emergency lights were parked. Ahead, dark clouds pressed low, the heavy rain washed everything into a blur.


    Elsie said nervously, ¡°Owen, slow down¨Cvisibility¡¯s awful here.¡±


    No sooner had she said it than¨Cbang<b>! </b>


    3:09 PM ¡¤


    D


    Finished


    Normally, a rear¨Cended car would stop and demand an exnation¨Cbut the vehicle in front just kept driving like nothing had happened.


    Owen, confused, had no choice but to keep going.


    Yunice drove through the rain; someone had just hit her from behind, but she had no time to argue about it.


    One hand on the wheel, she kept trying to call Wyatt, but no one picked up.


    With no better option, she drove toward where the gunshots hade from earlier, relying purely on instinct.


    In the tall building, the voice in the sniper¡¯s earpiece crackled, ¡°Still no hit?¡±


    The man gripping the McMin replied darkly, ¡°That bastard¡¯s got nine lives. Even the heavens are on his side.¡±


    The rain made shooting much harder.


    The voice snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t care; Wyatt must die today!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so damn annoying,¡± the man muttered, yanking out his Bluetooth earpiece and tossing it straight out the window.


    He flicked the burnt¨Cout cigarette to the floor, tilted his head back to the scope, and realigned his shot on the target.


    Just then, he noticed two more vehicles approaching the sniper zone.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>

 Daghter 220

    Finished


    One of the cars had a license te that matched the second assassination target for today¡ªElsie.


    She was just a small fry. The man didn¡¯t even think she was worth wasting a bullet on.


    He aimed at Wyatt¡¯s car and pulled the trigger.


    The massive impact made Jordan lose control of the steering wheel; the vehicle suddenly veered to the side.


    Owen, driving straight toward them, couldn¡¯t swerve in time. His car scraped against Wyatt¡¯s, spun out again, and mmed right into Yunice¡¯s car.


    In the pouring rain, Yunice had just rolled down her window to wave at Wyatt when she saw Owen¡¯s car barreling toward her.


    The distance between them closed fast. Owen¡¯s eyes widened¨Che saw her too!


    A deafening crash.


    Yunice¡¯s car was flipped on impact; Owen¡¯s speed had been too high. After flipping her car, he crashed into several more before finally mming into a guardrail.


    As soon as his car stopped, Owen whipped around to check on Yunice.


    He saw her car rolling violently after the hit, then hurling her out as it tumbled.


    Yunice hit the ground hard, rolled twice, and finallynded on the asphalt, soaked by the pounding rain.


    <b>¡°</b>Yunny!¡± Owen kicked open the crumpled car door and jumped out.


    ¡°Owen¡­¡± Just then, Elsie¡¯s weak voice called out behind him. ¡°Owen, don¡¯t leave me here alone¡­ I¡¯m in so much pain<b>¡­</b>¡±


    In the storm, Owen turned to look¨CElsie <b>was </b>slumped in her <b>seat</b>, her injuries unclear, but she looked like she was barely hanging on.


    Tears slid down from the corners of her <b>eyes </b><b>as </b>she whispered, ¡°Owen<b>, </b>you should <b>go</b><b>¡­ </b>They¡¯re after us. If you leave me here<b>, </b>they won¡¯t chase you anymore¡­¡±


    ¡±


    Owen had been driving so fast because someone had been ramming into him from behind the


    entire time.


    That exined why he hadn¡¯t avoided Yunice.


    He looked frantically toward Yunice lying motionless in the distance, then back at Elsie, who couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Whoever was after them had to still be nearby. If he went to save Yunice now Elsje¨Cleft alone-


    309 PM & S .


    In that instant, the same choice from three years ago returned like a curse.


    Finished


    The freezing rain did nothing to cool the fire tearing through Owen¡¯s chest. He wanted to scream out in frustration. <i>Why </i>did life keep <i>backing </i><i>me </i><i>into </i><i>these </i><i>heart</i>¨C<i>wrenching </i><i>decisions</i><i>? </i>


    When he¡¯d abandoned Yunice in the fire three years ago, he¡¯d had nightmares for months- visions of Yunice crying and asking him why he didn¡¯t want her anymore.


    All these years, he¡¯d asked himself over and over¨Cdid I make the wrong choice that night?


    But leaving Elsie behind now¡­ that was something he couldn¡¯t ept either.


    Owen looked at Yunice again. He couldn¡¯t make the same choice twice. This time, he had to save Yunice.


    He believed Elsie would understand. <i>One </i><i>time each</i><i>¨C</i>it¡¯s <i>fair</i><i>, </i><i>isn¡¯t </i>it<i>? </i>


    He said in a low voice, ¡°Elsie, give me two minutes. Just two minutes! I¡¯ll check on Yunny ande right back!¡±


    But just as he started to close the car door, Elsie¡¯s head suddenly slumped sideways; her arm dropped limply.


    Owen froze in shock; panic smothered his rationality. He forgot all about Yunice still waiting for him¨Che climbed back into the car, reached out, and felt for Elsie¡¯s breath.


    <i>Nothing</i>. His mind went nk. In an instant, he started the engine and mmed the gas pedal down.


    Lying in the rain, Yunice watched through the blur as Owen left her¨Cagain¨Cdriving off with Elsic.


    Three years ago, it had been fire and suffocating heat. She¡¯d watched Owen choose Elsie. Now,


    e¡¯d watched three yearster, under freezing rain¨Cit was still Elsie.


    Yunice let out a breathlessugh, mocking this cheap excuse for sibling love.


    She couldn¡¯t even tell whether the water on her face was rain or tears. She turned and pushed herself up, struggling to get off the ground.


    Jordan was still looking for an opening; gunfire wasing from two directions. They were too exposed.


    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance!¡± Jordan shouted excitedly. The barricade up ahead had a gap¨Cthey could make it through!


    He twisted the wheel, and the car sped past Yunice.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes followed Wyatt¡¯s car, she didn¡¯t call out or cry for help.


    She knew they were after Wyatt. They wouldn¡¯t bother with her.


    3:09 PM ¡¤


    And the Vertex did reach the checkpoint¨Cbut the problem came when Wyatt looked back.


    ¡°Stop the car,¡± Wyatt barked.


    Finished


    Jordan, fully focused on escaping, didn¡¯t hear him at all. By the time he realized something was off, Wyatt had already opened the door and jumped out.


    ¡°What the-¡± Jordan was stunned.


    <i>He¡¯s </i>throwing <i>himself </i><i>out </i><i>there </i>like <i>a </i><i>human </i><i>target</i><i>? </i>


    Sure enough, Yunice saw it immediately¡ªa redser dot hadnded on Wyatt¡¯s body.


    A red dot sight¨Conly useful at close range. That meant in addition to a long¨Crange sniper, there was a second shooter nearby.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>


    20

 Daghter 221

    hapter 221 She Was Not a Burden


    Yunice threw herself over Wyatt the moment danger struck.


    A gunshot rang out, the redser beam brushing past them by inches!


    The sniper in the distance had used an optical scope. There wasn¡¯t even aser warning.


    Finished


    Behind a white curtain, a man locked his sights on Wyatt and muttered coldly, ¡°Say goodbye to this world.


    <b>Just </b>as he was about to pull the trigger, a girl¡¯s face suddenly filled the scope. The man was taken aback.


    Yunice stood beside Wyatt, eyes burning as she tried to find the source of the shot through the heavy rain. She didn¡¯t know which direction the bullet woulde from, or that she had already stepped into the enemy¡¯s line of fire.


    Bang!


    Another bullet sliced through the downpour, trailingpressed air in its wake!


    Both Yunice and Wyatt instinctively shoved each other backward. After a moment of terror, they realized neither of them had been hit.


    At the same time, the redser dot vanished.


    The Bluetooth earpiece on the ground buzzed violently. Inside, Jensen¡¯s furious voice shouted, ¡°Kingsley! You shot one of ours!¡±


    High above, behind the curtain, the man watched as the opposing sniper across the street copsed. Only then did he re¨Caim his smoking barrel toward the road.


    His finger didn¡¯t touch the trigger. He only watched through the scope; observing the scene


    below.


    Jordan drove back and pulled the car in front of Wyatt and Yunice. The two of them leaned on <b>each </b>other <b>as </b>they climbed inside.


    Once he saw Wyatt¡¯s car leave safely, the man behind the curtain finally lowered his gu


    <b>ona </b>


    Kingsley Weston slung his McMin sniper rifle over his shoulder, stepped on <b>a </b>cigarette butt, and walked out.


    Outside, a car screeched to a halt in front <b>of </b>him.


    ¡°Kingsley, how¡¯d you miss<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Kingsley thought of Yunice barging into his scope. He said tly, ¡°If my little student gets hurt, who¡¯s gonna bring me cigarettes<b>) </b>


    Chapter 221 She Was Not a Burden


    With that, Kingsley fell silent, his face darkening.


    #Finished


    In Wyatt¡¯s car, Yunice was covered in scrapes. Her dress <b>was </b>stained with red and pink patches.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t dare touch her. Now that the danger had passed, his anger kicked in. ¡°I told you to


    <b>wait </b>on Riverston Street!¡±


    Jordan tried to ease the tension. ¡°Wyatt, Ms. Saunders was just worried about you¡­¡±


    Wyatt snapped, ¡°She caused more trouble!¡±


    Jordan chuckled. ¡°Ms. Saunders, Wyatt¡¯s only angry because he cares. He sent you to Riverston Street because he didn¡¯t want you dragged into this.¡±


    Wyatt grabbed whatever was within reach and chucked it at Jordan¨Ca clear warning to shut up.


    But then there was a dull thed. Yunice copsed onto the seat.


    She had passed out.


    Jordan rushed her to the hospital at top speed.


    But because of the chaos on Rainier Arc Street, multiple traffic idents had jammed the hospital full.


    When Jordan asked, there was only one room left.


    ¡°Move! Out of the way!¡± Owen burst in, cradling Elsie in his arms. He headed straight for the room. ¡°My sister¡¯s unconscious! Help her first!¡±


    Suddenly, a ck cane swung in front of him.


    Owen froze. He looked up to see Wyatt¡¯s cold, sharp eyes. He hesitated for <b>a </b>second, then said, ¡°Mr. Cooper,dies first. You don¡¯t look that badly hurt. Please let my sister have this one.¡±


    Wyatt stared at him with zero emotion, then stepped aside.


    Only then did Owen see the bed behind him..


    Yunicey there, pale as paper. Even though she was covered with a nket, the bloody hem of her dress hinted how bad her injuries really were.


    Owen couldn¡¯t bring himself to argue for the room anymore.


    Medical staff arrived and pushed Yunice inside, with Wyatt close behind.


    Owen looked down at Elsie in his arms, then chased after them. ¡°Mr. Cooper, Elsie is Yunice¡¯s sister. Can¡¯t you let them share the room? If Yunice were <b>awake</b>, she¡¯d agree!¡±


    Wyatt said. ¡°Get <b>lost</b>.¡±


    10:04 PM chc


    Chapter 221 She Was Not a Burdent


    Jordan shoved Owen and Elsie out together.


    Finished


    Owen¡¯s face turned dark. He nced back at Yunice¡¯s hospital room onest time. Realizing he truly couldn¡¯t get in, he finally gave up and went to wait in the ER line.


    Yunice was lucky. She only had a mild concussion and multiple soft tissue injuries.


    After her wounds were treated, she was wheeled into a regr room to rest.


    Wyatt wanted to go with her, but Jordan stopped him. ¡°Wyatt, your injury is worse.¡±


    A jagged wound marked Wyatt¡¯s shoulder. His ck shirt had hidden the blood, but not the pain.


    Annoyed. Wyatt grabbed a gauze soaked in disinfectant <b>and </b>pressed it to the wound. ¡°Go guard Yunice¡¯s room.


    Jordan winced just looking at it. ¡°Gordon¡¯s already there. Joe¡¯s on his way too.¡±


    Only then did Wyatt let the doctors stitch him up.


    Jordan added from <b>the </b>side. ¡°Wyatt, Ms. Saunders wasn¡¯t a burden. Really.¡±


    Send Gifts


    40

 Daghter 222

    Chapter 222 She Was Reckless


    Wyatt looked at him coldly.


    Jordan said, ¡°We only got through because Ms. Saunders crashed through the gate.¡±


    If Yunice hadn¡¯t rammed through the gate, they wouldn¡¯t have been stuck in Owen¡¯s path or gotten hit.


    Even though Yunice had been down on her luck, the fact that all three of them made it out safely this time was really thanks to her.


    Wyatt stayed silent for a long time before finally saying a word, ¡°Reckless.¡±


    Jordan said, ¡°You see true feelings in tough times. Sure, she was reckless, but not everyone has the guts to throw themselves in like that.¡±


    Wyatt fell silent again. After a moment, no one knew what he was imagining, but he let out a low chuckle.


    By the time Jordan heard theugh, Wyatt had already lowered his head and hidden his


    emotions.


    Once Wyatt finished treating his wound and went to Yunice¡¯s hospital room, Joe was already there.


    Joe let out <b>a </b>surprised ¡°Whoa!¡± and strode over. ¡°Mr. Cooper, you really are tough as nails. Even two snipers couldn¡¯t take you out!¡±


    Jordan added dryly, ¡°Good thing the car¡¯s bulletproof system held up, but we¡¯ll need a new ride.¡±


    Wyatt shot him a re, but Joe still said loudly, ¡°It¡¯s fine, she¡¯s sleeping like a log. Nothing wakes


    her.¡±


    Seeing Wyatt sit down at Yunice¡¯s bedside, Jordan and Gordon quietly stepped out of the room.


    on their own.


    Joe was just about to leave too, when Wyatt stopped him. ¡°I¡¯ve got something for you to do.¡±


    Lily was the first to wake up..


    When she opened her eyes, the room was empty. Carl and Freya were talking in the hallway.


    Freya frowned. ¡°Yunice and Wyatt both came to the hospital. Yunice still hasn¡¯t woken up.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t understand why Carl had left Yunice alone in such a dangerous situation.


    <b>Telesid </b>¡°I <b>use </b>uunu once trees. Wlian romaana maka


    maka? un


    thair


    mind no one can


    10:04 PM c <b>d </b>


    Chapter 222 She Was Reckless


    be with Wyatt, so she won¡¯t regret her decisionter<b>.¡± </b>


    Finished


    Money and power could cloud a person¡¯s judgment, making them overlook the risks behind it all.


    The bigger Wyatt¡¯s business got, the more enemies he would attract. And in times like that, his family would be the ones most at risk.


    If Yunice wanted to marry Wyatt, she had to be strong enough to handle that danger.


    That was why Carl hadn¡¯t stopped her.


    Freya said again, ¡°By the way, there¡¯s Elsie too. I heard she was brought to the hospital¡­


    ¡°What happened to Elsie?¡± Lily yanked open the door, looking at them with a worried face.


    Freya frowned. Is this woman eavesdropping?


    Then something clicked, <b>and </b>she said deliberately, ¡°We were just talking about Yunice getting into a car ident. She¡¯s at this hospital too. Madam Lily, would you like to go check on her?¡±


    Lily froze for a second, then replied with somethingpletely off¨Ctopic. ¡°Where¡¯s Owen? I want to see Owen<b>¡­</b>¡±


    Freya rolled her eyes, while Lily drifted back into the room, distracted, grabbing her phone to


    call Owen.


    Owen arrived quickly. He greeted Carl first before hurrying tofort Lily. ¡°Mom, Elsie just had some tests done. The doctor said she was just badly shaken. She¡¯ll be fine after some sleep.¡±


    Lily finally rxed, then turned and noticed Carl was frowning in their direction.


    She quickly pretended to be concerned. ¡°What about Yunny? Mr. Carl said Yunice came to the hospital too?¡±


    Owen froze. A sh of memory struck him. Yunice flying through the air after being hit, lying in the rain.


    His expression tensed, and he said reflexively, ¡°Yunny? I didn¡¯t see her. Wasn¡¯t she with Wyatt? Why would she be at the hospital?¡±


    He nced nervously at Carl.


    The ident on Rainier Are Street had been a mess. No one should¡¯ve seen that he was the one who hit Yunice. As long as he didn¡¯t say anything, no one would ever know.


    Owen knew it was wrong, but admitting it wouldn¡¯t change anything. It would only damage Carl¡¯s impression of him.


    Wyatt was capable. He¡¯d take care of Yunice.


    10:04 PM ? ? ¡¤


    Chapter 222 She Was Reckless


    Finished


    Putting aside Carl¡¯s dislike for Elsie, Owen asked, ¡°Mr. Carl, we don¡¯t know who Elsie crossed, but someone tried to have her killed! You¡¯ve got connections. Can you help me look into it?¡±


    Lily looked like she was baring her soul. ¡°Elsie may not havee from a good background, but I watched her grow up. If something terrible happens to her, the whole Saunders family will be heartbroken.¡±


    Tears rolled down Lily¡¯s face, falling to the ground like heavy drops. She looked like she might drop to her knees at any second.


    Freya watched Owen and Lily coldly, feeling indignant for Yunice.


    She had just said Yunice was hospitalized, but neither of them¨Cher brother or her own mother- had shown the slightest concern.


    Yet they were falling over themselves to worry about a child born out of wedlock. No wonder Yunice had been so easily tricked by a man¨Cshe came from a family starved of love..


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    40

 Daghter 223

    Chapter 223 The Bad News


    Carl actually agreed to Owen¡¯s request against all odds. ¡°Just wait for news,¡± he said.


    Owen and Lily both let out a relieved breath, their faces full of surprise and joy,


    Finished


    As soon as Carl and Freya left. Lily couldn¡¯t wait another second. She got out of bed and rushed with Owen to see Elsie.


    Little did they know, Carl hadn¡¯t left at all. He was standing just around the corner, watching everything unfold from the hallway.


    His face darkened. After a long silence, he said coldly. ¡°So this is how they treat the person Will cared about the most.¡±


    Freya looked at him and finally let out a breath of relief.


    Thank goodness her boss was smart enough not to be fooled by Lily and Elsie.


    Carl stubbed out his cigarette on the smooth stones inside the trash can and said in a low voice, ¡°Go look into what happened <b>on </b>Rainier Arc Street.¡±


    ¡°Not even one of them died?¡± Jackson had just finished his birthday banquet, still wearing his formal clothes, when he got the bad news.


    ¡°They couldn¡¯t even kill one woman<b>? </b>Useless! All of you are useless!¡± Jackson grabbed whatever he could and threw it at Jensen<b>. </b>


    Jensen ended up with lumps all over his head, but he could only kneel and exin, ¡°Everything was going ording to n, but our signal got jammed. The blockade team received the wrong. orders, which opened a gap and let them


    scape¡­


    ¡°Who jammed the signal?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t found out yet¡­


    Crash!


    Another cup smashed beside him.


    ¡°Useless!¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face turned pale as he paced back and forth. ¡°You¡¯re good at messing things up, never getting anything done. If you can¡¯t find him, he can find you. Just wait! Wyatt will definitely strike


    back.¡±


    Jensen quickly assured him,


    Want It <b>has </b>nothing to do with won¡¯t happen! I hired someone who holds a grudge against


    Wont hoc na nroof <b>en </b>he won¡¯t <b>rick </b>rakine revenge on TIC


    1004PM <b>c </b><b>d </b>


    Chapter 223 The Bad News


    Jackson sneered, ¡°Do you think he ys by the rules?¡±


    Even if it had nothing to do with the Powell family. Wyatt would still take it out on thems


    send a message.


    Finished


    to


    Paul was so scared when he heard the news that he doubled his bodyguard team. Whenever he left the house, the scene was dramatic.


    After hearing <b>that </b>Elsie had nearly been murdered, he went to see her himself and sent people to investigate what had happened.


    But before he could find anything. Carl already had.


    ¡°Mr. Carl.¡± Owen stood up. Elsiey on the hospital bed, looking nervous, as if she wanted to get<ol><li>up.</li></ol>


    Paul nodded politely at Carl. ¡°Mr. Crawford.¡±


    Carl returned the greeting with a short nod, then raised a hand, gesturing for Elsie to stay in bed.


    Elsie saw this and smiled happily.


    Lily stood by the bed and tucked another nket around her.


    The mother and daughter exchanged a look. They both believed that Carl was starting to change


    how he saw Elsie.


    Carl sat down and said, ¡°I¡¯ve figured it out. The ones who went after Elsie were sent by the Powell Family


    Elsie froze.


    Paul also looked stunned, then suddenly stood up and frowned. ¡°Mr. Crawford, you must¡¯ve gotten the wrong information. The Powell family is upright. Why would we send someone to kill Elsie?¡±


    Carl turned to look at him. He didn¡¯t say a word, just stared with mockery in his eyes. And that alone made Paul feel guilty.


    The Powell family had done shady things before. It wasn¡¯t like they¡¯d left no trace.


    At first, Owen didn¡¯t believe it either. But after thinking it over for a moment, he suddenly realized something.


    He grabbed Paul¡¯s cor in fury. ¡°You wanted to get rid of her after using her! That¡¯s why you tried to kill Elsie!¡±


    Paul shoved him away and said impatiently, ¡°Are you insane? Why would I want to kill Elsie? I don¡¯t even take Yu¡­¡±


    Chapter 223 The Bad News


    But Owen caught the slip and pressed him. What were you going to say? Do you know something you¡¯re not telling us?¡±


    Paul had wanted to say the Powell family didn¡¯t even take Yunice seriously, let alone bother going after Elsie.


    But he couldn¡¯t admit that Yunice wasn¡¯t even on the hit list from Rainier Arc Street, let alone Elsie


    So he made up a vague excuse. If the Powell family can tolerate Yunice, why wouldn¡¯t we tolerate Elsie


    Owen was speechless. He had to admit it made a weird kind of sense


    Compared <b>to </b>the kind of trouble Yunice stirred up, and how shameful her reputat didn¡¯t make sense for the Powell family to go after someone like Ele


    Carl watched them argue, his eyes cold and mocking ¡°No need to keep guessing. I got the surveince footage from Rainier Arc Street. Why don¡¯t we take a look at it?¡±


    Rainier Arc Street surveince?


    <b>Paul </b>and Owen both went pale at the same time.


    Paul was afraid the Powell family¡¯s secret attempt to kill Wyatt would be exposed. Owen was terrified that the footage would show him ramming into Yunice.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 224

    Chapter 224 Where Did She Go?


    ¡°The surveince might not be real¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe someone took advantage of the chaos to frame us¡­¡±


    Finished


    The two of them spoke in unison, then stopped at the same time and looked at each other in shock.


    They both saw that the other didn¡¯t want the footage to be exposed.


    Carl smiled, giving nothing away. ¡°Let¡¯s just take a look first. If there¡¯s even a small clue, we can follow it down the trail<b>. </b>


    Freya plugged in the USB drive, and footage from the Rainier Arc Street section started ying quickly on the screen.


    The surveince was tracking Owen¡¯s license te. It clearly showed that in the pouring rain, Owen¡¯s car was being chased <b>and </b>forced all the way to Rainier Arc Street.


    Owen pointed <b>and </b>said, ¡°That¡¯s the car! It kept ramming into me and Elsie!¡±


    Freya said, ¡°It¡¯s <b>a </b>car with fake tes. We already found out that the Powell family provided the fake registration info.¡±


    Paul immediately looked like he wanted to argue, but Carl raised a hand and cut him off, ¡°Keep watching


    Paul frowned and had no choice but to turn back to the screen.


    They <b>saw </b>Owen¡¯s car suddenly lose control, crash into several other vehicles, and then m into a sedan <b>at </b>high speed, <b>flipping </b>it over. As the car rolled, a figure was thrown out of it and hit the ground.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Paul said in <b>shock</b>, ¡°Yunice?¡±


    ¡°What was Yunice doing on Rainier Arc Street?¡±


    Lily rushed up to the screen in a panic, squinting at the footage. ¡°That¡¯s not Yunny. How could that possibly be Yunny? The rain must¡¯ve messed up the image.¡±


    She turned around and <b>said</b>, ¡°That must just be a girl with <b>a </b>simr build.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t respond. Instead, he asked Owen, ¡°<b>You </b>didn¡¯t know you hit someone?¡±


    Under everyone¡¯s eyes, Owen tried to stay calm. ¡°It was <b>chaos</b>. Cars were crashing into each other. It was pouring rain, <b>and </b>I couldn¡¯t see clearly. I was panicking. I honestly didn¡¯t notice I hit anyone.¡±


    He looked at the screen puilt written all <b>over </b><b>his </b>face. With a righteous <b>tone </b>he said. ¡°I¡¯ll write


    Chapter 224 Where Did She Go?


    Finished


    Carl frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t go. She¡¯s lying there not moving. She¡¯s probably dead. If you show up at her family¡¯s door, they¡¯ll want to kill you.¡±


    Owen said, ¡°If I killed someone. I should pay for it with my life.


    Carl let out a sharp breath. ¡°You idiot. Why can¡¯t you get this through your head?¡±


    Carl said. ¡°The footage is unclear. No one else saw anything. If you don¡¯t admit it, no one will ever know it was you.¡±


    Lily looked at Carl, then at Owen. No matter who was responsible, someone had to bear the consequences.


    She didn¡¯t want Owen to be that person. ¡°Owen, listen to Mr. Carl. Don¡¯t show your face. If someonees looking, let Mr. Carl handle it.¡±


    Then she looked at Carl, her voice low and meaningful. ¡°You¡¯re Will¡¯s son. Mr. Carl would never let you end up in prison.¡±


    Carl said nothing.


    Owen took his silence as agreement and went along with it. ¡°Even though I want to atone, I still have to support the Saunders family. This¡­ this is a debt I owe. I¡¯ll repay it one day.¡±


    Carl still didn¡¯t say anything. He just paused the footage and said, ¡°If that¡¯s how it is, then let¡¯s stop here. We¡¯ll all pretend nothing happened. I¡¯ll make sure this footage disappears.¡±


    Freya pulled out the USB and dropped it into a cup of water.


    Watching the only evidence sink to the bottom. Owen finally let out a breath of relief. Luckily. neither Mom nor Mr. Carl recognizes Yunice.


    But Paul just had to bring it up again. ¡°So what about Yunice? Where did she go?¡±


    Everyone turned to look at Paul. Owen said. ¡°You know how she is. She probably just ran off somewhere.


    Lily called her in front of Carl, but no one picked up.


    She smiled and said, ¡°See? <b>That </b>girl¡¯s getting more and more independent. She doesn¡¯t even answer my calls anymore.¡±


    Her expression seemed to say, ¡°I tried. She pushed me away. me Yunice.


    Carl was quietly tapping his fingers. Meanwhile, Lily was still worrying about Elsie. She said, ¡°Carl, why don¡¯t you assign a few bodyguards to Elsie too, just to be safe?¡±


    Then <b>she </b>looked at Freya and added sincerely, ¡°I think she¡¯d be great. She¡¯s observant and would probably get along really well with Elsie.¡±


    10:04 PM c d


    Chapter 224 Where Did She Go?


    Fulished


    Carl tapped the armrest of his chair and didn¡¯t respond to Lily. He seemed to still be caught up in other thoughts. Then he pointed at Freya. ¡°Call Yunny.¡±


    But she didn¡¯t dare question Carl¡¯s decisions.


    Send <b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 225

    The Daughter in the Shadows


    Chapter 225 Yunice Is Dead


    Finished


    Owen knew there was no way Yunice would answer the phone. She was still unconscious.


    But to his surprise, the beeping stopped. The call went through, and a stranger¡¯s voice came from the other end.


    Before Freya could say anything, the man spoke first. ¡°Hello, are you Yunice Saunders¡® family?¡±


    Freya frowned. ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°Finally. This is Central General Hospital. Yunice was brought to the ER yesterday at noon due to a car ident. She suffered a sudden massive hemorrhagest night, and despite emergency treatment, we were unable to save her. We¡¯ve been trying to reach her family, but haven¡¯t. received any response¡­¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Owen stepped forward, almost doubting his own ears,


    Ihat does he mean they couldn¡¯t save her? In a hospital that big and with Wyatt there, how could Yunice not make it? There has to be some kind of mistake.


    Owen rushed up and snatched the phone from Freya¡¯s hand, furious. ¡°What kind of hospital are you running? How can you get the patient information wrong? My sister¡¯s perfectly fine. You¡¯d better check again!¡±


    The voice on the other end replied, ¡°We didn¡¯t get it wrong. Was she wearing a white princess. dress?¡±


    Carl stood up, his voice cold. ¡°Where is she now?¡±


    Lily stood frozen in ce, like she hadn¡¯t processed any of it.


    Everyone was caught off guard. No one could understand how Yunice could¡¯ve died so suddenly.


    Then, the man continued. The body is in the morgue at Central General Hospital. Her family maye to im her.¡±


    Carl turned and walked straight out.


    Owen, dazed and panicked, rushed after him.


    As he ran, his thoughts were in chaos. No, this <i>can¡¯t </i><i>be </i>happening. <i>It¡¯s </i>impossible!


    He had seen Yunice go into the emergency room. Elsie was even behind her in line.


    Elsie didn¡¯t die. Yunice couldn¡¯t be the one in danger.


    She had to be pretending. Yunice was mad that he hadn¡¯t saved her first. She was putting on this whole act just to make him feel the pain of losing her.


    10:04 PM c c


    Chapter 225 Yunice Is Dead


    Wyatt had just stepped out of the hallway when Owen blocked his path.


    Owen red and demanded, ¡°Wyatt, where is my sister? Where are you hiding her?¡±


    Wyatt looked at him like he was crazy.


    When he didn¡¯t respond, Owen stepped forward, reaching for Wyatt¡¯s cor.


    Finished


    Gordon suddenly rushed in from the side and grabbed Owen, lifting him off the ground with one


    arm.


    Owen¡¯s toes barely touched the floor, but he still shouted emotionally at Wyatt, ¡°Is my sister dead or not? Say something!¡±


    Wyatt stayed silent. Owen felt a chill rise in his chest.


    <i>If </i>Yunice isn¡¯t dead, then why won¡¯t he say something?


    Rage and grief surged up all at once, turning Owen¡¯s face red. His scream made the veins in his neck pop. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you save her? She was your fianc¨¦e! Did you let the doctors give up on her? Did you hate her that much? Did you kill her on purpose? Answer me, Wyatt! Yunice only had external injuries, how could she possibly die?¡±


    ¡°Only external injuries?¡± Wyatt looked at him coldly. He walked up to Owen, eyes dark and dangerous. ¡°She was thrown out of a rolling car. You think that¡¯s just an external injury?¡±


    Owen choked on his words, his throat tight. He still insisted, ¡°When I saw her, she wasn¡¯t dead. You must not have tried hard enough!¡±


    Wyatt said in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s your sister. Why should I be the one to save her? Shouldn¡¯t it have been you?¡±


    Owen¡¯s lips trembled. He tried to defend himself. ¡°I¡­ I had limited ability. I could only save one


    person¡­


    Wyatt snapped, ¡°So you gave up on Yunice, and this is the result.¡±


    Owen protested, ¡°I didn¡¯t give up. We divided responsibilities, didn¡¯t we? I saved Elsie, you saved. Yunice!¡±


    Wyattughed bitterly. ¡°You knew I wouldn¡¯t care enough about her, and you still handed her to me. Don¡¯t act like you really wanted her to live.¡±


    Owen shouted, ¡°She¡¯s my sister! Why wouldn¡¯t I want her to live?!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Really?¡± Wyatt sneered. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who hit her and then didn¡¯t save her?¡±


    Owen froze, his eyes wide in shock. A flicker of guilt shed across his face.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¡­ I don¡¯t believe Yunice is dead¡­¡± Owen stumbled back two steps, then suddenly


    10:04 PM c c


    Chapter 225 Yunice Is Dead


    The cold air in the morgue made him stop in his tracks.


    When he saw Lily copsed on her knees, his heart plummeted to the bottom.


    Is that really Yunice?


    Finished


    He looked at the body lying under the white sheet. His knees buckled, and he dropped to the floor.


    Yunice is dead?


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 226

    Chapter 226 I Should Be Crying


    Did I kill her?


    Finished


    Owen¡¯s head buzzed like a hive of bees, his whole body feeling like his soul had been yanked out.


    Lily was also kneeling on the ground, head tilted back, her face hollow and empty, like something had been scooped out of her.


    She felt numb. She didn¡¯t even know what she was feeling.


    She was a little sad, but somehow, part of her actually felt relieved.


    Relieved that no one would fight with Elsie anymore. That from now on, all the Saunders family¡¯s resources would go to Elsie.


    But when she realized she had thought that, it felt like someone had smashed a stick over her head. Panic surged.


    How can <i>I </i>even think of something like <i>that</i>? <i>When </i>did I be <i>this </i><i>cruel</i>? Yunice was my daughter too! <i>I </i>should be crying. How can I possibly feel <i>relief</i><i>? </i>


    In fact, tears were running down her face, but her emotions were so tangled, she didn¡¯t event


    notice.


    The only sound echoing in the morgue was Elsie¡¯s loud sobbing. She kept trying to help Lily, then Owen, stumbling between the two.


    But she couldn¡¯t lift either of them.


    Both of them were like people in shock, copsed on the floor, their faces frozen in grief and numbness.


    Elsie, who had always been the center of attention, couldn¡¯t stand it. She stopped trying to pull them up and turned to Carl, crying as she begged, ¡°Mr. Carl, please talk to my mom and Owen. If they keep breaking down like this, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t make it¡­¡±


    Carl lifted his eyes. Elsie¡¯s face was twisted from crying, like a faucet had been turned on¨Cshe looked heartbroken.


    But instead of feeling sympathy, Carl felt disgusted. He replied coldly, ¡°Ms. Elsie, have you lost a loved one? Do you know what it actually feels like to lose someone close to you?¡±


    ever


    Elsie froze, her face nk with embarrassment. Under Carl¡¯s harsh stare, she quickly lowered her head.


    She nced pitifully at Owen, then at Lily, hoping someone would step in and speak up for her.


    But both of them just sat there, quietly crying,pletely unaware of her difort.


    10:04 PM ? d


    Chapter 226 I Should Be Crying


    <i>her </i>that much. Now they¡¯re all pretending they care?


    Finished


    She didn¡¯t dare say anything more in front of Carl and shuffled off to Paul instead, who seemed calmer. She sniffled and said through her tears, ¡°Paul, is that really Yunice? I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s dead¡­


    Paul was standing. He hadn¡¯t cried. His brows were furrowed, and he was staring at the white sheet on the morgue table with a strange, distant look.


    He wasn¡¯t rted to Yunice, but he had spent just as much time with her as anyone in her family


    had.


    Paul had gotten used to her being around. And now these people were telling him she was gone.


    But he didn¡¯t feel much. Her death felt more like she had just gone on a long trip.


    He just wouldn¡¯t see her for a while. Nothing really to cry about.


    Paul felt like he was being heartless. Maybe he really didn¡¯t <b>love </b>Yunice anymore.


    It was the only way he could exin why everyone <b>was </b>grieving so deeply while he felt nothing at all.


    Carl looked around the room, his face tight


    a word.


    with disappointment, <b>and </b>walked out without saying


    Freya followed after him, huffing angrily. ¡°This is ridiculous!¡±


    ¡°A whole family! A real brother, a real mother, and never mind those two outsiders¨Cnone of them even pulled back the sheet to see if it <b>was </b>really her!¡±


    ¡°Even if a mother¡¯s child was smashed to pieces, she would still want to see them. Still want to touch them. I think they feel guilty. Who knows how badly they treated Yunice over <b>all </b>these


    years.


    Carl was disappointed too. How can people be this cold? Will has such a big family, but somehow there¡¯s no room for just one Yunice.


    After Carl left, Owen and Lily still hadn¡¯te back to their senses.


    Elsie had stopped crying. She was getting annoyed, honestly. How long are they going to sit here?


    It was freezing.


    Just as she was about to pull her usual trick¨Cfainting for attention¨CPaul suddenly moved.


    He stepped forward. He looked like he was going to pull back the sheet and look at Yunice.


    Elsie stared at him, shocked. Ihat is <i>he </i>doing?


    1004PM & c


    Chapter 2261 Should Be Crying


    ¡°Don¡¯t look. Let Yunny keep a little dignity


    It was Owen


    Fausted


    His face was pale<b>, </b>his chin covered in bluish stubble, and at that moment he looked years older.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look. Owen said again, his eyes down<b>. </b>


    He said it with his back turned to the <b>table</b><b>. </b>


    Lily didn¡¯t dare look either. She didn¡¯t even dare lift her head in that direction


    She stumbled to her feet, half leaning on Elsie, her mouth opening like she was in pain.


    ¡°Owen. Mom doesn¡¯t feel well Elsie cried.


    It was like Owen finally came back to reality. He reached out and grabbed Paul.


    Send Gifts


    19

 Daghter 227

    Chapter 227 I Went for You


    ¡°Mom must¡¯ve been heartbroken. Take her back to the hospital room, quick!¡±


    A flustered crowd rushed out of the morgue, everyone quietly letting out a breath of relief.


    It felt like only by escaping that ce could they breathe on their own again.


    Yunice had been asleep in the VIP ward for three days. She still hadn¡¯t woken up.


    Wyatt stood by her bed, talking to someone.


    In Jordan¡¯s hand was an evidence bag, inside it a ttened cigarette butt.


    ¡°We pulled DNA off the cigarette,¡± he said. ¡°No match in the database.¡±


    Which meant that person didn¡¯t officially exist.


    Finished


    Either their records had been erased, or they had a special identity that was being protected.


    Wyatt let out a dryugh. ¡°Of course the b*stard was hard to kill. Always getting tangled up with people.¡±


    If Jackson dared to use this person, then he must¡¯ve been sure Wyatt wouldn¡¯t be able to trace it.


    With the trail cut off, Wyatt tapped a cigarette from the pack. As he brought it to his lips, something made him pause. He looked again at the evidence bag.


    The cigarette butt was the same brand as the one in his hand.


    But his smokes were custom¨Cmade, nearly impossible toe across by ident.


    Jordan said, ¡°We¡¯re checking with the tobo supplier. Nothing yet.¡±


    Then he shifted his gaze to a spot behind Wyatt. ¡°Wyatt.¡±


    He gave a small nod, signaling Wyatt to look behind him.


    By the time Wyatt turned, Jordan had already walked off.


    Yunice felt heavy all over¨Cswollen from fluid buildup.


    As the anesthesia wore off, pain surged in along with her returning awareness.


    She slowly opened her eyes, expecting it to be like all the other times.


    Fainting alone. Waiting out the night alone. Waking up alone.


    So when she saw the white ceiling, her heart stayed still¨Cuntil a face slid into view. His sharp


    10:04 PM


    Chapter 227 | Went for You!


    Finished


    Wyatt leaned over, eyes locked on hers. ¡°I was thinking, if you didn¡¯t wake up soon, I was going to kiss you.¡±


    Yunice sank deeper into the pillow, both hands clutching a bit of the nket over her chest.


    His eyes were bright, the corners curved with amusement, like stars were trapped inside them.


    Yunice asked. ¡°Am I really that kissable?¡±


    Wyatt froze.


    Her voice was still rough, barely louder than a whisper, but clear enough to be understood.


    When he didn¡¯t respond, she thought he hadn¡¯t heard, so she asked again. Is kissing me that ) good:


    He always seemed weirdly obsessed with kissing


    Every time he got one, he looked ridiculously pleased.


    Wyatt straightened up, moving out of her line of sight.


    She turned her head, trying to follow, but winced and froze. She couldn¡¯t move.


    Wyatt said. ¡°Have you ever respected a car crash before?¡±


    The <i>fact </i>she doesn¡¯t die is already pure luck. Does she think she¡¯ll walk away without a scratch?


    He brought a straw to her lips. Yunice took it gently, slowly drawing a sip and holding the water in her mouth.


    ¡°Joe said you shouldn¡¯t move for at least a week. Wyan sai?


    That was already the best¨Ccase scenario.


    He nced at her again, then added, ¡°Owen made it out. His whole family¡¯s been discharged.¡±


    They¡¯d left in such a hurry, they seemed to forget the corpse in the morgue. No one even asked about the funeral.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t bring that up.


    Yunice had long given up on that family. She was used to being abandoned.


    She just followed Wyatt¡¯s movements with her eyes. like it was something new.


    Even without looking at her directly, he could feel the way she was staring.


    He sounded annoyed. ¡°Want me to drag Owen here right now, just to prove I¡¯m not lying?¡±


    10.04 PM


    Chapter 227 I Went for Your


    Wyatt frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go to Rainier Ar


    Yunice was dumbfounded.


    Street because you were worried about him?¡±


    Finished


    His grip on the cup tightened. He said, low and cold, ¡°You ignored my warning and went there anyway. Wasn¡¯t that to find Owen<b>?</b>¡±


    Then he let out a scoff. ¡°You worry about him. He leaves you in the street.¡±


    Yunice strained her neck, trying to lift her head. ¡°Who said I went for him? I went for you.¡±


    Her voice was quiet, but itnded with the weight of a needle dropped in <b>a </b>silent room.


    Wyatt turned his <b>head</b>, caught off guard.


    Yunice looked away, speaking quietly. ¡°You called to get me out of Rainier Arc Street. Wasn¡¯t that because you didn¡¯t want me caught up in your mess?¡±


    In a situation like that, survival was already hard. He could¡¯ve called someone else<b>¨C</b>someone useful¨Cbut he¡¯d thought of her. He called her and told her to get to safety.


    She had always seen herself as a side character. No one had ever taken her that seriously.


    That was why she went back, because of him. She wanted to clear a path for Wyatt..


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 228

    Chapter 228 You Are Quite Loyal


    Yunice said, ¡°I did something this big, and you don¡¯t want to admit it?¡±


    Finished


    Wyatt appeared again in Yunice¡¯s line of sight, his eyes teasing. ¡°So you are actually quite loyal<b>.</b>¡±


    He paused, waiting for Yunice to argue, but Yunice just looked at him with a clear and calm. expression. She didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to argue at all.


    His face darkened slightly, almost imperceptibly.


    Yunice was also waiting for him to say more. When he stayed quiet too long, she couldn¡¯t help but remind him, ¡°Don¡¯t you reward people who contribute?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s tone cooled again as he turned and walked in another direction. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t hide her joy. ¡°The beads bracelet in your hand.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Yunice frowned andy back down without a word.


    When Wyatt didn¡¯t hear anything, he turned around again. Yunice looked clearly unhappy.


    His gaze shifted slightly, then he gave in. ¡°I can give you something else. When you¡¯re better, just tell Jordan what you want.¡±


    Yunice bit her lip, her eyes moved just a little, and she barely stopped her smile from rising.


    She hadn¡¯t been wrong. Wyatt really was giving in to her.


    No matter what feeling this came from, it was a good thing for Yunice.


    She felt that rushing to Rainier Arc Street had been totally worth it!


    At least until Joe handed her a mirror and let her see herself.


    After that, she couldn¡¯t smile anymore.


    Joe put the mirror down and said, ¡°You¡¯re wrapped like a mummy.¡±


    Then he sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t move for the next few days, how are you even eating?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t even a nurse helping out..


    Yunice said, ¡°Wyatt fed me.¡±


    ¡°Whoa!¡± Joe gave her a smug auntie grin. ¡°I knew it. Mr. Cooper treats you differently. He¡¯s only ever taken care of a few people.¡±


    Chapter 228 You Are Quite Loyal


    personally cared for Madam Mary. Are there others?¡±


    Joe answered casually, ¡°His mother too. When she was alive, he looked after her.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Yunice had hoped she could get some kind of clue.


    Finished


    Just then, a noise came from the door of the hospital room. An older woman¡¯s voice called, ¡°Ms. Saunders, are you healing well?¡±


    Yunice could turn her head a little now, and she saw Elianna pushing Mary in.


    Joe stood up with a smiling face. ¡°Madam Mary, what brings you here today?¡±


    Mary ignored him and let Elianna push her right to Yunice¡¯s bedside.


    Mary¡¯s eyes moved up and down, examining the bandages wrapped around Yunice. Her originally stern expression eased slightly.


    Elianna rolled her eyes and muttered, ¡°You¡¯re really acting hard just to win over Wyatt.¡±


    Joe quickly followed with augh. ¡°Ms. Elianna,e on. idents don¡¯t choose targets. You wouldn¡¯t dare act this out in a drama. Ms. Saunders¡¯s love for Mr. Cooper is something the universe can witness!¡±


    Yunice pressed her lips together, feeling secondhand embarrassment from Joe¡¯s over¨Cthe¨Ctop performance.


    But Mary didn¡¯t make things hard for Yunice. She only stayed a little while, then left.


    Joe walked <b>her </b>out. ¡°Madam Mary, since you¡¯re here, why not stay and talk with Ms. Saunders a bit longer?¡±


    Mary turned back and gave him a cold nce. ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you all are thinking. She shows up, and all of you are secretly thrilled.¡±


    Mary¡¯s face was grim, weighed down with concern.


    Joe didn¡¯t say a word back.


    Mary lowered her eyes and took a long, deep breath, like she had no choice but to let Elianna push her away.


    When Joe returned to the room<b>, </b>Yunice immediately asked, ¡°Why does Madam Mary always have<b>. </b>something against me? Does she think I¡¯m not good enough for Wyatt?¡±


    ¡°Well, problems between mother¨Cinw and daughter¨Cinw have been around forever. Grandmas are no different. Even if you <b>gave </b>Mr. Cooper a goddess, they¡¯d still say she¡¯s not grounded enough.¡± <b>Joe </b>smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get to you.¡±


    Yunice kept staring at him, and Joe knew she didn¡¯t buy his answer.


    10.04 PM


    Chapter 220 You Are Quite Loyal


    Finished


    gets close to Mr. Cooper has a motive. <b>She¡¯s </b>afraid you¡¯ll deceive him. <b>But </b>as long as Mr. Cooper is on your side, Madam Mary won¡¯t say anything¡±


    Yunice believed him¨Cmostly, but notpletely.


    The person Wyatt moved out from the small vi still weighed on Yunice¡¯s mind. She was afraid this might all be part of a carefully nned trap.


    Yunicey in bed a while longer. No one came to bother her.


    The days passed in rare peace.


    Gill sent her a video of Gill¡¯s Deli & Bites. The <b>business </b>looked decent.


    Freya came to visit, but the bodyguards Wyatt posted outside turned her away. Yunice only found out after she¡¯d left.


    The Saunders family stayed oddly quiet. Not one of them checked in on her.


    Send Gifte

 Daghter 229

    Chapter 230 His Self¨CControl


    Counting the days, there was less than a week left.


    Kingsley said, ¡°Wait for it. When you get married, I¡¯ll give you a big gift.¡±


    Yuniceughed. ¡°Alright, Mr. Kingsley.¡±


    ¡úFinished


    Kingsley shook his head indulgently, then poured himself another cup of tea from the teapot.


    Seeing that Kingsley was tired, Yunice quietly left the psychiatric hospital.


    When she returned, it was still early, but as soon as she appeared within the hospital grounds, her phone buzzed.


    Yunice opened her phone to see a red dot bouncing on the map.


    Following the direction, Yunice indeed saw Wyatt¡¯s car in the parking lot.


    Wyatt is here at the hospital?


    In the hospital room, Wyatt was looking at the SATs paper Yunice had left on the bed. He furrowed his brow, clearly struggling to understand it.


    Holding a pen in his hand, he tried to write answers on the paper but couldn¡¯t make sense of it. After drawing tworge ck circles, he still hadn¡¯t figured it out, frustrated enough to want to tear the paper apart.


    Then he remembered it was Yunice¡¯s paper, so he patiently tried to tten it out again.


    At that moment, he caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye.


    Raising his eyebrows, he turned his head to see Yunice standing at the door.


    Yunice was holding a thick stack of books in her arms, all full of papers that he couldn¡¯t even begin to understand.


    He grabbed his cane and walked over to Yunice, his eyes briefly scanning the books before returning to her face. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°There¡¯s a study room downstairs in the cafe. I went to study.¡±


    After saying <b>that</b>, she walked past Wyatt, entered the room, and reached for the paper with the two ck circles on it. ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    Wyatt wouldn¡¯t admit that he had been waiting here for two hours. His brow twitched, and he said, ¡°I just got here.¡±


    Chapter 230 His Self¨CControl


    practice booklet.


    Finished


    This action left Wyatt momentarily stunned, but soon a small spark of pride shed in his eyes.


    Yunice had a mild form of obsessivepulsive disorder. Her papers were always neat and tidy. even her calctions were always written uniformly, the same size and alignment.


    Wyatt¡¯s two ck circles had truly bothered her, but she didn¡¯t throw the paper away.


    When Wyatt saw Yunice tidying up the desk, he approached and tugged at her sleeve a little.


    In the car ident, Yunice¡¯s car had rolled over several times, but because of that, the car wasn¡¯t seriously damaged, which had protected her from injury.


    However, when she had been thrown out of the car window, she had sustained multiple soft tissue bruises and abrasions. After several days of recovery, the scabs on the wounds had all fallen ofl.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Luckily, no scars remain.¡±


    Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t let go of her sleeve, Yunice couldn¡¯t help but turn her head to meet his


    gaze.


    She found Wyatt staring at her intently. His eyes were like a calm sea on a sunny day, peaceful on the surface but with currents stirring beneath. His ga


    was deep and focused.


    Yunice instinctively felt danger, but Wyatt moved first, pressing against her waist and blocking her retreat.


    Her heart pounded. She could feel Wyatt¡¯s proximity, his breath brushing against her neck, almost tangible, sending a tingling sensation straight to her sensitive spots.


    Wyatt clearly wanted to do something but held back.


    After <b>a </b>moment of tension, Wyatt muttered hoarsely, ¡°Let me hold you.¡±


    It was more of a statement, and before Yunice could respond, he pulled her into his embrace.


    Yunice could feel his intense desire, suppressed desire!


    Recalling many past instances, Yunice finally came to a passive conclusion.


    ¡°Do you have a sex addiction?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice exploded in his ear, and Wyatt¡¯s movements stalled for a moment, but he didn¡¯t release her. His jaw rested against her shoulder, trying to touch her.


    Yunice knew that for someone with a sex addiction, this level of restraint was extraordinary.


    Yunice tentatively asked, ¡°Should I prescribe you some medication<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    10:05 PM ? <b>c </b>


    Chapter 230 His Self¨CContral


    ¡°I can¡¯t push you away.¡±


    Finished


    ¡°Heh.¡± Wyattughed in a suppressed manner, then kissed her neck again, his kisses soft and frequent. Unable to resist, his hands moved to tear open her cor, exploring down her body.


    Just as he was about to lose himself. Paul¡¯s words suddenly exploded in his mind.


    No matter how much he did with Yunice, her mind would always think of Paul¡¯s face.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression instantly grew cold. He gripped Yunice¡¯s arm, and after a long pause, he calmed the raging fire within him and finally released her.


    Yunice looked at him in confusion<i>. </i><i>Is </i>his self¨Ccontrol really that strong?


    Wyatt nced at her. Her calmness only made him feel like she had resigned herself.


    Neither of them spoke, and neither understood the other¡¯s feelings.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    40

 Daghter 230

    Chapter 230 His Self¨CControl


    Counting the days, there was less than a week left.


    Kingsley said, ¡°Wait for it. When you get married, I¡¯ll give you a big gift.¡±


    Yuniceughed. ¡°Alright, Mr. Kingsley.¡±


    ¡úFinished


    Kingsley shook his head indulgently, then poured himself another cup of tea from the teapot.


    Seeing that Kingsley was tired, Yunice quietly left the psychiatric hospital.


    When she returned, it was still early, but as soon as she appeared within the hospital grounds, her phone buzzed.


    Yunice opened her phone to see a red dot bouncing on the map.


    Following the direction, Yunice indeed saw Wyatt¡¯s car in the parking lot.


    Wyatt is here at the hospital?


    In the hospital room, Wyatt was looking at the SATs paper Yunice had left on the bed. He furrowed his brow, clearly struggling to understand it.


    Holding a pen in his hand, he tried to write answers on the paper but couldn¡¯t make sense of it. After drawing tworge ck circles, he still hadn¡¯t figured it out, frustrated enough to want to tear the paper apart.


    Then he remembered it was Yunice¡¯s paper, so he patiently tried to tten it out again.


    At that moment, he caught a glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye.


    Raising his eyebrows, he turned his head to see Yunice standing at the door.


    Yunice was holding a thick stack of books in her arms, all full of papers that he couldn¡¯t even begin to understand.


    He grabbed his cane and walked over to Yunice, his eyes briefly scanning the books before returning to her face. ¡°Where did you go?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°There¡¯s a study room downstairs in the cafe. I went to study.¡±


    After saying <b>that</b>, she walked past Wyatt, entered the room, and reached for the paper with the two ck circles on it. ¡°When did you arrive?¡±


    Wyatt wouldn¡¯t admit that he had been waiting here for two hours. His brow twitched, and he said, ¡°I just got here.¡±


    Chapter 230 His Self¨CControl


    practice booklet.


    Finished


    This action left Wyatt momentarily stunned, but soon a small spark of pride shed in his eyes.


    Yunice had a mild form of obsessivepulsive disorder. Her papers were always neat and tidy. even her calctions were always written uniformly, the same size and alignment.


    Wyatt¡¯s two ck circles had truly bothered her, but she didn¡¯t throw the paper away.


    When Wyatt saw Yunice tidying up the desk, he approached and tugged at her sleeve a little.


    In the car ident, Yunice¡¯s car had rolled over several times, but because of that, the car wasn¡¯t seriously damaged, which had protected her from injury.


    However, when she had been thrown out of the car window, she had sustained multiple soft tissue bruises and abrasions. After several days of recovery, the scabs on the wounds had all fallen ofl.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Luckily, no scars remain.¡±


    Seeing that he wouldn¡¯t let go of her sleeve, Yunice couldn¡¯t help but turn her head to meet his


    gaze.


    She found Wyatt staring at her intently. His eyes were like a calm sea on a sunny day, peaceful on the surface but with currents stirring beneath. His ga


    was deep and focused.


    Yunice instinctively felt danger, but Wyatt moved first, pressing against her waist and blocking her retreat.


    Her heart pounded. She could feel Wyatt¡¯s proximity, his breath brushing against her neck, almost tangible, sending a tingling sensation straight to her sensitive spots.


    Wyatt clearly wanted to do something but held back.


    After <b>a </b>moment of tension, Wyatt muttered hoarsely, ¡°Let me hold you.¡±


    It was more of a statement, and before Yunice could respond, he pulled her into his embrace.


    Yunice could feel his intense desire, suppressed desire!


    Recalling many past instances, Yunice finally came to a passive conclusion.


    ¡°Do you have a sex addiction?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice exploded in his ear, and Wyatt¡¯s movements stalled for a moment, but he didn¡¯t release her. His jaw rested against her shoulder, trying to touch her.


    Yunice knew that for someone with a sex addiction, this level of restraint was extraordinary.


    Yunice tentatively asked, ¡°Should I prescribe you some medication<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    10:05 PM ? <b>c </b>


    Chapter 230 His Self¨CContral


    ¡°I can¡¯t push you away.¡±


    Finished


    ¡°Heh.¡± Wyattughed in a suppressed manner, then kissed her neck again, his kisses soft and frequent. Unable to resist, his hands moved to tear open her cor, exploring down her body.


    Just as he was about to lose himself. Paul¡¯s words suddenly exploded in his mind.


    No matter how much he did with Yunice, her mind would always think of Paul¡¯s face.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression instantly grew cold. He gripped Yunice¡¯s arm, and after a long pause, he calmed the raging fire within him and finally released her.


    Yunice looked at him in confusion<i>. </i><i>Is </i>his self¨Ccontrol really that strong?


    Wyatt nced at her. Her calmness only made him feel like she had resigned herself.


    Neither of them spoke, and neither understood the other¡¯s feelings.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    40

 Daghter 231

    Chapter 231 Kick First Ask Never


    Finished


    Yunice stayed calm because she felt everything was under control. She¡¯d studied medicine; she knew exactly what to do to stop him if things ever spiraled.


    And because it hadn¡¯t gotten to that point yet, she didn¡¯t move. There was no benefit to pissing him off.


    Just then, someone knocked on the door.


    Jordan¡¯s voice came from outside. ¡°Wyatt, something¡¯s up.¡±


    Wyatt grunted in response, finally shifting his gaze away from Yunice.


    He stepped out of the hospital room, yanking his tie loose with one hand; he was clearly annoyed.


    Gordon followed after him and elbowed Jordan. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Jordan knew exactly what was going on but didn¡¯t say a word. Gordon puffed up smugly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it¨CI already know,¡±


    ¡°Wyatt¡¯s all pent¨Cup! If you ask me, he should¡¯ve just slipped her something and gotten her into bed. Ms. Saunders might even thank him for it¨Cguy¡¯s doing her a favor! Hrious. There¡¯s a shortcut, but he insists on this pure love crap¡­¡±


    Jordan had just opened his mouth to warn him to shut up unless he had a death wish, but before he could say anything, Gordon suddenly went flying backward.


    Wyatt had stepped forward, eyes burning with fury. ¡°What kind of drug were you thinking? I¡¯ll help you find it.¡±


    Gordonnded on the floor, stunned and speechless.


    Wyatt almost neverid hands on his own people.


    What <i>the </i><i>heck </i>had set him <i>off </i>like this today?


    Realizing he¡¯d walked straight into the line of fire, Gordon quickly admitted fault. ¡°Wyatt, I swear I won¡¯t run my mouth again!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say anything about Ms. Saunders ever again¡­¡±


    Just hearing Yunice¡¯s name made Wyatt even angrier. Gordon flinched, instinctively shielding his head with his arms.


    Jordan stepped in and blocked Wyatt. ¡°Wyatt, he really got the message.¡±


    Then he nced off to the side.


    TULUS P


    Chapter 231 Kick First Ask Never


    elevator. The elevator went down¨Cstraight to the basement.


    The basement level was usually where the hospital morgue was.


    Word was, the corpse disguised to look like Yunice still hadn¡¯t been imed.


    Finished


    Wyatt shook Jordan off and, finally regaining someposure, said, ¡°Get a few more people to keep watch here. If someone slips through again¡­¡±


    There was no need to finish the sentence; the murderous look in his eyes said it all.


    Without waiting for a reply, Wyatt stepped into the elevator.


    Only then did Jordan go help Gordon up from the ground.


    Clutching his stomach, Gordon winced and groaned. ¡°Wyatt couldn¡¯t even stand straight¨Chow the heck did he kick that hard? Any lower and I¡¯d be out a vital organ¡­..


    Jordan exhaled sharply. ¡°Can you <b>shut </b><b>that </b>mouth of yours?¡±


    Still, something about the way Wyatt had kicked him seemed¡­ off.


    Which leg had he used?


    Jordan hadn¡¯t gotten a clear look<b>; </b>he hadn¡¯t paid attention, and now he wasn¡¯t even sure if he was imagining things.


    Why did it feel like <i>Wyatt </i>could stand just fine?


    Gordon, big and burly as he was, wasn¡¯t the type to overthink things. He just felt like he¡¯d taken an unfair beating. ¡°All I did was mention Ms. Saunders, It¡¯s not like Wyatt¡¯s that into her. Why¡¯s he all defensive now? Didn¡¯t he have someone else in-


    Jordan shot him a re, fed up. ¡°You got a death wish? Then keep talking.¡±


    Realizing he¡¯d stepped out of line again, Gordon¡¯s face flushed red as he quickly shut up.


    Paul strode toward the morgue. Lately, his life hadn¡¯t changed much¨Cstill eating, still partying. Other than being wary of Wyatt¡¯s revenge, he figured nothing in his life was really different.


    Sometimes, he even forgot Yunice was dead.


    But every time he returned to


    him.


    Maplecrest Manor and saw the empty pet room, a chill would hit


    That¡¯s when he¡¯d remember Moss was gone, and Yunice was gone too.


    It felt like something out of a horror movie¨Cone minute they were a happy trio<b>, </b>and the next, everything had drained to ck and white, leaving only him behind.


    Aoi Never


    After


    veral days, Paul finally couldn¡¯t take in anymore. He had the pet room form down- pretended none of it had ever existed.


    Moss was the past, Yunice was the past


    The dead were gone, and debts¨Cwhether owed or repaid¨Cno longer mumered


    But then he¡¯d dream


    when he wore


    in a sweat, tive first thing beld do wae opi leeping pills¨Conly to remember that Yumine had been the ome whold


    a drawer and grab some


    some Sleeping pills- mumed them for him.


    rved


    That billed his


    stine for calls; instead, he¡¯d go back to his phone


    And somehow. inhout meaning to, he started scrolling through his old social media.


    He scrolled all the way back to three years ago, reliving has cringey melodic per self


    post by post


    Back them, be and Else hadn¡¯t even gotten together yet. Yumice soll appeared in his deed.


    Bus after than¨Cathing He¡¯d deleted her bit by bit


    If he scrolled all the way down now, he¡¯d find not a single trace of Yunice left. Not even ome photo


    Send Gifts


    ½ª 40

 Daghter 232

    Chapter 232 That Wasn¡¯t a Smile


    Finished


    When he was younger and reckless, Paul prided himself on being wild and free. He rarely ever posted about Yunice on social media¨Cpeople would¡¯ve mocked him for being whipped.


    Now, though, he couldn¡¯t find a single picture. As the phone screen dimmed. Paul suddenly saw his own reflection; the faint glint near the corner of his eye caught his attention. Startled, he reached up to touch it¨Cit was a tear.


    For days on end, he found himself thinking about Yunice at the most unexpected times; he even nearly got into a car ident because he zoned out.


    After a few days, he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He knew deep down he hadn¡¯t let Yunice go, so he went back to the hospital.


    Outside the morgue chamber, Yunice¡¯s name had already been reced with a serial number.


    Paul stood there for a long time in front of the cold unit. Then, he reached out to open <b>it</b>, wanting to confirm. Is Yunice really gone?


    His fingers clenched around the door, but he hesitated again.


    He dropped his hand and sighed. ¡°Yunice, if you had just listened to me back then, we wouldn¡¯t have broken up; I wouldn¡¯t have fallen for Elsie.¡±


    ¡°I never changed. You¡¯re the one who insisted on going head¨Cto¨Chead with me.¡± Paul balled his fists, eyes filled with frustration, but even he could see there was no point in holding onto it


    anymore.


    He stayed there for a long while, then finally pulled out a ring box and took out a grass¨Cwoven ring. He hung it on the front of the chamber door.


    Lowering his gaze, he hid the storm of words in his eyes. Paul turned and walked away decisively. A breeze passed through; the grass ring swayed gently in front of the morgue.


    As Paul left, he noticed someone standing by the hallway entrance.


    The guy had ming red spiked hair and wore a ridiculous number of clinking essories¨C<b>he </b>looked every bit like a spoiled rich kid.


    Paul had always held himself above others and naturally didn¡¯t give this guy a second nce. He walked right past him like he didn¡¯t exist.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that as soon as he left, Morgan turned and walked straight into the morgue. He plucked the grass ring from the chamber door.


    ¡°Pifi.¡± Morgan toyed with the ring, curling his lips into a <b>smirk</b>.


    That night, Wyatt came to have dinner with Mary.


    10:05 PM <b>& </b>c


    Chapter 232 That Wasn¡¯t a Smile


    He had one foot on a stool, elbow resting on his knee. staring up at Wyant with that scheming look in his eyes.


    ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯re getting married soon. Why don¡¯t you bring your fiancee over so grandma can meet her? She¡¯s gonna be the one serving tea and taking care of grandma from now on.¡±


    Morgan grinned., dripping with malice.


    Mary held her cutlery, frowning, It wasn¡¯t clear if she was mad at Morgan or Wyatt


    Either way, she wasn¡¯t happy


    Wyatt nced at her. then calmly said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t serve anyone.¡±


    Mary¡¯s brow twitched as she looked at him.


    Wyatt went on. ¡°Making her pour tea is beneath her. If you need help, there are plenty of nursing agencies to call.¡±


    Morgan dropped his leg from the stool. irritated. ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, huh? We¡¯re talking about a little psycho here! Asking her to take care of grandma is me being generous!¡±


    ng!


    Wyatt flung his spoon without warning.


    Morgan didn¡¯t dodge in time¨Cit hit him square in the eye. He doubled over, clutching his face.


    Wyatt grabbed a wet napkin to wipe his hands, giving Morgan a sidelong nce. ¡°Did you grow up eating garbage or something?¡±


    Morgan couldn¡¯t get a word out from the pain. furious and humiliated. ¡°Grandma¡°¡± he yelled.


    Mary¡¯s frown deepened. In the end. she only said, ¡°Don¡¯t call me grandma. You should really learn some manners from Wyatt.


    Wyatt tossed the napkin aside. ¡°Perfect timing. I¡¯ve got a few free days. I¡¯ll teach you myself¡±


    Morgan froze. Mary said nothing.


    The tension thickened¨Cuntil Elianna walked in. The moment she spotted Wyatt, her eyes lit up like stars ¡°You¡¯re here too. Wyatt!¡±


    She pulled out a chair and plopped down next to Morgan. He was decent to her: didn¡¯t go out of


    way to be friendly, but at least he didn¡¯t pick fights.


    After setting her purse down. Elianna casually ced a small velvet box on the table.


    Madam Mary noticed and, in an effort to ease the mood, changed the subject ¡°New jewelry?¡±


    10:05 PM c d


    Chapter 232 That Wasn¡¯t a Smile


    Sister¨Cinw?


    Finished


    Everyone turned to look at her. Elianna quickly rified, ¡°Yunice! Wyatt told me to call her that.¡±


    Mary¡¯s face darkened even more, but she still said nothing.


    Morgan, on the other hand, lit up like he¡¯d caught a rat by the tail. He grabbed the jewelry box from in front of Elianna. ¡°Who¡¯d be giving our sister¨Cinw a gift?¡±


    ¡°Well, look at that¨Cit¡¯s a ring!¡± Morgan shot Wyatt a mocking nce. ¡°Did you give her this?¡±


    Wyatt lifted his eyes and looked straight at the grass¨Cwoven ring,

 Daghter 233

    Chapter 233 A Ring to the Trash


    It was raffia grass.


    Finished


    Morgan looked away from Wyatt and turned to the doorway. ¡°Hey, the little psycho¡¯s here¨Clet her exin it herself!¡±


    Yunice had already spotted the grass ring the moment she walked in. She¡¯d wanted to leave, but walking away now would¡¯ve looked like she had something to hide.


    She stepped inside, polite and proper, greeting <b>Madam </b>Mary first.


    Then she reached out and took the grass ring from Morgan¡¯s hand. After ncing at it, she said, ¡°Used to make these for fun when I was a kid. No clue where I tossed it¨Cthanks for picking it up for me.¡±


    Morgan scoffed. ¡°Still pretending? Four years ago, at that yacht party, you jumped into the seal just to get this grass ring back. Tons of people saw it.¡±


    As he spoke, he shot a nce at Wyatt.


    There wasn¡¯t much expression on Wyatt¡¯s face; that alone made it clear he cared.


    ¡°Raffia grass also symbolizes love. It was so fragile, and yet it didn¡¯t break¨Cthat says something about how much you treasured it.


    Morgan kept pushing. ¡°So what is it¨Cyou can¡¯t let go of the ring, or can¡¯t let go of¡­¡±


    He hadn¡¯t even finished his words when Yunice flicked her wrist and tossed the ring straight into the trash.


    Everyone looked down. For a moment, no one said a word


    Morgan clenched his jaw, irritated and unwilling to back down. ¡°Then I bet you remember that week¨Clong yacht party, don¡¯t you? You and Paul locked yourselves in a room for a whole week-


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    It was Mary who cut him off.


    After she spoke, Morgan finally reined it in a bit.


    Mary turned her wheelchair around and rolled out of the dining room. ¡°Wyatt,e with me.¡±


    As Wyatt stood up, Morgan raised his eyebrows triumphantly.


    Then he threw a challenging look at Yunice.


    Yunice waited until they were gone, then calmly picked up the bowl of soup from the table-


    Chapter 231 & Goling is the Traph


    Morgan was left speechless. Creasy broth depped down hos face fus expension named a deep


    livid red.


    He jumped up, shaking with rage nca par sat there fesom


    Yunice casually dropped the bowl Hack on the rable and and. Then You on maurth any a finger on me, and what¨CWyatt¡¯s not gonna find our You think whatever you know Wyatt dom Thin stuff he doesn¡¯t even care about you re here jumping around like sure win for wit


    Morgan¡¯s jaw clenched to hard his teeth practically cranted his eyes burned red with fury


    Elianna actually found Yunice¡¯s words reasonable Ste reached out to coop Morgan ng to calm <b>him </b>down. If he lost it and Wyatt got involved the idend op dragged inne at noe


    | Morgan shoved her off. He grabbed a couple of napkins and wiped his face roughly theni


    stormed off toward the open¨Cair balcony.


    Not long after, loud crashing and nging came from outside¨CMorgan eng its rage on whatever furniture he could smash.


    Yunice looked over at Elianna. The moment their eyes met. Elianna mnterdiately lowered her gaze, not daring to look Yunter in the eye. She didn¡¯t like Yunice but the alite knee better than no stir anything up in front of Wyatt.


    Yunice didn¡¯t bother with her. <b>She </b>turned and left Mary¡¯s room<b>. </b>


    She knew exactly what Mary had pulled Wyatt aside to say..


    Her reputation was already had enough, and the fact that the man in question was Paul¨Cwelll. that just made things worse. That exact dynamic was something Jackson had engineered from the


    And it just so happened to be the one thing Wyatt¡¯s camp hated most.


    She could¡¯ve had <b>flings </b>with anyone¨Canyone except Paul. Not one of us, not one of heart. Even children knew what that meant.


    So from the very beginning, this marriage had been a battleground.


    When Wyatt came back, Yunice was sitting at the small desk, doing practice problems.


    She waspletely focused, <b>as </b>if the chaos at the dinner table hadn¡¯t even happened


    She worked through the equations smoothly¨Cuntil a human shadow fell across her workbook.


    Yunice looked up and met Wyatt¡¯s gaze.


    He turned, sat on the edge of her desk and looked down at her. ¡°You want <b>to </b>go back to school¡±


    Yurice nodded. She¡¯d already made up her mind¨Cthe wanted to earn her degree again, to


    <b>10:05 </b>


    Chapter 233 A Ring to the Trash


    Wyatt said, ¡°School¡¯s too slow.¡±


    Finishing undergrad, then a master¡¯s, maybe a PhD¨Cbest case, that¡¯d take eight or nine years. In eight or nine years, entirepanies could rise and go public.


    Yunice replied, ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Wyatt stayed quiet for a long time. Yunice didn¡¯t speak either.


    She waited for him to bring up Paul.


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t. And Yunice couldn¡¯t just avoid it either. She said. ¡°Actually, that week on the yacht¡­¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s phone rang, cutting her off mid¨Csentence.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly; she gestured for him to take the call.


    Whatever was said on the other end, Wyatt didn¡¯t share. After hanging up. he asked her. ¡°Bored?¡±


    ¡°Want to go out and clear your head?¡±


    Yunice thought for a second, then nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    She knew she¡¯d be dealing with Wyatt a lot in the future; getting

 Daghter 234

    Finished


    The car was already waiting downstairs. Wyatt, remembering Yunice hadn¡¯t finished her sentence earlier, asked, ¡°What were you trying to say just <b>now</b>?¡±


    Yunice nced at the people passing by around them and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing


    Wyatt didn¡¯t press her again. He took her to a private club; the suite was full of people, and it was Bale who opened the door.


    Yunice had met him once before¨Cshe knew who he <b>was</b>, but they weren¡¯t close.


    Still, the first thing he did was greet her with <b>a </b>casual, ¡°Sister¨Cinw,¡± before even acknowledging Wyatt.


    The word caught Yunice off guard; her cheeks flushed. She wasn¡¯t used to it.


    Once they stepped into the room, Bale moved a chair for her<b>, </b>and Jordan set out utensils at her ce.


    Only one woman standing nearby seemed to be eyeing Yunice closely.


    Yunice sensed the hostility almost instinctively.


    But when she looked up, the woman quickly reced the look with a pleasant smile. She was introduced as Amyra¨CBale¡¯s girlfriend.


    As the drinks and conversation flowed, everyone stayed respectful toward Yunice. No one tried to make things hard for her.


    At one point during the dinner, Yunice excused herself to use the restroom. Amyra stood up immediately. ¡°Ms. Saunders, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Bale stepped aside without hesitation. Wyatt didn¡¯t say anything.


    As soon as the two women left, Bale brought Morgan into the room.


    Morgan¡¯s shirt cor was torn, and he and Bale were still pushing at each other by the time they reached Wyatt. Morgan finally stopped, standing there with that bratty, insolent look on his <b>face</b>, just begging to be pped.


    Wyatt leaned forward and stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray.


    A faint hiss broke the silence of the room.


    Morgan¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, but he fought to keep his.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Apologize to Yunice.¡±


    Marin¡¯s <b>fare </b>fluchad deen end. His ndshest une <b>made </b>it clear_analorizing to that cray


    10:05 PM c


    ogize


    Fitisted


    Wyatt said again. ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice.¡±


    Morgan realized he meant it.


    Because usually, no matter how out of line he acted. Wam marned a blind eye¡ªeven danced in his face.


    But now, he was drawing a hard line¡­ for a woman


    Morgan couldn¡¯t ept that. No way at all


    Morran


    He kicked over a fogumool and shouted, ¡°When was thest time you even went back to Gandom Residence?


    Jordan and Bale immediately moved to hold him back, but Morgan thrashed like a madman and broke free screaming ¡°That woman is disgusting! She¡¯s been used -how the heck is she willi worth anything


    Bang


    Morgan went flying Jordan and Bale hadn¡¯t been able to stop it


    Their faces went pale. Others might not have realized it, but they did¨CWyan almost never used that kind of force on Morgan.


    He hadn¡¯t even gotten back up


    Wyan sat back down, annoyed and pulled another cigareme from the park. ¡°Call him


    ambnce


    Morgan, as arrogant as he usually was, didn¡¯t even try to act tough this time. It was clear he was actually hurt.


    Still, as they helped him out, he clenched his jaw and muttered ¡°She just took a hit for your on Rainier Arc Street and now she¡¯s suddenl


    His fists trembled. He red at Wyan, who sat in the shadows, the fan glow of this fingers, the only color in the dim light, and finally walked away, bimer and deemed


    in


    Wyatt barely touched the new cigarette before crushing it out again in the ashtray


    Jordan exchanged a look with Bale, giving him the signal to go get


    The room had turned heavy with silence. Bale jogged toward the restroom


    In the bathroom. Yunice and Amyra were washing their har


    Yunice took the initiative. ¡°Ms. Amyra It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    Amyra wiped her hands dry, then tilted her head. ¡°You¡¯ve changed a loc. Ms. Saunders¡­¡±


    10:05 PM c <b>c </b>


    Chapter 234 Apologize or Bleed


    Yunice said nothing. In Silverburgh¡¯s social circles, Elsie had long since reced her as the Saunders family representative. As far as society was concerned, Yunice didn¡¯t even exist.


    Amyra, like Bale and Jordan, had known her in the past.


    And if they¡¯d known her before, they definitely recognized her now<b>. </b>


    Finished


    Yunice said, ¡°Ms. Amyra, I can tell people seem to have a problem with me. Since we used to be on decent terms, could you give me a heads¨C<b>up</b><b>?</b>¡±


    When Yunice <b>said </b>¡°decent terms,¡± Amyra¡¯sshes visibly fluttered.


    She didn¡¯t look at Yunice. Instead, she squirted some hand cream onto her palm. ¡°You¡¯re not Ms. Saunders anymore, and you¡¯re not Paul¡¯s fiancee either. You¡¯re a nobody now. Who has the time. to go out of their way to make things difficult for <b>you</b>?¡±


    Yunice heard the implication beneath her words. ¡°So it¡¯s still because of Wyatt, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Amyra frowned, hesitated, then nced around the restroom to make sure no one was listening<b>. </b>Finally, she lowered her voice. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t marry Wyatt. If you do, you¡¯ll regret it eventually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I can say.¡± With that, Amyra grabbed her purse, brushed past Yunice, and walked out.


    Yunice tossed the used paper towel into the trash and followed behind her.


    PrevNext <h2>That¡¯s when the nightmare bega</h2>

 Daghter 235

    Chapter 235 Who Lit the Fire


    Bale had just missed the two of them by the time he reached the restroom


    He was about to turn around and search elsewhere when he heard Armyra¡¯s scream. ¡°Fire¡± Somebody help! Fire!<i>¡± </i>


    Bale took off running toward the sound. mes were already tearing through the carpet by the elevator; they¡¯d climbed high enough to melt the decorations on the ceiling


    Molten chunks kept falling, mixing with the fire below to form a wall of me that sealed off the elevator entirely.


    Thick smoke poured inward. Amyra¡¯s coughing echoed through it. ¡°Yunice, what are you standing there for? Help me put it out! Hit the elevator button! Did the fire system cut the power?¡±


    ¡°Amyra! Amyra, you wench! I¡¯m gonna burn to death! Yunice? Yunice?¡±


    Amyra ran off and grabbed a fire extinguisher from the emergency shaft. By the time Bale. arrived, others had joined in<b>, </b>sting the mes with extinguishers.


    White smoke collided with the fire, battling for ground.


    Once the ze was <b>finally </b>under control, Bale charged into the elevator and swiftly pulled Amyra


    out.


    Amyra dropped to the floor, gasping for air, her smoke¨Cchoked brain taking a while to clear.


    She looked around¨Cand suddenly realized Yunice was still inside. She cried out, ¡°Yunice¡¯s still in there!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine; the fire¡¯s out¡­¡± Bale shielded Amyra <b>in </b><b>his </b>arms and looked back toward the elevator.


    But <i>if </i><i>the </i><i>fire </i>was out, <i>why </i>isn¡¯t <i>Yunice </iing out?


    Yunice couldn¡¯t move¨Cthough she desperately wanted to. She sat huddled in the farthest corner of the elevator car, her tear¨Cfilled eyes fixed on the smoke still swirling before her.


    The fire had scorched everything it touched into ck. Even through the haze, Yunice could see clearly.


    She saw them enter. She saw Amyra get rescued. But no one saved her. No one saved her. No one saved her¡­.


    Fine, then I¡¯ll walk out myself<i>. </i>


    She tried to move, to stand, but her fingers wouldn¡¯t respond. Her body was locked up rusted <b>machine</b>¨Ccreaking and grinding, but refusing to act.


    like a


    10:05 PM c


    Chapter 235 Who Lit the Fire


    Finished


    Tears streamed down her cheeks, though her <b>jaw </b>clenched tightly. She grabbed at the elevator wall, trying to push herself up; the effort made the veins at her temple bulge.


    It was no use. Willpower couldn¡¯t overpower paralysis.


    A whimper escaped her lips. Yunice bit down hard¨Cshe didn¡¯t want to cry out loud.


    There had been harder moments. More painful ones. And she¡¯d never cried then¡­.


    Suddenly, the elevator dipped. A tall figure rushed in, broad shoulders cutting off her view.


    Wyatt caught Yunice just as her legs gave out.


    Her armsnded stiffly around his shoulders, her full weight copsing into him.


    She couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. Her emotions tore through her, and she barely noticed the world shifting around her.


    The memory of Owen saving Elsie but not her had etched itself so deeply into her mind; it yed on repeat, over and over.


    The heat, gosh<i>, </i>the fire had burned.


    Wyatt thought she was just terrified. He tried to pull her back to make her open her eyes, but the more he tried, the tighter she clung to him.


    ¡°Yunice?¡± His voice sharpened in frustration.


    Wyatt grunted. Yunice had bitten him.


    His instinct kicked in¨Che tried to shove her off. And he did.


    But the second she went flying toward the elevator wall, he snapped out of it and yanked her back before she could hit.


    Bale ran in just in time to see a trembling Yunice and Wyatt¡¯s arm dripping with blood..


    Wyatt red at him, then hoisted Yunice up and carried her out of the elevator.


    Bale¡¯s stomach twisted. He knew Wyatt was ming him for not rescuing Yunice. But¡­ hadn¡¯t it made sense to save his own girlfriend first?


    Wyatt kicked open the door to <b>a </b>suite and dragged Yunice into the bathroom.


    He turned on the shower; icy water poured from overhead, catching Yunicepletely off guard.


    The cold doused the heat still clinging to her skin and began to calm her fraying nerves..


    Standing under the stream, Yunice tilted her head up and opened her eyes to the showerhead.


    Chapter 235 Who Lit the Fire


    Wyatt reached out, grabbed her chin, and forced her mouth open. ¡°Breathe!¡±


    Yunice gasped. Her ssy eyes finally focused on Wyatt.


    Finished


    They were both under the spray now¨Cboth soaked. Wyatt¡¯s hands rested on her shoulders, his eyes locked tightly on hers.


    Her breathing slowed. The tension eased. Looking into his gaze, still smoldering with anger, she rose up on her toes and hooked her arms around his neck.


    ¡°Hold me,¡± she whispered.


    Wyatt froze.


    And then Yunice kissed him, eyes shut, greedy for every inch of him.


    Wyatt¡¯s pupils widened in surprise¨Cshocked at her sudden boldness, and at the fact that, somehow, he was the one being swept along.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 236

    Chapter 236 No One Prepared Me


    That wouldn¡¯t do.


    Wyatt gripped Yunice¡¯s chin <b>and </b>took control, deepening the kiss.


    Finished


    Yunice¡¯s fingers slid down the back of his neck, tugging at his cor until she popped off two buttons, then slipped her hand inside.


    Wyatt let out a low breath and opened his eyes to look at her.


    What was she trying to do?


    Water clung to Yunice¡¯sshes as she looked up at him, calm andposed. ¡°Wanna y?¡± she asked.


    A jolt ran through Wyatt¡¯s gut. He stared at her intently, but didn¡¯t make a move.


    Yunice¡¯s hand continued exploring under his shirt, reaching for his belt.


    But the moment her hand brushed his waist, Wyatt pulled her firmly against him.


    Both of them were soaked, their clothes clinging to their skin, revealing hints of color beneath the fabric.


    With one hand, Wyatt could cover the small of her back, pinning her tightly to his chest. He exhaled hard. ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience.¡±


    He was barely holding on.


    Yunice didn¡¯t say a word. Just looking at her was enough to scramble his senses.


    Wyatt lost control, hands slipping under her shirt-


    Then, just as suddenly, he broke away.


    Yunice was breathless, confused by the distance he¡¯d created.


    Wyatt let go. ¡°Next time,¡± he said.


    He turned the water from cold to warm, then stepped out and shut the door.


    Yunice stood alone under the still¨Crunning shower, water pouring around her. Through the foggy ss, she could see Wyatt leaning against the door outside. Her breath slowly began to steady.


    She stepped under the spray, took off her clothes, and washed up.


    A few minutester, she cracked the bathroom door open and asked, ¡°Do you have anything I can wear?¡±


    Ide


    136 No One Precured Me


    By the mome Yumice came out wrapped in the nowel Wyam had taken the bathroom


    staff member brought up a change of clothes. Tuzice folded the Cress-


    Wcam seemed to have a soth spot for that look.


    umice santi tihe vanity to curl her hu


    -style


    had been a long time since she¡¯d dressed up property. The puffed sin was lovely, and curl


    swined in


    Wam cube over wearing a robe and doing this hair with a nowel. He stood behind her


    suber


    Weather of them mentioned what had happened in the bathroom


    Viquice do cut care what Wya young man doen, w?re just warmed to relieve the pressure.


    ¡°Move in with me. Pavilion Ball¡± Wam sod. leaming over ber hair eyes meening bers through the or


    The wedding was in four days. I didn¡¯t really mater when she moved in


    Yumice murned to him and nodded


    Wym stared at her for a long time finding her vott pink lips more tempting than ever.


    Their eyes met¨Cthen Yustice¡¯s home re


    She nced at the screen. ¡°It¡¯s Carl


    Wam stepped aside as she got up her skirt swaying us she moved.


    There she stepped out, she saw Balle and Atych standing mearby looking downcast. They hadn¡¯t even dequed off the soot and ash from their bodies.


    Yumice paused and followed their gaze¨CWyam had just walked out behind the


    Autotra was quick to speak. ¡°This wasn¡¯t my fault. I don¡¯t even how bow the fire somed


    Bule added. ¡°We checked the footage. The wond blew a creme from the <b>rash </b>cam onto the


    They really didn¡¯t get in. The fire hadn¡¯t been than big, and no one had been burned¨Cso why had Yumacepletely fallien apart, too paralyzed. no even help herself


    ¡°I wanna be auth mice said.


    Am mped in ben them lowered her head.


    Chapter 236 No One Prepared Me


    Wyatt looked down at Yunice, ¡°Go on.¡±


    Carl was here for her, not for him.


    Finished


    Carl sat across from Yunice. ¡°I¡¯ve got two things for you¨Cone good news, and one¡­ well, you¡¯ll have to decide whether it¡¯s good or bad. Which one do you want first?¡±


    ¡°The good news.¡±


    ¡°I got you a dowry.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s fingers froze. She looked at Carl, eyes softening with emotion.


    She¡¯d never dared hope for a family to see her off¨Cmuch less prepare a dowry.


    Elsie had gotten one. Back then, Lily had thought the Powell family was marrying Elsie, and she¡¯d gone all out, buying hervish gifts and obsessing over every wedding detail.


    Once they realized the bride was Yunice, no one mentioned a dowry again. No one even offered. to help her with the wedding.


    So Yunice had always told herself¨Cshe didn¡¯t have a family.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 237

    Chapter 237 A Family of My Own


    Finished


    -Wyatt holds too much power,¡± Carl said. ¡°Ordinary dowries don¡¯t mean anything to <b>him</b><b>. </b><b>I¡¯m </b>nning to transfer the Northvale sponsorship to you. That way, you¡¯ll have leverage¨CWyatt won¡¯t be able to push you around so easily.¡±


    ¡°Carl¡­¡±


    Carl had ess to the most advanced medical equipment overseas, which made both Lu Boyu and Wyatt eager to win <b>him </b>over.


    And now, that enormous asset was being handed <b>over </b>to her just like that.


    Yunice didn¡¯t dare ept.


    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of¡± Carl said. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in marriage. I¡¯m too old for kids, and I never nned to have any. <b>You¡¯re </b>Pingwei¡¯s only surviving child. I¡¯m recognizing you as my goddaughter.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s nose stung. She couldn¡¯t say a word.


    When someone¡¯s been neglected for too long, warmth starts to feel dangerous.


    She feared getting burned. Feared it was just a dream. Feared she¡¯d never be able to repay it.


    But Carl shoved the transfer papers into her hands. ¡°Even if your father were still alive, I¡¯d still give you this gift.


    Yunice¡¯s throat tightened. ¡°Thank you, Carl. Or¡­ should I stop calling you Mr. Carl?¡±


    She hesitated, then said, softly but sincerely, ¡°Dad.¡±


    Blood ties had failed her. So why not go with her heart?


    Anyone who treated her well¨Cshe¡¯d treat them like family.


    Carl gave a satisfied hum. Then he added, ¡°Now for the second piece of news.¡±


    <i>¡°</i>Your brother Oscar is back. He¡¯s at the Saunders estate right now.¡± Carl looked up at her. ¡°Do you want to see him?¡±


    Yunice <b>shook </b>her head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    No matter what role Oscar had yed in how the Saunders family <b>had </b>treated her, she wanted nothing more to do with any of them.


    Uncle Qing <b>had </b>already helped her establish a new identity. She was still Yunice¨Cbut <b>no </b>longer that Yunice.


    Carl understood. ¡°Then there¡¯s no need to notify them shout the weddine. I¡¯ll stand in their


    10.05 PM


    mily of ww O


    The Sammyders Residence


    dedica


    The moment Oscar renumed he was told that Yumice had died in a car oder


    Hem bebeve it. He grabbed Owen by the colle ¡°That¡¯s not famme Do you understand what a deariti (amiem sill¡± Beach


    mice was about to get mamed was supposed to be a jo


    she was dead


    Owen bowed by head sleet even under Oscar¡¯s


    nice really was geme. She wasn¡¯ting back.


    Elite mepped forward, mufting ¡°Osent


    asion¡ªand they were cand


    true. if


    She passed away of woulde back a week


    etben be¡­ maybe you could¡¯ve seen her onest m


    time¡­


    Oscar¡¯s devastated gine swept past her setting back on Owen ¡°ou¡¯re saying she¡¯s dead? Then wixtre¡¯s bar poona? Where¡¯s her gave you expect me to believe this with meaning bun your


    haven¡¯t


    no


    Elsie sobbed banden. ¡°We have arranged a funeral vet. We didn¡¯t know how to exin it to the Powelll family¡­ so we were waiting for you toe home and decide¡­


    Oscar ignored her. He turned to his mother ¡°Ma 1. You wouldn¡¯t be to me, right? Yumice is your dhagheen. You wouldn¡¯t joke about something Bre this would you?


    Life blinked nihutugth tears eves, rogding his gaze


    That one evasive book old Oscar everything. They weren¡¯t joking.


    His nemper emploded. ¡°Then tell me who hit ber? Whaled be!


    Owen wenn palle. His fingers clenched, lips trembling as he worked up the per


    been his fa¡­


    don¡¯t know di


    But Elsie cut in. We do how wit


    Tumice didn¡¯t have any enemies. But if I had to me some <b>who </b>might have wanted her gone. <i>Id </i>


    am¡± Oscar stared an ber, summed


    Even Owen was caught off guard


    Elsze knew the truth.


    She nced at Owen and subdy shook ber bead


    Don¡¯t confess. If you die. Oscar willl me yo


    Chapter 237 A Family of My Own


    someone who brought him shame.


    Finished


    And even if Oscar believed Wyatt was the killer, Wyatt¡¯s power would make the truth impossible to pursue.


    Owen read the signal in her eyes, Guilt gnawed at him, but he still echoed her. ¡°Elsie, don¡¯t talk nonsense. We have no proof. Don¡¯t drag us into something we can¡¯t handle


    The more he denied it, the more Ovcar believed it.


    He sneered at Owen. ¡°You¡¯re so scared of consequences, you won¡¯t even stand sister?


    up for your own


    ¡°Owen¡­¡±


    Oscar shoved him aside and stormed out. ¡°You might be scared¨Cbut I¡¯m not. I¡¯ll ask him


    myself!¡±


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t someone you crossed lightly.


    Lily panicked, afraid something worse might happen. She quickly told Owen and Elsie to chase


    after him.


    Send Gifts


    7 40

 Daghter 238

    Chapter 238 Hidden Truths and Empty Graves


    Yunice was still having tea with Carl.


    Freya stood nearby, seamlessly refilling their cups while chiming in now and then, helping smooth out the wedding day logistics Carl was handling.


    But Yunice noticed Freya kept ncing at her.


    Curious, she finally asked, ¡°Freya, is something wrong? You keep looking at me.¡±


    Finished


    Freya put the teapot down and replied with interest, ¡°Your dress. I¡¯ve been trying to figure out


    which brand it is, but I can¡¯t.¡±


    Yunice checked the seams and realized¨Cthere was no logo at all.


    ¡°Wyatt gave it to me. Maybe it¡¯s custom made¡­¡± She trailed off, realizing something didn¡¯t add up. Custom clothing required measurements¨Cand no one had ever taken hers.


    Even the tailor Luke brought to the Saunders home hadn¡¯t collected any actual numbers.


    <i>So </i>how did this dress fit her so perfectly?


    Freya frowned. ¡°That¡¯s odd. Even with custom work, designers usually leave a mark inside the cuff. It¡¯s a status symbol. Nothing on this? That¡¯s strange.¡±


    Yunice shrugged it off. ¡°Maybe Wyatt doesn¡¯t care about that stuff. Maybe he just grabbed it off a rack somewhere<b>.</b>¡±


    <i>So </i>maybe <i>the </i>tag just wasn¡¯t legit.


    As they chatted, someone knocked on the door.


    Freya gave them a knowing look and smiled. ¡°I bet that¡¯s Mr. Wyatt. Couldn¡¯t wait toe collect


    you.¡±


    Yunice was a beat too slow to catch the teasing tone in Freya¡¯s voice, She lowered her absentmindedly tracing circles on her teacup.


    She had no idea Carl had been watching her closely the entire time.


    gaze,


    Carl thought to himself¨CYunice probably felt some goodwill toward Wyatt, but not much more.


    than that.


    Freya opened the door¨Cand froze.


    It wasn¡¯t Wyatt.


    It was Paul.


    10:05 PM


    Chapter 238 Hidden Truths and Empty Graves


    Yunice looked at Carl, who subtly gestured for her to hide behind the screen.


    Finished


    With the wedding so close, it was better to stay hidden¨Cjust in case someone decided to cause trouble.


    Outside, Paul said, ¡°Ms. Freya, I need to speak with Mr. Carl.¡±


    ¡°Do


    you have an appointment?¡± she asked pointedly.


    Carl¡¯s voice rang out from inside. ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Paul gave


    gave Freya a brief nce before stepping in. ¡°Mr. Carl.¡±


    Carl nodded. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Paul did so, then nced meaningfully at Freya.


    Carl signaled to her. She left the room.


    Paul leaned in. ¡°I¡¯m not here on business¨Cthis is personal.¡±


    His brows were furrowed. He was clearly serious. ¡°There¡¯s something off about Yunice¡¯s death.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± Carl replied. ¡°You still can¡¯t let it go?¡±


    ¡°I may have broken off the engagement,¡± Paul said, ¡°but I never stopped caring about her. I will get justice for her.¡±


    Carl raised his eyes. ¡°Who do you suspect?¡±


    ¡°Wyatt,¡± Paul said firmly. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to nder him¨COscar and Owen both said the same.¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t respond, so Paul grew more impassioned. ¡°Mr. Carl, my grandfather told me you turned him down, several times. It¡¯s pretty clear you¡¯re nning to work with Wyatt. I didn¡¯te here to recruit you¨CI came to ask you to reconsider. Do you really want to side with the enemy, build your legacy over Yunice¡¯s corpse?¡±


    Carl¡¯s eyes snapped up, cold enough to make Paul instinctively recoil.


    Without another word, Paul stood. ¡°That¡¯s all I came to say. I¡¯ll take


    my leave.¡±


    Once he left, Yunice stepped out from behind the screen, eyes cold as she stared in the direction Paul had gone. ¡°They really are good at shifting me.¡±


    How would Paul exin this nder when she showed up alive at the wedding?


    Oscar finally spotted Wyatt¨Cwalking just behind a girl in a princess dress.


    She had long, curled hair that hid her face when she looked down. She got into a car, and Wyatt followed her inside.


    10:06 PM <b>c </b>d


    Chapter 238 Hidden Truths and Empty Graves


    He slowly hit the brakes and came to a stop, just as Owen and Elsie ran up behind him.


    Finished


    They pulled his car door open in a panic. ¡°Oscar, don¡¯t do this! You can¡¯t win against Wyatt- don¡¯t throw your life away!¡±


    Oscar said nothing for a long time.


    Owen leaned in and saw¨COscar was crying.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister anymore¡­¡± Oscar said quietly.


    Owen¡¯s heart sank. The crushing guilt nearly brought him to his knees.


    Elsie grabbed his arm from behind, shaking her head frantically.

 Daghter 239

    Chapter 239 The Dead Don¡¯t Shop for Diamonds.


    Don¡¯t <b>go </b>soft now.


    Owen¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°Oscar, if it¡¯s too much for <b>you</b>, let¡¯s go drink. Get wasted, and the pain will pass.¡±


    Oscar didn¡¯t respond, so Owen took the lead and dragged him to a restaurant.


    Oscar downed half a bottle of liquor, one m after another, eyes bloodshot.


    Then Owen brought someone in. ¡°Oscar, Paul came to see you¡­.


    Oscar turned¨Cjust in time to see Paul¡¯s face¨Candunched to his feet, punching him hard Jenough to send his jaw sideways. ¡°You promised me you¡¯d take care of Yunice! Why are you still


    alive while she¡¯s dead?! Where were you when she got in <b>that </b>car crash<b>?!</b>¡±


    Paul hissed, wiping the blood from his mouth. Annoyed, he nced at Elsie, who quickly lowered her head.


    So Oscar still didn¡¯t know Yunice had broken off the engagement with the Powell family.


    He¡¯d spent ten years in theb,pletely cut off from the outside world. He knew nothing about what had happened in the Saunders family.


    Paul frowned. ¡°Yunice was supposed to marry Wyatt.¡±


    Slouching into a seat with casual arrogance, he said, ¡°She begged for it. What were we supposed to do get on our knees and plead with her?¡±


    Oscar snapped, ¡°And what about you?! You¡¯re marrying the Kendall girl now! Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t know¨Cyou were never faithful in school. Yunice must¡¯ve given up


    on you, that¡¯s why she ran off and agreed to marry Wyatt out of spite!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I fooled around. I slept around. But Yunice never kicked up a fuss. She kept her mouth shut. I think she just saw Wyatt¡¯s status and got greedy!¡±


    Oscar¡¯s eyes turned murderous. Elsie quickly stepped in, trying to smooth things over. ¡°Yunice is gone now. Who¡¯s to say what really happened between them?¡±


    Owen nodded. ¡°She¡¯s right. You¡¯ve been away for years, Oscar. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s been going on at home. Paul wasn¡¯t meless, sure¨Cbut Yunice wasn¡¯t perfect either. The breakup wasn¡¯t all his fault. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve punched him too.¡±


    Oscar narrowed his eyes, sizing up Owen.


    As a child, Owen had loved Yunice the most. If even he was saying this¡­ maybe there really was more to the story.


    Once Oscar finally sat back down, Owen changed the subject. ¡°Oscar, we can¡¯t just <b>wallow </b>in grief.


    Chapter 339 The Dead Don¡¯t Shop for Diamonds


    Finished


    your researching?¡±


    Oscar clenched his fist. ¡°I¡¯ve been at it ten years. I wouldn¡¯t havee back if I failed.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes lit up. If you invest, we might have a real shot at taking Wyatt on!¡±


    But Oscar covered his face. his voice breaking. ¡°Stop talking business. I just want Yunice back.


    He knew that was impossible. He took a long breath as tears slid down his cheeks. Then he stood. ¡°You all keep drinking. I¡¯m going home¨Cto see Yunice¡¯s things


    Elsie panicked. There was nothing left of Yunice at home.


    If Oscar found out they¡¯d kept her in the maid¡¯s quarters all this time, he¡¯d explode.


    Everyone scrambled to hold him back. distracting him with more booze and chatter.


    Later, after a few rounds. Paul left to use the restroom


    Just as he fastened his belt and reached to open the stall door, a hand pressed it shut from the outside, leaving only a crack.


    A mocking voice slipped through the gap. ¡°Yunice isn¡¯t dead. You¡¯ve all been yed.¡±


    Paul red with anger, ready to yell¨Cuntil a small ring was passed through the opening.


    It was a raffia ring. The straw was yellowing with age.


    ¡°She threw it out. Right in front of Wyatt


    Paul stared, stunned, then snatched the ring.


    The moment the pressure on the door released, he kicked it open¡ª


    But there was no one there. Not even a shadow.


    He looked back down at the ring in his hand.


    It was hers. The same raffia ring he¡¯d once returned to Yunice.


    Could she really be alive?


    Had she faked her death¨Cjust <b>to </b>mess with them<b>? </b>


    The guilt he¡¯d been drowning in these past few days¡­ the endless remorse_


    Fury surged through him. His grip tightened until the ring crumpled.


    10:06 PM c c


    Chapter 239 The Dead Don¡¯t Shop for Diamonds


    Without telling Owen or the others, Paul stormed off.


    While driving, he called around to dig up Wyatt¡¯s schedule.


    Finished


    What he found made his blood run cold. He gripped the steering wheel so hard it creaked under


    his hands.


    Wyatt was <b>at </b>a jewelry store.


    Without a second thought, Paul headed straight for the biggest store in Silverburgh. He brushed past the staff trying to stop him from entering the VIP room and stormed inside-


    And there they were.


    Wyatt, his back turned.


    And Yunice¨Calive.


    She sat on a high stool under the boutique¡¯s elegant lighting, her legs long and graceful beneathyers of sheer fabric, glowing with a soft, ethereal shimmer.

 Daghter 240

    Chapter 240 A Ring, A Mask, A Game


    Yunice sat sideways on the stool as Wyatt, seated across from her, reached out to take the wedding ring offered by the sales associate.


    The diamond was massive¨Cdazzling, overwhelming, practically blinding.


    Finished


    With practiced ease, Wyatt lifted Yunice¡¯s hand and slid the ring onto her fourth finger. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Yunice moved her hand slightly. ¡°Too big.¡±


    It was so heavy, it hurt.


    Wyatt plucked the giant stone off her hand and tossed it casually onto the tray, then picked a slightly smaller pink diamond and slipped it on for her. ¡°How about this?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±


    Wyatt leaned an elbow on the crystal disy, gaze oppressive as he looked at the saleswoman.


    Fine means she doesn¡¯t like any of them<b>.</b>¡±


    The woman¡¯s face turned pale. She panicked, afraid Wyatt would think they weren¡¯t putting in enough effort to satisfy the bride.


    Flustered, she turned to Yunice, her voice both cautious and eager. ¡°Miss, is there a particr style you prefer? Could you describe it for us?¡±


    Yunice felt awkward. She knew Wyatt didn¡¯t care about money¨Cwhatever he picked was guaranteed to be top¨Cof¨Cthe¨Cline. And honestly, to her, they were all fine.


    They were just props for the wedding day, after all.


    She hadn¡¯t expected a throwawayment to make things difficult for the staff.


    But she understood¨CWyatt wasn¡¯t really scolding the saleswoman. He was warning <i>her </i>to take. this seriously.


    This time, she didn¡¯t brush it off. She thought carefully. ¡°I want something subtle, something I can wear on regr days.¡±


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow and smirked. ¡°If we¡¯re getting a ring, it should be huge. If it¡¯s not shy, people will say I¡¯m stingy.¡±


    ¡°I want it loud.¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    Then why bother letting me choose at all<i>? </i>


    10


    24D A RING, A Mock A Same


    supposed to bien no


    Not wanting to cause trouble, Yunice relented. ¡°Go with his choice


    So the ass


    de brought out even shier more re¨Caching diamonds.


    Wam beld Yumice¡¯s hand as he slipped on each ring Fhe didn¡¯t like it, heid van n our for the


    palm started to single from the gentle drag of his ingertips. Site nested the arreno pull


    Fortunately


    nely, the round of mings didn¡¯tst long.


    The saleswoman wanched Wyam closely, but his expression didn sorten. Cold sver batem (OT<i>! </i>be back


    sweat in


    Noticing this, Yumice picked up the first ring¨Cthe massive one<b>. </b>¡°After all that unit like this


    Wrom narrowed his eyes. ¡°Do you actually like or do you just like that it¡¯s expensive¡±


    Yurce didn¡¯t know if she was hinking in, but that question feltyered. He was adding about the ring


    He was asking about their marri


    Before she could answer, Wyam added. ¡°There¡¯s a royal heirloom pair of rings up for auction at the Celt event today I¡¯ll take you to see in¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to make a fuss, but she couldn¡¯t exactly say no either.


    Wyam stood and pushed the entire tray forward ¡°Wrap them all up for her.¡±


    Yonice¡¯s eyes wider


    Why would she need thirty different diamond rings in all shapes and sizes?


    Even if she used her fingers and toes, there weren¡¯t empath to wear them all at once.


    The jewelry box was handed to her. It was light¨Cbut worth more than most people¡¯s lives.


    Maybe this


    so money, she thought


    As Yace walked past him, arms full of wealth. Paul remained hidden in the shadows.


    He didn¡¯t leap out or demand answers. He just clenched the rafa ring in his hand.


    Compared to the high¨Cend diamonds Wyan bought her, the little straw ring he¡¯d once given Yunice seemed childish and pathetic


    10:00 PM c c


    Chapter 240 A Ring. A Mask, A. Game


    Finished


    That image consumed him. More than Yunice¡¯s supposed ¡°resurrection,¡± what hurt most was how. easily <b>she </b>seemed to have moved on.


    He hadn¡¯t let go.


    So why had she<b>? </b>


    Paul jumped into his car and followed them straight to the Gelt auction house.


    It was an elite, anonymous auction. Guests were handed masks at the door to conceal their identities.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t bother with any of that. He walked in confidently, with Yunice on his arm. They bypassed every check and went straight to the VIP front row.


    Being that close to the showcase¨Cthat was the privilege Wyatt granted her.


    Of course, Yunice wasn¡¯t new to these kinds of events. But under her current identity, she had no business attending them anymore.


    Paul took a mask, but without a reservation, he was stuck in the back row.


    All he could see was the back of Yunice and Wyatt¡¯s heads.


    But he made a silent vow. Whatever Yunice wants tonight<i>¨C</i>I¡¯ll buy it first.

 Daghter 241

    Chapter 241 Light the me.


    Finished


    The royal wedding rings were the final item of the evening¨Cthe showstopper. Before that, the auction offered up a string of appetizers.


    Porcin, fabrics, rare flowers, even a lighter and a horseshoe.


    It felt less like a luxury auction and more like an upscale flea market.


    What caught Yunice¡¯s attention was that Wyatt bid on several lots of fabric¨Citems no one else was really interested in. He secured them easily.


    Then a Dunhill lighter came up, Yunice leaned forward slightly, her gaze lingering on it.


    But Wyatt wasn¡¯t looking at the stage¨Chis eyes had shifted, sharp and cold, aimed at the general. seating above them.


    Someone was ogling Yunice¡¯s legs through the sheeryers of her dress. The man¡¯s gaze had gone a bit too low, a bit too long.


    As if he could feel Wyatt¡¯s warning through the air, the man jumped to his feet and bolted from the room.


    Someone else bought the lighter.


    Yunice shifted back slightly in her seat, only then noticing that Wyatt¡¯s arm was draped along the back of her chair, his entire posture angled protectively around her.


    He looked down¨Cthanks to the height


    the tip of her nose. His voice was low, Terence, all he could see was the curve of hershes and


    liked that lighter?¡±


    Before she could answer, he raised his paddle and said casually, but with a clear edge, ¡°Bring it back. Re¨Cauction it.¡±


    Re¨Cauction<i>? </i><i>At </i>a one¨Cand¨Cdone, no¨Creturn event like this?


    Yunice quickly whispered, ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    He cut her off. ¡°If you want something, just tell me. I¡¯m not a mind reader. Don¡¯t expect me to guess<b>.</b>¡±


    He leaned back in his chair with a scowl, pulling out a cigarette case.


    The auction organizer rushed over, bowing, holding the just¨Cremoved lighter. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, there¡¯s no need to bid again. Mr. Zimmer said¡­ consider it a gift.¡±


    That word was way too generous.


    10:06 PM <b>c </b><b>d </b>¡¤


    Chapter 241 Light the Rame


    she could


    She took it.


    It was weighty¨Cmade of crocodile leather, <b>with </b>gold and tinumponents that resisted tarnish, and fueled by windproof, waterproof alcohol. Very sleek. Very functional


    Wyatt held the cigarette in his mouth and patted his pockets, pretending to search for a me.


    Then came the soft click of a lighter


    He looked up


    Yunice held the me out for him dose to his cigarette


    Wyatt stared at her through the me. his eyes filled with something predatory and amused.


    He leaned forward slightly. The fire caught the tip of the cigarette.


    Paul. seated far behind, was fuming¨Cliterally grinding his teeth.


    Wyatt leaned back again, cigarette between his fingers. ¡°Nice lighter.¡± he said with unhurried


    satisfaction.


    Yunice turned her attention back to the auction


    But Wyatt¡¯s eyes never left her.


    Then came the final item, the royal wedding rings


    Whispers buzzed through the crowd¨Ceveryone knewthis wouldn¡¯t be easy. Plenty of engaged couples or hopeful romantics were ready to fight for this one¨Cof¨Ca¨Ckind token of love.


    Token of love!


    The phrase startled Yunice. She didn¡¯t look at Wyatt for a long time after that


    The starting price was announced.


    Bidding began in a flurry¨Cbut Wyatt didn¡¯t lift his paddle.


    He could¡¯ve stepped in at any moment and taken control, but he just waited.


    Instead, he took off his jacket and tossed it onto Yunice¡¯sp. ¡°It¡¯s hot,¡± he said.


    So used to ordering people around.


    Yunice folded the jacket neatly and ced it on herp.


    With her chaar shirt n covered the rantalisina al?


    of harve fin


    11


    10:06 PM <b>ct </b>c


    Chechen 245 Light the me


    Inverti, close together


    to


    She asked why he¡¯d let so suddenly. He just said he had something to do


    She dideh


    EX Brace watered Paul did you forger


    vou som


    med dared. Paul supped, ¡°Can¡¯t think of anyth


    Els packed up is and backed off voice barely a whisper ¡°OLA. I leave you no it


    She hung up first.


    mood


    more excitement. He¡¯d moved the var


    Once upon a time be¡¯d bought one womment metti more Belt powerful


    Now he had Eliar wees and carefull¨Cand Tayder who came with power paper, be bud be fo


    Ban just siming here,


    ere, wanching Yukone be happy with another man made li impossible to care abour either of them


    He didn¡¯t know if i was jealousy or lingering love¡ªbut whatever it was, he hated it


    So be decided than if he couldn¡¯t stop feeling this way, then held make sure now left this migh unscathed.


    Send Gifts:

 Daghter 242

    hapter 242 You Think You¡¯re Yunice?


    The auction was still ongoing¡­


    ¨C


    Finished


    Oscar was dead drunk. Owen and Elsie brought him home.


    Lily came out to meet them and exchanged a look with the two.


    Upstairs, Elsie¡¯s room had already been restored to look like Yunice¡¯s. As long as they didn¡¯t say anything, no one would know Yunice had once <b>lived </b>in the maid¡¯s quarters.


    Yunice was already gone. They hoped her affairs wouldn¡¯t continue to stir up trouble in the family.


    As for Oscar¡­ they¡¯d just keep it from him. As for the mess Yunice made when she was still alive, no one would ever bring it up again.


    Oscar slept until the sun was high in the sky before waking up, his head pounding from the hangover.


    When he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, he realized this was the home he hadn¡¯t seen in years.


    The smell of herbal tea reached his nose, Oscar sat up and looked at the bowl of tea by the bed. When he touched it-


    It was still warm.


    ¡°Yunice?¡± Only Yunice would make tea for the family.


    The door opened, and Elsie walked in. ¡°Oscar?¡±


    Oscar frowned. He had always struggled to hide his dislike for this ¡°sister¡± who had been brought in from the outside. After all, her blood was filthy.


    If it weren¡¯t for their mother threatening death, he would never have allowed this girl to enter the family.


    He always treated her with an attitude of cold indifference.


    Elsie flinched slightly, but she spoke with a mix of fear and determination, ¡°Oscar, Owen¡¯s gone


    to the hospital. Mom went to see Mr. Carl to arrange the funeral for Sis. I¡¯m the only one at home right now¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she came over and picked up the bowl. ¡°The tea¡¯s gotten cold. I¡¯ll warm it up again<b>¡­</b>¡±


    ¡°You made this rea?¡± Oscar asked.


    10:06 PM ct c


    Chapter 24 YNG THINK YO


    Frosted


    Else modded midly and softly said. ¡°Big Sis used to make sea for you and the others. From now condo in for er¡±


    you.


    ¡°Boule won. Site¡¯s her. You hank you can rece be Oscar¡¯s face was cold as the mood up Wwxem he grabbed as packet he suddenly remembered something and sand coldly ¡°Tumice s


    be be gode but wow still have to give her name back. She only used than fake me to avoid the A of mal illness. Now that she¡¯s gone we add her real name to the Sandern family


    The implication was clear exem of Ellow had taken Yunice i mame


    of the Saundery familia


    berpo


    Else¡¯s eves named red. She but her lip on the verge of nears.


    rigthored hen soon as he let the mood


    The more he walked in the overwhelming scent made him frown deeply.


    He medely normed ac


    Else bomed over


    nen, Eise,e here!


    wyed in here haven i pou


    Oscar stood in the doorway pointing on the room. ¡°¡°you


    at mo ve suyed


    Elste frace pusidring under Oscar¡¯s stare.


    The room had beenpletely need noch umuce¡¯s preferences. How could Oscar tell


    Oscar said. ¡°Don¡¯t try to y dumb. The won his moom as the same as the one on you. Yunive never used perfume. Her room always sellest the heats and medicine.


    But now the scent had soaked into the walk. It made him museous just standing there


    who knew how long Elie had lived in fath


    ¡®1


    Elsie immediately tried to defend hersel. ¡°I did stay for a while. bun caly because Yumice wasn¡¯t home at the time. The room waspay, so Owen and Mom len me pecover here.. but I swear, as soon as Yumice came back. I gave in back no ber..¡± Essie added wendly Tumice Fixed dremmen too. She had a lot of pretty dresses, and she wore perfpen dates. Maybe¡­ maybe you just haven¡¯t seen her in a long time¡­..


    ¡°You He just like har father off yours who med to calll buman trafficking


    mph.¡± Oser steered. ¡°You le just


    Eloe¡¯s eyes stopped wide tears brimming like she¡¯d been humiliated beyond measure.


    Chicer said. ¡°Tim scent¨Csensitive. Yumice would never such aromatherapy or perfume. And if you needed to recover my room was empry for even longer Why did west in my room? Why


    have to be Yuces? Her name her room¨Cown in all, don¡¯t you? Do you really thanks. ore the real daughter of the Saunder


    of the Saunders Emily now Competing with her for everything¡±


    10:06 PM c c


    Chapter 242 You Think You¡¯re Yunice?


    up at him, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Finished


    Oscar continued, ¡°You say you¡¯re allergic to pollen, so you had every rose tree in the garden cut down. Not a single flower left in the house. And now you¡¯re iming you were sick and had to recover in Yunice¡¯s room?¡±


    Every word from Oscar hit like a de. Elsie had no argument left.


    Oscar pointed downstairs. ¡°Go kneel by the front door. When Owen gets home, we¡¯ll talk this through together.¡±


    ¡°You thought you could fool me with Yunice¡¯s name? Looks like I¡¯ve been away too long¨Cyou¡¯ve jall forgotten who your brother is!¡±


    Smack! He mmed his hand on the banister with a loud crack.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 243

    Chapter 243 A Room That Wasn¡¯t Hers to Take


    Finished


    Elsie had no choice. Crying with grievance, she went downstairs, walked to the front door, and knelt on the <b>stone </b>steps outside the threshold. Her sobs were soft¨Cshe didn¡¯t dare cry out loud.


    Only then did Oscar force himself to hold his breath and re¨Center Yunice¡¯s room, where he immediately flung all the windows wide open.


    Once the stench of perfume had finally begun to fade, Oscar¡¯s nose prickled with a sharp sting. He looked around at the familiar setup of the room.


    A jewelry chest sat by the vanity. It was made of walnut wood¨COwen¡¯s first project when he was learning carpentry.


    Yunice had been overjoyed when she received it. She said she¡¯d keep all her most precious things. inside.


    Oscar walked over and opened the first drawer.


    Inside was a fountain pen.


    When Yunice was little, he¡¯d tutored her. She¡¯d been smart¨Cshe understood everything right


    away.


    He¡¯d given her that pen as encouragement, hoping she¡¯d grow up and seed, carrying the tool he¡¯d given her.


    But by the time Yunice started seventh grade, Oscar had transferred to a research institute. The real break in contact came when she was a sophomore in high school.


    Back then, he was in a crucial stage of his research, and for security reasons, the institute had cut off allmunication with the outside world.


    He only learnedter that Yunice had suffered from a severe mental breakdown and had to bet hospitalized. Owen, in order to protect her future, had arranged for Elsie to temporarily assume Yunice¡¯s identity during that time.


    Oscar had believed Owen. That was why he¡¯d signed off on the legal documents.


    But after what he¡¯d witnessed yesterday¨Cthe unspoken coordination between Owen and Elsie- he suddenly realized something.


    Elsie had long since be a part of the Saunders household. She already acted like she was true Miss of the family.


    And Owen treated her exactly like a real sister.


    If he treated Elsie like <b>a </b>sister, then what about Yunice?


    Had she ever been <b>given </b>the same?


    the


    Chapter 243 A Room That Wasn¡¯t Hers to Take


    In big families, fairness was a myth. Parents failed at it. Siblings even more so.


    There was no such thing as equal love.


    Just then, Owen came back.


    From downstairs, he called out anxiously. ¡°Oscar! Oscar!¡±


    Oscar stepped out of Yunice¡¯s room, just in time to see Owen stomping upstairs.


    Seeing Oscar¡¯s icy expression, Owen froze in ce.


    Oscar said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you at the hospital? <b>Done </b>already?¡±


    # Finished


    Owen dodged the question. ¡°Oscar, why¡¯s Elsie kneeling outside? I told her to get up, but she


    won¡¯t.¡±


    Oscar headed downstairs. ¡°I told her to kneel. To humble her ambition.¡±


    Owen followed him, protesting, ¡°Oscar, Elsie¡¯s really a sweet girl. Don¡¯t go picking on her just because of her background.¡±


    Oscar <b>shot </b>him a re. ¡°You kneel too.¡±


    Owen was stunned speechless.


    But Oscar clearly wasn¡¯t joking. Owen, though fuming, had no choice but to kneel beside Elsic.


    He was kneeling, but in his heart, he was far <b>from </b>convinced.


    Oscar said, ¡°I know you¡¯re not happy. You funded my research all these years, so you think I owe you. I can¡¯t control you.¡±


    Owen bit back. ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡±


    Oscar continued, ¡°She¡¯s kneeling because her heart¡¯s not clean. You¡¯re kneeling because know who¡¯s family and who¡¯s not. You can¡¯t even tell right from wrong.¡±


    you don¡¯t


    Owen, still unclear what he¡¯d done wrong, muttered bitterly, ¡°Oscar, you just look at people through tinted sses.¡±


    At that moment, Giana tried to sneak past¨Cbut Oscar caught her red¨Chanded.


    He barked, ¡°Come here!¡±


    Giana flinched, trembling, but reluctantly stepped forward.


    She¡¯d been trying to slip out and report to Lily.


    Oscar pointed at her ¡°No <b>way </b>Elsie called you back herself She <b>must¡¯ve </b>sent someone to fetch


    10:07 PM c <b>d </b>


    Chapter 243 A Room That Wasn¡¯t Hers to Take


    Both Giana and Elsie looked panicked.


    Finished


    They¡¯d always assumed Oscar was just some nerd with his head stuck in theb, only caring about experiments. But now they realized¨Che was the sharpest mind in the Saunders family.


    Owen had been called back by Giana. But in his eyes, that wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Oscar couldn¡¯t demand Elsie kneel and expect no one to back her up.


    Oscar could tell Owen wasn¡¯t convinced. He pointed at Giana and asked, ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°Giana,¡± Owen said impatiently.


    Oscar exposed it one word at a time. ¡°She¡¯s nc¡¯s eldest daughter. Sold to the Wican family as a | wife.¡±


    nc was Elsie¡¯s biological father.


    Owen frowned. ¡°Oscar, we agreed¨Cno mention of the White family at home. If Mom hears it, she¡¯ll have another episode.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t bring up the White family¨Cbut you can put one of them in our house as a maid? What¡¯s your agenda?¡±


    Owen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring her here. She helped Mom back at the White family home. Mom insisted on returning the favor.¡±


    ¡°The White family ruined Mom. They ruined Dad. They ruined the whole Saunders family. And now you want to thank them? I think all of you need to get your heads checked!¡± Oscar roared.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 244

    Chapter 244 Whose Name Is It Anyway


    ¡°You think I was wrong to say you can¡¯t tell who¡¯s family and who¡¯s not?¡± Oscar pointed at Owen¡¯s nose and snapped. ¡°You think I was too drunk yesterday to see through your games? I let it y out on purpose to see what you¡¯d do! And look at you¨Cpraising Elsie nonstop like she¡¯s some saint. Did you forget your own sister just died a few days ago? Have you mentioned Yunice even


    once?!¡±


    Owen had been holding it in for days. Now, under fire, he exploded. ¡°You think I haven¡¯t been grieving?! I¡¯ve been relying on sleeping pills just to get through the night! I dream about her death every single day! But what do you want me to do? Say her name over and over so she¡¯lle back to life? The dead are gone! The living have to keep moving forward! I didn¡¯t bring her up because I didn¡¯t want to drag this family into more grief. I wanted everyone to feel somet happiness. What did I do wrong?! Fine! Since you¡¯re so considerate of the family, then go do two things for us. One, send Giana back to the White family. Two, have Elsie cancel Yunice¡¯s ID and apply for a death certificate!¡±


    Owen lookedpletely stunned. ¡°Oscar¡­ she¡¯s already gone. What¡¯s the point of keeping her ID? You¡¯d rather waste it than give Elsie a <b>chance</b>?¡±


    Oscar was even more furious. ¡°What do you mean waste it? That identity belongs to Yunice. She¡¯s Dad¡¯s daughter! The fact that I¡¯ve let Elsie eat at the Saunders family table is already the greatest. mercy she¡¯s going to get. And now she wants a title <b>too</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Owen stubbornly said, ¡°Fine, Giana can leave. But Elsie¡¯s ID¡­ I¡¯m not canceling it!¡±


    Oscarughed coldly. ¡°Great. Just great<b>. </b>I can¡¯t believe I actually trusted you back then. I¡¯m the idiot who signed her ID registration!¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t do it? Then keep kneeling. We¡¯ll talk again when Mom gets back!¡±


    Fine! Kneel it is!


    Lily would definitely side with them anyway!


    At the Gelt Auction the day before, everything had ended.


    Wyatt never raised his paddle once. When he got bored, he lit antern.


    This gave Paul no opportunity to bid, unless he was willing to go even more over¨Cthe¨Ctop than Wyatt.


    But Paul <b>didn¡¯t </b>have that kind of capital. Sure, he was wealthy¨Cbut most of it came from his father and grandfather. Wyatt, on the other hand, had full <b>control </b>of his own massive private fortune.


    With no way to win the royal wedding rings, Paul had no face left to show himself before them.


    10:07 PM c c


    255 Whose Name is it ShinE


    in the dark wat war Yumice was alone¨Cand then make his move


    But Wyatt


    followed


    ant didn¡¯t seem to


    em to have any work to do these past few days. Wherever Tunice went, te


    Even when Yunice went to meet Carl Wat went wat bem.


    Carl seemingly on purpos


    cureda


    Wyin could only wait out


    Freya swaying her hips and carrying a dairy reapon came out of Carl¡¯s office and casually sar down on the edge of the tea table in from of War


    With a sultry mile and smoky eyes. Freya fined. ¡°Mr. Wyam, when did you be a knight in shiping armport¡±


    She gave him a once¨Cover, then continued


    ed with an even bolder question. ¡°M- Vigure is you interest in Yunice purch


    Purice purely physical


    emocional depth so


    Wyan finally locked up from his phone and met her gate. ¡°Don¡¯t understand the question.


    Freya leaned forward slightly the movement highlighting er draman gure. But Wyam didn


    de spare it a nce.


    Smiling Frega said. ¡°My guess is physical. The way you look at her¡­t¡¯s the you want to eat her


    1


    Wyan said nothing


    Freya didn¡¯t push Love was messy. Sometimes reasometimes fake. Sometimes in started our bike and grew real. Sometimes it was the opposite.


    Marriage was unpredictable. Only time would tell.


    Luckily, Yunice had no household registration. Wyan had never suggested registering their marriage either. As long as that remained true, if anything went wrong. Yunice would still have a way out


    Freya noticed Wyan¡¯s gare shifting. She turned around


    Lily was standing awkwardly in the lobby, watching her.


    Realizing she was still perched on the tea table. Freya stood up and walked toward Ly


    Lily was wearing a soft pink traditional Chinese set. Her hair was tied neatly in a ban. She looked refined and proper


    She spoke awkwardly to Freya ¡°T¡¯d like to see Mr. Carl. Would you mind asking for me. Miss


    10:07 PM ? ? ¡¤


    Chapter 244 Whose Name Is It Anyway


    Freya¡¯s beauty was too intense¨Cher features too sharp and overwhelming


    But Freya didn¡¯t make things difficult. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Lily took two steps forward, then hesitated. She turned and walked toward Wyatt instead.


    She spoke tentatively. ¡°Mr. Wyatt. I assume you¡¯ve heard about Yunice¡¯s passing. She was


    Finished


    unfortunate, and now she¡¯s even ruined your solemn wedding ns. The Saunders family is truly


    sorry.


    Send Gift

 Daghter 245

    Chapter 243 The Real Power y


    Wyatt stared at her. ¡°Your daughter¡¯s dead, and you¡¯re apologizing to me?


    Lily trose Maybe Wyatt¡¯s gaze was so sharp¨Ctoo unfriendly. She could only lower her head and silently follow Preva into the bunking


    Freya told her to watt at the othee door before slipping inside.


    Inside. Yumice was seated at the desk, taking the pulse of one of Carl¡¯s acquaintances.


    Upon learning that Lily hase. Yunice and the patient moved to the lounge room in the back.


    When Lily entered. Freya lett, and only she and Carl were lett in the office.


    Lily rxed and greeted Carl like an old friend ¡°Mr. Wyatt was sitting outside. I thought you had. guests¡±


    Carl said. ¡°That boytes by all the time. I¡¯ve never agreed to see him.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face lit up. At least Paul could still get an audience with Carl¨Cthat must mean Carl was leaning toward Paul¡¯s side.


    Seeing that Carl was willing to speak with her. Lily grew <b>bolder </b><b>and </b>asked. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in almost twenty years. You¡¯re forty seven now, and still not married?¡±


    She stole a careful nce at Carl. ¡°Freya seems to like you. She¡¯s <b>quite </b>a <b>catch</b>¡­


    There were blinds between the lounge and the office¨C<b>Yunice </b><b>could </b>hear everything <b>clearly </b>from inside.


    She gently withdrew her hand from the patient¡¯s wrist and started writing a prescription.


    Carl lifted his eyes and looked at Lily. After a few seconds of silence, he replied, ¡°You haven¡¯t considered remarriage all these years either.


    Lily¡¯s face instantly went pale. She clutched the silk pouch in her hands tightly and lowered her head. ¡°I don¡¯t dare¡­ I get scared every time I see a man¡­.


    After a pause, she changed the subject. ¡°Now I just want Pingwer¡¯s children to live safe and smooth lives¡­ After Yunice passed, both her brothers fell apart. They can¡¯t sleep through the night. If this keeps up, what will we do..¡±


    Yunice blinked slowly and set down her pen.


    M


    Yunice, do you recognize the person outside?¡± the man asked.


    Yunice gave a small nod, then looked up and said, ¡°Heart and spleen deficiency Irregr sleep schedule. Mental fatigue from stress. Common among workhorses.¡±


    Chapter 245 The Real Power y


    He was still young, and despite theints, he smiled as he <b>mentioned </b>work.


    Finished


    He epted the prescription Yunice had written <b>and </b>handed her his business card. ¡°A chance meeting is fate¨Clet¡¯s be friends.¡±


    Carl held Yumice in high regard. Exchanging contacts seemed only natural.


    Yunice¡¯s new WhatsApp ount, registered under her <b>new </b>identity, was slowly gaining


    connections.


    In the office, Lily talked about her children and Pingwei, even shedding a few tears, <b>Carl </b>finally promised to speak with Oscar and Owen, and only then did she agree to leave.


    Before going, she asked Freya for her contact information, saying she¡¯d get in touch directly next time she wanted to see Carl.


    Freya smiled politely, though it never reached her eyes.


    When Yunice was ready to go, it was Victor who escorted her out.


    As they walked out side¨Cby¨Cside, Wyatt¡¯s gaze scammed them both coldly.


    Victor stepped forward, offering his hand. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, I¡¯m Victor, the Northvale project coordinator from Crawford Group. I look forward to working with you.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t shake his hand. His smile was icy. ¡°Yunice is the Northvale liaison. I¡¯m just working under her. If you need anything, ask her.¡°


    Victor withdrew his hand, maintaining his polite smile. ¡°Ah, I think you misunderstood, Mr. Wyatt. I know your wedding with Yunice ising up. Carl assigned me to gain experience- nothing more.¡±


    Wyatt tilted his head and sneered. ¡°So, are you done gaining experience?¡±


    Victor¡¯s smile faltered. He¡¯d heard Wyatt had a temper, and now he knew firsthand¨Cit wasn¡¯t ant exaggeration.


    He nodded stiffly.


    Wyatt grabbed Yunice¡¯s hand and stood up, brushing past Victor like he didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°You¡¯re joining the Northvale project too?¡± Wyatt¡¯s tone was unreadable.


    When Yunice had nothing to rely on, she was like a little sparrow¨Ceasy to cage, easy to control. Marrying her would¡¯ve posed no threat.


    But now, Carl had handed her the golden ticket everyone craved. Yunice was no longer the type to stay tucked away in the kitchen.


    It looked like Carl had done Wyatt a ¡°favor,¡± only to load it with fine print.


    10:07 PM


    Chapter 245 The Real Power y


    whole table.


    Still, she answered, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Finished


    Even without Carl¡¯s backing, she would never let herself be someone¡¯s pet in the back garden.


    She braced for Wyatt to explode..


    But he said nothing¨Conly opened the car door and told her to get in.


    Yunice climbed in, uneasy, her brow furrowed tight.


    Wyatt <b>had </b>been treating her welltely, but instead of easing into it, she found herself getting


    more and m101,


    Wyatt was twisted. She hadn¡¯t forgotten the rumors.


    Send Gifts


    PrevNext <h2>That¡¯s when the nightmare began</h2>

 Daghter 246

    Chapter 246 The Line He¡¯ll Cross


    Finished


    They said he was the vindictive type. If you tried to scheme against him, he¡¯d either destroy your outright or give you just enough sweetness to hook you in¨Cthen, once he got bored, he¡¯d kick you off the highest ledge and watch you fall.


    Yunice didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d already marked her as one of those toys,


    She didn¡¯t dare trust his kindness. She didn¡¯t dare fall for it.


    She looked out the window, feeling like driftwood in a storm. Beaten by the rain, floating endlessly in open water, with no shore in sight.


    Wyatt held her hand and shid a cold ring onto her fourth finger.


    tice turned her head. It felt like this ring was sealing her fate.


    Wyatt, as always, could read her thoughts too easily. He admired her fingers and asked with mocking amusement, ¡°What now? Got something to <b>say</b>?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°I was wondering how long you can keep up the act.¡±


    She looked him straight in the eye. ¡°And what kind of method you¡¯ll use to break me.¡±


    Wyatt stared back for a few seconds before replying, ¡°So all you think about is me?¡±


    Yunice hadn¡¯t expected him to say something so childish. She blinked, then turned away and. looked back out the window, no longer willing to entertain that kind of stupidity,


    Wyatt brought her to Wellinges Pharma.


    it was one of thepanies under his name.


    He gave her a quick tour around the building, then took her straight to HR, handed her ant employee badge, and had her officially onboarded.


    Just like <b>that</b>, she <b>was </b>put in charge of the Northvale project and the liaison with Crawford Group.


    Whether it was bait or not, she epted it.


    She wasn¡¯t going to pass up any opportunity to climb higher.


    Two days left until the wedding.


    Lily had returned home. As she got out of the car, she texted Freya. ¡°Ms. Freya, I spoke with <b>Carl </b>for quite a while today. I hope you¡¯re not upset?¡±


    Freya let out a shortugh when she saw it and replied. ¡°Not upset.¡±


    10.07 PM c c ¡¤


    Chapter 245 The Line He¡¯ll Cross


    Finished


    Freya replied. ¡°Madam Lily is wee anytime, as long as Mr. Carl agrees to see you.¡±


    Lily wrote back. ¡°Carl and I are old friends. He¡¯ll definitely see me.¡±


    Freya didn¡¯t reply.


    Lily put away her phone and stepped into the house¨Conly to see Owen kneeling on the floor. Elsie looked like she was about to copse, face deathly pale, swaying side to side.


    She couldn¡¯t <b>even </b>kneel straight. Her head kept dropping against Owen¡¯s shoulder. Every <b>time </b>she realized she was losing control, she forced herself to stay upright.


    Owen couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He held Elsie up and snapped at Oscar. ¡°You can punish me all you want, but Elsie¡¯s too weak! Let her rest!¡±


    Oscar said. ¡°Never heard of anyone dying from kneeling. Keep going.¡±


    ¡°You-!¡± Owen was so angry he couldn¡¯t breathe, but he still didn¡¯t dare fight Oscar head¨Con.


    Right then<b>. </b>Elsie whimpered and fell over.


    She didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Elsie!¡± Lily screamed and ran over in <b>a </b>panic.


    She looked from Oscar to Owen. ¡°What the hell are you two doing!!


    No one answered.


    Lily turned toward Giana, who was frozen in ce. ¡°Why are you standing there?! Help Elsie inside to rest! It¡¯s almost summer! The sun¡¯s brutal¨Cshe¡¯s going to get heatstroke!¡±


    Oscar frowned at Lily. It was only early May. Was Elsie made of paper?


    Now he saw it clearly. This house was treating Elsie like some precious porcin doll.


    He didn¡¯t stop Giana from helping her. He just looked at Lily and said. ¡°Mom. I¡¯m waiting for you to say one fair word.¡±


    Lily looked at Owen nervously. Oscar was serious


    Oscar asked, ¡°Yunice¡¯s room¨Cwasn¡¯t Elsie the one living there this whole time?¡±


    Owen tried to interrupt. ¡°I already said-


    ¡°Shut up. I wasn¡¯t asking you.¡± Oscar¡¯s voice cracked like a whip.


    He stared at Lily again and asked, ¡°Tell me the truth. Since Yunice got out of the hospital, where¡¯s she really been staying?¡±


    10.07


    Chapter 246 The Line He¡¯ll Cross


    Finished


    Oscar cut her off coldly. ¡°You¡¯re lying. Theyout of a room can be reset¨Cbut the signs of who¡¯s lived there can¡¯t be faked. <b>I¡¯ve </b>been gone ten years. Yunice¡¯s room hasn¡¯t had a single new item added?¡±


    There was only one exnation. Her room had been cleared and rearranged to make it look like she¡¯d been living there all along. Just one big cover¨Cup.


    Lily clutched her handbag tighter. Her expression was ugly.


    Oscar said. ¡°I already know most of what¡¯s happened in this house. Are you still going to keep lying to me?¡±


    Lily dodged again. ¡°Gill must¡¯ve told you something, didn¡¯t she? Don¡¯t listen to her. She got kicked out of this house for stealing and held a grudge ever since. She just wants to stir things up and ruin this family.


    Send Gifts


    »×


    40

 Daghter 247

    Chapter 247 The Weight of a Name


    Finished


    Seeing Lily refuse to admit it, Oscar said, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll let everything else go. But I don¡¯t ept Elsie¡¯s identity. She¡¯s not a daughter of the Saunders family, and she has no right to Yunice¡¯s name. I¡¯m giving you three days. If Elsie doesn¡¯t go cancel that ID, I¡¯ll publish a statement in the newspaper exining exactly how we switched the records back then.¡±


    Smack. Lily¡¯s handbag dropped to the floor. She was stunned.


    you and


    She lost control and shrieked, ¡°Are you insane?! You and Owen were the ones who signed off on that identity change. If you go public with this, you¡¯re telling all of Silverburgh that Owen tampered with government documents. That¡¯s a crime¨Cdo you understand that?!¡±


    Oscar said, ¡°Exactly. That¡¯s why I have toe clean. I was the one who made the mistake.¡±


    Lily was practically unraveling. ¡°Yunice is gone. Why won¡¯t you let this go¡­ Elsie only borrowed the name. It didn¡¯t hurt you¡­¡±


    Oscar said, ¡°Even if Yunice is gone, she was still my sister. Elsie can act all she wants, but she¡¯ll never be her. I¡¯m just doing what I should¡¯ve done from the beginning¨Cgetting justice for my real sister. Is that so wrong?<b>¡± </b>


    He looked at both Lily and Owen onest time before turning and heading upstairs.


    Lily copsed onto the sofa, sobbing harder than she ever had in her life. Her howls echoed loud enough that Oscar surely heard them from upstairs.


    But he never came down. Never softened. Never said a word.


    When crying didn¡¯t work, Lily couldn¡¯t sit still anymore.


    Oscar wasn¡¯t like Owen. He was stubborn, and he still resented her for leaving the family years ago. He wasn¡¯t going to listen to her.


    Lily wiped her tears and called Freya.


    It was one in the morning. Freya was jolted awake.


    Seeing Lily¡¯s name sh on the screen, she sat up, already furious, but forced herself to answer. ¡°Madam Lily<b>, </b><b>is </b>something wrong?¡±


    Lily <b>was </b>sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. ¡°Freya, I¡¯m really sorry to call sote<b>, </b>but could you <b>please </b>let me talk to Carl for just a minute?¡±


    <b>Freya </b>sighed and pressed her hand to her forehead, doing her <b>best </b>to keep it together. ¡°Madam Lily, do you even know what time it <b>is</b>? What makes you think I can contact Mr. Carl right now?¡±


    She added coldly, ¡°And by the way, Mr. Carl doesn¡¯t belong to me. You don¡¯t need my permission to see him, understood?<b>¡± </b>


    10:07 PM ¡¤


    Chapter 247 The Weight of a Name


    She hung up immediately after.


    Pulling up Lily¡¯s number, Freya hovered over the block button.


    But in the end, she hesitated.


    Finished


    She¡¯d dealt with enough people to spot what was <i>real </i>and what wasn¡¯t. Lily was either stupid¡ªor doing this on purpose just to get under her skin.


    Freya could see right through her. But for Carl¡¯s sake, she didn¡¯t press


    block.


    The next day, Yunice went back to Carl¡¯s office.


    Sh? didn¡¯t have much else going ontely¨Caside from shadowing Wyatt in public, she most of her time learningpany operations from Carl.


    Carl rarely wanted to do things himself. He usually had Victor guide her instead.


    The two of them were quietly discussing a project when Carl¡¯s desk phone rang.


    He picked up¡ªand heard a string of soft, tearful sobs on the other end.


    spent


    The voice was pitiful and helpless. Even Yunice looked up from her paperwork, recognizing the sound immediately.


    It was Lily.


    Carl looked <i>at </i>the receiver and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?<b>¡± </b>


    Lily choked out ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I just had <i>a </i>fight with one of the kids¡­. I really don¡¯t know what to do anymore.¡±


    Then she paused before asking, ¡°I didn¡¯t bother you, did I?¡±


    Carl said, ¡°A fight? With which one¨COscar or Owen? What was it about?¡±


    Lily said, ¡°It was Oscar. He was misled by someone outside the family and now insists that Elsie cancel Yunice¡¯s ID. I didn¡¯t stop him. I understand <i>that¡¯s </i>the right thing to do. But now he¡¯s saying he¡¯ll publish everything. That means telling the whole world how he and Owen altered her registration. Isn¡¯t that the same as turning themselves in?¡±


    She sobbed again. ¡°If I had known it would end like this, I never would¡¯ve let Elsie take on Yunice¡¯s identity in the first ce.¡±


    Carl said, ¡°I get it now. Both Oscar and Owen are brave enough to admit when they¡¯ve made a mistake. You should be proud of them


    Lily went quiet. She couldn¡¯t tell if Carl was praising them or mocking her.


    10.07


    Chapter 247 The Weight of a Name


    go to prison.


    6


    Finished


    After all, hadn¡¯t he helped hide the surveince footage when Owen hit someone?


    Lily cried harder. ¡°If this gets out, all three of my children could be charged. Then I¡¯ll be left all alone. I don¡¯t know how to survive. I don¡¯t understand anything. I can¡¯t do anything. I¡¯d rather die than face Will with this shame¡­¡±


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 Daghter 248

    hapter 248 A Name for Sale


    Carl asked calmly, ¡°So what¡¯s your great solution, then?¡±


    Finished


    The question bounced back at her. Lily dodged it. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about these things. I can¡¯t think of a good n. If only someone kind could take Elsie under their name, that¡¯d be ideal¡­¡±


    She sighed in frustration.


    ¡°Yunice¡­ Yunice?


    Yunice snapped out of it and saw Victor looking at her.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, apologetic. ¡°I spaced out. Could you repeat the question?¡±


    On the other end of the call, Carl let out a long, thoughtful ¡°Hmm.¡± Then he asked, ¡°Anyone in mind?¡±


    Lily hesitated, then forced herself to say it. ¡°Carl, you don¡¯t have kids. You¡¯ve never married. No wife to run it by. Couldn¡¯t you let Elsie be registered under your name for a few years?¡±


    ¡°I promise,¡± she added, ¡°just a few years. Once we get her on her feet, we¡¯ll take her out of your household.¡±


    Carl let out the faintest hint of a mocking smile. ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ve already acknowledged a goddaughter.¡±


    To his surprise, Lily lit up. ¡°Even better! Once Elsie is part of your family, they¡¯ll be like sisters! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll get along so well!¡±


    Carl said, ¡°I¡¯ve also got a godson. A brother and sister are already more than enough. They might not want another sibling.¡±


    Lily pressed on. ¡°Then just add Elsie. Young people bond easily. It¡¯ll be fine. Back when Elsie joined the Saunders family, she didn¡¯t know her brothers at all. Now they¡¯re like real family.¡±


    Carl let out a dryugh. ¡°You know what they say, one monk fetches water, two carry it, three get nothing to drink. I only have so much to give. Two kids is just right. Add one more and I won¡¯t be able to share it fairly.¡±


    Lily¡¯s voice shot up. ¡°You¡¯re really going to split your assets between two godchildren?¡±


    Realizing she¡¯d overreacted, she quickly added, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that. I just think you¡¯re still young, Carl. You might have your own kids someday. Isn¡¯t it a bit rash to make that kind of decision? Raising someone else¡¯s child¡­ it¡¯s not the same.¡±


    She clutched her phone tightly. Her heart ached just thinking about it.


    How could Carl give away his inheritance to two children who had no blood rtion to him?


    10:07 PM


    Chapter 248 A Name for Sale


    He¡¯d rather give it to outsiders than give Elsie a chance?


    Finished


    Lily wasn¡¯t ready to give up. ¡°Carl, what if I talk to your godchildren directly? Let me meet them. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be willing to help Elsie.¡±


    Carl nced at Victor and Yunice, who were still quietly discussing the project across the room. ¡°They¡¯re busy these days. Maybe in a few days.¡±


    Lily pressed him. ¡°A few days? I really can¡¯t wait. Oscar¡¯s deadline is too short.¡±


    Carl said, ¡°Two days. You¡¯ll meet them then.¡±


    Lily agreed right away and hung up, thrilled.


    ) Oscar opened his bedroom door and saw Lily walk excitedly into Owen¡¯s room.


    Inside, Lily, Owen, and Elsie shut the door and began talking.


    Oscar¡¯s face fell. He hadn¡¯t expected that after ten years away, he¡¯d be treated like the outsider in his own family.


    Lily sat down with Owen and Elsie to n.


    ¡°Elsie, if you can get Carl¡¯s godchildren to ept you, he¡¯ll register you under his name. That would make you his legal daughter. You could even inherit some of his estate someday.¡±


    Lily lowered her voice and said seriously, ¡°You have to give this everything you¡¯ve got.¡±


    Owen was thrilled. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re amazing. I never would¡¯ve thought of this. Don¡¯t worry, Elsie is kind, polite, and sweet. She¡¯s just as good as anyone else.¡±


    Lily nodded. She didn¡¯t think it would be hard at all. She couldn¡¯t wait. Why wasn¡¯t it two days already?


    But before the second day even arrived, Elsie was already in tears.


    Paul¡¯s wedding was tomorrow.


    Elsie sobbed, barely able to breathe. ¡°Even if I get registered under Carl¡¯s name¡­ what difference does it make? Paul¡¯s getting everything tomorrow¨Clove, money, status. He won¡¯t ever think of me again¡­¡±


    Neither Owen nor Lily responded.


    Paul¡¯s wedding was set in stone. There was no stopping it.


    Owen felt guilty. ¡°Elsie, it¡¯s my fault. I misjudged him. I never should¡¯ve let you get involved with him after the way he treated Yunice. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Lily sighed. ¡°And Yunice, too. She knew exactly what kind of person Paul was. But did she ever


    10:07 PM


    Chapter 248 A Name for Sale


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>


    40


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    B

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    Chapter 249 Blood, Boundaries, and a Broken Name


    Owen frowned, feeling a mix of guilt and resentment toward Yunice.


    But he didn¡¯t want to speak ill of her anymore.


    Finished


    Then Lily suddenly thought of something. ¡°I heard Paul¡¯s always been trying to get close to Carl. When ites to connections, we¡¯re still closer to Carl than he is. If Elsie really bes Carl¡¯s goddaughter, he might even hand the project over to Paul.¡±


    ¡°If Paul owes Elsie a favor, he won¡¯t be able to ignore her anymore. Taylor can¡¯tpare¨Cshe¡¯s just putting on a front with that fake marriage.¡±


    Seeing Owen remain silent, Lily pushed harder. ¡°Taylor¡¯s only advantage is that paper marriage. She and Paul don¡¯t even have feelings for each other. Elsie¡¯s the one who got hurt.¡±


    ¡°So Taylor can steal the man, but we¡¯re not allowed topete fairly? Just wait¨Conce the Powell family sees what Elsie¡¯s capable of, they¡¯ll kick Taylor out and take our Elsie back.¡±


    Owen still said nothing.


    In his heart, he didn¡¯t think Paul was a good man. And in situations like this, the sunk cost facy shouldn¡¯t drive decisions. The best thing Elsie could do now was cut her losses and find someone better.


    But Elsie aimed too high. She refused to lower her standards. All she wanted was Silverburgh¡¯s so- called prince.


    Seeing Owen still unwilling to speak up, Elsie pouted and clung to his arm. ¡°Owen, help me, please?¡±


    Right at that moment, Oscar walked in¨Cand saw the whole thing.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± he burst into the room, furious, yanking Elsie away.


    Lily stood up in confusion, looking innocent. Oscar pointed at Elsie and shouted, ¡°What was that? What were you just doing? Who were you hanging all over?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes went wide. Tears shimmered at the edges, like she¡¯d just been gravely insulted.


    Lily pped Oscar on the arm. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You study too much and lost allmon sense? That¡¯s your sister! What¡¯s wrong with her holding her brother¡¯s arm?¡±


    your


    Qwen stood up fast. ¡°Oscar, I know you don¡¯t like Elsie, but that was out of line! What are you even using us of? If you don¡¯t apologize to Elsie right now, don¡¯t bother calling yourself my big brother again!¡±


    ¡°Owen!¡± Lily scolded softly. ¡°That¡¯s too much¡­¡±


    Oscar had only just snapped out of his shock.


    10:07 PM


    Chapter 249 Blood, Boundaries, and a Broken Name


    He hadn¡¯t expected Owen and Elsie to be this close.


    Finished


    Close enough that Owen would rather sever ties with his real brother than let her take <i>a </i>single insult.


    Oscar didn¡¯t apologize. He said nothing and walked out of the room.


    Owen opened his mouth but didn¡¯t speak. He was both angry and uneasy.


    He wanted to stop Oscar¨Cbut part of him still thought he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    He thought it was over.


    Later that afternoon, Oscar came down for lunch. But Owen and Elsie didn¡¯t join him.


    Owen acted like nothing happened. ¡°Oscar, Elsie and I aren¡¯t eating at home today.¡±


    Oscar said coldly, ¡°Got ns?¡±


    Owen answered, ¡°Elsie¡¯s birthday ising up. We¡¯re going to check out venues for her party.¡±


    Oscar set down his utensils, his face growing colder. ¡°When?¡±


    Owen hesitated. ¡°May twenty¨Ceighth.¡±


    Oscar looked past him at Elsie, who was hiding behind Owen pretending to be innocent. ¡°That¡¯s Yunice¡¯s birthday. You¡¯re seriously going to steal even <i>that </i>from her?¡±


    Owen frowned. ¡°No one remembers Elsie¡¯s real birthday, so we thought she could celebrate on the same day as Yunice. They¡¯re sisters¨Cit¡¯s not that big a deal, right?¡±


    Oscar said, ¡°Who wants to share the spotlight on their birthday?¡±


    Owen went quiet, then muttered, ¡°Isn¡¯t Elsie the one who got the short end of the stick? She¡¯s the one borrowing someone else¡¯s day. She neverined. You¡¯re just ying favorites.¡±


    Oscar raised his voice. ¡°So I treat my real sister well, and that¡¯s favoritism? Do you even hear yourself right now?¡±


    To Owen, Oscar was just nitpicking and deliberately making things hard for Elsie.


    Which only made him more determined to protect her.


    He took Elsie¡¯s hand and left the Saunders home with her.


    Oscar lost all appetite. He got up and went straight to the Saunders Hospital.


    He had no idea that this visit would shake the entire ce.


    Oscar cornered Owen and Elsie at the hospital and in front of them both mmed a thick stack


    10:07 PM


    Chapter 249 Blood, Boundaries, and a Broken Name


    Finished


    His chest heaved with rage. ¡°No wonder this hospital¡¯s been in decline. Owen, this is how you¡¯ve been running it?¡±


    He jabbed a finger at Elsie. ¡°What the hell is she? She never studied a single day of medicine, and you let her treat real patients like test subjects! You two have ruined the hospital¡¯s reputation!¡±


    Owen stared in shock at the clean, clear stack of documents,pletely stunned. ¡°Oscar¡­ where did you get these? I already destroyed the originals¡­¡±


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    Chapter 250 The Night Before


    Finished


    Owen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. If these records were exposed, both his and Elsie¡¯s careers would be


    over.


    Oscar gave a cold, disappointed nod. ¡°So it¡¯s all true.¡±


    Elsie didn¡¯t dare say a word. She couldn¡¯t imagine who else¨Cbesides Yunice¨Cwould be targeting her like this.


    But Yunice was already dead.


    Owen had no excuse and no exnation. He stayed silent, convinced Oscar wouldn¡¯t actually do anything to him. They were all part of the Saunders family. If one went down, they all did.


    Elsie quickly dropped to her knees. ¡°Oscar, Owen, please don¡¯t fight. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll take the punishment. I¡¯ll kneel here to make up for what I did!¡±


    Oscar ignored herpletely. Holding the stack of files, he said coldly to Owen, ¡°These documents are more than enough proof that you¡¯re unfit to run the hospital. Starting today, you¡¯re stepping down. I¡¯m taking over.¡±


    Owen froze. He looked at Oscar again, this time with suspicion. ¡°So this is what all that drama was for? Youe back after ten years, pick a fight right away¨Cand it turns out, you¡¯re just here to steal my position.¡±


    He sneered. ¡°Dad said it himself before he passed. The hospital¡¯s mine. The old house goes to Yunice. And all the family¡¯s liquid assets were given to you¨Cfor your research. We all agreed to that. Now you¡¯ve burned through your research funds and want to take my livelihood?¡±


    Oscar¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°You don¡¯t even have basic medical ethics. You¡¯re not qualified to manage a hospital.¡±


    Their voices escted, the argument drawing Lily downstairs. She begged them to stop yelling. The hospital was Owen¡¯s responsibility. Oscar had no right to interfere.


    Oscar and Owen red at each other. Neither would back down.


    That¡¯s when someone arrived <i>at </i>the door.


    Oscar calmly gathered the evidence and tucked it away.


    The visitor hade to deliver a wedding invitation.


    Owen stared at the bright red envelope in shock. ¡°Wyatt¡¯s getting married? To who?¡±


    The person replied smoothly, ¡°Of course, to a daughter from a prestigious family.¡±


    When they heard Wyatt was remarrying during Yunice¡¯s mourning period¨Cand had the audacity to send an invitation to the Saunders family¨Cthe entire room felt pped in the face.


    Chapter 250 The Night Before


    They threw the man out in fury.


    Finished


    The wedding was tomorrow.


    Tradition said the bride and groom shouldn¡¯t see each other beforehand.


    Yunice was to depart from the Crawford family estate, as arranged by Carl. She was spending the night there.


    Victor, as Carl¡¯s godson, was also present and would assist with the ceremony the next day.


    Gill, acting as the maid of honor, shared the room with Yunice.


    Late that night, Yunice¡¯s phone rang¨Ca video call from Wyatt.


    The background behind him looked like the inside of a car.


    He was clearly outside.


    Yunice nced at Gill, who was in the bathroom taking a shower, then turned back to Wyatt. ¡°Still working?¡±


    The groom usually had more to handle before the wedding, but not to the point where Wyatt had to do everything himself.


    Yunice studied the scenery through the car window behind him.


    Then she got out of bed, walked to the window, and drew back the curtain.


    From the third floor, she could clearly see a ck Maybach parked under the streemp in front of the vi.


    ¡°You¡¯re outside the Crawford house?¡±


    Wyatt could see her silhouette in the window. ¡°Just making sure you don¡¯t run off.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to run. Go home,¡± she said.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t reply.


    After a few seconds, he hung up.


    Yunice thought he¡¯d listened and left, so she went back to bed early to rest.


    The ceremony tomorrow would be long and tiring. She needed the energy.


    Drifting off to sleep, she vaguely heard the door creak. Gill must¡¯ve stepped out.


    Chapter 250 The Night Before


    Wyatt was standing beside her bed, watching her with interest.


    Not a sound. Just there. Like a ghost.


    It scared the life out of her.


    Finished


    She sat up, looked toward the door, then at the closed window, suspicious. ¡°How did you get in?¡±


    Carl wouldn¡¯t have let him sneak in like this.


    The only possibility was that he climbed in through the window. But they were on the third floor.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t answer.


    He knelt on one knee, looked up at her, and said with amusement, ¡°You¡¯re actually able to sleep tonight?¡±


    Why not? It was all just for show anyway.


    Wyatt locked eyes with her, his voice low. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight.¡±


    Yunice instinctively looked away.


    Wyatt scooped her into his arms.


    He was tall enough to lift her effortlessly, making her feel like she was floating. Dizzy, she shouted, ¡°Put me down!¡±


    Wyatt let go.


    Yunice yelped and wrapped her arms around his neck in panic.


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    Chapter 251 Festive Silverburgh City


    Finished


    Clinging to Wyatt, Yunice looked downwards, realizing she was sitting in his arms; her toes were half a meter off the floor.


    As Yunice lifted her head, she realized Wyatt was looking at her, like a predator eyeing its prey. Beneath his aggressivenessy a sense of thrill.


    In a defensive tone, Yunice asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    In a cheerful tone, Wyatt replied, ¡°I remember Mr. Carl kept a few bottles of top¨Ctier red wine for you. Don¡¯t you intend on bringing them out to delight Mr. Carl?¡±


    Yunice frowned, and as she was about to <i>speak</i>, Wyatt pressed his fingertip against her lips, a silentmand.


    Wyatt continued, ¡°If you were to marry me, he would be delighted.¡±


    Unimpressed, Yunice looked away, but then, as if she had realized something, she came close to his cor.


    The smell of henbane.¡­.. vanished<i>. </i>Yunice thought in shock as she looked towards Wyatt and asked, ¡°Have you regted your body?¡±


    <i>Once </i>the henbane¡¯s venom is removed<i>, </i><i>the </i>symptoms of nerve paralysis will subside. With that, Wyatt won¡¯t be <i>a </i><i>cripple </i>anymore. <i>He </i>did <i>climb </i>in through the <i>window</i>. Yunice thought.


    Tilting his head, and with his smiling gaze still locked on Yunice, Wyatt said, ¡°Can¡¯t you tell how much the wedding ceremony tomorrow means to me?¡±


    Wyatt did regte his body; he doesn¡¯t want to be a cripple anymore.


    Pushing against his chest and trying to <b>get </b>down, Yunice said, ¡°You should get going<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt <b>was </b>not satisfied with her response. He eased his arms back, and Yunice was left sitting in his embrace.


    Footsteps could be heard outside the door. Yunice clenched her fingers in unease. Wyatt felt the subtle movement through his clothes, making him restless<b>. </b>


    Seeing that Yunice never once looked <b>at </b>him, Wyatt said, holding his temper, ¡°After marriage, you are to live with me in Pavillion Hall. Don¡¯t make me <b>go </b>and ask Carl for you. I am taking those boules of red wine for you.¡±


    Upon finishing his words <b>by </b>her <b>ear</b><b>, </b><b>Wyatt </b>put her <b>back </b>in her bed as he pulled the nket over andy it over her<b>. </b>


    Just as Wyatt left through the window<b>, </b>Gill pushed the door and entered the room.


    D


    <b>9:03 </b>PM ¡¤


    Chapter 251 Festive Silverburgh City


    This time, Yunice truly couldn¡¯t fall asleep.


    0


    Finished


    The next day, Silverburgh City was crowded with cars. Certain road sections were even cordoned off; only those with an invitation card can proceed.


    With the invitation card from the Powell family, Owen barely managed to drive his premium car onto the restricted road.


    Taking a short stop at the intersection, Owen realized that the cars passing by his intersection were all premium cars that cost at least 1.1 million dors. On the other hand, his car only cost him 410000 dors, putting him in a shabby state.


    Premium cars were observed heading in two opposite directions.


    Owen overheard the personnel on duty nearby talking, ¡°This was the first time Silverburgh City had held so many wedding ceremonies. The Powell and Cooper families were marrying off their sons, while the Kendall and Crawford families were marrying off their daughters. Such a rare sight to see the elite families of Silverburgh City gathering together.¡±


    <i>The </i>Crawford <i>family</i><i>? </i>Lily and Elsie, sitting in the passenger seat, thought as they showed puzzled looks on their faces<b>. </b>


    The Crawford family name is notmon in Silverburgh. Among the elite family, Carl is the only one who bears the Crawford family name.


    Howe they never knew that Carl was marrying off his daughter?


    Lily made a phone call to Freya. Freya is the butler of the Crawford family. Freya said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Mr. Crawford is marrying off his honorary daughter today. If Madam Lily is free today, you <b>are </b>wee to visit Obelisk Hotel with your family members. But of course, if you are not avable for the time being, Mr. Crawford won¡¯t mind it at all.¡±


    Upon hanging up the phone, Lily said in an upset tone, ¡°I can¡¯t believe Carl didn¡¯t mention something important like this to me. Do you guys think he is holding something against me?¡±


    Elsie said, ¡°No such thing <b>as </b>that. Mr. Carl must have known that we would be going to the Powell mansion today<i>. </i>Maybe <b>he¡¯s </b><b>just </b>afraid that you¡¯ll get worn out from keeping up with both sides. After <b>all</b>, <b>it </b>is only his honorary daughter¡¯s wedding ceremony. Perhaps Mr. Carl doesn¡¯t consider it important, so he never informs <b>us</b><b>.¡± </b>


    Lily always wanted Elsie to foster a good rtionship with Carl¡¯s honorary daughter. How could she miss out on this opportunity for <b>a </b>secret observation during the wedding?


    Elsie had the <b>same </b>idea<b>, </b><b>as </b>she said, ¡°Owen<b>, </b><b>let¡¯s </b>not visit the Powell mansion. It¡¯s going to upset us anyway. Why don¡¯t <b>we </b>visit Mr. Carl and <b>get </b>some wedding favors from him?¡±


    Thus, Owen changed course <b>as </b>he headed in the opposite direction from the Powell mansion. The wedding banquet hosted by the Powell family and the Cooper family was in two opposite


    9:03 PM


    Chapter 251 Festive Silverburgh City


    @


    Finished


    Both the wedding cars were seen lowering their car windows, and the newlyweds from both families came into sight.


    Paul was dressed in a white suit, while Taylor held a bouquet.


    On the other hand, Wyatt was dressed in a ck suit with a subtle design. Yunice was sitting beside him, wearing a bridal veil that barely covered her face.


    Paul cast a cold gaze on Yunice.


    As he saw Yunice in her wedding suit, he fell into a daze. Only until Wyatt leaned his body forward was his view of Yunice blocked.


    Through the car window, Wyatt said to Paul, in a cheerful tone, ¡°Let¡¯s just leave the bouquet as it is. Neither of us wants to wish each other blessings, after all.¡±


    Wyatt continued, ¡°But since I am in a good mood today, I wish you two never get divorced.¡±


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    Chapter 252 Danger Lurking Beneath


    Both Paul and Taylor frowned, as they thought, <i>Such </i><i>filthy </i><i>curses</i>.


    Finished


    Wyatt lifted the car window as he turned and held Yunice¡¯s hand. The wedding convoy then drove out of Paul¡¯s sight.


    Yunice lifted her head as she looked at his expression through the bridal veil.


    Wyatt was indeed in a good mood; delight could be seen lingering at the corners of his eyes and brows<b>. </b>


    On the other hand, Yunice didn¡¯t particrly feel anything. Having lived through so much turmoil, she had learned to stay at ease wherever she ended up.


    Upon arriving at the hotel, Yunice was waiting backstage. Freya and Jordan were staying by her side.


    Jordan said, ¡°Even though it¡¯s the final step, Wyatt is still worried, fearing someone mighte and abduct Mrs. Cooper.¡±


    Freya leaned over the makeup mirror and said, in a mocking tone, ¡°I never knew he was this obsessed with Mrs. Cooper.¡±


    Upon speaking, Freya lifted Yunice¡¯s chin and said, ¡°Let me see how the makeup turned out.¡±


    She gazed for a long time, and after some time, she asked, ¡°Has anybody ever told you that you are such a beauty?¡±


    There was no trace left of the injury Paul had caused on her face<b>. </b>


    After spending a few days with Wyatt, her face started to turn plumper. Without noticing, the once dull and lifeless Yunice had now turned into a luminous beauty with sparkling eyes.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t the type with striking facial features. Instead, her charm unfolded like a gentle drizzle<b>¨C</b>the more you looked at her, the more you found her gorgeous.


    Freya then <b>reacted</b>, ¡°No wonder Wyatt <b>is </b><b>so </b>obsessed with you. It turns out he <b>is </b>attracted to your beauty.¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Cooper<b>, </b><b>it </b><b>is </b>about time you get on stage. Would you mind moving to the fitting room now<b>? </b>We would like to do <b>a </b>second check on the wedding suit.¡± A staff member approached, gave a polite bow, and asked <b>her</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice was startled when <b>the </b><b>staff </b>member called her ¡°Mrs. Cooper,¡± but then she thought she was making a fuss out of it.


    Thus, she stood up and walked towards the fitting room.


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    Chapter 252 Danger Lurking Beneath


    ¡°Mrs. Cooper, I was asked to pass on a message to you: Have you informed Melina of your wedding?¡±


    Yunice nced back, and an instant cold flickered in her eyes.


    Just as the staff member was about to speak again, Yunice took a step forward. With a swift motion, she pierced a fine silver needle into the highest point of her head.


    Finished


    Feeling an instant numbness, the staff member was stunned as she tried to grab onto something for support. But unconsciousness soon took over as she copsed onto the floor.


    Yunice stayed in her ce, expressionless.


    <i>Melina </i><i>is </i>blind, <i>and </i>she¡¯s always by <i>herself </i><i>all </i><i>the </i><i>time</i>. How <i>could </i><i>she </i>possibly know <i>about </i><i>my </i>wedding <i>today</i>? <i>Unless </i><i>someone </i><i>is </i><i>trying </i>to stir up trouble <i>using </i><i>her</i><i>. </i><i>Carl </i>made <i>up </i><i>my </i><i>death</i><i>, </i>and <i>only </i><i>those </i><i>of </i><i>my </i><i>close </i><i>acquaintances </i>knew I was still alive. <i>Who </i>is <i>trying </i>to set <i>me </i>up<i>? </i>Yunice thought.


    Yunice made a phone call: ¡°Kingsley, are you at my wedding already?¡±


    Her gaze shifted slightly as she continued in a low voice, ¡°There is a woman who has fainted in the fitting room backstage. Can you take care of her for me? I don¡¯t want any unexpected urrence during my wedding today.¡±


    After hanging up the call, Yunice walked out of the fitting room as if nothing had happened.


    Neither Freya nor Jordan realized. With one on each side, they escorted her to the main doors behind the banquet hall.


    As Owen and his group came to the banquet hall, the bride and groom hadn¡¯te in yet.


    They looked around and spotted a few people featured in the financial publications among the guests<b>. </b>


    A gleam of envy dazzled in her eyes as Elsie said, ¡°I know that Mr. Carl <b>is </b>capable, but I don¡¯t know that he has such a vastwork.<b>¡± </b>


    Carl¡¯s fame and status were definitely on par with the Powell family.


    It <b>was </b>at this moment that Owen spotted a figure, as he pointed towards the figure and said, ¡°It was Oscar.<b>¡± </b>


    Lily and Elsie looked over <b>as </b>they <b>saw </b>Oscar mingling among the crowd alone, with his eyes roaming across the area.


    Owen said, clearly annoyed. ¡°Oscar gets mad and refuses <b>to </b>visit the Powell family; instead, he secretly attends this banquet held by the Crawford family. Don¡¯t tell me he also wants Mr. Carl to acknowledge him as his honorary son.¡±


    The fact that Oscar had been eveing Saunders Hospital bothered him as he scoffed. ¡°What a


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    However, Elsie held <i>a </i>different thought from him, and in a nervous tone, she said, ¡°Owen, I remembered that Wyatt¡¯s wedding ceremony is also held in this hotel. Could it be that he still hasn¡¯t gotten over Yunice¡¯s death and intends on ruining his wedding out of spite?¡±


    Startled, Owen widened his eyes and said, ¡°How could that not be possible? It is very likely to happen!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he digging his own grave! You two stay here; I¡¯ll go get Oscar!¡± Owen said as he rushed through the crowd and searched for Oscar.


    Deep down, Owen knew the reason behind Yunice¡¯s death. If Oscar falsely used that jinx out of impulse, things were going to get out of hand.


    Owen grabbed him at once and shouted, ¡°Oscar, follow me!¡±


    Oscar gave Owen a once¨Cover, and, without moving, he asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Owen roared in his low voice, ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m here to stop you frommitting something stupid! Do you know what kind of person Wyatt is? Trust me, before you rush onto the stage, you will be dragged out and beaten to death by his bodyguard!¡±


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    Oscar frowned. When he was about to say something, the emcee¡¯s voice resonated in the air.


    Owen looked over the stage as well. Startled, he asked, ¡°Why is Wyatt the groom?¡±


    Owen then thought, <i>did </i><i>he </i><ie </i><i>to </i><i>the </i><i>wrong </i><i>banquet </i><i>hall</i><i>? </i><i>Isn¡¯t </i><i>this </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Carl¡¯s </i><i>daughter¡¯s </i><i>wedding</i><i>? </i>


    It was then that the spotlight lit up the aisle. The beam of lightnded straight on the main door behind the aisle.


    The bride in her veil held onto her family member¡¯s arm as they walked up the aisle. Step by step, they walked towards the stage, capturing the attention of every guest in the hall.


    Owen subconsciously held tight to Oscar, fearing that he would take this moment to charge in and interrupt the ceremony.


    However, Oscar did not struggle at all. His eyes widened as he kept his gaze on the bride, who was walking steadily towards the stage without looking away.


    Beneath the bridal veil, as light as a cicada¡¯s wing, the bride¡¯s face was finally visible¨Ca gorgeous and poised youngdy came into sight, her skin giving off a porcin¨Clike radiance under the spotlight.


    Oscar subconsciously gripped Owen¡¯s arms tightly until it caused him pain. In a trembling voice, he asked, ¡°Owen, do you mind taking a look for me? Is that Yunice?¡±


    Owen was entirely focused on stopping Oscar; he didn¡¯t even spare a look at the bride.


    Seeing Oscar standing frozen in ce with a dumbfounded look, as if he were possessed, Owen grew frustrated as he tried to push Oscar out and said, ¡°When are you going to ept the reality? Hurry up and go!¡±


    Owen wasn¡¯t paying attention to the bride. On the other hand, Lily and Elsie were staring at the


    stage.


    As they saw Wyatt, they thought they had gone to the wrong banquet hall.


    But out of curiosity, they wanted to know who the bride was to Wyatt.


    Yunice clung to Wyatt¡¯s arm in her steady steps.


    She put on a distant smile. As her gaze wandered, she kept an eye on the people and urrences down the stage.


    She noticed someone at the far end of the crowd¨Ca dark and thin figure waving at her.


    Before Yunice could react, the figure was lost in the crowd.


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    Kingsley must have already taken care of the fainted staff member for her, and she need not worry about Melina¡¯s safety as well.


    As Yunice was about to look away, her eyes met Lily¡¯s.


    The instant Lily saw Yunice, she subconsciously squeezed forward through the crowd, trying to take a closer look.


    However, Lily simply thought she was just a noble, youngdy who resembled Yunice; she never thought she was Yunice!


    What attracted Lily to walk forward was the person beside the bride.


    Of consensus, in wedding ceremonies, the fathers are the ones handing their daughters to the groom. Thus, the ones who will walk the bride down the aisle are usually the fathers.


    But<i>! </i>But how could <i>Carl </i><i>be </i>the <i>one </i><i>the </i><i>bride </i><i>is </i><i>holding onto</i>? Lily was shocked.


    The same went for Elsie as she asked, ¡°Mum, how is this possible? Is she Mr. Carl¡¯s honorary daughter?¡±


    <i>Is </i><i>Carl </i><i>marrying </i><i>her </i><i>daughter </i>off <i>to </i><i>Wyatt</i><i>? </i>Lily thought.


    A cold crept through Lily. She never imagined that someone else had seized the opportunity she had been setting up for Elsie.


    Elsie felt even more unsettled as she started to make a fuss. ¡°Mum, if Mr. Carl were to help her honorary daughter, he wouldn¡¯t help me! How am I supposed to gain attention from Paul?¡±


    Lily¡¯s mind was in chaos¨Cshe couldn¡¯t bring herself to talk to Elsie.


    It wasn¡¯t until Yunice walked to Zyatt¡¯s side and he lifted her bridal veil that Lily took a step backward in shock as she stammered, ¡°It¨CIt can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be Yunice, right?¡± Freya¡¯s mocking sound echoed from behind her as she turned her head around, bbergasted.


    Then she noticed Freya wearing a corsage on her chest that marked her as a member of the bride¡¯s family. Feeling rage, she yelled, ¡°What exactly is going on!¡±


    With her arms crossed, Freya said in a flippant tone, ¡°Madam Lily, if you are to cause a scene, you¡¯ll end up being thrown out of the banquet hall.¡±


    With her eyes staring at Freya, Lily yed smart and kept quiet.


    Lily wasn¡¯t the only one who felt shocked. Elsie watched Yunice on stage as she radiated, enveloped in Zyatt¡¯s adoring gaze. Her jealousy of Yunice surged through her so that she nearly bit through her lips.


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    still so pretty? Why doesn¡¯t Zyatt seem to be cold and rejecting towards her? Elsie thought.


    With her eyes red, Elsie stared at the stage for so long. Then it hit her¨Csince the news about Yunice¡¯s death spread, no one ever went to check the corpse beneath the white cloth.


    After all, they believed that Carl had confirmed it by himself, and how could he be mistaken?


    Elsie looked towards Freya. With her teary eyes, she asked in doubt, ¡°Freya, may I ask if this is some kind of trap set by Mr. Carl to punish us?¡±


    Lifting her brows, Freya asked with a wide smile. ¡°Why do you see it as a punishment?¡±


    Elsie could not further contain her tears, and she answered, ¡°Because none of us went to confirm Yunice¡¯s death. Thinking that we were cold¨Cblooded, Mr. Carl chose to keep the news from us. | Plus, he didn¡¯t allow us to attend her wedding ceremony.¡±


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    Lily looked at Freya with a grim look.


    C


    §Ö


    <i>If </i><i>that </i><i>is </i><i>the </i><i>case</i><i>, </i><i>doesn¡¯t </i>that <i>mean </i><i>that </i><i>Carl </i><i>has </i><i>long </i>felt dissatisfied with <i>them</i>? Lily thought.


    D


    Finished


    As she recalled the schemes she had nned for her, it felt like a p in the face¨Cher cheek scorched with humiliation.


    Instead, Elsie said sincerely, ¡°You¡¯ve got the wrong idea about us if you think so. We just couldn¡¯t bring ourselves to witness her corpse. We wish to hold on to the best side of her in our memory.¡±


    In a sarcastic tone, Freya said, ¡°But instead of happiness, what I see on your faces is downright jealousy.¡±


    Lily averted her gaze from the stage. She had been so focused on Yunice that she didn¡¯t catch what Freya said.


    In a frown, Lily asked, ¡°Freya, please take out the corsages you¡¯ve prepared for us. Yunice is getting married. How could we, as her family, not send her off to get married?¡±


    Freya replied, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the bride¡¯s family be preparing the corsages?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you purposely kept Yunny¡¯s situation from us, causing us to dy our preparations,¡± Lily said in controlled anger as she continued, ¡°Freya, you better know when to stop. I¡¯m not holding this against you, and don¡¯t you pick on us anymore!¡±


    Elsie turned to look at Lily, and she knew what she meant.


    Yunice looked so glorious. With so many business tycoons around, if the Saunders family could step onto the stage, at least they could get themselves known around here.


    Besides, they needed to show Carl how much we care about Yunice so that the misunderstanding could be cleared up between them.


    Freya saw them through as she said, ¡°Until now, you are still seeing Yunice as your pawn totch onto power. But now, Yunice is the daughter of Mr. Carl, and she naturally belongs to the Crawfords. I¡¯m afraid that Madam Lily is in no position to get on stage.¡±


    With her lips caught between her teeth, a mix of pale and bluish tones was seen imprinted on her face. The mockery from Freya was like a me igniting the anger within her.


    She turned her head around, trying to get on stage as she said, ¡°I am the one who gave birth to her; how could she possibly not ept me as her mother? Marriage is no child¡¯s y; none of you have the right to stop me from going up on the stage.¡±


    Lily could feel the annoyance piling up within her. She wasn¡¯t angry at Yunice for still being alive. Instead, just because Yunice was still alive, the guilt umted within her turned into


    <b>vareniment </b><b>in </b><b>an </b><b>instant </b>


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    Chapter 254 Resentment


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    Everyone was grieved about Yunice¡¯s death. It even led to a huge fight at home over the debt they owed her.


    Now you are telling me that you are still living in such <i>grace </i><i>and </i><i>even </i>acknowledged a wealthy <i>man </i><i>as </i>your father, who is marrying you off in a grand fashion. Then what does all the <i>care </i><i>and </i>nurturing the Saunders family gave you over the years amount to? The Saunders family spent so much <i>time </i>and money <i>on </i><i>you</i>, <i>and </i>now Carl is taking all that away without having done anything? Lily thought.


    Lily wasn¡¯t going to take this loss without speaking up.


    Little did she know, when she was about to step onto the stage, someone wrapped arms around her from behind, another hand covering her mouth as she was dragged out of the banquet hall with ease.


    Upon seeing this. Elsie reached out her hand and pleaded, ¡°Freya, you cannot seize Yunice from us and stop her from meeting her family!¡±


    Freya was caught off guard for a moment, as she gasped and looked down at her arm.


    Elsie appeared to be weak and begging for mercy, but beneath her act, she was digging her fingers into her inner arm with all her might.


    Cold and expressionless, Freya pped her on the face with the back of her hand.


    Elsie¡¯s eyes were gleaming with smugness before¨Csmack! A pnded on her face as she spun from the momentum before stumbling onto the floor.


    Little did she know, instead of hitting the ground, she fell right into someone¡¯sp.


    As she opened her eyes in shock, she saw Jordan was holding her.


    With a faint smile, Jordan covered her mouth and dragged her out of the banquet hall as he thought, No one is going to stir up trouble at Wyatt¡¯s wedding.


    On the other side, Owen was pushing Oscar out of the banquet hall. Neither did he pay attention to Wyatt¡¯s wedding, nor did he look back at the people on stage.


    After forcing Oscar back into the car, it came to his mind to call Elsie.


    However, the call didn¡¯t get through.


    Elsie should be at <i>Mr. </i>Carl¡¯s banquet hall by now. She is probably <i>getting </i>on stage to wish her blessings. That might exin why she doesn¡¯t pick <i>up </i>the call<i>. </i>Owen thought naively.


    He didn¡¯t want Oscar to wreck her ns, so instead, he stayed there and kept an eye on him.


    As for Mr. Carl, Owen was confident that Elsie had what it took to win him over.


    Mowing to the wedding crene of the Powell <b>family </b>Tavlor <b>was </b><b>grinning </b>on stame <b>as </b>her <b>parents </b>


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    Framed


    Paul was standing at the corner of the were. While the zenon was not on him he simped ins phone into his palm <b>and </b>started wancing a video<b>. </b>


    The video is nothing but live feed monitoring of the wetting were of the Cooper fami


    On stage, the bridal veil of Yunice was uncovered by Wyan zu ste lomeren her head and eyes and slipped the ring onto <b>his </b>finger with a geile unile


    Wyan lifted his gaze, his deep¨Cbet eyes sparided withinence <b>and </b>prote a fir gaze fixed on Yunine


    Paul frowned as he looked towards Tavior who was holding her fake while on sage nothin meant more to her than farme


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to smile as he looked at Taylor. He then awered his gate to the crowd below the stage


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    There isn¡¯t <i>the </i><i>slightest </i><i>glimpse </i><i>of </i><i>Elsie</i><i>. </i><i>He </i>didn¡¯t <i>expect </i><i>her </i>not <i>to </i><i>attend </i><i>his </i>wedding<i>. </i>Paul thought.


    Paul was in a bad mood. He intended to use Melina to lure Yunice so that she couldn¡¯t attend the wedding. He didn¡¯t expect that plot to fail.


    Paul watched the ring on her finger from the video. He held tight to the ring in his palm as he went through the wedding ceremony with a cold look.


    During the banquet toast, Paul finally learned that Wyatt had married Yunice, who was Carl¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Wyatt had married Yunice, which practically meant that he had secured the Northvale project. Lucky you, Mr. Paul. You can just tag along with Wyatt without doing a thing. You¡¯re the real winner in life here.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jackson founded the Powell Corporation, now you have the Kendall family supporting you from behind, and Wyatt clearing the path ahead¨Cthe future¡¯s all yours, Mr. Paul!¡±


    Theseplimentary words sounded so mocking to him as he thought, <i>Lucky</i>? <i>Come </i><i>on</i><i>, </i><i>you¡¯re </i><i>just </i><i>implying </i><i>that </i>I¡¯m winning <i>everything </i><i>by </i><i>doing </i><i>nothing</i><i>. </i>


    When he was young, he enjoyed those words. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Without doing anything, he was loved by the entire family. From the moment he was born, he was the heir of the Powell family.


    Back then, to him, Wyatt was nothing but a dog that could only feed on his leftovers. If he didn¡¯t feel like sharing, Wyatt could go starved for all he cared.


    Little did he expect, Wyatt was not raised to rot; instead, he made something of himself.


    Yunice, once a woman being mocked and insulted, turned into the daughter of a top¨Ctier family as they got married.


    Now, not only didn¡¯t people sneer at this marriage as a scandal, but instead they were praised as a perfect match.


    What Jackson wished to see¨Cnone happened today.


    No one talked about Yunice¡¯s medical history or her past marriage. Even Zyatt¡¯s leg had somehow recovered.


    All those wounds in the past that were made fun of by them vanished overnight.


    Jackson could barely manage to put on a smile throughout the wedding; he was so enraged that he was on the verge of a heart attack more than once.


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    Chapter 255 The Bride Went Missing


    On the other side, the wedding ceremony of the Cooper family hade to its end.


    Finished


    Wyam was still busy entertaining the guests and drinking while Yunice was sent to the hotel room


    to rest


    Outside the banquet hall. Oscar was found pushing Owen away as he roared, ¡°I¡¯m sure the bride is Yunice. All of you are lying to me: she never dies!¡±


    Watching Oscar charge towards the banquet hall without second thoughts, Owen cursed under his breath as he rushed to stop him.


    Wyan your leg recovered just in time!¡± A voice chimed in.


    ¡°It looks like Yunice is your lucky charm! Ever since she showed up. Wyatt has been lucky. Today is a day of good fortume!!¡± Another voice remarked.


    Someone can be seen counting on their fingers as they eximed. ¡°Firstly, Wyatt¡¯s leg has healed. Secondly, Wyan gets married. Thirdly, Wyan is now the son¨Cinw of Mr. Carl, which means the Northvale project is im his hands!!¡±


    ¡°As a matter of course, Yumice ounshines the Powell family!¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I heard: the Powell family was so mad that their noses were twisted, and the wedding ended in a rush.¡±


    Wyatt leaned against the table, listening to their chatter, barely touching his drink.


    ¡°Wyatt is having his wedding night with Yumice. Of course, he doesn¡¯t want to drink with us!¡±


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t ashamed of theughter that broke dug around him. As he put down his ss of wine, he stood up and said. ¡°You guys enjoy. I¡¯m heading back to my room.¡±


    The young men exchanged cheeky nces, and their grims grew slyer than ever.


    Before Wyatt could leave, Jordan rushed to his side in a hurry.


    Seeing him in panic, Wyam frowned as he thought, Mandhan would mnt <i>run </i><i>in </i><i>such </i>an unbing manner unless something <i>major </i>was <i>happening </i>


    Just as expected, Jordan leaned close to Wyam and whispered something in his ear.


    Wyatt wore a solemn expression as he hurriedly exined the ball, leaving the crowd in confusion.


    He pushed open the door to the hotel room where Yumice was, only to find Carl and Freya inside, with Yunice nowhere to be seen.


    Yunice¡¯s dress was seen on the bed. Wyam strode over and asked <b>im </b>shock. ¡°What happened?¡±


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    Freya said, ¡°I was the one who first found out she was missing. When Yunice was changing into her dress, one of the matching earrings was found missing. Thus, I went for a search in the car. It was Gill who was guarding Yunice by the time I left.¡±


    Freya then walked towards the fitting room. As she opened the door, everyone paused their breath for a second.


    Behind the doory Gill, her head soaked at the back, with blood dripping from it.


    She was knocked out, unable to answer any questions.


    Jordan moved forward as he asked someone to have Gill sent to the hospital at once.


    Yunice was missing.


    Under the heavy protection and surveince of the hotel, Yunice, in her bridal dress, went missing without a trace.


    Wyatt walked out in determination as he asked, ¡°Where is the Saunders family?¡±


    Freya and Jordan followed him and replied, ¡°Lily and Elsie are both under our supervision; they don¡¯t have a chance to strike.¡±


    ¡°Oscar and Owen tried to make a fuss at the scene but were then detained by us as we locked them in another room.¡± Freya and Jordan continued.


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    Jordan pushed open the door and saw Elsie, who had a red p mark on her cheek, crying in Lily¡¯s arms.


    As soon as she saw someonee in, Elsie looked at Carl in pain, while Lily blinked twice, wearing the look of someone bullied but silent.


    Without warning, Wyatt grabbed Elsie by the throat and pulled her toward him.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Yunice?¡±


    His voice was eerily calm, but his grip was ruthless.


    Elsie felt like she was suffocating. She iled her hands at Wyatt¡¯s wrist, her face turning crimson fromck of air.


    Lily was horrified.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she marry you today? How do we know where she is?<b>¡± </b>


    Then it hit her.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Yunny is missing?¡±


    Her eyes flickered, and she suddenly remembered that the wedding wasn¡¯t over yet. <b><i>If </i></b><b><i>Yunice </i></b><i>didn¡¯t </i><b><i>show </i></b>up, <b><i>wouldn¡¯t </i></b><b><i>that </i></b><i>mean </i><i>she </i><i>was </i><i>missing </i><i>from </i><i>her </i><i>own wedding</i>?


    Seeing that Elsie was about to faint, Lily quickly stepped forward and tugged at Wyatt.


    ¡°Let go of her! Even if you strangle her, we don¡¯t know where Yunice is. Let her go; I have a solution!<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt <b>gave </b>her a cold look, then released his grip.


    Lily collected herself and said, ¡°With Yunny gone, the priority now <b>is </b>to make sure the wedding goes on. Otherwise, people will think she ran away, and Mr. Cooper, you¡¯ll be theughingstock.¡±


    She turned to Elsie.


    ¡°Elsie and Yunny are biological <b>sisters</b><b>. </b>They look at <b>least </b>70% alike. Elsie can step in and help you


    out.¡±


    She spoke with <b>great </b>seriousness, but Wyatt suddenly let out a deep<b>, </b>sarcasticugh.


    The next second, Elsie was thrown violently to the ground<b>, </bpletely disoriented by the impact.


    Lily froze in <b>fear</b><b>, </b>unable <b>to </b>move.


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    ¡°You better pray that Yunicees back safe. Otherwise, whatever happens to her will happen to you.¡±


    Wyatt stepped aside to make a phone call, exuding anger. Meanwhile, Lily ran to Carl as if clutching at herst hope.


    ¡°Carl, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Tears streamed down her face.


    ¡°Why are we locked in here? Why did Freya hit us? What did we even do wrong? Not only will you not tell us if Yunny is alive, now we can¡¯t even attend her wedding?¡±


    Freya looked at her in disgust but didn¡¯t bother to exin.


    Still, Lily continued, pointing her finger.


    ¡°Did Freya say something to you? Is that why you¡¯re all targeting us? I admit I¡¯ve contacted Carl a few times, but I¡¯ve already exined! It¡¯s because we¡¯re old friends, nothing more. You¡¯re the one thinking too much!¡±


    Carl turned to Freya with a look. Although he showed no emotion, Freya felt a sour sting in her chest.


    She spoke coldly.


    ¡°Madam Lily, the priority is to find Yunny. Is your grievance more important than her safety? Every second you waste now dys the search.


    Lily was at a loss for words. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she looked sheepishly at Carl.


    Carl didn¡¯t dwell on her embarrassment. He calmly asked ¡°Lily, think carefully. Who else knew that Yunny would be at the wedding today? Where could she possibly go?¡±


    After all, the Saunders family had known Yunice the longest and would know her habits best<b>. </b>


    Lily wiped her tears with her fingertips and thought for a moment.


    ¡°Everyone knows that Yunice has deep feelings for Paul. Even though he¡¯s getting married, she¡¯s never given up on him. I think her disappearance today might have something to do with Paul¡¯s wedding<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt looked over at her.


    Lily stole a nce at him and continued carefully.


    ¡°She never liked Mr. Cooper. Being with him <b>was </b><b>all </b>about <b>status </b>and money. Otherwise<b>, </b>why would she disappear right after stepping <b>off </b>the stage? The hotel hadyers of security, and she


    <b>no </b>wearing <b>a </b>aru coneniznane waddina drace. It¡¯s imnocei that someone bidnanned her Che


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    Chapter 256 Trouble Behind the Wedding


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes grew colder.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying it was Paul Powell?¡±


    Elsie seemed to realize something.


    F


    Finished


    ¡°But Paul¡¯s wedding is over. What¡¯s the point of going to him now? He¡¯s married, and so is she. Even if they had a history, it wouldn¡¯t continue¡­¡±


    In the middle of a sentence, Elsie suddenly stopped, as if she remembered something.


    ¡°Wait, could this be another mission¡­<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Everyone turned to her at the strange words.


    Elsie looked startled and quickly backtracked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just rambling. Don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Seeing Wyatt step forward again, Elsie quickly backed down.


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll talk! Maybe you all don¡¯t know¡­ Yunice may be sweet on the outside, but in private she and her boyfriend had some quirks¡­ She liked to call Paul ¡®Master¡® and always made him do weird things<b>¡­ </b>like give him embarrassing challenges¡­ Like that yacht party nine years ago¡­¡±


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    40

 Daghter 257

    Chapter 257 A Wedding in Shambles


    Finished


    Elsie continued, saying, ¡°Today is Paul¡¯s wedding. Of course Yunice wouldn¡¯t be happy. So I think her mission today was to run away from her own wedding to ruin your reputation and please Paul,¡± Elsie said.


    Then she nced at Wyatt and added in a whisper, ¡°She stayed by your side for so long just for this day. She¡¯s loved Paul for over ten years. You¡¯re just a few days.¡±


    Even Carl couldn¡¯t stand what she was saying anymore and snapped at her with a cold voice, disgusted by her scheming.


    Wyatt¡¯s lips were drawn into a thin line. He didn¡¯t say a word.


    Just then, Jordan burst back in. He nced at everyone in the room before carefully informing Wyatt, ¡°Wyatt, Paul Powell is also missing from his wedding. The Powell family has already called off the ceremony.¡±


    Everyone reacted differently to the news, and no one dared to speak.


    Except for Elsie, who gave everyone a wicked look and muttered, ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. My sister left on her own. She doesn¡¯t want to marry Mr. Cooper.¡±


    Wyatt curled his finger.


    ¡°Someonee here.¡±


    Elsie instinctively recoiled in fear. But Wyatt pointed at her.


    ¡°Sew her mouth shut.¡±


    Elsie wentpletely pale.


    Wyatt adjusted his cor in annoyance and stormed out of the room.


    ¡°Find Paul Powell. If you can¡¯t find him, find his father.¡±


    He was beyond angry.


    Jordan followed cautiously. Everything that needed to be arranged had already been done. But¡­


    He reminded Wyatt quietly, ¡°The guests are still waiting. If this drags on, people will start talking.¡±


    Wyatt stopped in his tracks, his head bowed with a dark expression.


    Jordan knew he was trying to think of a solution. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Wyatt, is it possible that Elsie is telling the truth? Ms. Saunders and Paul have been engaged since childhood. She¡¯s always thought of him as her future husband. They¡¯d done everything couples do. The only thing


    904 PM & <b>d </b>


    Chapter 257 A Wedding in Shambles


    Wyatt¡¯s face grew colder. He gave Jordan a sharp look.


    ¡°Are you tired of having a mouth?¡±


    Jordan remained silent.


    Why couldn¡¯t I <i>just </i>tell the truth¡­


    The search was still on.


    Finished


    To keep it quiet, they had to search discreetly, avoiding any public announcements that might cause a scandal.


    They even tracked the surveince footage from the Powell wedding, but it stopped where the roads became too narrow to follow.


    Everyone at the Powell banquet was still waiting. Time passed, and the whispers among the guests grew louder.


    Jordan suggested, ¡°Wyatt, maybe we should make an excuse and get through first.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond, which meant he didn¡¯t agree.


    Jordan looked around the banquet hall again, nowpletely at a loss.


    ¡°Actually, I think Madam Lily¡¯s idea might work. We could have Elsie step in and make the toast. No one saw Ms. Saunders clearly during the ceremony anyway, what with the veil and the distance¡­¡±


    <i>The </i><i>wedding </i><i>toast </i><i>was </i><i>for </i><i>the </i><i>newlyweds </i><i>to </i><i>ept </i><i>the </i><i>blessings </i><i>of </i><i>the </i><i>elders </i><i>and </i><i>guests</i>. It <i>was </i><i>also </i><i>a </i>way <i>to </i><i>introduce </i><i>the </i>bride <i>to </i><i>the </i><i>groom¡¯s </i><i>circle</i><i>. </i>


    But <i>Yunice </i><b><i>was </i></b><i>missing</i><i>. </i>


    <i>Wyatt </i><i>couldn¡¯t </i>make <i>the </i><i>toast </i><i>alone</i><i>, </i><i>but </i>it <i>would </i><i>be </i><i>rude </i><i>not </i><i>to</i>.


    Jordan was practically tearing his hair out.


    ¡°No, no, Elsie won¡¯t do. You just ordered someone to sew up her mouth. How is she supposed to go out with you bleeding like that?¡±


    Argh<i>, </i>this <i>was </i><i>maddening</i><i>. </i>


    Jordan almost wanted to put on the veil herself and go with Wyatt.


    Wyatt looked at his watch again¡­


    <b>2/3 </b>


    G


    C


    Chapter 257 A Wedding in Shambles


    She hadn¡¯t left the hotel. She was in one of the elevator control rooms.


    The room was cramped and easily overlooked, as if it had been made to be forgotten.


    Her eyebrows were furrowed as she red at Paul with obvious disgust.


    ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing?¡± Yunice asked.


    Paul sat across from her in his white tuxedo.


    Finished


    He is undeniably handsome. At school, he was always the popr one. Everyone knew he had a fianc¨¦e, but that didn¡¯t stop anyone from pursuing him.


    Because Paul never stood up for her. So no one took the fianc¨¦e seriously.


    And today, Yunice saw her past self reflected in Taylor.


    <i>Paul </i><i>Powell </i>is <i>really </i><i>an </i>awful <i>partner</i>.


    Even <i>someone </i><i>as </i><i>wild </i><i>and </i><i>unruly </i><i>as </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>managed </i>to follow <i>all </i><i>the </i>traditions on <i>our </i>wedding <i>day</i>, <i>every </i><i>little </i><i>detail </i><i>in </i><i>ce</i>.


    But <i>Paul </i>had <i>left </i>his bride <i>behind </i><i>just </i>to <i>mess </i>with <i>me</i><i>. </i>


    Even <i>if </i><i>it </i><i>meant </i><i>that </i>his <i>bride </i><i>would </i><i>be </i><i>criticized </i>or looked down upon.


    Now, <i>not </i><i>only </i><i>had </i><i>he </i><i>ruined </i>his own <i>wedding</i>, <i>he </i><i>wanted </i><i>to </i>ruin mine.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


    40

 Daghter 258

    Chapter 258 Ticking Clock


    Yunice struggled slightly against the leather strap that bound her wrists behind her back, but even that small movement was caught by Paul.


    He said, ¡°Don¡¯t bother. I won¡¯t let you escape.¡±


    Yunice stared at him like he was crazy and said coldly, ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes wandered from the floor to her face. With a suggestive grin he said, ¡°What do you think I can¡¯t do right now?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer, but her eyes remained fixed on him.


    Paul leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, shortening the distance between them.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious, what do you like about the cripple anyway? I understood before. You had no identity, no status, no reputation. It made sense to settle for someone equally pathetic. But now you¡¯ve be Carl¡¯s daughter. You have the standing to be my equal. Why don¡¯t youe back to me? Why do you still marry Wyatt Cooper? Are you trying to spite me?¡±


    Yunice let out a softugh, more amused than angry at his twisted logic.


    She looked up at him, her tone full of contempt.


    ¡°You think you¡¯re worth my petty annoyance? I¡¯m not after you because you¡¯re not worth it. I¡¯m just not into you. Simple as that. And it¡¯s not because I met Wyatt. I¡¯ve never been into you.¡±


    The false sense of superiority Paul had clung to shattered in an instant. Humiliated, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. Through clenched teeth he said, ¡°Do you even remember your situation right now?¡±


    Yunice sneered.


    ¡°So what? I¡¯m just a <b>piece </b>of bait. If you do anything to me, Wyatt and Carl will have every reason to destroy you. If my life can take down the entire Powell family, I¡¯d call that a win.¡±


    Paul¡¯s fingers tightened, anger twisting his expression.


    He <b>released </b>them with <b>a </b>shove<b>, </b>gritting <b>his </b>teeth.


    ¡°Do you think Wyatt <b>really </b><b>cares </b>about you?<b>¡± </b>


    He leaned back in his chair and shruggedzily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t <b>have </b>to do anything today<b>. </b><b>I¡¯ll </b><b>just </b>keep you locked up for two hours<b>, </b>and we¡¯ll <b>see </b>what Wyatt does.¡±


    <b>9:04 </b>PM


    Chapter 258 Ticking Clock


    Didn¡¯t Yunice think <i>Wyatt </i>was <i>that </i>reliable? I want to rip that mask off


    Yunice¡¯s expression changed. Two hours. <i>The </i>wedding banquet will be over by them.


    No <i>one </i>will wait for <i>me </i>that <i>long</i><i>. </i>


    Finished


    She tried to struggle again, but the leather strap only dug deeper into her skin. It tightened with every movement, offering no relief.


    Paul sat across from her and waited stubbornly.


    20 minutester, Paul received a phone call from his father, Jensen.


    He hung up impatiently.


    The phone rang again.


    Then a third time, fourth, and fifth.


    Finally, fed up, Paul answered.


    Jensen¡¯s voice was shaking with panic.


    ¡°You useless brat, where the hell are you?¡±


    Something is <b><i>wrong </i></b>with Jensen¡¯s tone.


    Paui <b>was </b>about to answer when Wyatt¡¯s cold, authoritative voice came through the phone.


    !


    ¡°You have three minutes to show me Yunice¡¯s condition.¡±


    Before Paul could say anything, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the phone. There was <i>a </i>mechanical whirring in the background, like <b>a </b>chainsaw.


    For all the resentment he harbored toward his father, Paul¡¯s heart clenched at the sound. But he tried to y it cool.


    ¡°Three minutes? That¡¯s not a lot. <b>If </b>you happen to see something unpleasant, Yunice might end up ming you for not being considerate enough.¡±


    The words had barely left his mouth when another agonized scream rang out.


    ¡°Paul Powell, do you want to <b>kill </b><b>your </b>own father<b>? </b>Wyatt<b>! </b><b>Wyatt</b>!¡±


    Jensen¡¯s cries shook Paul to his core. He couldn¡¯t keep up the act anymore. Swallowing hard, he murmured, ¡°Wait.¡±


    He only spoke again when he heard Jensen¡¯s ragged breathing. Lowering his voice, Paul said, ¡°I


    <b>9:04 </b>PM


    Chapter 258 Ticking Clock


    He took a screenshot of the message and sent it to Wyatt.


    Finished


    On the other end, Wyatt nced <i>at </i>Jordan, who was holding aptop and trying to track Paul¡¯s phone. Whether it was because of his own limitations or because Paul¡¯s device was shielded, the signal wasn¡¯ting through. Jordan shook his head.


    Meanwhile, Freya was already leading a team to the address mentioned in the message, searching for Yunice.


    Paul, on the other hand, ended the call without a second thought, ignoring whatever had happened to Jensen.


    Wyatt looked at the disconnected call, calm but deadly. His eyes went back to Jensen.


    Jensen was strapped tightly to a machine table, his legs spread and suspended over <i>a </i>massive rotating de.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    40

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    Chapter 259 Back Just in Time


    e


    Finished


    Just one more inch forward on the machine¡¯s conveyor belt and Jensen would be sawed in half.


    His body jerked and shook violently. He was so scared he couldn¡¯t even scream.


    After an icy look from Wyatt, he lost consciousnesspletely.


    Meanwhile, Paul returned to the elevator control room after hanging up the phone.


    He closed the door behind him and met the cold, piercing stare of Yunice.


    He walked over and looked down at her for a moment. Then he reached out and stroked her cheek lightly, as if she were a small animal.


    Yunice jerked away with all her strength, her eyes filled with disgust. The movement infuriated Paul.


    His hand froze in the air, his jaw clenched, and he red at her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t even touch you now?¡±


    <i>The </i>more she resists, <i>the </i>more <i>I </i>want to push.


    Paul leaned down, buried his face in her neck, and kissed her with burning intent.


    The wedding dress Yunice was wearing wasn¡¯t easy to get out of. Undeterred, Paul kissed her while reaching around to undo the leather strap that bound her wrists.


    She struggled and twisted away, making it difficult for him to get a good grip.


    Almost as soon as her hands were free, Yunice reflexively pped Paul hard across the face.


    She hit him with all her strength, knocking him off bnce.


    Seizing the opportunity, Yunice jumped to her feet and ran for the door,


    Paul chased after her for two steps, but when he saw the patrols approaching, he stopped nonchntly.


    Having sex with Yunice had <i>never </i>been <i>my </i><i>real </i><i>goal</i><i>. </i>


    He looked up at her fleeing figure, wedding dress lifted in both hands as she ran in panic. Then he looked down at the antique¨Clooking ring in his palm and sneered.


    Without hesitation, he threw it into the nearby sewer.


    The wedding gown was a problem.


    904PM & d.


    Chapter 250 Back Just in Time


    Finished


    than six feet long, totally impractical for walking.


    Yunice had to lift her skirt with both hands to avoid tripping over it.


    The hand bronze, forty minutes since I had been abducted.


    She made her way to the hotel lobby and quickly adjusted the bodice of her dress.


    Dean only hope that it isn¡¯t toote. I really dom¡¯s exam to face at when he is angrY.


    Jordan, who was coordinating the search nearby, was the first to spot her. Moments earlier he had picked up a signal from Paul¡¯s phone in the area and was about to give the order to arrest him when he saw Yunice instead.


    Seeing her again was a godsend.


    Jordan immediately ran with her to the banquet hall


    ¡°Wyatt¡¯s been waiting all this time. The guests haven¡¯t dared speak up yet, but if you¡¯d been anyter, the situation would have gotten out of hand.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Yunice said breathlessly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t apologize to me.¡± Jordan said with a sigh. ¡°Just make sure you calm <b>him </b>down.¡±


    Out of the corner of her eye. Yunice caught sight of a figure. Her gaze instinctively shifted andnded on Wyatt walking down the hall.


    He had been walking calmly at first, but the moment he recognized her, his pace quickened sharply.


    Yunice ran toward him as well.


    Just before she reached him, her foot caught in the hem of her dress, and she fell forward.


    Wyatt caught her in an instant and pulled her into his arms.


    Yunice stood up quickly, noticing his strong hand gripping her arm before she dared to look <b>into </b>


    his eyes.


    He was slightly out of breath, anger and concern swirling in his eyes.


    Tmte, aren¡¯t I?¡± she asked nervously.


    Jordan jumped in, ¡°No, you¡¯re still on time. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Just as Yunice was about to move, Wyatt grabbed her wrist.


    9:04 PM ¡¤


    Chapter 259 Back Just in Time


    41


    Finished


    ¡°I can wearce gloves to cover it. No one will notice,¡± she said quickly.


    Wyatt frowned at her, his look unreadable.


    She thought I¡¯m worried about how others might talk?


    Unaware of his deeper emotion. Yunice hastily slipped on the gloves, then pulled him along.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Jordan finally breathed a sigh of relief. The way Yunice was willing, <i>she </i><i>clearly </i><i>wasn¡¯t </i><i>trying </i>to <i>run </i>


    Everything at the banquet continued as nned.


    Yunice stood next to Wyatt and yed her pari perfectly, addressing the guests as instructed. Everyone gave them a warm wee and didn¡¯t make any trouble about theirte arrival.


    But when they reached Carl¡¯s table, the group of Wyatt¡¯s friends sitting nearby began to make


    noise.


    Then the loudest of them suddenly fell silent, his eyes darting away from Yunice in panic. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he forced augh and rejoined the fake cheering.


    This subtle reaction was immediately picked up by Bale and Amyra. They both followed his gaze into the room behind Yunice, and their faces changed instantly.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>


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    Chapter 260 The Ring Behind Her Back


    They quickly looked away.


    The action was so obvious that even Wyatt caught it out of the corner of his eye.


    Without a word, he turned slightly to look behind Yunice. His expression grew cold.


    So cold that Yunice could feel it.


    Finished


    She tilted her head up to look at him, still smiling, but that smile froze when she saw the look on his face.


    She had a feeling that something was wrong behind her, so she instinctively reached back.


    Wyatt stopped her, his voice calm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    He reached behind her and removed something, holding it in his hand.


    A few secondster, his friends resumed their cheerfulness, but it felt forced.


    Yunice could clearly sense that something wasn¡¯t right. Her heart began to race.


    Until the end of the banquet, her eyes asionally nced at Wyatt¡¯s closed fist.


    As the guests began to leave, the sessfulpletion of the wedding banquet was a relief to


    everyone.


    Amyra pulled Bale aside, her expression serious as she opened her mouth to speak. But Bale cut her off before she could <b>say </b>anything.


    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>ask</b>. Don¡¯t get yourself into trouble.¡±


    Even without the exnation, Amyra understood. <i>It </i><b><i>was </i></b><b><i>exactly </i></b><b><i>what </i></b><b><i>I had </i></b><b><i>feared</i></b>.


    Yunice lifted her wedding dress and followed Wyatt.


    ¡°What about Gill? Did you get her to the hospital?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt stopped and turned around.


    ¡°Now you remember <b>your </b>dear Gill<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice felt the <b>change </b>in his tone and froze<b>, </b>staring at him.


    Then Wyatt looked down slightly.


    Chapter 260 The Ring Behind Her Back


    Finished


    She had noticed the ring missing during the toast and figured it must have been lost during the confrontation with Paul.


    Trying to remain calm, she replied, ¡°I think I know where I dropped it. Come with me;; we cam find it. Actually, Paul¡­ Before she could finish, Wyatt opened his palm to her.


    Yunice looked down. The blood drained from her face instantly, anger rising in her chest like a punch to the heart.


    Wyatt asked, ¡°Was that part of your little mission, too?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s entire body went still, her gaze locked coldly on his.


    I knew exactly what he meant..


    I had heard all the rumors about myself <i>again </i>and again.


    And I knew <i>what </i>misstor mat


    They meant that <i>I </i>was the kind of girl who liked to y <i>rough</i><i>, </i><i>who </i><i>got </i><i>off </i>on twisted <i>power </i><i>games</i><i>.. </i>


    That I called Paul <i>¡°</i>Master¡± <i>begged </i>him to give <i>her </i><i>humiliating </i>tasks, <i>things </i>too <i>shameful </i><i>to </i><i>talk </i><i>about</i><i>, </i><i>and </i>the more degrading, the more I enjoyed them.


    The niche role¨Cying stuff


    Yunice wanted to exin. But the moment Wyatt asked her that question, she realized he was no different than the others. The thought alone filled her with bitter resistance.


    His attitude made me too tired <i>to </i>even <i>care </i>


    The fact that he could ask meant that he¡¯d alreadybeled mae in his mind. And I¡¯d seen this scenario too <b>many </b><i>times</i><b><i>¡­ </i></b>


    Each time it <i>was </i>someone I thought I could trust asking the same question, and each <i>time </i><i>Ltried </i>to prove my innocence<i>¡ª</i>stammering, justifying, exining.


    I didn¡¯t do those things.


    But no one ever believed me.


    Everyone just followed the crowd and painted me as a liar, a fraud, <i>and </i>a disgrane.


    Yunice reached out and took the raffia grass ring from Wyatt¡¯s hand.


    It was the same ring she¡¯d thrown in the trash earlier. This time she <b>tore </b><b>it </b><b>in </b>half, then ripped it to shreds with a steady hand, without even blinking,


    <b>9:04 </b>PM


    Chapter 260 The Ring Behind Her Back


    ´º


    <i>I </i>had found the ring hooked to the zipper on the back of Yunice¡¯s wedding <i>dress</i>.


    The position told everything


    How could a ring end up on the zipper of her dress?


    Only if someone had been behind her, hastily zipping up her dress.


    And everyone recognized that raffia grass ring. It belonged to Paul <i>Powell</i>.


    This detail wasn¡¯t even a secret.


    Even my friends knew.


    Finisher


    The upper echelons of Silverburgh were small. Years ago, during a yacht party filled with all the elite young heirs, everyone had witnessed Yunice¡¯s grand gesture, diving into the sea alone just to retrieve this ring as a symbol of her love for Paul


    It had be a story they would never forgeL


    What Paul destroyed today wasn¡¯t just Wyatt¡¯s impression of Yunice. He destroyed her standing in Wyatt¡¯s entire social circle.


    Only now did Yunice understand.


    All Paul had done was to panic me, make me scramble, and then trap me.


    <i>I </i>had been so focused on minimizing Wyatt¡¯sws <i>that </i>I had failed to check for weaknesses <i>in </i><i>myself</i><i>. </i>


    Send Gifts

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    Chapter 261 Into the Gutter


    C


    Yunice gave a cold, twisted smile. <i>Paul </i><i>Powell </i><i>had </i>won <i>this </i><i>round</i>.


    Finished


    <i>I </i><i>had </i><i>heard </i><i>too </i><i>many </i><i>usations </i><i>in </i><i>my </i><i>life</i><i>. </i><i>I </i><i>no </i><i>longer </i><i>wasted </i><i>energy </i><i>exining </i><i>myself </i><i>to </i><i>those </i>who <i>didn¡¯t </i><i>believe </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    Lifting the hem of her wedding dress, she turned and walked away, not even looking back at Wyatt to see his reaction.


    Her mind was strangely calm. No sense of injustice. No sorrow.


    All she could think about was one thing¡ª<i>how </i><i>to destroy </i><i>Paul </i><i>Powell</i>.


    ¡°Yunice.¡±


    The familiar voice made her stop and turn.


    The hostility vanished from her face in an instant, reced by a soft, harmless expression.


    Carl walked slowly toward her, each step heavy and deliberate.


    His pace


    said it all; he had thought carefully before calling to her.


    Seeing the seriousness on his face, Yunice¡¯s heart sank fast and hard.


    There was a flicker of pleading in her eyes, silently begging him not to say anything that would shame her further.


    Cari frowned and remained silent for a few seconds before finally raising his hand and patting her arm with quiet disappointment.


    ¡°Put those bad thoughts away. Concentrate on your work from now on. Don¡¯t make me feel like I misjudged you.¡±


    Yunice clutched her wedding dress tightly. <i>His </i><i>words </i><i>were </i><i>more </i><i>painful </i><i>than </i><i>if </i><i>he¡¯d </i><i>scolded </i><i>me </i><i>directly</i><i>. </i>


    As he walked past her, she looked up slightly to see Victor following.


    Victor gave her a distant smile and walked away without a word.


    Once everyone was gone, Yunice felt as if her strength had beenpletely drained.


    She dragged the heavy dress back to her room to change.


    I didn¡¯t <i>care </i><i>what </i><i>Wyatt </i>thought <i>of </i><i>me</i><i>, </i><i>because </i><i>I </i><i>never </i><i>expected </i><i>love </i><i>from </i>him.


    Marrying <i>him </i><i>was </i><i>only </i><b><i>about </i></b><i>gaining </i>a <i>powerful </i><i>ally</i>.


    9:04 PM ¡¤


    Chapter 261 Into the Gutter


    He cherished me<i>, </i>and I <i>want </i>to return that kindness with everything that is good in me<i>. </i>


    <i>But </i><i>before </i>I had the <i>chance</i>, he <i>was </i>already disappointed in me.


    The guilt grew inside her like a thorn rooted in her flesh.


    die


    I can go and exin everything to Carl, exin what had happened today, and prove my innocence.


    <i>But </i>I <i>couldn¡¯t </i><i>go </i>back in time. I couldn¡¯t stop the rumors. <i>I </i>couldn¡¯t <i>close </i>every gossiping mouth.


    D


    Finished


    <i>Still</i><i>, </i><i>I </i>wouldn¡¯t <i>carry </i>this <i>guilt </i>forever. And <i>I </i><i>certainly </i>wasn¡¯t going <i>to </i><i>wear </i><i>that </i><i>dirty </ibel for the <i>rest </i>of my <i>life</i>.


    <i>The </i><i>reason </i>I <i>haven¡¯t </i>poisoned Paul <i>yet </i>is <i>because </i><i>I </i><i>want </i><i>to </i>keep him alive so he could be forced <i>to </i><i>confess </i><i>to </i><i>every </i>vile <i>thing </i><i>he¡¯s </i><i>done </i><i>over </i>the years.


    As if nothing had happened, Yunice changed out of her dress and into civilian clothes.


    She slung her ordinary canvas bag over her shoulder and left the room.


    She didn¡¯t go to Wyatt, nor did she look for Carl.


    Instead, she went back to the elevator control room.


    She searched every inch of it, retracing her steps one by one.


    Wyatt¡¯s wedding ring is <i>expensive</i>. <i>I </i><i>can¡¯t </i>just <i>let </i>it <i>disappear</i><i>. </i>


    She searched every nook and cranny but found nothing.


    Given what I knew about <i>Paul</i><i>, </i>how <i>much </i>he hated <i>Wyatt</i>. He probably <i>would¡¯ve </i>thrown <i>the </i>ring away.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes fell on the sewer grate.


    She walked over, set down her bag, and began to pry open the grate with her bare hands.


    Judging by the width of the pipe, she thought she could squeeze in.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    The teasing voice made Yunice look up.


    Freya was standing with her arms crossed, looking down at her with amusement.


    Yunice¡¯s foot was already halfway into the sewer.


    ¡°I think my ring was dropped in here.¡±


    <b>9:04 </b>


    M


    Chapter 261 Into the Gutter


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer. She slippedpletely into the sewer.


    Freya watched her like a soft, stubborn little golden hamster.


    Yunice tilted her head up and asked, ¡°Are youing in to help


    me look?¡±


    Freya wrinkled her nose in disgust.


    ¡°It stinks. No way.¡±


    Then she pulled out her cell phone.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some light.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Yunice bent down and began to carefully search the sewer for the ring.


    Freya said, ¡°You¡¯re mad at Wyatt, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even look up.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Freya pressed again.


    ¡°When people talk about you, why don¡¯t you defend yourself? Just look at Elsie. She can turn <b>ck </b>into white and still deny everything, even when caught.¡±


    Still getting no answer, Freya changed the subject.


    ¡°Well<b>, </b>she opened her mouth too much and talked trash about you, so Wyatt had someone sew her mouth shut.¡±


    ¡°What<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Yunice looked up<b>, </b>remembering the scene.


    Sewing <i>Elsie¡¯s </i><b><i>mouth</i></b><i>? </i><i>He </i><b><i>really </i></b><i>did </i><b><i>that</i></b><b><i>? </i></b>


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 262

    Chapter 262 Found in the Gutter


    Seeing that Yunice was still focused on searching, Freya sighed dramatically.


    Finished


    ¡°Us women¡­ it¡¯s always the same. Some have people who protect them like precious flowers. Others just get trampled.¡±


    <i>If </i>a <i>woman </i>makes <i>a </i><i>mistake</i><i>, </i><i>she¡¯s </i><i>nailed </i><i>to </i><i>the </i><i>pir </i><i>of </i><i>shame</i><i>, </i><i>dragged </i><i>through </i><i>public </i><i>disgrace</i><i>, </i><i>andalmost </i><i>loses </i><i>her </i><i>life</i>. <i>But </i><i>when </i><i>a </i><i>man </i><i>makes </i><i>a </i>mistake, <i>all </i><i>he </i><i>has </i><i>to do </i><i>is </i><ie </i><i>home </i>after <i>fooling </i><i>around </i><i>out </i><i>there</i>, <i>and </i><i>suddenly </i><i>he¡¯s </i><i>praised </i><i>for </i><i>¡°</i><i>turning </i><i>over </i><i>a </i><i>new </i><i>leaf</i><i>. </i>


    <i>Love </i><i>is </i><i>made </i><i>by </i><i>two </i><i>people</i><i>, </i><i>but </i>it¡¯s <i>always </i><i>the </i><i>woman </i>who <i>gets </i><i>the </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    <i>Men </i><i>remain </i><i>boys </i><i>forever</i>, too <i>simple</i><i>¨C</i><i>minded </i><i>to </i><i>scheme</i><i>¨C</i><i>ording </i><i>to </i><i>them</i>, it¡¯s <i>always </i><i>the </i><i>woman </i>who <i>seduces </i>first¡­ <i>How </i><i>convenient</i><i>, </i><i>all </i><i>the </i><i>excuses </i><i>they¡¯ve </i><i>invented </i><i>to </i><i>hide </i>the truth.


    With a snap, Freya lit a cigarette and exhaled a thin cloud of smoke with icy indifference.


    Yunice watched her and thought, A <i>woman </i><i>as </i><i>beautiful </i><i>as </i><i>Freya </i><i>must </i><i>have </i><i>endured </i><i>her </i><i>share </i><i>of </i><i>nder</i><b><i>. </i></b>


    She even felt a little ashamed of herself.


    <i>When </i>I <b><i>had </i></b><i>first </i><i>seen </i><i>Freya </i><i>in </i><i>that </i><i>bunny </i><i>costume</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>had </i><i>judged </i><i>her</i><i>, </i><b><i>too</i></b><i>. </i>


    <b><i>But </i></b>now, <i>after </i><i>spending </i><i>time </i><i>with </i><i>her</i><i>, </i><i>Freya </i><b><i>was </i></b><i>actually </i><i>the </i><i>one I </i><i>felt </i><b><i>most </i></b><ifortable </i>with.


    Freya looked at the door.


    ¡°Take your time to look around. I won¡¯t stay here.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yunice replied quietly.


    Freya walked out but stopped at the door just <b>as </b>she passed Wyatt.


    ¡°She¡¯s in the sewers looking for her wedding ring,¡± she said coolly. ¡°Poor girl.¡±


    Then she left.


    Moments <bter</b>, Yunice finally found the ring buried in the mud.


    When she pulled <b>herself </b>up from the sewer<b>, </b>the first thing she saw was a pair of fine leather shoes.


    She could even <i>see </i>her disheveled reflection in the polished surface.


    <i>I </i>must <i>have </i>smelled <i>terrible</i><i>. </i>


    Wyatt stood nonchntly above her, towering <b>like </b><b>a </b>mountain.


    <b>9:04 </b>PM


    Chapter 262 Found in the Gutter


    Finished


    I¡¯m still angry. <i>How </i><i>could </i><i>Yunice </i><i>have </i>ended <i>up </i>with <i>Paul </i><i>under </i>so <i>much </i>protection?


    His eyes drifted to the p mark on her face, his thoughts growing darker.


    What had she been doing in the <i>40 </i><i>minutes </i>since <i>she </i><i>had </i><i>disappeared</i>?


    Yunice opened her palm.


    ¡°I found the ring. I¡¯ll return it as soon as it¡¯s cleaned.¡±


    Seeing no reaction, Yunice quietly returned to her hotel room and took a shower.


    Then she went to the front desk to pick up a jewelry cleaning solution.


    The receptionist called to her, ¡°Mrs. Cooper, Mr. Cooper has already left. He has arranged a car for you. You may leave whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Yunice paused.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she replied tly.


    After cleaning the ring, the car Wyatt had arranged took them straight to the hospital where Gill was being treated.


    Gill had her head wrapped in gauze and was rubbing <i>the </i>back of her scalp, wincing from the pain.


    When Yunice walked in, she was shocked.


    ¡°Ms. Yunice, you.. you came alone?¡±


    <i>Of </i>course, I <b><i>assumed </i></b><i>that </i>Yunice was worried about me and hade to check on me.


    But it was her wedding day; she should be heading home <i>to </i>Parilion <i>Hall </i>with Wyatt<i>. </i>


    Yunice set the tonic supplements on the table and carefully examined the injury.


    ¡°He had something to do and left first<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°How could he? What¡¯s so urgent that he¡¯d leave you alone on your wedding day?¡± Gill raised her head in protest, only to flinch again <b>as </b>the movement tugged at her wound.


    Realizing it was only <b>a </b>superficial injury, Yunice let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°It¡¯s not his fault. It¡¯s mine.¡±


    Anyone would be furious <i>if </i>something like this happened during their wedding Wyatt had already shown impressive restraint<i>. </i>


    904 PM dd.


    Chapter 262 Found in the Gutter


    Gill¡¯s eyes turned red.


    @


    0


    ¡°I thought life was finally getting easier¡­ and now this, right after the wedding.¡±


    She held her head and cursed.


    ¡°Damn Paul Powell!¡±


    Yunice looked up.


    ¡°Did you see who hit you?¡±


    Gill shook her head.


    ¡°The bastard came from behind. And I¡¯ve got eyes in the back of my head.¡±


    She didn¡¯t notice the flicker in Yunice¡¯s expression.


    I knew who <i>had </i>hit <i>her</i><i>. </i>


    Finished


    <i>Earlier</i><i>, </i>during the <i>wedding</i><i>, </i><i>Kingsley </i><i>had </i><i>contacted </i><i>me </i><i>and </i><i>said </i><i>he </i><i>had </i><i>a </i><i>gift </i><i>to </i><i>deliver</i>. <i>That¡¯s </i>why <i>I </i><i>left </i><i>the </i><i>room</i>, <i>only </i>to <i>run </i><i>into </i><i>Paul </i><i>Powell</i>.


    <i>When </i><i>Kingsley </i><i>didn¡¯t </i><i>find </i><i>me </i><i>waiting</i>, <i>he </i><i>feared </i><i>something </i><i>had </i><i>gone </i><i>wrong </i><i>and </i><i>went </i><i>looking </i><i>for </i><i>me</i>. <i>On </i><i>the </i><i>way</i><i>¡­ </i><i>he¡¯d </i><i>knocked </i><i>Gill </i><i>unconscious</i>.


    Yunice didn¡¯t exin any of this. She didn¡¯t want to reveal Kingsley¡¯s involvement.


    <i>Everything </i><i>today </i><i>was </i><i>my </i><i>own </i><i>fault</i><i>, </i>and <i>I </i><i>felt </i><i>guilty </i><i>towards </i><i>Gill </i><i>and </i><i>Wyatt</i>.


    After leaving the hospital, Yunice began to track down Paul¡¯s whereabouts.


    But Paul, coward that he was, had already fled. Fearing Wyatt¡¯s retaliation, he¡¯d fled abroad that very day. Even his own family couldn¡¯t contact him anymore.


    The ironic twist is, before Yunice could find him, a request from the Powell family found her first.


    The call was from Taylor.


    But she wasn¡¯t calling for Yunice.


    She was calling for Dr. Rylie, the other identity of Yunice¡ªowner of Virtue Hall.


    ¡°Dr. Rylie, can youe to the Powell residence? I have a patient who really needs your help,¡± Taylor said politely.

 Daghter 263

    Chapter 263 Scars Behind the Screen


    Finished


    It was also Taylor¡¯s wedding day. But it was clear from her somber tone that things weren¡¯t going well.


    ¡°I cane,¡± Yunice replied.


    Taylor¡¯s voice brightened.


    ¡°Send me your location. I¡¯ll have n pick you up.¡±


    Half an hourter, Yunice stepped out of the car, fully covered.


    She knew theyout of the Powell mansion even better than n, but she deliberately took a wrong turn and circled around Paul¡¯s residence, Maplecrest Manor.


    n didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d gotten away until he turned around. He had to go back to find her.


    Yunice stepped out from behind the mansion.


    ¡°This ce is huge. I must have lost track for a second.¡±


    This time n led the way carefully, looking back every few steps. He led them through a winding waterfront corridor before stopping in front of a secluded courtyard.


    Yunice looked up. <i>This </i><i>is </i><i>Jensen¡¯s </i><i>residence</i>.


    Momentster, Taylor emerged and motioned for Yunice to speak with her privately.


    She said, ¡°The patient I¡¯m going to show you¡­please don¡¯t ask too many questions.¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°What are the symptoms?¡±


    Taylor looked embarrassed.


    ¡°Loss of dder and bowel control, constant shivering in bed, and mumbling nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like he¡¯s been terrified,¡± Yunice said with a faint smile.


    Taylor didn¡¯t answer, but her silence was confirmation enough.


    No <i>wonder </i><i>the </i><i>Powell </i><i>family </i><i>didn¡¯t </i><i>want </i>to <i>send </i><i>Jensen </i>to <i>the </i><i>hospital </i><i>or </i><i>reveal </i><i>his </i><i>condition</i><i>. </i><i>They </i><i>were </i><i>afraid </i><i>the </i><i>scandal </i><i>would </i><i>spread</i>.


    After dealing with the Powells for more than ten years, Yunice knew exactly how their pride worked.


    The moment she entered the room<b>, </b>she was hit by a pungent stench of urine and feces seeping


    9:04 PM


    Chapter 263 Scars Behind the Screen


    The guards standing inside looked as if they had lost their will to live.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t allowed to see Jensen¡¯s face. She was only allowed to check his pulse.


    After a moment, she withdrew her hand.


    ¡°Acute stress reaction. Muscle tension and gastric distress.¡±


    She wrote a prescription.


    Taylor didn¡¯t even look at it before handing it to n to fill.


    Finished


    Just then, the sound of a cane echoed through the hall. Jackson entered and casually took the prescription sheet.


    As he read it, his face darkened.


    ¡°Children¡¯s urine?¡±


    It was the only word he recognized in the list of ingredients.


    Yunice replied calmly, ¡°The patient is showing signs of convulsions. Using warm urine as the base ingredient, about a pound, can wake him up immediately. Otherwise, if he continues to shake like this, it could turn into full¨Cblown epilepsy.¡±


    ¡°A pound?¡±


    Taylor cringed and subtly covered her nose. <i>What </i><i>kid </i><i>could </i><i>pee </i><i>that </i><i>much</i><i>? </i>


    And how <i>could </i><i>anyone </i>drink <i>that</i>¡­


    Still, she had no doubts about Yunice¡¯s abilities. <i>The </i><ist </i><i>thing </i><i>I </i><i>wanted on </i><i>her </i>first <i>day </i>as <i>a </i><i>Powell </i>bride was to <i>be </i><ibeled </i><i>¡°</i>the <i>one </i>who <i>ruined </i><i>her </i><i>father</i>¨C<i>in</i><i>¨C</i><iw</i>.¡±


    She vouched for her, ¡°Grandpa, she used to be my father¡¯s personal physician. Her skills are first- ss.¡±


    She looked back awkwardly at the curtain.


    ¡°This really can¡¯t be put off any longer. Paul is still unreachable, and we have a serious family discussion tonight.¡±


    Right after she spoke, a fresh stream hit the screen again, leaving a long, wet trail.


    Realizing that Jensen had lost control again, Taylor stormed out in a huff.


    <i>I¡¯d </i><i>been </i>spoiled <i>all </i><i>my </i><i>life</i><i>. </i>It was bad <i>enough </i><i>that </i><i>my </i>new <i>husband </i><i>ignored </i><i>me</i><i>. </i><i>But </i>now, <i>right </i>after <i>marrying </i><i>into </i><i>the </i><i>family</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>had </i><i>to </i>deal with <i>this </i><i>father</i>¨Cin<i>¨C</iw¡¯s mess?


    214


    904 PM


    Chapter 263 Scars Behind the Screen


    Finished


    Linda, wearing a mask, stepped out from behind the screen. Her eyes were red, whether from crying or from the smell, no one could tell.


    ¡°Mr. Jackson, we can¡¯t put this off any longer,¡± she said. ¡°Please¡­ just get him to the hospital.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s expression was thunderous. There wasn¡¯t a trace of sympathy in his face, only cold disgust.


    ¡°Useless thing.¡±


    Both Linda and Taylor knew exactly who he meant.


    Jensen had been tied to a machine table by Wyatt earlier in the day. The saw had ripped his pants. That trauma alone was enough to put him in this state.


    To Jackson, who had lived a life of strength andmand, both his son and grandson were pathetic disappointments.


    But he was old now. He couldn¡¯t run the show anymore.


    Just as he fell silent, Yunice spoke from the side.


    ¡°I was actually conservative in my diagnosis. The patient has a trauma to a private area. That kind of injury can lead to seriousplications¡­ potentially fatal ones.¡±


    Linda lowered her head, unable to speak.


    <i>Jensen </i><i>hadn¡¯t </i><i>been </i><ipletely </i><i>destroyed</i><i>, </i><i>but </i><i>the </i><i>sparks </i><i>from </i><i>the </i><i>saw </i><i>had </i><i>burned </i><i>him </i><i>badly </i><i>enough </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>iife</i><i>¨C</i><i>threatening</i>.


    <i>He </i><i>is </i><i>my </i><ist </i><i>hope </i><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>Powell </i><i>family</i><i>. </i>


    <i>But </i><i>Jackson¡¯s </i><i>pride </i><i>wouldn¡¯t </i><i>allow </i>us <i>to </i><i>send </i><i>him </i><i>to </i><i>a </i><i>hospital</i>.


    Still silent, Jackson suddenly lifted his cane, swift and sharp.


    With a flick, the tip of the cane grazed Yunice¡¯s nose and knocked her baseball cap off.


    Shocked, she staggered back and instinctively covered her face, toote.


    Everyone around her gasped.


    <i>Her </i>face¡­


    Linda stared at the scars on her skin and frowned.

 Daghter 264

    Chapter 264 Wake¨CUp Medicine


    Taylor quickly retrieved the cap and gently helped Yunice put it back on.


    <i>I </i>knew that Dr. <i>Rylie </i><i>wore </i>full <i>coverage </i><i>every </i><i>day </i>because of the burns, but I had never imagined the scars would be <i>so </i>severe.


    Taylor was clearly upset. She was never one to swallow her pride. Defending Yunice, she turned to Jackson and snapped, ¡°Mr. Jackson, Dr. Rylie came here because I asked her to. If you don¡¯t trust her, just say so and I¡¯ll send her back. But did you really have to rip someone¡¯s wound open like that?¡±


    She was a newlywed, and her family had influence. Jackson said nothing.


    He nced at the woman, who was hastily pulling down her cap to cover the scars on her face, then tossed the situation aside.


    ¡°Do what you want. If you all can¡¯t fix him, don¡¯te crying to me.¡±


    Taylor rolled her eyes. <i>Typical</i>. <i>This </i>old man had <i>been </i><i>pampered </i><i>for </i><i>too </i>long. Acting like he <i>was </i>king of the <i>world</i>.


    It isn¡¯t


    <i>my </i><i>son </i><i>lying </i>in <i>that </i><i>bed</i>; it <i>is </i><i>Jackson¡¯s </i><i>son</i><i>. </i><i>Why </i><i>should </i><i>I </i><i>care </i>if he lived <i>or </i>died<i>? </i>


    Linda, on the other hand, looked absolutely miserable. <i>Where </i><i>am </i>I <i>going </i>to get a <i>pound </i>of <i>warm </i><i>kid </i>urine?


    Left with no choice, she sent someone to a kindergarten and begged them to pick it up, making sure to emphasize that it had to be from a child.


    Taylor invited Yunice to rest in another hallway.


    While they had a quiet moment, Yunice took Taylor¡¯s pulse. She¡¯d been taking Yunice¡¯s medicine. for two months now, and her original problems had mostly cleared up.


    Soon after, violent gagging sounds came from the next room.


    It wasn¡¯t just one person. Even the maids were choking. Linda sounded the worst.


    Jenseny on the bed, disoriented and burning, swallowing everything that touched his lips.


    He frowned after a few swallows but kept drinking.


    Eventually the smell hit him so hard that even in his half¨Cconscious state he instinctively turned his face away, refusing another sip.


    Linda¡¯s spoon wouldn¡¯t go in. She snapped.


    D


    Finished


    9:04 PM


    Chapter 264 Wake¨CUp Medicine


    D


    0


    Several people held Jensen down while they forced his mouth open and poured the rest in.


    From the next room, Yunice heard the sounds of violent vomiting and angry cursing.


    Jensen had finally woken up, sick to consciousness.


    Taylor was overjoyed.


    ¡°Dr. Rylie, you really are a miracle worker!¡±


    Yunice just smiled. Not a miracle, just a bit of mischief.


    He didn¡¯t need urine to wake up. But I did to make him <i>suffer</i>.


    I couldn¡¯t <i>catch </i>the kid, but I <i>can </i>certainly punish the dad.


    Jensen today. <i>Paul </i><i>tomorrow</i>.


    Soon Linda came in. Yunice deliberately covered her nose.


    Linda had always carried herself with pride. When had she ever been treated like this? The humiliation stung, but she needed Yunice, so she pretended nothing had happened.


    ¡°Dr. Rylie, he drank about half before the rest spilled¡­now that he¡¯s awake, do we need to continue?¡±


    Yunice replied evenly, ¡°Madam, you understand that dosages are important in medicine¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Linda relented.


    ¡°All right, I understand. I¡¯ll get more¡­¡±


    Yunice said nothing. This was <b><i>just </i></b>a <i>tiny </i><i>taste</i><i>. </i>


    The Powells had <i>done </i>worse to <b>me</b><b>. </b>


    She continued to think, nning her next move.


    Night fell. The entire Powellpound was bathed in artificial light, bright as day.


    Jensen was now fully awake and no longer screaming in pain.


    To monitor his condition, Yunice was asked to stay at the mansion for the night.


    Not long after, Taylor made an <b>excuse </b>to leave<b>. </b>


    A maid brought in some light refreshments and tea<b>, </b>but Yunice didn¡¯t touch anything.


    Chapter 264 Wake¨CUp Medicine


    She quickly located the conference room used for official meetings.


    Finished


    Inside were Taylor and several executives involved in the Northvale project. As she panned the camera, Yunice suddenly caught sight of Wyatt.


    It was so sharp that the moment she spotted him on her screen, he raised his eyes and stared directly at the corner camera.


    The look felt like it pierced the monitor and met her eyes.


    Yunice nearly dropped her phone.


    Fearing discovery, she didn¡¯t dare move the camera again. Which meant the feed stayed locked on Wyatt¡¯s face the whole time.


    As she continued to listen, she learned that they were discussing preparations for the Northvale project.


    <i>Jackson </i><i>had </i><i>somehow </i><i>negotiated </i><i>with </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>to </i><i>get </i><i>some </i><i>of </i><i>the </i><i>project </i><i>rights </i><i>back</i>.


    <i>It </i><i>had </i><i>originally </i><i>been </i><i>a </i><i>50-50 </i><i>split</i>. <i>But </i><i>since </i><i>Carl </i><i>had </i><i>bought </i><i>in </i><i>with </i><i>strong </i><i>shares</i><i>, </i><i>Wyatt </i>now <i>had </i><i>the </i><i>upper </i>hand <i>again</i>.


    Soon Jensen appeared, dressed in a sharp suit that smelled freshlyundered. He walked executives and sat down across from Jackson.


    past the


    Except for the burn near his private parts, Jensen had no visible injuries, only a severe shock earlier.


    But that pound of ¡°medicine¡± had given him a new reason to pull himself together.


    He felt like he was back in the game.


    Now, desperate to regain some dignity in front of his father, he showed up.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>

 Daghter 265

    Chapter 265 The Meeting That Went to Hell


    Jensen still felt ufortable. As he sat down, his hand gripped the armrest first, and his eyes darted quickly to Jackson¡¯s face, then instinctively to Wyatt.


    Wyatt sat hunched over, elbows on his knees, leaning forward with a mocking smile as he stared at Jensen.


    Jensen looked away immediately.


    Wyatt leaned backzily, his posture even more rxed.


    ¡°Pathetic.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyebrows furrowed even more.


    The leaders of the Powell and Cooper sides were engaged in a full¨Cblown verbal war, shing over a minor point of profit.


    They were shouting, their faces flushed, almost to the point of exchanging ps.


    Neither Jackson nor Wyatt intervened until things had calmed down,


    Eager to assert himself, Jensen was the first to speak.


    ¡°All this fuss over some petty winnings? Wyatt, I didn¡¯t hear anything about yourpany being on the verge of bankruptcy. When did you be so petty?¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t answer.


    Feeling bolder, Jensen continued.


    ¡°Here¡¯s what I propose. We use a dynamic profit¨Csharing model that adjusts distributions based on actual contributions at each stage. That way, both sides get the most benefit.¡±


    Still no response.


    Jensen tried again, feigning fairness.


    ¡°Let the Powell Group do the early¨Cstage R&D and market expansion. The Cooper side can provide capital reserves. After all, Wyatt, you never went to school. You wouldn¡¯t understand the technical side of things. So let me, your older brother, reluctantly handle the core segments.¡±


    Taylor looked at Wyatt.


    Of <i>course</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>hope </i><i>that </i><i>the </i><i>Powell </i><i>family </i>will get the <i>upper </i>hand, but I also know that Wyatt isn¡¯t stupid.


    Sure enough, Wyatt let out a carefreeugh, then looked at Jensen with mocking eyes.


    9:05 PM


    Chapter 265 The Meeting That Went to Hell


    want to slit your belly and see what¡¯s inside.¡±


    As soon as the words hadnded, Jensen jerked back in his chair.


    Finished


    His expression changed instantly. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He gripped the armrest of the chair so tightly that the veins on the back of his hand bulged.


    Wyatt narrowed his eyes.


    <i>What </i><i>now</i>?


    Everyone stared at Jensen¡¯s strange posture and pale face.


    Jackson¡¯s eyes widened as if he sensed something.


    ¡°Taylor! Your father¨Cinw doesn¡¯t look well; help him out of here!¡±


    If Jackson noticed, how could Taylor not?


    But she just sat there with an annoyed look on her face, unwilling to move,


    Then a loud gurgle came from Jensen¡¯s stomach,


    He tensed, then a series of unmistakable, highly embarrassing sounds echoed through the hall.


    nk.


    Jackson¡¯s cane fell to the floor. His face froze in disbelief.


    He opened his mouth to scream, but the image in his mind was faster than his words. He imagined what would happen if Jensen got up, so he forced himself to hold back,


    Jensen didn¡¯t dare move a muscle. Drenched in sweat, he silently prayed that everyone in the room would just disappear.


    Suddenly, one of Wyatt¡¯s executives pped him on the leg and burst outughing.


    ¡°Your boss just crapped his pants! Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Question for the finance team, should we add a new line item for diapers to Powell¡¯s budget?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it might be necessary. If he can¡¯t do it in a meeting, what if he does it in the office? That would be very unprofessional.¡±


    The Cooper Group had a bad reputation, and its employees were notorious for roasting people mercilessly.


    It wasn¡¯t just Jackson and Jensen who couldn¡¯t take it. Taylor couldn¡¯t sit still either. She stood up


    9:05 PM dd


    Chapter 265 The Meeting That Went to Hell


    Finished


    Yunice, watching through the surveince feed, had seen the show she wanted, so she cut the video.


    What kind <i>of </i>medicine had I given Jensen?


    <i>Oh</i>, it might treat his illness, but it was also full of fire<i>¨C</i><i>purging </i>herbs<i>, </i>


    Of <i>course</i>, he¡¯d end up with diarrhea.


    And when Wyatt scared <i>him </i>earlier, it triggered his fear. There was <i>no </i>way his body could take it.


    The <i>Powell </i><i>family </i>had made a big mistake.


    <i>They </i>picked the wrong <i>person </i>to attack, especially <i>one </i>who was <i>a </i>medical <i>expert</i>.


    Not long after, Taylor came looking for Yunice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you home.¡±


    Yunice pretended not to know.


    ¡°Has the patient recovered?¡±


    <i>Recovered</i>? Taylor wanted to scream.


    <i>I¡¯d </i><i>never </i><i>been </i><i>so </i>humiliated.


    But <i>I </i>couldn¡¯t me <i>Yunice</i><i>. </i>


    ¡°You warned him to stay in bed and rest. He insisted on showing off. He brought it on himself.¡±


    Worried that Jackson might turn his anger on Yuniceter, Taylor decided to get her out carly.


    Seeing how much Taylor was trying to protect her, Yunice felt a twinge of guilt.


    <i>But </i><i>there </i>was <i>no </i><i>choice</i>. <i>The </i><i>Powell </i><i>family </i>had <i>to </i><i>pay</i><i>, </i>


    Inside the conference room, Jackson exploded.


    ¡°Get out! All of you!¡±


    Executives from both the Powell and Cooper camps were thrown out like garbage.


    Jensen stayed in his chair, shaking all over as if he could see his ending.

 Daghter 266

    Chapter 266 Unmasked


    Everyone else had been kicked out. Except Wyatt.


    Finished


    He lounged leisurely in the chair, casually pulling out a cigarette. But after a moment¡¯s thought about the air quality and all that, he scowled and flicked it into a bone china teacup.


    Jackson, livid with rage, stomped over on unsteady legs. His voice cracked as he shrieked, ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done! Are you even human?!¡±


    Wyatt chuckled, clearly entertained. ¡°This is on me? I control the skies, the earth, and now your son¡¯s sphincter too?¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Jackson was so furious, he could only sputter the word ¡°you¡± over and over.


    Wyatt did not bat an eye. With his usual devil¨Cmay¨Ccare tone, he said, ¡°You¡¯re not getting any younger, sir. Maybe take a breather, yeah? If you fall and break something, who¡¯s going to wipe your crappy son¡¯s ass for you?¡±


    With a snort of mockery, he stood and strode off.


    Jackson could only watch that arrogant back disappear, seething but helpless.


    Once outside the courtyard, Wyatt finally lit a cigarette. The Powell family had made a mess today, sure, but for some reason, he still felt restless.


    As he raised the cigarette to his lips, something caught the corner of his eye.


    Taylor was walking alongside a girl, bundled head to toe, cap pulled low. The two looked like they were about to leave the Powell mansion.


    His gaze lingered on the girl in the baseball cap¡­ and dropped to her waist.


    After a pause, he lowered the cigarette and smirked, then casually walked their way.


    With his long legs, he easily caught up. ¡°Ms. Taylor,¡± he called, ¡°the old man took a fall. He¡¯s asking for you.¡±


    Startled, Taylor looked at him. <i>When </i><i>had </i><i>he </i><i>even </i>shown <i>up</i><i>? </i>


    She then nced toward the conference hall, lights still on. She hesitated only a moment before believing him, hurrying off to check on Jackson, which left Yunice alone.


    Sensing his gaze, Yunice walked on as if she had not noticed. But Wyatt slipped one hand into his pocket and trailed behind her, unhurried and silent.


    She peeked back. <i>Had </i><i>he </i><i>recognized </i><i>me</i><i>? </i>


    9:05 PM ¡¤


    Chapter 266 Unmasked


    Just as Yunice stepped over the tall threshold, a hand slid around her waist from behind.


    Finished


    She flinched, turning her head just in time to meet Wyatt¡¯s eyes. He stood close, his entire frame brushing against hers, his gaze locked on hers as they were suddenly eye to eye.


    One foot over the threshold, one still behind. It would not take much to send her tumbling.


    <i>This </i><i>damn </i><i>threshold</i>. It was originally built to trip Wyatt. Now it had her stuck instead.


    Wyatt did not let go. She could not move forward.


    And under the brim of her cap, she could feel his eyes seeking hers, teasing, probing.


    She ducked her head to hide, but then his hand moved. He lifted it, fingers unerring, and pinched the scar on her cheek with precise elegance.


    Startled, Yunice jerked away, and a piece of silicone scar tore off her face.


    The ruse was up.


    Clutching her cheek, she red at him. Furious. He had done it on purpose!


    Wyatt rolled the fake scar between his fingers, then flicked it away. He gave a low, amused snort. ¡°You¡¯ve got quite the list of identities, don¡¯t you?¡±


    She did not deny it. Instead, she stepped over the threshold and turned to face him. ¡°So? You nning to rat me out?¡±


    Wyatt lifted his eyelidszily. ¡°Jensen¡­ You did that to him?¡±


    Yunice did not answer, but her eyes held no guilt. ¡°His son came for me first. The father pays for the son¡¯s sins. Fair game.¡±


    Wyattughed.


    As they left the Powell mansion, he asked casually, ¡°Got a light?¡±


    She looked at the cigarette he still had not smoked, then reached into her bag and pulled out the lighter he had once given her.


    The me red. She shielded it from the wind with one hand.


    Wyatt leaned in, letting the cigarette catch the me until the tip glowed red.


    Just as she let her hand drop, he caught her wrist.


    Under the gate¡¯s warm light, he studied the bruises encircling her skin.


    213


    9:05 PM


    Chapter 266 Unmasked


    D


    Finished


    Yunice blinked, caught off guard. He was not even looking at her face, just her wrist, with his eyes narrowed and brow furrowed.


    When he finally met her gaze again, his voice had turned sharp. ¡°I asked you something.¡±


    She meant to shake her head. But her chin tipped up instead, and after a beat of hesitation, she gave the tiniest nod.


    Yeah. She was a little mad.


    Wyatt frowned. ¡°Well, I¡¯m mad at you too. I¡¯m mad you ran off and let Paul take you. I¡¯m mad you didn¡¯t exin a damn thing after. Like you don¡¯t even care how I¡¯d feel.¡±


    Yunice froze.


    <i>What</i>¡­ <i>was </i><i>that </i><i>supposed </i>to <i>mean</i>?


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze was heavy now, serious. ¡°Paul¡¯s little setup? You think I couldn¡¯t see through that?¡±


    If he couldn¡¯t even spot a trick that clumsy, he¡¯d have been eaten alive long ago.


    This time, Yunice was truly stunned. Not just by what he said, but by the way he said it. There was frustration in his voice. A kind of grievance. Almost like¡­ he cared.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>


    40


    ¡£


    1

 Daghter 267

    Chapter 267 Too Much, Too Fast


    When Yunice refused to say a single kind word, Wyatt pressed again, ¡°What about you? Why are you mad at me?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed instantly, her gaze darting away.


    Why was she mad? Now that she thought about it, Wyatt had not really done anything wrong


    He helped her out. ¡°Was it because I said something harsh? Or because I didn¡¯t catch you when you were looking for the wedding ring?¡±


    Honestly, when she said she was angry, it was just to make herself look like she had the moral high ground. There was no specific reason.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Everyone says hurtful things when they¡¯re pissed off. You don¡¯t know how to curse back?¡±


    She clutched her backpack straps in silence.


    Irritated, Wyatt grabbed her by the shoulder, opened the car door with his other hand, and shoved her inside.


    He got behind the wheel. Yunice sat directly behind him.


    Neither of them spoke during the entire drive. And he never noticed her tear¨Cfilled eyes reflected in the window.


    She had been careful, too careful, hiding her emotions.


    Over the years, she had been judged by people like Owen, disappointed by people like Carl, and gossiped about by people like Bale and Amyra.


    1


    But Wyatt¡­ he did not quite fit any of those molds.


    Sure, he yelled at her too, but somehow, he always cut through the noise, like he could see things from her side.


    For someone who had been ignored for so long, even a little concern felt like a sudden downpour, too much, too fast. It did not bringfort. It brought grievance.


    By the time they arrived at the Pavilion Hall, Yunice had already wiped her tears clean.


    ¡°Mrs. Cooper.¡±


    She turned and found several house staff bowing in unison to her.


    The Pavilion Hall did not usually have a maid. They only hired cleaners on a set schedule. Now,


    Chapter 267 Too Much, Too Fast


    Inside, she froze for a second. Everything was the same, yet not.


    Finished


    The Pavilion Hall still looked like it used to, but there were new additions. Small touches of warmth scattered throughout. Fresh flower arrangements in vases. A full dressing room for


    women.


    At the entrance, there was even a pair of fluffy pink slippers on the shoe rack.


    In the kitchen, Wyatt opened the fridge. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Yunice said.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten,¡± he muttered, shooting her an annoyed nce.


    ¡°Ravioli then,¡± she said eventually.


    He nced at the prepackaged ravioli in the fridge, then shut the door.


    Instead, he pulled out a bag of fresh shrimp from the crisper and got to work.


    With nothing to do, Yunice wandered into the bathroom and slowly peeled off her disguise.


    By the time she walked past the kitchen again, Wyatt was at the counter, apron on, head lowered as he made ravioli from scratch.


    He had taken off his jacket. The apron hugged his wine¨Cred shirt, cinching tight around his trim


    waist.


    Yunice quickly looked away and sat down at the table. She checked her phone. There were several missed calls from Taylor.


    She called back, and the first thing Taylor asked was, ¡°Why¡¯d you leave on your own?¡±


    Yunice told her, ¡°I¡¯m home now. What about you?¡±


    Taylor was fed up. The Powell family was in chaos, and she was done cleaning up after them. She went back to her parents¡® ce in a huff.


    ¡°Eat.¡± Wyatt¡¯s voice rose.


    Yunice turned, phone still in hand, just as Wyatt ced two tes of ravioli on the table.


    On the other end of the line, Taylor gasped, ¡°Wait¡­ did you get married?!¡±


    Yunice hesitated. Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Your husband¡¯s voice sounds really familiar¡­¡± Taylor trailed off, then quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone, and hung up.


    905 PM


    Chapter 207 Too Much, Too Fast


    Finished


    In fact, even though they were married now, Yunice still did not feel particrly close to Wyatt. It felt like one of those old¨Cfashioned arranged marriages. They see each other once, and bam, tied for life.


    After dinner, they shared the same room. Their wedding suite had moved upstairs to the second floor.


    Yunice went to shower first. When she came out, she had a face towel wrapped around her, her damp hair sticking to her neck.


    The bath towel she needed was hanging on a high rack. She held her face towel with one hand and reached up with the other.


    The tug loosened her grip, and in a blink, the towel slipped and pooled around her feet,


    Her first instinct was not to grab it. It was to look at Wyatt,


    He was on the balcony, on the phone,


    But at the sound, he turned. His gaze froze. Then dropped. Then rose again to meet hers.


    She stood frozen, stunned, before finally scrambling to snatch up the towel, cheeks zing. She fled to the vanity to dry her hair.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes glinted with amusement as he ended the call and walked toward her,


    Her hand paused mid¨Cmotion as she saw him ce a neatly folded set of women¡¯s pajamas on the vanity in front of her. Then he turned and went into the bathroom.


    Yunice slowed her drying motions.


    She had dropped that towel on purpose. She wanted Wyan to see her clearly.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 268

    hapter 268 Nightmares


    Finished


    Although Wyatt never brought up Paul again, it did not mean the seed of suspicion was not quietly nted in his heart.


    That was precisely why Yunice wanted him to see. There was not a single mark on her body.


    By the time Wyatt finished washing up, Yunice was already in bed, dressed in her pajamas.


    The room was dark, only the soft rustle of fabric as the mattress sank slightly beside her. A corner of the nket lifted, and Wyatty down behind her.


    Nothing happened.


    He did not touch her. Whether it was difort or simply exhaustion, he remained distant.


    Yunice waited a while, tense and uncertain, before she finally drifted off to sleep.


    In her dreams, voices exploded like fireworks in her mind, one after another, each one more piercing than thest.


    ¡°Proof like that? I could write you ten thousand of those. You think it¡¯d matter?¡±


    ¡°You cried? What¡¯s so embarrassing? Just shout it out; your little hole wants a bird. No one here¡¯s judging, hahahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Still hitting people? I see¡­ You¡¯re just mad you¡¯re losing.¡±


    ¡°Officer, my sister¡¯s situation¡­ Please keep it private. She¡¯s still


    young¡­¡±


    ¡°Small girl, petty mind. She¡¯s dragged the Powell family name through the mud.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, sue us. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s got more evidence.¡±


    ¡°Learning to restore your hymen at such a young age. What was it? Family business? Don¡¯t tell me your brother did the surgery himself.¡±


    ¡°Why care what they say? You¡¯re my fianc¨¦e. Sleeping with you is my right. Why the tears?¡±


    ¡°Could you just stop causing drama? Why did you even go to a hospital for that test? Now people areughing at me. They say I¡¯m inadequate, say you¡¯re so deep I can¡¯t reach the bottom. Have you no shame?¡±


    ¡°Nooo, I don¡¯t want to go to school anymore. They say my sister has a disease, so I must have one


    too¡­¡±


    ¡®Elsie, sweetie, keep your clothes and things separate from your sister¡¯s. Her crowd¡¯s messy; don¡¯t get involved.¡±


    9:05 PM & <b>S </b>


    Chapter 268 Nightmares


    something like this?¡±


    ¦¯


    0


    Finished


    ¡°Yunice! Who told you to wear Elsie¡¯s clothes? From now on, don¡¯t touch anything in this house!¡±


    ¡°Yunny, move into the school dorm¡­¡®¡±


    ¡°Teacher, we don¡¯t want to share a room with her!¡±


    ¡°Take your little certificates and go kneel in front of your dad¡¯s grave. Think about what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    Documents rained from the sky above Yunice¡¯s head. Proofs, reports, all of them meaningless yet overwhelming. Like a web of shame and judgment, tightening around her throat, smothering


    her.


    In the dim light of the bedroom, Yunice¡¯s body trembled. Her neck twitched violently, and then she growled in her sleep, her voice cold and sharp, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you! Kill all of you!¡±


    Wyatt turned, switching on themp.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes remained shut, her brows deeply furrowed, her body tense with suppressed rage.


    Wyatt asked, ¡°Kill who?¡±


    His voice rang out like a bell cutting through the chaos of a crowded street.


    Yunice jolted awake. The fierceness in her eyes dissolved in an instant. She blinked innocently, turning her head to look at him. ¡°Did I talk in my sleep?¡±


    Letting out a breath, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. ¡°Just a nightmare. Scared me to death.¡±


    She nced toward the window. Soft light began to seep through the edges of the curtain.


    Dawn was breaking.


    No longer sleepy, Yunice sat up. ¡°You go ahead and sleep. I¡¯ll read for a bit.¡±


    The college entrance exam was only two months away. She needed every moment.


    Wyatt reminded her, ¡°The team¡¯s moving into the project today. We¡¯re doing a site visit. Northvale¡¯s still rubble. It¡¯ll take a lot of walking to get through it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Yunice said.


    She went to the study. Wyatt sat up too, one hand behind his head, the other fiddling with his phone, brows furrowed. He didn¡¯t go back to sleep either.


    9:05 PM &


    Chapter 268 Nightmares


    mapping out ns.


    Finished


    On the other side. Wyatt was surrounded by a group of senior executives, heading toward the temporary office on site.


    After a full morning of work, the canteen began distributing boxed lunches. Gill even made a special trip to bring Yunice some freshly made dishes.


    Though she had a head injury, it was only superficial. She had not stayed in the hospital as she could not bear to leave her food stall. Business had been boomingtely, with loyal customers begging her to set up shop more often.


    ¡°Good thing I¡¯m near the site. I can bring you food whenever,¡± she said, then nced around and lowered her voice. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Cooper?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in the meeting room,¡± Yunice replied.


    Gill frowned. ¡°You¡¯re his wife. Why are you the one out here doing site surveys? And he¡¯s in a cushy room with air¨Cconditioning, feeling allfortable?¡±


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad. It¡¯s only May. The weather¡¯s nice. Besides, I need to start from the ground up if I want to learn anything. If I went straight into a meeting room, I wouldn¡¯t understand a thing.¡±


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


    40

 Daghter 269

    hapter 269


    Gill suddenly lit up with an idea.


    She stuffed the meatball container into Yunice¡¯s hands. ¡°Ms. Saunders, take this and go deliver lunch to Mr. Cooper!¡±


    Yunice nced toward the direction of the temporary office. That did not sound like a bad idea.


    They were under the same roof, after all. Showing a bit of attentiveness would not hurt.


    Yunice made her way across the construction site toward the office building.


    Most people on¨Csite did not know her identity. Wyatt¡¯s wedding had not made the papers, and news of it had only circted in elite social circles.


    That worked well for Yunice.


    ¡°Yunice!¡± A voice rose from afar.


    The moment she heard Owen¡¯s voice, a wave of instinctive disgust surged through her.


    He came charging toward her, eyes wide, scanning her up and down. When he confirmed she was unharmed, his expression twisted into fury. ¡°I thought they were all crazy, but you¡¯re really alive! Why didn¡¯t youe home? Don¡¯t you know how worried everyone was?¡±


    Owen was practically shouting, his voice tearing through the quiet lunch hour.


    Nearby workers and staff all turned to look.


    Yunice gave him a look of cold revulsion. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    She led him toward a small grove beside the site, away from prying eyes.


    As soon as they stopped, Owen¡¯s temper reignited. Seeing the lunchbox in her hands only fueled his anger, so he smacked it away in one motion. ¡°You still have the appetite to eat?!¡±


    Yunice stared down at the meatballs rolling across the dirt, her expression losing all patience.


    Owen did not stop. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you contacted anyone in the family? Do you even know Oscar¡¯s back? He¡¯s been fighting with everyone in the house over you! If you¡¯re alive, why hide? Don¡¯t you owe him at least that? You¡¯reing home tonight no matter what!¡±


    Yunice did not respond, as if the words simply passed by her cars.


    Owen sneered, ¡°Elsie¡¯s really going to give your identity back this time.¡± Then added, ¡°Oscar¡¯s ready to flip the house over because of this.¡±


    D


    9:05 PM ¡¤


    Finished


    Yunice¡¯s eyes flickered slightly. After a few seconds, she said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Owen finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Now that she had Wyatt and Carl backing her, he was honestly afraid she would not even acknowledge him.


    Once he left, Yunice stared at the ruined lunch on the ground, a little regretful.


    Meanwhile, in the temporary office, Wyatt sat with his leather shoes propped on the table. In front of him, a small¨Ctime contractor was fawning with ttery. ¡°Mr. Cooper, you can rest assured. If you entrust this project to me, I¡¯ll make sure it¡¯s done perfectly with wless


    execution!¡±


    Wyatt closed the project file and encouraged the contractor a little.


    The contractor was over the moon. He had no idea what stroke of luck hadnded him this contract. Getting picked by Wyatt was like winning the lottery.


    Instead of leaving, he took out a small gift box and ced it gently on the table. ¡°I heard you recently got married, Mr. Cooper. This is just a little something for your wife. Please don¡¯t mind¡­¡±


    Wyatt barely reacted, giving a disinterested nod. As soon as the man left, he casually swept the gift straight into the trash without a second nce.


    Just then, Jordan walked in. Wyatt was about to call Yunice over for lunch.


    ¡°She¡¯s already eaten,¡± Jordan said. ¡°Gill brought her some meatballs.¡±


    Hearing that, Wyatt frowned slightly and hung up. But to his surprise, Yunice actually returned the missed call. ¡°Sorry, I was busy just now. Didn¡¯t see your call. Did you need something?¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Do I need a reason to call you?¡±


    Yunice paused, then softened her voice. ¡°Have you eaten yet? Gill gave me some meatballs earlier. I was going to bring them to you, but I identally dropped them.¡±


    Wyatt let out a long breath and leanedzily back in his chair. ¡°Make it up to me next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Yunice replied.


    Jordan lingered in the office, pacing around, pretending to tidy up, just to eavesdrop.


    A good assistant¡¯s top skill? Reading their boss¡¯s true feelings.


    After yesterday¡¯s chaos at the wedding, gossip had been flying left and right. Yet somehow, the couple seemedpletely unfazed.


    9:05 PM


    Finished


    She and Victor sat casually on a rock at the construction site, marking notes on blueprints with pens in hand.


    The Northvale project was set to be thergest hospital in Silverburgh. Theyout of each department required meticulous nning, not just for efficiency, but for life¨Csaving transitions during emergencies.


    Yunice¡¯s medical expertise, paired with Victor¡¯s architectural skills, made them the perfect team. That¡¯s exactly why Carl put the two of them together.


    Victor tapped the paper. ¡°Let me tweak this section a bit.¡±

 Daghter 270

    Chapter 270 Not the Same Yunice


    up


    Finished


    The tip of his pen moved swiftly across the blueprint, lines flowing like water. Yunice watched intently,pletely immersed, until something lightly pressed down on the top of her head.


    Startled, she looked up, just in time to see Wyatt mischievously withdraw his fist with a smirk.


    He turned to Victor, who was seated nearby. ¡°How long will the blueprint take?¡±


    Victor answered, ¡°A week at most to finalize.¡±


    Wyatt gave a distracted nod, his eyes drifting back to Yunice. His voice softened, ¡°I¡¯ve got a dinner arrangement tonight.¡±


    Yunice replied casually, ¡°Perfect timing. I¡¯m meeting the Saunders family myself.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re meeting the Saunders family?¡± Victor frowned. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    No sooner had he spoken than Wyatt shot him a cold, side¨Ceyed nce.


    Victor¡¯s brows furrowed. Of course he could feel the silent pressure rolling off Wyatt like a storm front.


    Yunice did not let hime along. After work, s family had sent.


    drove alone to the address the Saunders


    In the parking lot, the first person she saw was Elsie. Her face was half¨Ccovered by a surgical mask, her exposed skin powdered porcin¨Cwhite.


    The moment she saw Yunice, she moved with delicate, trembling steps, her voice fragile and tremulous. ¡°Yunice¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes swept the area with icy sarcasm. Who was she putting on a show for this time?


    i


    ¡°There¡¯s no one else here,¡± Elsie whispered, as if reading her mind. ¡°I just want to sincerely apologize. I promise, I¡¯ll return your identity to you. Oscar and Owen even brought a notary¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she bit her lip, her eyes welling up with tears.


    Right then, Owen finished parking and walked straight into the scene. Seeing Elsie¡¯s tearful face, he stormed over and ced himself protectively in front of her. ¡°She¡¯s already agreed to return your identity. And you¡¯re still bullying her?¡±


    ¡°Owen, you¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± Elsie interjected quickly. ¡°Yunice hasn¡¯t said anything¡­¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to speak. I can see it in her eyes. If <b>I </b>hadn¡¯t shown up just now, who knows what you would¡¯ve done to her!¡± Owen red at Yunice. ¡°Now that she¡¯s climbed the socialdder, she doesn¡¯t care about her parents or brothers. You think she¡¯ll show you any kindness<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    9:05 PM


    Chapter 270 Not the Same Yunice


    ¡°Yunny.¡± The voice came from behind. It was was Oscar.


    Finished


    The two brothers had always been at odds. Upon seeing Oscar, Owen pulled Elsie along and disappeared into the private dining room.


    ¡°Yunny¡­¡± Oscar stepped closer. ¡°Why won¡¯t you even turn around? Do you not recognize your big brother anymore?¡±


    Yunice took a deep breath before turning slowly. ¡°Mr. Oscar.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s eyes trembled, brimming with tears. His jaw quivered. ¡°I¡¯m back now! No one will hurt you again.¡±


    He gestured toward the hotel. Anger and guilt twisted his expression. ¡°Everything Elsie stole from you, I¡¯ll get it back. And Owen? I won¡¯t let him off easy either! Unless¡­ you¡¯re still angry with me. Is that it? You¡¯re mad because I signed that affidavit, so you think I¡¯m just like him, like Owen. But I swear, I really thought he was doing it for your good back then. That¡¯s why I¡­¡±


    He exhaled heavily, the pain in his voice unmistakable. ¡°There¡¯s no point in exining now. Let¡¯s go upstairs. I¡¯ll prove it to you.¡±


    As they stepped into the elevator, he reached out, trying to hold the door open for her, but Yunice silently stepped out of reach, avoiding his touch with a graceful pivot.


    ¡°This way,¡± Oscar said, pushing open the private room door.


    Yunice stood <i>at </i>the threshold, the center of every gaze in the room.


    She had dressed with care tonight. Even her handbag was a luxury brand. Her gaze swept across the room. Familiar faces, but not a single one she truly knew.


    She thought silently. <i>Well </i><i>done</i><i>¡­ </i><i>Elsie </i><i>really </i><i>went </i><i>all </i><i>out </i><i>gathering </i><i>this </i><i>crowd</i>.


    Ignoring the stares, Yunice walked in, calm as ice, took her seat, and casually set her bag beside her.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes were drawn to her hand. The glint of her wedding ring was impossible to miss.


    ¡°You got married?¡± someone blurted out in surprise.


    Elsie quickly piped up with a smile, ¡°Yes, Yunice just got married yesterday. She must¡¯ve forgotten to tell everyone.¡±


    What a coincidence. Mr. Paul also got married yesterday.¡±


    As the atmosphere shifted and people began exchanging strange looks, Oscar cut in, sensing the change. ¡°Enough of that. We¡¯re not here for gossip. You¡¯re all Yunny¡¯s ssmates and old acquaintances. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of her real identity.¡±


    9:05 PM


    Chapter 270 Not the Same Yunice


    0


    Finished


    all of you to sign a joint statement confirming her identity <i>so </i>she can reim her household registration.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Oscar, don¡¯t be in such a rush,¡± a small¨Ctime businessman said with a sly grin. ¡°We¡¯re all friends here. Shouldn¡¯t we share a few drinks and catch up a little? Can¡¯t let everyonee all this way for nothing.¡±


    Yunice leaned back in her chair, eyespletely disinterested. She did not even spare the man a nce.


    Oscar had said these were her ssmates and friends. But he got one thing very, very wrong.


    These people were not her friends. They were the very ones who had bullied her in school. Every wound she had carried, every moment of suffering, these people had been right there behind it, pushing.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

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    Chapter 271 No Deal, No Fear


    0


    Ÿo¤·


    D


    Finished


    Lily rose with a warm smile. ¡°You¡¯re right. Everyone¡¯se from far away. Let¡¯s eat first and talk businesster. Oscar¡¯s just a bit too earnest, that¡¯s all¡­¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up a wine bottle. ¡°Come, I will pour for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Madam Lily, no!¡± Someone quickly stood and blocked her hand. ¡°You¡¯re a senior; how could we let you pour for us?¡±


    He then took the initiative, walking around the table to fill everyone¡¯s sses. When he reached Yunice, he picked up her cup, filled it to the brim, and raised it toward her.


    ¡°Yunice, we¡¯ve all known each other since way back. It¡¯s been years. You just got married yesterday, but we didn¡¯t get to celebrate, so tonight, let us all toast to you.¡±


    Oscar clenched his fists. ¡°Yunice doesn¡¯t drink.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± The room erupted inughter. ¡°Oscar, are you serious? You really don¡¯t know your own sister, do you? She can drink.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! You¡¯ve been away too long. Yunice is not the quiet girl you remember. She can party hard. A little alcohol¡¯s nothing to her.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s hands balled even tighter. ¡°Are you all really here to help?¡±


    ¡°Oscar,e on. Drinking¡¯s not a crime. We¡¯re all drinking. You¡¯ve just been out of the loop for too long. You¡¯re too uptight.¡±


    Sensing the tension, Elsie stood with a ss in hand and said sweetly, ¡°Everyone came at my invitation. It means a lot. I¡¯ll lead by example.¡±


    Then, she tilted her head back and downed the wine in one go.


    She turned to Yunice with a gentle smile. ¡°Yunice, everyone¡¯s being so weing. You can just drink a little.¡±


    Yunice had chronic stomach issues. Even with careful management, drinking waspletely off- limits.


    Her eyes swept over the group. ¡°I heard everyone here is doing quite well now. You must¡¯ve all turned down important business toe tonight, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    They nodded and chimed in.


    ¡°Yeah, I canceled a meeting just to be here. You can¡¯t make us drink alone, can you?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I even skipped a date.¡±


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    Chapter 271 No Deal, No Fear


    Finished


    Yunice smiled and turned to Elsie. ¡°Did you hear that? Everyone sacrificed a lot just to be here at your request. If you only drink one ss, isn¡¯t that a bit¡­ disappointing?¡±


    Elsie froze.


    Owen stiffened. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? You know very well Elsie has health issues. She could barely manage one drink!¡±


    Yunice turned her gaze on him. ¡°If she can¡¯t drink, well, isn¡¯t that what her dear brother is for? Can¡¯t you drink for her?¡±


    Oscar stared at Yunice, stunned. In his memory, she had always been soft¨Cspoken and obedient. When did she grow such a sharp tongue?


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll drink!¡± Owen grabbed the bottle and filled his ss to the top. ¡°Thanks foring, everyone.¡±


    He downed three sses in a row, then mmed the cup down and red at Yunice. ¡°I¡¯m done. Your turn.¡±


    All eyes turned to her. Now it was her move.


    Oscar looked around at the crowd and blurted, ¡°I¡¯ll drink for my sister.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to jump in, Oscar. We¡¯re not forcing Yunice. Owen stepped in for Elsie because of her stomach problems. Yunice isn¡¯t in the same boat, is she? And it¡¯s just one drink. Don¡¯t act like we¡¯re ganging up on her.¡±


    One man leaned in close to Yunice, pushing the ss toward her with an oily smile. ¡°If you won¡¯t drink, it feels like you¡¯re looking down on us. And if that¡¯s the case, how are we supposed to help you, huh?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s lips curled slightly, her gaze locking on his face. It was a look halfway between amusement and mockery. Then she reached out and took the ss from his hand.


    The man grinned wider, thinking she was warming up to him.


    Everyone around the table started cheering, urging her to drink, But just then, Yunice turned her


    wrist.


    With a smooth flick, she poured the wine onto the floor.


    ¡°I offer this cup to all of you,¡± she said loudly.


    The room fell silent.


    Pouring wine on the floor? That was a toast to the dead.


    Die and difort enroad <b>ernce </b>the table ¡°What the hall de van maan hu thar?¡±


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    Chapter 271 No Deal, No Fear


    Finished


    ¡°Oh,e on,¡± someone scoffed. ¡°We were just teasing you back in school. You¡¯re not still holding a grudge, are you? Seriously, how petty can you be?¡±


    ¡°Cursing us like that, and you still expect us to help you?¡±


    Yunice ced the ss calmly back on the table. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who invited you. I¡¯m not the one asking for your help. So don¡¯te begging for my respect.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡±


    Everyone turned to Elsie. Surely, she would not just sit back now?


    Elsie looked helplessly to Lily and Owen.


    Owen was panicking, mouthing silent words at Yunice, ¡°Don¡¯t you want your identity back?!¡±


    Oscar¡¯s brow furrowed deeply, his heart racing with anxiety. He had orchestrated this entire dinner to help Yunice reim her rightful status.


    Now, with the bureaucratic hurdles involved in changing household registration, they needed signed statements and proof from these people. If they refused to cooperate, everything would fall apart.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


    40

 Daghter 272

    Chapter 272 Keep It, I Don¡¯t Want It


    Oscar wanted to persuade Yunice to bear with it, at least until they secured her household registration.


    Finished


    But Yunice only smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t Elsie desperate to squeeze her way into the Saunders family registry? Then I¡¯ll be generous and gift it to her. I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡±


    Everyone froze, stunned by her words, especially Lily. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t want it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yunice looked at her with a gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯m useless, don¡¯t have a job, and my mental health is terrible. Having an ID is a waste on me. Why not be selfless and pave a better road for Elsie?¡±


    Even Oscar, seated beside her, was dumbstruck. He tugged at Yunice¡¯s sleeve under the table, trying to keep her from saying something foolish.


    But Yunice was not being foolish. She meant every word.


    She had already applied for a new identity. Though she was no longer under the Saunders family registry, she now belonged to Carl¡¯s family. And between the two, whose registry carried more weight? Was it not obvious?


    Back then, she had no choice, so she fought. But now she had options. And who would not choose the better one?


    Owen nced at her, guilt shing in his eyes. ¡°You really mean that?¡±


    He thought Yunice had finally decided to stop fighting with Elsie. Her voluntary retreat made him feel vaguely indebted.


    Yunice smiled lightly. ¡°I was foolish not to die in that car crash. If I had, Elsie could¡¯ve gone on using my identity openly and rightfully.¡±


    The moment she brought up the ident, Owen visibly flinched, like a cat with its tail stepped on. His face changed instantly.


    He did not dare meet her eyes.


    But Yunice¡¯s gaze spoke volumes. She knew. She knew he was the one who hit her that day.


    Overwhelmed by guilt, Owen kept his mouth shut for the <b>rest </b>of the meal.


    Lily nudged him under the table, but all he said was, ¡°Mom, she doesn¡¯t want the identity anymore. Isn¡¯t that a good thing? What¡¯s there to be upset about¡­¡±


    Seeing him silent, Lily stood and pulled Yunice up by the arm. ¡°Yunny,e with Mom for a


    moment.


    9:05 PM


    D


    Chapter 272 Keep It, I Don¡¯t Want It


    Finished


    ¡°Yunny,¡± Lily began earnestly, ¡°one should always remember and appreciate their roots. You can¡¯t just turn your back on your father because Mr. Carl has money.¡±


    She tried to sound warm and sincere. ¡°After all, you¡¯re only his goddaughter. Don¡¯t let momentary riches blind you.¡±


    Inside the room¡­


    Elsie spotted Yunice¡¯s purse left unattended on the seat. She reached for it, but before her hand could close around it, another palm came down hard.


    Oscar stared at her coldly. ¡°Stealing in broad daylight?¡±


    Elsie stayed calm. ¡°Oscar, you¡¯ve misunderstood. There¡¯s something of mine in Yunice¡¯s bag. I was just retrieving what belongs to me.¡±


    Oscar snatched the purse away. ¡°Taking what isn¡¯t yours without asking is stealing. Didn¡¯t your family teach you basic manners?¡±


    The others all looked annoyed, as though Oscar was ruining the mood. After all, they had gathered for entertainment.


    Everyone still remembered how they had bullied Yunice in high school.


    Now years had passed, and they had each found sess in their respective fields. Refined, polished, and respectable on the surface, but deep inside, those seeds of guilt had never withered.


    When word got out that the girl they had tormented had returned, they came together again¡­ drawn by the same dark impulse.


    ¡°Oscar, here, let me toast you,¡± someone offered with a grin. ¡°I heard you¡¯ve been doing well with your research. I might need to pick your brain someday¡­¡±


    They had a n. Get Oscar drunk, and Yunice would be left defenseless.


    Outside the room¡­


    Yunice held up her phone calmly. ¡°I recorded everything you just said. I¡¯ll send it to Mr. Carlter.¡±


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Lily¡¯s face turned green as she lunged for the phone, only to realize there was no recording at all.


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°So even you know you were talking nonsense.¡±


    Since reason did not work, Lily quickly changed tactics. Sheunched into ament about the family business struggling, months without ie. ¡°If you can¡¯t help with money, can¡¯t you at least say a good word for us?¡±


    9:05 PM


    Chapter 272 Keep It. I Don¡¯t Want It


    goddaughter too.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Finished


    Lily added solemnly, ¡°Elsie is well¨Cmannered. Mr. Carl already likes her. He¡¯s just afraid you¡¯ll feel slighted, so he asked me to talk to you first. If you throw a tantrum over this, don¡¯t me <b>him </b>for thinking you¡¯re selfish.¡±


    Yunice let out augh, bitter and hollow. ¡°Lily, maybe you don¡¯t realize¡­. The moment you start thinking for me, I don¡¯t feel warm. I feel a chill. When have you ever truly considered me? Every word out of your mouth is for Elsie¡¯s benefit.¡±


    Lily put on a wounded expression. ¡°I just wanted you to say a few nice things about her to Mr. Carl. How does that hurt you?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s smile disappeared. Her voice dropped, icy and firm. ¡°I will never let Mr. Carl take Elsie as his goddaughter.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face flushed red with fury.


    Just then, the door to the private room opened, and someone poked their head out. ¡°Yunice, your big brother¡¯s drunk. Do you want toe take a look?¡±

 Daghter 273

    hapter 273 Checkmate


    O


    Òô


    e


    0


    Finished


    Yunice nced sideways and saw inside the private room. Oscar slumped over the table and waspletely unconscious.


    Oscar was a researcher, someone who normally never touched alcohol. One drink was enough to knock him out.


    Her gaze swept over the roomful of ill¨Cintentioned people, thennded on Owen.


    Those two had always been at odds. Owen likely would not bother helping Oscar now.


    In the end, Yunice still could not forget the past. She stepped back into the room, walked up to Oscar, and gently patted his shoulder. ¡°Oscar?¡± she called softly, twice.


    No response.


    Owen caught the motion, and a sh of jealousy flickered in his eyes.


    If it had been him passed out at the table, Yunice would have walked right past without a second nce.


    That thought gnawed at him, and he took another bitter sip of wine.


    ¡°Wait, Yunice. Don¡¯t leave just yet.¡± Elsie suddenly stood up. ¡°My stuff is still in your bag.¡±


    Yunice was certain she had not taken anything of Elsie¡¯s, but she still asked, ¡°What stuff?¡±


    Elsie smiled sweetly. ¡°I gave you my ID just now. Since you don¡¯t want it anymore, give it back to


    me.¡±


    She smiled. Yunice smiled too. She picked up her bag and asked, ¡°You¡¯re saying it¡¯s in here?¡±


    Elsie put on a pitiful face. ¡°Yunice¡­ don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve changed your mind? You don¡¯t want to give it back? But the photo¡¯s still mine. What¡¯s the use of you keeping it?¡±


    The people nearby began to jeer.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she act all generous just now? Can¡¯t even keep it up for five minutes?¡±


    ¡°If you want us to believe you didn¡¯t take it, at least open your bag and let us look.¡±


    ¡°She definitely doesn¡¯t dare open it. Who knows what she¡¯s hiding? Don¡¯t forget what she used to carry back in high school!¡±


    ¡°Should¡¯ve stopped Oscar from drinking. At least then he¡¯d see what kind of sister he really has.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes passed over their cager, mocking faces. Yes, she used to prove her innocence in


    9:05 PM


    Chapter 273 Checkmate


    Not anymore.


    Calmly, Yunice said, ¡°Call the police.¡±


    She pressed the service bell.


    Finished


    When the waiter arrived, Yunice pulled out a wad of cash and handed it over. ¡°Could you please find two people to help carry him out?¡±


    She pointed at Oscar


    At that moment, Owen, now tipsy himself, groaned with his head in his hands, cheeks flushed red. ¡°Yunny¡­¡±


    Yunice nced at him, then looked away as if she had not heard.


    As the waiter came in to lift Oscar, a man who had been ignored all night suddenly lunged forward and yanked her handbag. ¡°Who said you could leave?¡±


    With a hard pull, the bag slipped from Yunice¡¯s shoulder and crashed to the floor.


    The man red at her, then turned to Elsie. ¡°Go ahead, check it. So many of us are here. What¡¯s she going to do?¡±


    This man had long been harboring sleazy thoughts about Yunice. He thought she was pretty and seemed ¡®open¡® in private. Now he saw a chance to take her down a peg.


    Elsie, delighted, rushed over to pick up the bag.


    1


    Yunice sneered. ¡°There¡¯s a needle in there meant for sewing mouths shut. Want me to use it on you?¡±


    Eisie¡¯s hand trembled. She suddenly remembered who was backing Yunice. It was Wyatt. And she definitely remembered the pain of having her mouth sewn shut.


    She reflexively recoiled. But the man was not afraid. He grabbed Yunice¡¯s bag and turned it upside down.


    In that instance, bundles of cash hit the floor. Then, with a soft clink, a massive diamond ring rolled out.


    Everyone stood up to gawk.


    That can¡¯t be real, right? Who has a diamond that big?¡±


    ¡°Who carries that much cash in their bag unless they¡¯re showing off?¡±


    The man shook the bag again until it waspletely empty. No personal items. No sign of Elsie¡¯s


    9:05 PM ¡¤


    Chapter 273 Checkmate


    e


    Elsie let out a casual, ¡°Oh. Maybe I remembered wrong. Sorry, Yunice.¡±


    Finished


    That was how she always was. Using light and breezy apologies to dismiss the humiliation she had just caused.


    Yunice replied evenly, ¡°It¡¯s fine. When legales to collect evidenceter, just remember to wire thepensation fee to my ount.¡±


    Elsie blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yunice was already taking photos of the scene, specifically, the scattered cash and the gleaming, pigeon¨Cegg¨Csized diamond ring on the floor. ¡°This is a colorless South African diamond. Current market value? Around 7 million dors. The base has a new scratch. Repair cost¡­.roughly 410,000 dors. But you know how luxury goods are. Once repaired, they lose value. You¡¯ll need to cover the depreciation, too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and there was 3,000 dors in cash in my bag,¡± she added as she started counting the bills on the floor. ¡°Huh¡­ howe so much is missing?¡±


    The man who had yanked her bag stared at her in disbelief. ¡°What are you saying? Are you using us of stealing?¡±


    Yunice lifted her phone and took a full group shot of everyone in the room. ¡°I just withdrew that 3,000 dors today. The receipt¡¯s still in my coat pocket. If none of you took it, who did? You¡¯re all here. No one leaves.¡±


    <b>Send Gifts </b>

 Daghter 274

    apter 274 Don¡¯t Make Me Call My Husband


    Only those who have truly been wronged know how deep that injustice runs.


    The man was furious. ¡°Keep dragging us into this nonsense, and I swear I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°You all owe me exactly 1.11 million dors,¡± Yunice interrupted calmly.


    ¡°Your ass!¡± The man lunged, reaching to grab her cor.


    0


    Finished


    Yunice raised her voice without flinching. ¡°I suggest you behave. Right now, you¡¯re dealing with me. If my husband shows up, things will get ugly.¡±


    The moment she mentioned her husband, Elsie¡¯s face turned ashen. She instantly clutched the man¡¯s arm, her voice trembling. ¡°It¡¯s just money, just a little money. Let¡¯s not make a big deal out of it with my sister¡­¡±


    The man looked at her like she¡¯d lost her mind. ¡°Little money? 1.11 million?! Have youpletely lost it?¡±


    He flung off her hand. ¡°Since you¡¯re such a saint, you pay!¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face copsed. ¡°I haven¡¯t even officially started working yet¡­ I really don¡¯t have that kind of money.¡±


    The man rolled his eyes. ¡°Then why act all noble? You think I should pay for your mess? You¡¯re the one who falsely used her. It¡¯s on you!¡±


    Elsie tried to shift me. ¡°But I didn¡¯t tell you to grab her bag¡­¡±


    The man was furious. ¡°Oh, so now I¡¯m the idiot in your little scam?¡±


    Someone nearby muttered, ¡°How do we know that ring¡¯s even real? Could be a con to trap us.¡±


    Yunice raised a brow. ¡°Well then, I suppose I¡¯ll have my husband verify it.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Elsie let out a sharp cry, panicked. The mere thought of Wyatt made her blood run cold.


    Even if it meant losing everything tonight, she could not afford to let hime.


    She immediately turned back to the crowd, almost pleading. ¡°Please don¡¯t doubt Yunice. That ring is definitely real. We broke her stuff. It¡¯s only right we pay.¡±


    Her words had barelynded when the room exploded.


    ¡°Elsie, you hypocrite! I¡¯ve had enough of you!¡±


    ¡°This whole thing¡¯s a setup, isn¡¯t it? You two sisters are scamming us. Has the Saunders family


    9:05 PM ¡¤


    Chapter 274 Don¡¯t Make Me Call My Husband


    e


    Sensing trouble, people began to inch toward the door.


    Finished


    Elsie was stuck in the middle, like an ant on a hot pan. She turned desperately to Owen, but he was too drunk to even stand.


    Panicked, she stomped her foot. ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll borrow the money! I¡¯ll write IOUS, okay?¡±


    Someone sneered. ¡°Why are you so scared of her? Is her husband really that powerful?¡±


    <i>Powerful</i><i>? </i><i>The </i><i>man </i>who <i>once </i><i>sewed </i><i>someone¡¯s </i><i>mouth </i>shut in a fit of <i>anger</i>? That was <i>an </i><i>understatement</i><i>. </i>


    Elsie sped her hands and sobbed, pleading. ¡°Please, I¡¯m begging you all¡­¡±


    Her tears were convincing, but no one wanted to be the scapegoat. They hade for fun and left with drama.


    There were eleven people in the room. Evenly split, they each owed over 95,000 dors.


    Someone finally sighed, ¡°I can lend 3,000 dors; take it or leave it.¡±


    The rest echoed simrly modest offers. After collecting everything, they were still 700,000 dors short.


    Elsie looked pitifully at the man who had grabbed Yunice¡¯s bag, eyes swimming with tears.


    He scratched his head in disbelief. ¡°We¡¯re looking at 700,000 dors!¡±


    Yunice smiled faintly. ¡°Her boyfriend¡¯s the eldest son of the Powell family. Surely 700,000 dors isn¡¯t a problem?¡±


    That seemed to convince him. With a half¨Cnce at Elsie and perhaps with an ulterior motive, he pulled out a check. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll lend you 700,000 dors.¡±


    Yunice reminded coolly, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the IOUS, everyone. It¡¯s best to have documentation. It saves argumentster.¡±


    Elsie shot her a venomous re, on the verge of choking from rage. She had only gone through Yunice¡¯s bag hoping to fish out something valuable and ended up losing so much money.


    Once the dust settled, Yunice scribbled an ount number. ¡°Go cash the check yourself and wire the money to this ount.¡±


    She nced sideways at Elsie. ¡°Handle it quickly. Don¡¯t make me follow up.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes were red with anger. She nearly bit through her own lip.


    Yunice slung her bag over her shoulder and left with Oscar.<ul><li></li></ul>


    9:05


    0


    Chapter 274 Don¡¯t Make Me Call My Husband


    Finished


    ¡°Who is her husband, anyway?¡± a woman asked, gossip lighting her eyes. ¡°Did she hook up with some rich guy as the other woman?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± someone added. ¡°If she married into a decent family, she¡¯d be unting it already.¡±


    ¡°Come on, Elsie, tell us. What does her husband do?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s heart twisted with jealousy. These people were all shameless opportunists. If they knew Yunice¡¯s husband was Wyatt, they would drop her in a heartbeat and rush to tter Yunice.


    She forced a sneer. ¡°Just some middleman in the jewelry business. I¡¯m mainly worried about my sister. He¡¯s¡­ not kind to her.¡±


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 275

    Chapter 275 Say Goodbye, Oscar


    ¡°What? He hits her?¡± someone asked.


    Finished


    Elsie nodded solemnly. ¡°He¡¯s violent. And my sister¡­ she has a past. Men like that don¡¯t forgive easily. Her life must be hard.¡±


    ¡°True. What kind of man wants a woman with¡­ a history?¡±


    Just then, Elsie felt a sharp gaze at her back. She turned and met the stormy eyes of Carl.


    He heard everything.


    Her whole body went cold. She scrambled after him. ¡°Mr. Carl, wait! It¡¯s not what


    you


    think¡­¡±


    But Carl turned away without a word. Standing beside him, Victor stepped in to block her path.


    ¡°Ms. Elsie,¡± he said coldly, ¡°have some self¨Crespect.¡±


    His tone was firm, heavy with disapproval.


    Elsie¡¯s eyes filled with tears of grievance. Victor was Carl¡¯s godson. Now that both his godson and goddaughter disliked her, how could she ever dream of joining their family?


    It <i>was </i><i>all </i><i>Yunice¡¯s </i><i>fault</i><i>! </i>


    At that moment, Yunice was leaning against the wall outside the restroom, calm andposed.


    Carl¡¯s appearance had been part of her n.


    She knew Victor would tell him what happened. And if Carl really cared about her, he would show up.


    Those people in the private room were all trash. Of course they would talk once she left. And once they did, he would see Elsie¡¯s true colors.


    Elsie dreaming of bing a daughter of the Crawford family? Absurd.


    Footsteps echoed from the restroom. Lily emerged, rubbing hand cream into her fingers, only to stop short when she saw Yunice.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°You were in there for quite a while. Should I get you something for your stomach?¡±


    Lily forced augh. ¡°What nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Yunice said, eyes cool. ¡°You don¡¯t have stomach issues. You were hiding. You¡¯re the elder here. Those people wouldn¡¯t dare cross the line in your presence. But you conveniently


    9:06 PM


    Chapter 275 Say Goodbye, Oscar


    0


    D


    Finished


    Lily¡¯s expression twitched, but she did not admit anything. ¡°You¡¯re just paranoid. You think everyone in the world is bad; only you are good.¡±


    Yunice chuckled and stuffed her hands into her pockets. ¡°You should head back. Your precious daughter¡¯s probably crying her eyes out.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened. With a terrible feeling rising in her chest, she rushed back to the private


    room.


    Sure enough, Elsie was hunched over the table, sobbing uncontrobly. Lily tried asking what happened but got no answer.


    She turned to Owen, only to have him cling to her drunkenly, refusing to let go.


    She was exhausted.


    Meanwhile, Yunice remained in the hallway, staring at the still¨Cunconscious Oscar. She did not meet up with Carl.


    A waiter brought over the lemon water she requested. Yunice gently poured some into Oscar¡¯s mouth.


    Oscar frowned, then stirred after a few minutes. Still woozy, he blinked at her face and froze.


    ¡°Yunny!¡± he gasped in surprise.


    But her cold expression made his heart sink. She was no longer the soft little sister he once knew.


    Looking at her distant eyes, Oscar felt a deep ache in his chest. He leaned his head against the wall and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve only been gone a few years. How did everything change so much? You¡¯ve all be people I don¡¯t recognize¡­¡±


    His voice cracked, ¡°Owen¡¯s lost, but I¡¯ve always been on your side. Why won¡¯t you even acknowledge me?¡±


    Yunice looked up. ¡°The medical malpractice records from the Saunders Hospital¡­ I sent them to


    you.


    Oscar froze.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t expose them,¡± she said softly. That told me everything I needed to know<b>.</b>¡±


    Oscar muttered, ¡°Yunny, we¡¯re family¡­¡±


    ¡°You have a family to protect,¡± Yunice said. ¡°And I¡¯ve made it my mission to tear that family down. Your goal is harmony and peace. Mine is destruction. Even if you understand me now, one day, you¡¯ll stand against me. Better we part ways now.¡±


    Decar whienered ¡°All herance of those three <b>years </b>in the aculum?<b>¡± </b>


    Chapter 275 Say Goodbye, Oscar


    Yunice¡¯s voice was firm. ¡°Not just those three years.¡±


    Finished


    He said nothing for a long time. As the eldest, he was supposed to honor his mother and care for his siblings. But now, the people he loved were at war, and he was being forced to choose.


    Yunice stood. ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Oscar quickly asked, ¡°Yunny, how far do you n to go? What are you going to do?¡±


    He had not expected an answer. He knew her target was not just Owen or Elsie. If that were the case, she could have crushed them already, with evidence and with Wyatt.


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    Chapter 276 Scam or Charity?


    Yunice didn¡¯t turn her head as she said, ¡°They will lose what they care about the most.¡±


    Revenge made people regret a lot over the long years.


    When she left the hotel, a Maybach was parked outside. Yunice walked over and saw it had Wyatt¡¯s license te. But it wasn¡¯t Wyatt who came; it was Jordan.


    ¡°Mrs. Cooper, Wyatt asked me to pick you up,¡± Jordan said as she got into the car. ¡°He told you to go to bed early and not wait for him.¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°What kind of business takes so long?¡±


    Jordan smiled. ¡°If you want to wear a crown<i>, </i>you must bear the weight.¡±


    Just because he was financially free didn¡¯t mean he could lie down and rx.


    On the way back to Pavilion Hall, Jordan didn¡¯t stop talking. Yunice ended up talking more to him than she did to Wyatt.


    After getting home, Yunice finished washing up, and the servants were well¨Cbehaved, even making her ate¨Cnight snack. While eating, Yunice thought for a moment and decided to give Wyatt a call.


    Wyatt answered.


    Yunice advised him to drink less. Wyatt replied, ¡°That¡¯s not something I can do.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t speak.


    Wyatt paused and then said, ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    After hanging up, Yunice went to bed. She didn¡¯t quite understand the way Wyatt indulged her.


    He didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person who listened to his wife. She also thought that maybe he was just humoring her. One day, when he didn¡¯t feel like pretending, his true nature would show. But it didn¡¯t matter, at least for now, his status was useful.


    Then, Elsie called and angrily said, ¡°I¡¯ve already transferred the money to you, keep it and buy yourself a coffin!¡± The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever seen money? Always finding ways to scam money from your family!¡±


    Last time, the jadeite bracelet scammed her 4.1 million dors, and now it was 1.11 million dors!


    Yuniceughed, ¡°Of course, I want money because you don¡¯t have any. Oh, and you didn¡¯t know, right? Paul¡¯s father froze his bank cards. He might not be able to help you pay back the money anytime soon.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elsie shrieked


    1:07 PM


    Chapter 276 Scam or Charity?


    Finished


    Jensen was too ashamed to show his face these days, and Jackson didn¡¯t even have anyone in charge of the Northvale project.


    To force Paul to return home and toughen him up, Jackson cut off all of Paul¡¯s funds. If he didn¡¯t return soon, he might starve to death abroad.


    Yunice said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it funny? Such a grown man, still relying on his family. The moment his card gets frozen, he has to obey.¡±


    Elsie unwillingly said, ¡°You¡¯re relying on a man, what kind of ability is that?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I learned from you?¡± Yunice said.


    Elsie was so mad that she hung up. Yunice then received a thank¨Cyou call from the welfare center. They specifically thanked Yunice for her contribution to charity. The 1.11 million would be used to improve the living conditions of the children at the welfare center.


    Yunice exchanged a few pleasantries before hanging up. She didn¡¯t want Elsie¡¯s dirty money; this was perfect for charity.


    Elsie didn¡¯t expect Paul to return so quickly.


    In the middle of the night, Oscar was in his roommenting, and Owen was so drunk he didn¡¯t know what was going on. No one noticed Paul sneaking into Elsie¡¯s room through the window.


    Elsie was almost scared to death, and Paul covered her mouth to prevent her from screaming.


    After Elsie calmed down, Paul sat on her bed and said, ¡°I came to find you as soon as I got off the ne. I¡¯m hungry, is there anything to eat?¡±


    Elsie made him some noodles<b>. </b>


    After Paul finished eating, Elsie climbed into his arms, ¡°Paul, I love you so much¡­ After you got married, I¡¯ve been lying awake every night in pain.¡±


    Looking at her broken expression, Paul¡¯s heart softened. He felt that the only person who truly cared for him was Elsie. Love surged in his heart, and Paul immediately pinned Elsie down on the bed, and they had <b>sex</b>.


    Wyatt hadn¡¯t returned all night. Yunice still had to go to the construction site the next day.


    Yunice intended to call Wyatt to show concern, but thinking he might be sleeping somewhere, she only sent him a message. Two hourster, Wyatt still didn¡¯t reply.


    At that time, the boss who had met Wyatt the day before paced outside the temporary office. He had walked around for a long time but still hadn¡¯t seen Wyatte. He did, however, see Yunice. He pulled a project worker he recognized and whispered, ¡°Who is that woman?¡±


    When he learned that Yunice <b>was </b><b>just </b><b>a </b>surveyor, the boss frowned and whispered, ¡°Is there any way <b>we </b>can kick her <b>out </b>of the project?¡±


    0


    O


    Chapter 276 Scam or Charity?


    not to bring it upon yourself.¡±


    The boss touched his nose and didn¡¯t dare to bring it up again.


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    apter 277 Sell The Watch


    Finished


    If Yunice turned around at that moment, she would have recognized that the boss was at Elsie¡¯s party the day before. He valued his cooperation with the Cooper family, and if this deal went through, his resume would have looked fantastic!


    He wanted to get rid of Yunice because he feared she might cause trouble in the future. Luckily, she was just a surveyor, so it didn¡¯t matter much.


    Paul stayed in Elsie¡¯s room without leaving, holding a game controller and ying games day and night.


    Elsie saw his eyes were dark and his chin covered with stubble, so she tearfully persuaded him, ¡°Paul, why don¡¯t you just apologize and go home? Your grandfather and father definitely won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡±


    Paul didn¡¯t say anything, pressing the controller harder.


    Elsie could only step back and say, ¡°Why don¡¯t you call Taylor and have her help you out? She¡¯s your wife, she won¡¯t just watch you suffer.¡±


    Paul coldly said, ¡°You¡¯re asking me to ask a woman for help? Are you kidding me?¡±


    Besides, Taylor looked down on him the most.


    After a while, Paul suddenly realized and looked at the crying Elsie. ¡°Are you short on money?¡±


    When he asked, Elsie became even more aggrieved and started crying, telling him how Yunice scammed her money, how many IOUS she had written, and how she was constantly chased by Oscar for the 5 million.


    ¡°Oscar, who lent me 5 million, keeps pressing me for repayment. He even said that if I don¡¯t pay, I have to sleep with him. One night equals 200 bucks.¡±


    With a loud smack, Paul threw the controller to the floor. ¡°What kind of scum dares to bully my


    woman!¡±


    Elsie looked at him excitedly, thinking he was finally going to stand up, but instead, he took off the watch from his wrist.


    Paul threw the watch into Elsie¡¯s arms, ¡°Sell it. It should be enough to pay off your debts.¡±


    Elsie stared at him in shock. ¡°This watch <b>is </b>your favorite¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she had a bad feeling. ¡°Paul, you¡¯re not nning to never go back to the Powell family, are you?<b>¡± </b>


    Paul coldly said, ¡°What? You¡¯re afraid I can¡¯t support you if I¡¯m not the heir of the Powell family?¡±


    Elsie quickly apologized and said she wasn¡¯t worried about that. Seeing his mood worsen, Elsie


    Chapter 277 Sell The Watch


    screen had been killed, but he didn¡¯t even look at it.


    Finished


    He looked at his own body. To buy a ne ticket back home, he had sold everything he could, and the watch was the only valuable thing he had left.


    But how long would the moneyst? He didn¡¯t want to go back to the Powell family. He didn¡¯t want to be forced back. And he didn¡¯t want to face Jensen. If Wyatt, that crazy man, dared to treat <i>Dad </i><i>like </i><i>that</i><i>, </i><i>there </i><i>is </i><i>no </i><i>guarantee </i><i>he </i><i>wouldn¡¯t </i>do the same to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe Wyatt can start from scratch, but I can¡¯t!¡± Paul made up his mind and dialed a number.


    At the racetrack.


    This was a mountain road that had been enclosed, with a watchtower at intervals.


    At that moment, Wyatt sat in one of the watchtowers. He hadn¡¯t slept at all, working nonstop from yesterday to today. Though he rested his forehead on his hand, his body was exhausted, but his mind wouldn¡¯t shut down.


    Jordan climbed up the stairs. ¡°Wyatt, I don¡¯t know which fool it was, but Paul was about to make a deal, only <i>to </i>be intercepted.¡±


    Wyatt nced at him impatiently, and Jordan took a step back.


    ¡°Woohoo!¡± A cheering whistle came from below the watchtower.


    Wyatt turned his head to look. Below, a group of rich young heirs raced luxury cars around the track.


    Men and women dressed mboyantly, some standing and some sitting in the seats of the sports cars. The most eye¨Ccatching was the front car, the newest limited¨Cedition sports car, of which only one existed in the world.


    In the convertible driver¡¯s seat, a red¨Chaired man with red funky sunsses pped the weering wheel, shouting loudly.


    ¡°Whew, nice!¡± Morgan mmed on the brakes, and his body lurched forward from the meris, but the seatbelt bounced him back. He held the steering wheel with one hand while the wornan <b>in </b>the passenger seat screamed and kissed him on the cheek.


    Jordan frowned as he looked at the spoiled rich kids and thought to himself that this car could only be driven in the afternoon, or if would end in an ident<b>. </b>


    Just as Jordan was about to look away, his sharp eyes caught a slender figure outside the car


    group.


    He didn¡¯t see clearly but felt it looked familiar. His sharp instincts led him to pick up binocrs and look¨Ca woman in a thin windbreaker walked against the wind, her long curly hair flying behind her, asionally lifting up to cover her eyes.

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    Chapter 278 Crazy Girl


    Yunice was on the phone, but her voice, once transmitted through the receiver, turned into a middle¨Caged man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Mr. Paul, ten million was just pocket change to you. Is this really worth hesitating over? If your concern is not trusting my family, then don¡¯t waste our time; there are plenty of people in line


    behind us.¡±


    Paul responded, ¡°It isn¡¯t about the money.¡±


    Yunice sneered. ¡°I think you should stick to being the heir of the Powell family. You had more money than you could ever spend, so don¡¯t fight over opportunities meant for ordinary people.¡±


    After saying that, Yunice decisively hung up the phone. She used a virtual number, so Paul couldn¡¯t trace her. Yunice knew he was desperate for money and was scrambling to find ways to make some, so she gave him an opportunity on a silver tter.


    However, Paul hinted that anotherpany was also vying for him, trying to make himself seem in demand.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t care whichpany it was because she knew Paul, and she was confident he would choose her. She gaze steady, looking ahead.


    ther phone away, hea


    The sound of engines roaring through the wind filled the air as several sports cars drifted around in pursuit, their bodies barely visible through the thick dust.


    The smiles of both men and women blended together in a way that made Yunice furrow her brow in annoyance. She simply wanted to stay as far away from these troublesome people as possible. But despite her irritation, Yunice kept walking forward.


    Wyatt took the binocrs from Jordan¡¯s hand with a cold expression. Sure enough, he saw Yunice walking along the racetrack.


    He muttered, ¡°Ridiculous.¡±


    Jordan, sensing Wyatt¡¯s frustration, quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go down and bring her up.¡±


    At that moment, Wyatt noticed a few sports cars slowing down, with Morgan leading the pack, followed by a long convoy of cars, Morgan¡¯s car slowly moved up beside Yunice, and he apparently failed to recognize her due to the dust. He looked her over<b>, </b>trying to get a better look.


    ¡°<b>Crazy </b>girl?¡± Morgan said, his expression filled with distaste, while the young woman in the passenger seat pouted and eyed Yunice with apetitive nce.


    Morgan was makingps around the track and vaguely spotted a shapely figure through the dust, which was why he <b>came </b>over to talk to her. But once he saw that it was Yunice, he felt annoyed.


    ¡°I was wondering who the ugly fool was who dared to take up my track. Turns out it¡¯s you, crazy girl, Morgan said sarcastically. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be at home warming that guy¡¯s bed? Why are you


    Les OL PIQUES


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    Chapter 278 Crazy Girl


    Finished


    Yunice turned to face him. Standing still by his sports car, her expression was calm as she stared at him.


    Morgan, unsure of her intentions, felt uneasy under her gaze. For a brief moment, he even mentally checked the bad things he¡¯d done to her recently.


    The ring that Paul wore was given to him by Morgan. He heard that Paul caused a scene at Wyatt¡¯s wedding, and many people saw Yunice¡¯s wedding dress zipper with Paul¡¯s ring hanging from it. Morgan hoped to get rid of the woman he was dissatisfied with, but nothing happened. Wyatt¡¯s indulgence toward her reached a level he couldn¡¯t understand.


    When his schemes didn¡¯t seed, he acted like they didn¡¯t happen, and quickly forgot about them.


    But now, with Yunice staring at him, he felt a little guilty, wondering if he had been exposed. Still, he convinced himself that Yunice couldn¡¯t be that clever.


    He scoffed, thinking he was overthinking it. <i>Yunice </i>is <b><i>just </i></b><i>a </i><i>little </i><i>crazy</i><i>, </i><i>and </i>it <i>was </i><i>normal </i><i>for </i><i>lunatics </i><i>to </i><i>show </i><i>such </i><i>confusing </i><i>expressions</i>.


    He shifted the gear of his car, preparing to leave Yunice behind. Although he found Yunice unpleasant, he hadn¡¯t forgotten thest time when he humiliated her just a little, and Wyatt kicked him so hard that he couldn¡¯t get out of bed for days. He didn¡¯t dare to provoke her again.


    With one push on the elerator, Morgan¡¯s car kicked up a cloud of dust, throwing it all over Yunice.


    Yunice raised her hand to block it, her cold gaze fixed on the rear of Morgan¡¯s speeding car. When the dust finally settled, Yunice surveyed her surroundings and looked up at the nearby watchtower.


    Wyatt clearly stood in the tower, watching her, but with her eyesight, it was obvious she couldn¡¯t see that far. She quickly turned her gaze elsewhere.


    Jordan, standing next to Wyatt, asked in confusion, ¡°Why is she here¡­ Is she trying to find you? But how does she know you¡¯re here? Did she put a tracker on our car?¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t reply. He <b>was </b>about to go down to find Yunice himself, but stopped when he noticed her movements. He wanted to <b>see </b>what Yunice was up to.


    His instincts told him that Yunice wasn¡¯t <b>as </b>honest <b>as </b>she seemed.


    Morgan was makingps around the track, one of the drifting car¡¯s tires skimming along the edge of the cliff<b>, </b>apanied by the <b>sharp </b>sound of tires<b>, </b>and some crushed stones tumbled down the slope.


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    Chapter 279 Can You Stand It?


    Finished


    The woman in the passenger seat screamed as she was terrified. At first, she found it exciting, but as Morgan went crazier with his driving, she could no longer handle it physically or mentally. She was thrown about, vomited, and soon fainted.


    Morgan looked at the vomit on his car with disdain just as his phone rang. It was a call from Mary. She pressed him toe home, threatening that if he didn¡¯t return soon and Wyatt found him, she wouldn¡¯t help him. The more she spoke, the more rebellious Morgan felt. He didn¡¯t. believe Wyatt would really dare to hit him!


    Throwing his phone down the cliff, Morgan mmed the gas pedal, speeding back onto t ground.


    He immediately spotted Yunice still lingering at the racetrack, unsure if she was waiting for someone or searching for someone. He opened the car door and kicked the terrified woman out of the passenger seat, then stepped out with swagger.


    Immediately, some staff rushed up, lifted the woman onto a stretcher, and quickly cleaned Morgan¡¯s car.


    Morgan enjoyed seeking thrills and showing off, so he always had femalepanions in the passenger seat. But every femalepanion ended up like this because very few could actually risk their lives for him, and no one dared to go to such extremes.


    They saw it all before, so they grew skilled at handling such situations.


    Yunice was disturbed by their actions, and her gaze followed them. She watched as the woman, covered in vomit, was lifted onto the stretcher, with a heart pacemaker trying to revive her heartbeat. No one cared whether she would survive or wake up. They treated her like an object, stuffing a thick stack of money into her clothes.


    It was probably around 27 thousand dors.


    Yunice guessed that Morgan must have used money to entice these women to apany him in risky behavior. <i>What </i><i>do </i><i>rich </i>people <i>understand </i><i>about </i><i>the difficulty </i><i>of </i><i>earning </i>a <i>penny</i>?


    In his eyes, these gold¨Cdigging women were just objects to him¨Cif they died, so be it.


    Her medical backgroundpelled Yunice to walk closer.


    Yunice heard that Morgan was <b>a </b>reckless man, often violent, and had even killed a woman before. He even got involved inwsuits.


    But now, he <b>was </b>fine¨Cclearly, Wyatt must have <b>used </b>his influence to cover up his past<b>. </b><i>Why </i><b><i>does </i></b><i>Wyatt </i>have to help <i>someone </i>like him?


    Just <b>as </b>Yunice <b>was </b>only a few <b>steps </b><b>away </b>from the woman whose fate <b>was </b>unknown<b>, </b><b>a </b>shadow suddenly <b>fell </b>over her head.


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    Chapter 279 Can You Stand It?


    Finished


    Jordan¡¯s expression changed as well. He feared that Morgan might forget his previous lesson and act recklessly again.


    Yunice looked up, meeting Morgan¡¯s sinister gaze.


    Morgan stood with his hands on his hips, his racing suit wrinkled. He turned to give Yunice another nce, seemingly making a decision.


    Yunice took the initiative and said, ¡°What are you up to again?¡±


    Morgan scoffed.


    Yunice continued, ¡°Before you do something bad, think carefully if you can bear Wyatt¡¯s wrath.¡±


    Morgan stoppedughing, his expression cold as he stared at Yunice, looking as if he could devour her.


    From the watchtower, Wyatt came down quickly, ordering Jordan to call Morgan. When the call went through, they discovered Morgan ignored it. Morgan already threw his phone down the cliff.


    On the racetrack, Yunice was forcibly pressed into the passenger seat of Morgan¡¯s car. As soon as she hadn¡¯t managed to escape, Morgan jumped in, starting the engine.


    The wind howled around them as the car raced, the strong wind making it hard to breathe.


    <i>What </i><i>kind </i><i>of </i>idiot <i>uses </i><i>a </i><i>convertible </i><i>for </i><i>a </i><i>race</i>? Yunice¡¯s hair flew wildly in the wind as she struggled to breathe, holding tightly onto her seatbelt.


    Morgan drove up the mountain road,ughing maniacally as he said, ¡°I¡¯m curious, does a crazy person know how to be afraid? Will a crazy person piss themselves like that useless woman? Hahaha!¡±


    Laughing wildly, he mmed down on the elerator, pushing the speedometer to its limit.


    Wyatt quickly walked down the mountain, his eyes scanning the road ahead. He saw Morgan¡¯s car making a sharp turn and driving up the back of the mountain.


    Morgan¡¯s friends saw Wyatt and instantly became terrified. ¡°Mr.-Mr. Cooper¡­ this has nothing to do with us; it¡¯s Mr. Morgan who dragged us here¡­¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s sharp gaze swept across the crowd, but he didn¡¯t see Yunice. He had only been off the tower for two minutes, and there was no way Yunice could have left so quickly. His gaze turned back to the mountain road. The next second, he opened a car door and jumped in.


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± Jordan shouted in surprise, but before he could finish, the car roared past him, narrowly missing his clothes.


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    Chapter 280 Staged Performance


    Finished


    Jordan chased after Wyatt¡¯s car, but couldn¡¯t catch up. After running a few steps, his mind cleared, and he realized they had all acted impulsively. He couldn¡¯t afford to be reckless now.


    Taking a deep breath, Jordan immediately called the hospital, instructing them to prepare emergency measures. Once the call ended, he turned to the group of young men in the car behind him. ¡°How much fuel does Morgan¡¯s car have left?¡±


    He hoped they would run out of fuel soon, causing the car to stop by itself. Otherwise, with Morgan¡¯s hot¨Cheaded nature, if he saw Wyatt chasing him, he would


    if he saw Wyatt chasing him, he would only speed up. The winding mountain road had a cliff on one side, and one wrong move could send the car tumbling down.


    Mary was afraid of Morgan getting hurt, which was why she had asked Wyatt to stop him. But now Yunice was at the racetrack, making things even moreplicated.


    The young men stammered, ¡°Morgan¡¯s car just got a full tank, but¡­ but, Mr. Cooper¡­¡±


    Jordan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Tell me quickly!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Cooper¡¯s car¡­ the brakes¡­ they were just checked, and there¡¯s a problem with them. They haven¡¯t been fixed yet¡­¡±


    Jordan froze before letting out a furious shout, ¡°What the hell were you doing?!¡±


    The group of young men cowered in fear, sitting on the ground and covering their heads. ¡°We¡­ we just remembered. Mr. Jordan, think of something¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything! What do you expect me to do, drop from the sky and stop the car?¡± Jordan yelled. He felt like his head was aout to explode.


    No one dared to speak. They all understood the danger¨Cracing at that speed without working brakes was a recipe for disaster.


    On the mountain road, Morgan¡¯s car was going full throttle, the speedometer reaching its limit. He wasughing maniacally while steering the car, drifting wildly through the curves.


    But Yunice remained silent in the passenger seat.


    Morgan, feeling theck of excitement, couldn¡¯t help but wonder. He had been hoping to hear Yunice scream in fear, but she didn¡¯t make a sound. The car was already struggling to gain more speed.


    At that moment, Yunice¡¯s phone rang. She nced at the screen and saw Wyatt¡¯s call. She thought for a moment, then decided not to answer. She didn¡¯t know that Wyatt¡¯s car was just on the other side of the mountain, only half ap behind them.


    The wind was making it hard for Morgan to breathe. He shouted, ¡°Hahaha, crazy girl, you¡¯ve been quiet for so long, are you finally scared? If you¡¯re scared, just scream and move aside, and I¡¯ll let you go!¡±


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    Chapter 280 Staged Performance


    Finished


    After a moment of silence, Morgan still didn¡¯t hear any response from Yunice. He was so focused on the winding road that he didn¡¯t dare to look away, so he hadn¡¯t noticed Yunice¡¯s expression.


    Finally, curiosity got the better of him. He looked over at her in the passenger seat¡­


    Yunice smiled and turned her head, meeting his gaze. ¡°Is this all you can do?¡±


    That moment hit Morgan harder than any terrifying scene in a horror film.


    Yunice raised an eyebrow and added, ¡°You crossed the line, trash.¡±


    Morgan¡¯s face twisted in fear as he quickly mmed the steering wheel to correct the car¡¯s path. He swerved dangerously along the narrow road, managing <i>to </i>barely regain control of the vehicle.


    At the same time, rocks from the cliff edge tumbled down the mountain behind them.


    Sweat poured from Morgan¡¯s palms, his hands trembling with fear. His widened eyes couldn¡¯t understand why Yunice wasn¡¯t afraid<i>. </i>Does a <i>crazy </i><i>person </i><i>have </i><i>no </i><i>sense </i><i>of </i><i>fear</i><i>? </i>


    He found it all so boring. Since Yunice didn¡¯t react as he expected, he started losing interest.


    Just then, Wyatt called Yunice again.


    Yunice nced at Morgan, then calmly answered the call. She held the phone up and shouted, ¡°Mr. Morgan, slow down! You¡¯re going to crash, help!¡±


    Morgan¡¯s eyes widened in panic as he nced at Yunice. <i>What </i>is she doing? I <i>have </i><i>been </i>slowing down<i>! </i>


    ¡°Morgan, I really can¡¯t agree to your request. Please don¡¯t joke with your life. Wyatt will really be mad!¡±


    ¡°You bastard!¡± Morgan was about to curse when Yunice tossed her phone out of the window, shouting, ¡°No!¡±


    Morgan froze in shock, staring at Yunice¡¯s staged performance. She pretended to be forced by him and, at the crucial moment, threw her phone out to make Wyatt think she was in danger.


    Morgan stammered, ¡°You¡­ are really crazy¡­¡±


    Yunice gave him a sly smile and leaned closer to grab the steering wheel. Morgan was terrified. For someone who loved racing, the steering wheel was his life. He instinctively fought Yunice for control of the wheel, forgetting to ease off the elerator.


    Yunice, despite her frail¨Clooking frame, managed to pull hard on the wheel, fighting him for control.


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    <b>( </b>

 Daghter 281

    Chapter 281 Almost Died


    6


    Finished


    Morgan watched in horror as his car swerved, its headlights shing against the mountain cliff. The rear tires kept pressing against the edge, struggling to climb back up.


    In those desperate moments, Morgan felt like his life was shing before his eyes, as though he were teetering on the brink of death.


    ¡°Let go! I told you, let go! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll bite you!¡± Morgan screamed, his eyes wide, his voice trembling.


    Yunice seemedpletely oblivious, her focus solely on gripping the steering wheel.


    The crashes grew more intense. Morgan¡¯s side of the car, closer to the mountain, kept being hit by falling rocks.


    Slowly, Morgan¡¯s strength began to fade, but unsure whether from fear or the shouting, and Yunice took full control of the wheel.


    He stared at Yunice¡¯s chin in shock, finally understanding what it was like to face a lunatic.


    With Yunice in control, Morgan didn¡¯t release the elerator. She didn¡¯t stop him either, just relentlessly steering the car toward the mountain wall.


    The door on Morgan¡¯s side scraped against the rocks, and if he hadn¡¯t been wearing his seatbelt, he likely would¡¯ve been thrown out by now.`


    The repeated shocks left Morgan clutching his chest, gasping for air, barely able to breathe from the shock.


    Seeing this, Yunice mmed the car into the mountain wall again. This time, the impact was so strong that the car bounced backward, the rear tires pressing dangerously close to the cliff¡¯s edge. But Yunice turned the wheel sharply, and the car stopped right against the mountain wall.


    The steering column snapped, rendering the carpletely immobile.


    Morgan groaned. His body was soaked in blood, and he passed out. As soon <i>as </i>he fainted, his foot slipped off the gas pedal, and the car came to a sudden stop.


    Yunice was thrown forward by the abrupt halt, mming into the dashboard. Her vision blurred and turned red. She wiped the blood from her eyes with her coat sleeve and then heard an engine approaching from behind.


    <i>Is </i><i>someone </i><i>following </i><i>us</i><i>? </i><i>So </i><i>fast</i>? Yunice thought even Wyatt couldn¡¯t have caught up this fast. <i>Who </i><i>could </i><i>it </i>be?


    She looked back and saw an orange sports car speeding toward them. Behind the windshield was Wyatt. Yunice froze, realizing the car was very close now, with Wyatt showing no sign of slowing down. The car was about to push theirs off the cliff! Her heart skipped a beat. She came here to deal with Morgan, not to die!


    Chapter 281 Almost Died


    Finished


    Instinctively, she tried to restart Morgan¡¯s car, but after everything that had happened, it was too damaged to start.


    In a panic, she nced back. Wyatt¡¯s car was right in front of her now, and she instinctively stepped back, hoping a small distance might save her.


    It was pointless.


    As the cars neared, Wyatt nced over, and their eyes met for a brief second. Then, a gust of wind swept through, and Yunice helplessly watched as Wyatt¡¯s car zipped past Morgan¡¯s, squeezing through the narrow gap near the cliff.


    The mountain road was already tight, and Morgan¡¯s car took up almost two¨Cthirds of it. Wyatt¡¯s car was nearly half in mid¨Cair.


    Yunice leaned forward, reaching out, hoping to grab Wyatt before he fell off the cliff!


    She probably overestimated her strength and ignored basic physics. She hadn¡¯t even thought about how pulling Wyatt up was far less likely than being pulled down with him. But she reached anyway. Her hand was too slow. She grabbed nothing, and Wyatt¡¯s orange sports car sped past her in a sh.


    The next moment, the car¡¯s wheels hit the ground, and using inertia, it swung back onto the road. Then, the orange sports car mmed into the mountain wall, trying to make an emergency stop.


    Yunice quickly climbed out of Morgan¡¯s car and ran after Wyatt¡¯s. The road was littered with falling rocks from earlier crashes, but Yunice kept running. She ran nearly 600 feet before she saw Wyatt¡¯s car bounce and finally stop. She reached it quickly and tried to open the passenger door.


    Thankfully, the door wasn¡¯t too damaged, and she managed to open it. Climbing inside, she immediately checked Wyatt¡¯s condition.


    He was wearing a ck shirt, and at first, it wasn¡¯t obvious that he was bleeding. Yunice felt his body carefully, and when she didn¡¯t feel any blood, she moved her hands lower to his legs.


    <i>No </i><i>fractures</i>. She continued checking for bruises or bleeding until she reached a soft, swollen spot. She paused for a moment, then quickly moved her hand away as if nothing had happened.


    Yunice also noticed a spot near the driver¡¯s side door, caused by the heat from friction.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>


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    Chapter 282 Yunice Orchestrated It


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    If Wyatt had been sitting in that position for too long, he would have definitely been burned by the heat generated from the crash.


    Yunice climbed over to the driver¡¯s side and leaned over to unbuckle his seatbelt. Wyatt was fine. The shock from the crash had made him dizzy for a while.


    At that moment, he opened his eyes and felt someone pressing on him. A soft chest brushed against his abdomen.


    Yunice had unbuckled his seatbelt and was about to lift him when their eyes met. Wyatt looked at the blood on her forehead, and anger shed in his eyes. Yunice quickly looked away, feeling guilty.


    She thought Wyatt was okay, so she moved off him. A short whileter, Wyatt got out of the car with a cold face.


    The sun was beginning to rise, and Yunice stood at the cliff¡¯s edge, looking at him in a way that seemed like she was being punished.


    Wyatt wasn¡¯tpletely unscathed. There were bloodstains near his temple, possibly from broken ss or other debris. Yunice observed the speed and color of the blood flow, judging the severity of his injury.


    Wyatt immediately dialed Jordan¡¯s number and told him to arrange for medical personnel toe up the mountain.


    Seeing the cold look in his eyes, Yunice realized that Wyatt had been extremely worried about Morgan and had been afraid something had happened to him.


    Although she didn¡¯t know why Wyatt cared so much about Morgan, she immediately reminded him, ¡°Go check on Mr. Morgan. He¡¯s in very bad shape!¡±


    However, Wyatt didn¡¯t look at Morgan. Instead, he headed straight for Yunice. Yunice¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°It really has nothing to do with me. I didn¡¯t know he¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Wyatt grabbed her arm. Yunice snapped back to reality and realized that the ground where she stood had been loosened by the car tires, and rocks were now tumbling down the cliff. Her legs weakened, and she quickly ran to Wyatt¡¯s side.


    Wyatt still held her arm, and there was fury in his voice as he spoke, ¡°What is your goal? Can¡¯t you stay at Pavilion Hall quietly? If you need a job, I¡¯ll give it to you. If you want to practice medicine, I¡¯ll let you. You¡¯re notcking anything in life. Why are you at the racetrack?¡±


    Wyatt pulled her arm, forcing her to look at the cliff below. Rocks tumbled down and broke apart. If a person fell, it would be disastrous.


    ¡°If you¡¯re tired of living, you can jump now and save me the trouble!¡± he snapped.


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    Chapter 282 Yunice Orchestrated It


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    Wyatt looked at the blood on her forehead, remembering that she had just survived a life- threatening moment. His tone softened, but he was still angry. ¡°Talk!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t dare meet his gaze. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    D


    Finished


    Wyatt furrowed his brows as he clearly expected something else. But then, he looked at her trembling hand hidden behind her back and remembered the moment when she had instinctively tried to grab him¡­


    Wyatt swallowed his anger and said, ¡°It¡¯s Morgan¡¯s fault, not yours.¡±


    Yunice looked at Wyatt in surprise. She quickly replied, ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to ce me. Let¡¯s go check on him. He¡¯s seriously hurt!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t care what Wyatt thought. She pretended to be concerned about Morgan, limping as she turned to run back. Wyatt stood behind her, his gaze heavy as he watched her.


    Yunice knew that showing up at the racetrack would make Wyatt suspect her, but she was confident he had no proof.


    In this car crash, it could only be said that she was lucky not to get hurt. Who would believe that she orchestrated it all? After all, it had been a life¨Cand¨Cdeath situation.


    When Wyatt caught up, Yunice was struggling to bandage Morgan¡¯s arm.


    He had multiple bleeding points, a fractured left arm, leg injuries, a broken rib, and suspected internal bleeding. Yunice was trying to stop the bleeding. Soon, Wyatt noticed that the cloth strips Yunice was using came from her own coat.


    He gave Morgan a cold look, momentarily wishing he had just died. Keeping someone like him alive was a disaster.


    Just then, the car Jordan had arranged arrived. Wyatt stepped forward and buttoned Yunice¡¯s


    coat.


    Jordan got out of the car and saw two heavily damaged cars about 600 feet apart. He sighed in relief when he saw Wyatt and Yunice standing unharmed.


    <i>What </i>a stroke of <i>luck</i>. <i>Especially Yunice</i><i>. </i>Jordan¡¯s suspicious gaze swept over Yunice. She seemed unscathed. Two <i>car </i>idents<i>, </i><i>and </i><i>she </i><i>is </i><i>still </i><i>fine</i><i>? </i>


    Having worked with Wyatt for so long, Jordan¡¯s first instinct was always to think of conspiracy theories.


    But after thinking for a long time, he couldn¡¯t figure out how Yunice had avoided injuries in the


    crash.

 Daghter 283

    Chapter 283 Lay Low


    It might really be just her good luck.


    Finished


    Morgan was lifted onto a stretcher, and when the doctor saw his injuries, his furrowed brow deepened.


    The doctor was about to start giving Morgan first aid to buy some time when he saw Wyatt push Yunice forward and say, ¡°Treat her first.¡±


    The doctor took a quick nce at Yunice and saw that she was still standing. However, this didn¡¯t mean she was unscathed because many car idents involved people who looked unharmed but were actually suffering from internal bleeding, which was a moreplicated situation to deal with.


    Ignoring Morgan for the moment, the doctor checked Yunice and confirmed that she didn¡¯t have any serious injuries. Just as he was about to turn back to attend to Morgan, Yunice grabbed his arm. ¡°Can I use your equipment?¡± she asked.


    Jordan quickly exined, ¡°She¡¯s also a professional doctor. If she damages any of your equipment, we¡¯llpensate you.¡±


    Once Yunice got permission to use the equipment, she pulled Wyatt over and personally checked him.


    She lifted his clothes and looked inside, noticing a few superficial injuries, but nothing serious.


    As she treated him, Yunice asked, ¡°How did you get here so quickly? Were you following me?¡±


    It had only been two minutes. Unless Wyatt had been chasing her since she was brought up the mountain by Morgan, it wasn¡¯t possible for him to have caught up so fast.


    ¡°I was following you?¡± Wyatt raised an eyebrow, as if he thought she was following him.


    Wyatt then asked, ¡°Why did youe to the racetrack?¡±


    Yunice nced at his abrasions without looking up. ¡°I received an invitation from a patient toe and treat them.¡±


    ¡°The patient never showed up, but I met Mr. Morgan. A few words with him didn¡¯t make him happy, so he dragged me into the car and tried to scare me.¡±


    Wyatt asked, ¡°What patient?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°I¡¯m just as curious about the patient. When I get my number back, will you help me check?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt lowered his eyes and saw that Yunice had already bandaged his arm. However, she didn¡¯t immediately let go. Instead, she tenderly ran her fingers over the bracelet on his wrist.


    Finished


    D


    Chapter 283 Lay Low


    Yunice gave a small smile and didn¡¯t even bother to look at it.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond to her anymore. He thought she was just being kind so she could touch her father¡¯s bracelet.


    Meanwhile, Mary and Elianna had been waiting at the hospital for a while.


    She couldn¡¯t get through to Morgan or Wyatt on the phone and had a bad feeling that something must have happened. Wyatt didn¡¯t let Yunice out of the car. He followed the stretcher with Morgan toward the emergency room.


    Outside the emergency room, Mary almost fainted from the stress. She was desperate to follow Morgan¡¯s bed, but the emergency room staff stopped her at the door.


    That was when Mary grabbed Wyatt, crying as she asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? I asked you to find him, not to chase him! Look at his injuries¡­¡±


    Wyatt looked coldly at her in response.


    Elianna, sensing the tension, quickly stepped in to smooth things over. ¡°Grandma, this isn¡¯t Wyatt¡¯s fault. Morgan insisted on racing cars, and how many people who race cars don¡¯t end up in trouble?¡±


    Mary didn¡¯t say anything, unsure whether she was mad at Wyatt or someone else.


    Wyatt saw this and coldly said, ¡°If you want to keep pampering him, keep doing it.¡±


    After saying that, Wyatt turned and walked away without another word. Mary froze, not expecting him to actually leave. She instinctively leaned forward, as if to stop him. In the end, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to stop him and let Wyatt walk away.


    Elianna defended Wyatt. ¡°Grandma, how can you me Wyatt? Morgan¡¯s the one who¡¯s at fault, Wyatt¡¯s already done a lot for him. Look at what a mess it¡¯s causing now.¡±


    Mary frowned, realizing she was partly at fault but still grumbled, ¡°He¡¯s pulling further and further away from us.¡±


    Elianna muttered, ¡°No matter how much you do for someone, it¡¯s never enough. How many times has Wyatt cleaned up after Morgan? Every time, he does it without even thinking about it.¡±


    Elianna then let go of the wheelchair and said, ¡°You contact your son and daughter¨Cinw. I¡¯m going to see Wyatt.¡±


    Mary sighed but didn¡¯t stop Elianna.


    Meanwhile, Yunice had just been transferred from the ambnce to Wyatt¡¯s car.


    Jordan informed her that Wyatt had warned Morgan¡¯s friends that no one would mention her being with Morgan today.


    1:08 PM


    Chapter 283 Lay Low


    Finished


    With her current position, she wasn¡¯t capable of clearing things up for herself, so her revenge strategy had to rely on outside forces or, as today, staying in the background.


    Wyatt was undoubtedly a great support, but the more she used him, the more others might think she was making trouble. Yunice decided that after this, she wouldy low for a while.


    <b>Send </b>Gifts


    ¡£

 Daghter 284

    Chapter 284 Not The First


    ¡°Wyatt.¡± Elianna chased after Wyatt, stepping out and identally spotting Yunice and the bloodstains on her clothes. She froze for three seconds before reacting, ¡°Wyatt, why is she here? And the blood on her¡­?¡±


    Elianna suspected that Yunice was there when Morgan had gotten hurt.


    Wyatt interrupted her, ¡°She gave Morgan first aid. The blood on her is just from him. Is it really such a big deal?¡±


    Elianna felt a bit aggrieved. She had only asked a question, but Wyatt immediately snapped at her.


    She pouted and looked at Yunice, as if Wyatt became especially irritable whenever it concerned her.


    Yunice noticed Elianna¡¯s dislike and met her gaze confidently with a hint of mockery in her eyes.


    Yunice remembered that only Elianna and Morgan had been present when she threw Paul¡¯s ring in the trash. She¡¯d been tricked by Paul, but perhaps Elianna was involved too. Yunice was curious as to why they held such a strong grudge against her.


    Noticing Wyatt¡¯s hand pressed to his temple, Yunice realized that he must be physically and mentally exhausted from both the crash and theck of rest. He was definitely fatigued.


    Yunice took the initiative and said, ¡°You should go rest in the car for a bit.¡±


    Elianna hesitated, but Yunice could tell what she was thinking, so she added, ¡°Since we have some free time today, why don¡¯t youe over to my ce?¡±


    Yunice spoke as if she were the host, making Elianna roll her eyes. <i>Does </i><i>Yunice </i><i>really </i><i>think </i><i>Pavilion </i>Hall is <i>her </i>home<i>? </i>


    However, her body acted more honestly, and she got in the car.


    As soon as Wyatt sat in the car, he leaned his head onto Yunice¡¯s shoulder and fell asleep.


    Elianna wanted to move his head to her shoulder but was forced to sit in the passenger seat by Jordan.


    When they got back to Pavilion Hall, Wyatt went to his room to rest. Yunice had nned to find an excuse to leave, but Wyatt grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace, wanting to hold her while he slept.


    Yunice had never expected to be the one tofort him to sleep. Luckily, he slept peacefully and didn¡¯t do anything strange. After confirming he was asleep, Yunice quietly got up without waking


    him


    When she opened the bedroom door, she saw Elianna cavesdropping by the door. She caught her


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    Chapter 284 Not The First


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    She waved her hand, signaling Elianna to follow her to the kitchen. Elianna looked at her with disdain, but followed.


    Yunice cooked in the kitchen while Elianna said, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Without looking back, Yunice replied, ¡°If you want something, take it yourself. Make yourself at home.¡±


    Elianna opened the fridge. ¡°This is my house, not yours. Only you¡¯re the outsider.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°It won¡¯t help to be angry. Wyatt loves me so much that he¡¯s willing to give his life for me.¡±


    Elianna froze, staring at Yunice in disbelief. Yunice continued, ¡°Earlier, on the mountain road, Morgan wasn¡¯t the only one in danger. I was too.¡±


    Yunice fixed her gaze on Elianna¡¯s nervous expression and whispered, ¡°Do you know what Wyatt did for me? A man worth billions, and he risked everything, driving a car with faulty brakes, just to chase after me.¡± She straightened up and mocked, ¡°I¡¯m the only one who can make Wyatt risk his life. What do you have topare with me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one!¡± Elianna snapped, her emotions ring up. ¡°You¡¯re not even the first one! Stop getting carried away!¡±


    Yunice paused, giving her a cold look. Realizing her mistake, Elianna quickly covered her mouth, but it was toote.


    Yunice toyed with the knife handle in her hand and asked, ¡°Then who is it?¡±


    Elianna stammered, ¡°I was just kidding. You can brag, so why can¡¯t I?¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t want to tell me, I¡¯ll go ask Wyatt. I¡¯ll say you told me.¡±


    Elianna quickly grabbed Yunice, ¡°Why are you so unlikeable?¡±


    Me? Unlikeable? But <i>the </i><i>people </i>who <i>had </i><i>deceived </i><i>me</i><i>, </i><i>targeted </i><i>me</i><i>, </i><i>and </i><i>mistreated </i><i>me</i>¨Caren¡¯t <i>they </i><i>the </i><i>ones </i>who <i>are </i>truly <i>unlikeable</i><i>? </i>


    Seeing the hesitation in Elianna¡¯s face, Yunice asked, ¡°I only have one question¨Cwill that woman return?¡±


    Elianna¡¯s eyes shed with sadness, and Yunice caught the emotion.


    She realized now. That woman wouldn¡¯t being back. So Yunice didn¡¯t have to worry about it


    anymore.


    She continued to cook, and Elianna, feeling ufortable in the kitchen, quickly found an excuse to leave.


    Paul had waited all day but didn¡¯t hear from the virtual number again. He felt uneasy, wondering


    PrevNext<h2>That¡¯s when the nightmare bega</h2>

 Daghter 285

    Chapter 285 Pawn Shop


    1.4 million dors wasn¡¯t exactly something he didn¡¯t have¡­.


    Just then, Elsie returned with <b>a </b>card. ¡°Paul, I sold the watch and even found a contact to sell it for a bit more!¡±


    Paul didn¡¯t listen to her ramble. He just asked how much she got for it.


    Elsie grinned, ¡°Over 110 thousand dors!¡±


    Paul frowned deeply. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°My watch is one of only ten in the world. I bought it for millions, and it should have appreciated lover the years.¡±


    Elsie pouted. ¡°Paul, pawnshops are different from auctions. Pawning <b>is </b>a speed sale. I managed to get this amount because the shop owner was being generous. If you want more, try selling it yourself!¡±


    Paul was speechless. He was used to buying things at auctions, but now he had to resort to pawning?


    ¡°Fine, 110 thousand dors it is.¡±


    Elsic eagerly crouched by his feet. ¡°Paul, transfer the 70 thousand dors directly to that man¡¯s ount. Smack his face hard!¡±


    She had borrowed money from him before, and he harassed her for days, even demanding she sleep with him to repay it. How can he think like that? She wanted to make sure they understood who was backing her!


    But Paul didn¡¯t move. He sighed. ¡°Elsie, this money has other uses.¡±


    Elsie looked at him in confusion.


    Paul continued, ¡°Can you lend me another 30 grand? I¡¯ll pay you back double in a week.¡±


    Elsie took a few seconds to process. Paul was actually asking her to borrow money. She hesitated and said, ¡°Paul, you know I don¡¯t have money¡­


    Paul replied, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you plenty of luxury gifts and bags? I even bought you that sports car. When I make money, I¡¯ll get you something better.¡±


    Elsie wasn¡¯t too happy, but she leaned against Paul¡¯s arm. ¡°Paul, why suffer like this? As the heir of the Powell family, you should have endless money. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡±


    Paul looked at her. ¡°Do you love me for being the Powell family¡¯s heir, or do you love me?¡±


    Flianna naused realizing Paul was getting unset She reluctantly stood un Tll help you out¡±


    1:12 PM <b>c </b>


    Chapter 285 Pawn Shop


    0556 90


    g


    Finished


    Paul watched her back, and suddenly thought of Yunice. If it were Yunice, she wouldn¡¯t need him to say a word. Yunice would have already prepared the money for him without hesitation.


    Paul¡¯s gaze darkened as he recalled the way Yunice looked when she


    got married.


    Elsie wouldn¡¯t be willing to sell her own things. Those were treasures she used to build her status. After thinking for a moment, she turned around and opened Yunice¡¯s jewelry cab, picking out the valuable items to sell.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that, as soon as she left the Saunders family, she was being followed.


    The pawn shop offered a very low price for Yunice¡¯s jewelry. Since it wasn¡¯t her own, Elsie didn¡¯t feel bad. Just as she was about to sell them cheaply, a man walked up from behind her.


    ¡°Sell it to me. I¡¯ll offer you seven grand more than they did. The man had a shrewd expression.


    Elsie sized him up and thought he was just a poor thug who couldn¡¯t possibly afford the jewelry. Rolling her eyes, she was about to ask the pawn shop to issue her a ticket when the beggar¨Clike man acted rudely and snatched the jewelry from her hands.


    Instead of running away, he weighed the jewelry in his hands and said, ¡°This shop knows you¡¯re in need of money and is taking advantage of you. Can¡¯t you tell? Anyway, whether you sell it to anyone, it¡¯s the same. Might as well sell it for more, right?¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and said, ¡°Give me your ount number.¡±


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    Elsie was skeptical and took the opportunity to raise the price. ¡°Then I want an extra 14 thousand dors!¡±


    The other party replied patiently, ¡°Sure.¡±


    Elsie looked at this beggar¨Clike person as if he were crazy, then gave him her ount number. The other party tapped a few times on his phone, and within seconds, Elsie received a notification that the money had been transferred.


    The pawnshop employee, seeing this, immediately started cursing at the beggar.


    The beggar ignored him, motioned for Elsie to follow him to the side to talk.


    ¡°If you ever have something valuable to sell again,e to me. I¡¯ll guarantee a higher price than the pawnshop, and I buy anythingpanies, shares, real estate. You can contact me,¡± <b>the </b>beggar said, his face filled with excitement.


    Elsie asked suspiciously, ¡°You have that much money?¡±


    The beggar snapped his fingers. ¡°Social lesson number one¨Cdon¡¯t judge a person by their appearance.¡±


    Elsie frowned. Although she was still suspicious, she didn¡¯t think too much about it. After all, the money was in her hands now.


    After exchanging contact information, Elsie returned to the Saunders family with red


    eves and told Paul that she had to sell the keepsake he gave her in order to raise money. Paul, feeling guilty, immediately hugged her, promising to give her something better.


    <b>eyes </b>


    Yunice went to Pavilion Hall to pick up a package. The deliveryman was a man who looked like a beggar.


    Upon closer inspection, this man was the same one who had bought the stolen goods from Elsie earlier. The man returned the jewelry to Yunice and whispered, ¡°The bait is set. We just have to wait for the fish to bite<b>. </b>


    Yunice opened the box and saw that it contained a ne of hers. Every year, her father would give her <b>a </b>birthday gift, and this was one of them. <b>It </b>was originally her property, and now it had returned to her hands, but she had to pay to get it back.


    money


    However, the that had been <b>unfairly </b>taken was only temporarily in Elsie¡¯s hands. Yunice would get it back soon.


    When she returned home, Wyatt was still asleep, and Yunice was alone in the study.


    She <b>was </b>reviewing some questions when Oscar called. Yunice hesitated for a moment before answering. She didn¡¯t <b>say </b>anything at first, and neither did Oscar.


    1:12 PM d


    Chapter 286 Ungrateful!


    05:51 63


    Finished


    future, in my heart, you¡¯ll always be my only sister. Your birthday ising up. How about I throw you a birthday party?¡± Oscar added.


    ¡°Since dad passed away, I haven¡¯t celebrated my birthday,¡± Yunice said instinctively, then fell


    silent.


    The pain wasn¡¯t caused by Oscar, but she always unintentionally exposed her wounds to him.


    She paused before continuing. The Saunders family must be very lively right now. I heard Owen booked the top floor of Millenium Hotel for Elsie¡¯s birthday party, nning to make it a grand affair.


    Owen was particrly protective of Elsie. Whether it was a matter of image or emotional value, he made sure to cater to her needs.


    Yunice had a morous wedding and became Carl¡¯s goddaughter, andpared to her, Owen felt Elsie had been wronged, so he wanted topensate her more.


    This had been the case ever since Elsie became a member of the Saunders family. Even if Yunice had battled for that benefit herself, Owen would always pay Elsie back when Yunice gained something.


    However, Yunice not only would not receive aparable reward when Elsie experienced an unexpected joy, but she would also bepared to her, with the family making some critical


    Yunice had long recognized the realities of love and indifference.


    At that moment, there was a strange sounding from the phone, as though someone had taken Oscar¡¯s phone.


    Owen¡¯s irate voice could be heard next. ¡°What exactly are youining about now? What do you mean by ¡°Elsie¡¯s birthday party¡°? Isn¡¯t it also your birthday? I have included you in everything I have nned. If you don¡¯t like my efforts, that¡¯s great, but don¡¯t criticize me in front of Oscarl


    ¡°Owen!¡± Oscar¡¯s stern rebuke was heard on the other end.


    Owen was furious, saying, ¡°Did I say anything wrong? Do you realize how many people I had to go through to get the top floor of the banquet hall? Do you know how much it cost me? Do you realize how tight the family¡¯s finances are right now?¡±


    After a brief pause, Owen sneered. ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t know. You¡¯re a rich wife now, you can<b>. </b>casually take out millions for a diamond ring, so how would you know the struggles of us ordinary people? I bet you care about all the effort I¡¯ve put into this, and you probably won¡¯t even show up.¡±


    don


    Thest four words, Owen almost gritted through his teeth. After saying that, he gripped the phone tightly while waiting for Yunice¡¯s response.


    He hoped Yunice would return. Since she no longer cared about their identity differences, he


    1.12 PM ¡¤


    Chapter 286 Ungratefull


    05:49:43


    Finished


    After a few seconds of silence, Yunice did not answer. Oscar frowned at Owen, took back the phone, and murmured softly to Yunice, ¡°Yunny, don¡¯t listen to him. If you want to return, we will wee you with a special birthday celebration. I may not be able to give you the top floor of the Millenium Hotel, but I will not leave you feeling wronged.¡±


    open arms. If you don¡¯t, that¡¯s okay. I can throw you want to return, we will


    Send <b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 287

    05:46:82


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    Owen stood next to Oscar, listening to Yunice¡¯s movements. He feared that Yunice might agree to Oscar¡¯s suggestion, so he interrupted. ¡°Why spend that money? Can¡¯t the Millennium Hotel banquet hall amodate Yunice?¡±


    Oscar responded, ¡°It can fit one Yunice, but can it fit two?¡±


    Owen shot back, ¡°You¡¯re just trying to push Elsie out. It¡¯s the same birthday party, the same process. What difference does it make if there¡¯s one more?¡±


    Before Oscar could reply. Yunice sneered. ¡°The same process¡­


    Both Oscar and Owen turned to her phone when they heard the mocking tone in her voice.


    Yunice¡¯s voice continued, ¡°Whose birthday should be the main event?¡±


    Owen immediately answered, ¡°Yours! Think about it, when have I not taken care of your birthday?¡±


    Yunice replied. ¡°The main event you¡¯re referring to is when you introduce guests, push me aside, and proudly introduce Elsie? Is it choosing a shier princess dress for Elsie, letting her show off at my birthday party, or handing the cake knife to Elsie while I¡¯m left as mere decoration<b>?</b>¡±


    For every question Yunice asked, Owen was momentarily stunned. He had never noticed those details before and had never taken them seriously.


    He countered, ¡°Are you really going to make a big deal out of such small things? Everyone in the family knows you, so why do I need to introduce you? Letting Elsie dress nicely and perform is so the Saunders family can warm up to her. And as for the cake knife, who cares who cuts it? Elsie did it, and you didn¡¯t have to do it yourself.¡±


    Before Yunice could respond, Oscar angrily stood up and shoved Owen aside. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re right? Don¡¯t you know that people¡¯s attitudes depend on how the family treats them? The Saunders family¡¯s attitude toward Yunice is shaped by how the family treats her. If even you¡¯ve been sidelining her at her own birthday event, who will take her seriously if you keep doing that? And the cake¡­ Have you never learned proper banquet etiquette? Do you really not get it? If you went to Paul¡¯s birthday, would you dare cut his cake for him?¡±


    ¡°Why are you bringing up Paul again? Elsie and Yunice are both family. Why does it matter?¡±


    Oscar scolded, ¡°We¡¯re still brothers. Why didn¡¯t you let me take the CEO position at Saunders. Hospital?¡±


    Owen paused, looking displeased. ¡°You¡¯re changing the subject. A cake and the Saunders family, really?¡±


    Oscar sneered. ¡°See, you understand what¡¯s important. You¡¯re just using Yunice¡¯s interests to tter Elsie.¡±


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    Oscar, seeing this, took matters into his own hands. ¡°Yunny, I can¡¯t let this go. You¡¯ve suffered a lot because I wasn¡¯t there for you. Now I¡¯m here, and I will make things right! Give me a chance. Come to the birthday party, and you¡¯ll see how the Saunders familypensates you. okay?¡±


    Is that


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer. Owen, looking uneasy, waited for her response. Deep down, he still wanted. Yunice as his sister. Now that he knew what had been bothering her, he hoped to repair their rtionship.


    ¡°Yunny¡­ Owen¡¯s voice almost sounded pleading.


    Yunice finally relented. ¡°Fine.¡±


    Oscar immediately felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He didn¡¯t notice that Owen, standing behind him, had a hopeful expression on his face.


    Upstairs, in Elsie¡¯s room, Paul paced back and forth, dialing a virtual number on his phone. He had tried several times, but the other party always ignored him. Paul had suspected it was a marketing strategy, but he was too eager to make money.


    Elsie sat on the bed. ¡°Paul, really? You can¡¯te to my birthday party? You¡¯ve alwayse before, but now that you¡¯re married, you won¡¯te? My friends and family will talk behind my back. I¡¯m not afraid of themughing at me, but I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll secretly call you fickle, like those yboys¡­


    She spoke for a long time, but Paul seemed lost in his own thoughts and didn¡¯t even hear her. His phone remained pressed to his ear as he dialed a number that kept ringing busy. Finally, the call went through! Paul¡¯s face lit up with excitement!


    A middle¨Caged man¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Mr. Paul, haven¡¯t you already joined other projects? Why are you calling me again?¡±


    Paul walked to the balcony, shut the door, and immediately adjusted his posture. ¡°What¡¯s it to you? I have money and want to invest in more projects, so what?¡±


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    ¡°I¡¯ll transfer 140 thousand dors to you. When will I see a return?¡±


    The middle¨Caged man replied, ¡°I¡¯ve told you many times¨Cafter one week, it will definitely double. If Mr. Paul doesn¡¯t dare to try, then don¡¯t bother.¡±


    Paul sneered. ¡°It¡¯s just 140 thousand dors. If I lose it, I¡¯ll just consider it money for your coffin.¡±


    Yunice, on the other end of the line, scoffed. It was clear they were two peas in a pod, both Paul and Elsie. They were so eager to buy her a coffin together. But Yunice was the one who would buy the coffin. She would use this money to bury Paul and Elsic together, locking them away for a lifetime.


    After hanging up, Paul transferred the 140 thousand dors to the man, then left the balcony to speak to Elsie. ¡°I can¡¯te to your birthday party.¡±


    The Powell family and Wyatt were both looking for him. Right now, he had no proper exnation and no face to show up in public.


    Elsie, being considerate, said, ¡°Yunice will also be there. Yunice loves to show off, and she¡¯ll definitely bring Wyatt with her. I didn¡¯t think it through, Paul. You really shouldn¡¯te.¡±


    Paul remained serious, but unusually, he didn¡¯t respond to Elsie¡¯s words.


    H


    Elsie felt a bit disappointed. She hoped Paul would be called back by the Powell family to continue his role as the heir, not hiding in her room like a mouse, selling her things every day.


    What she wanted was Paul¡¯s tinum card. Otherwise, why would shepete with Yunice? If Paul wouldn¡¯t leave, then Elsie would have to continue supporting him.


    At Pavilion Hall. Someone knocked on the study door, and Yunice opened it to find Jordan standing outside.


    Jordan looked troubled and said, ¡°Mrs. Cooper, Wyatt has an important engagement tonight¡­¡±


    Seeing Jordan hesitating, Yunice thought for a moment before asking, ¡°You want me to wake Wyatt up?¡±


    Jordan nodded eagerly as if he had found a savior.


    Yunice frowned. ¡°Is it an important client?¡±


    <i>Why </i>can¡¯t <i>they </i>let Wyatt rest <i>for </i><i>a </i>bit? Even <i>robots </i>can¡¯t run like this without a <i>break</i>.


    Jordan nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a very important client.¡±


    Yunice had no choice but to go to the bedroom and wake Wyatt up.


    Closing the bedroom door behind her the first thing Yunice <b>saw </b><b>was </b>Wyatt Iving <b>on </b>the bed. His


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    Yunice walked closer, and her eyes were immediately drawn to his strong, toned waist, which seemed even more captivating.


    In her mind, Yunice silently evaluated his body¡­ Really impressive.


    ¡°Wyatt, wake up.¡± Yunice lightly pped his face a couple of times, making a sound as her hand hit his cheek.


    Wyatt frowned, clearly irritated. He lifted his hand and brushed Yunice¡¯s hand aside. He rolled over and went back to sleep.


    Yunice froze. This was the first time she <b>had </b>seen Wyatt in a bad mood upon waking up. Not wonder Jordan didn¡¯t want to wake him up and passed this job onto her. It was at <b>that </b>moment that Yunice noticed the bracelet exposed on Wyatt¡¯s wrist.


    As she reached out to take the bracelet from his wrist, Wyatt quickly grabbed her wrist and pinned her down to the bed.


    Yunice let out a surprised gasp. ¡°It¡¯s me! Jordan said you had an important engagement, so I was supposed to wake you up.¡±


    Wyatt began to wake up, rxing his grip on her but still keeping her pinned down. ¡°Your way of waking me up is by stealing?¡±


    Yunice shamelessly replied, ¡°It works, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Wyatt chuckled. ¡°As usual, you don¡¯t lose out.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t woken up, Yunice would have surely imed the bracelet for herself.


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond, instead, her gaze lingered on Wyatt¡¯s sleeping robe. She hesitated for <b>a </b>moment before speaking, ¡°Do you need to take care of something?¡±


    There was a bulge in his robe. Morning erections were a sign of normal blood cirction and nerve function. It wasn¡¯t driven by sexual fantasy or desire.


    Yunice, being a doctor, was able to handle the situation normally. In her mind, she concluded <b>that </b>Wyatt <b>was </b>a normal <b>man</b>.


    Wyatt looked down at Yunice, his lips tightening slightly. Yunice, without hesitation, thought that with two hours left before the engagement Jordan mentioned, there might be enough time.


    Wyatt was a normal man, and she was a normal woman. She wasn¡¯t opposed to adult behavior. If they were going to address physical needs, why not with the best option avable?


    As for Wyatt¡¯s physical condition, she was satisfied. If she needed a bed partner, he was definitely suitable.


    Yunice didn¡¯t resist. She looked into Wyatt¡¯s eyes firmly, showing no sign of shyness or rejection. After half a minute, Wyatt asked, ¡°Are you trying to join the party?¡±


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    It seems she truly has no expectations or desires toward me, which is why she <i>can </i>look at me so calmly Wyatt¡¯s heart, which had been <b>racing</b>, gradually slowed down as he pulled away from Yunice and went directly to the bathroom.


    Yunicey still on the bed, staring at the ceiling. This was the second time Wyatt had rejected her.

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    When Wyatt came out of his room fully dressed, Yunice was in the dining room.


    Wyatt was in a bit of a rush and was nning to leave directly, but when his eyes caught sight of the container in front of Yunice, he walked over and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°I was just bored, so I made some snacks.¡±


    Wyatt casually took the container, raised his hand, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take it and eat it on the way.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t refuse.


    Once in the car, Jordan had his hands on the wheel, ncing up at the rearview mirror.


    Wyatt leaned back in the backseat. He never really ate snacks, but he opened the lunch box and took a piece of green cake. He took a bite, studying it as he chewed, and then took a second bite. After finishing the entire piece, he closed the box and set it aside.


    Jordan, doing his job, reminded him, ¡°Wyatt, I found out that Yunice¡¯s birthday is on May 28. Do you want me to prepare anything in advance?¡±


    Wyatt responded, ¡°No need.¡±


    Jordan scratched his nose, the first time he couldn¡¯t figure out Wyatt¡¯s intentions. It seems like Wyatt really cares about Yunice, but why does <i>he </i>never want to show any effort openly?


    A couple of days passed, and Yunice and Wyatt were both busy with their own affairs, rarely seeing each other. Yunice and Victor had already finalized the design ns, and the construction department was about to begin the foundation ceremony. Hearing there was an argument on the construction site, Yunice and Victor came out of their temporary office to see what was going on.


    The crowd had gathered inyers, and it was difficult to see what was happening, but from the noise, Yunice gathered that the argument was about a partner involved in the Northvale project who had been caught leaking project secrets.


    The project partner had already been taken by the police. Now<b>, </b>causing a scene were his wife and


    child.


    Yunice stood on tiptoe to get a better view. But with so many people around, all she could see were the backs of men¡¯s heads<b>. </b>


    At that moment, someone gently tapped her on the back. Yunice turned around to find Victor standing behind her, offering her a stool. He gestured for her to stand on it.


    Yunice quickly stepped up on the stool. Now elevated above the crowd, giving her a clear view ahead.


    She saw a young woman kneeling on the ground, crying bitterly. Next to her was a child, probably about three or four years old, also kneeling beside her. The child seemed to understand


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    The woman was crying out, iming that her husband had been framed <b>and </b>pleading for the Cooper family to step forward and retract the arrest. She threatened that if they didn¡¯t, she and her child would jump from the construction site, letting the public stir up more trouble.


    The Cooper family hadn¡¯t paid much attention to her, sending only ackey to deal with her. The woman¡¯s patience wore thin, and she stood up, cursing loudly. ¡°Wyatt, you have a wife, you¡¯ll have children one day. Today you¡¯re driving us to the edge¨Cyour wife and children will suffer the same fate in the future!¡±


    Her insults were so harsh that the crowd hurriedly dragged her away.


    She kept yelling. ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯ve ruined families. You¡¯ll get your karma! You won¡¯t have a good end!¡±


    The child cried loudly, trying to save his mother, but he couldn¡¯t break free from the adults. pulling him <b>away</b>. The scene was quite moving to those watching. Soon, the woman¡¯s voice faded away as the crowd dispersed.


    Victor said. ¡°Words like that aren¡¯t worth taking to heart.¡±


    Such scandals andwsuits happened everywhere. Who was right and who was wrong couldn¡¯t be determined by curses alone.


    However, the woman¡¯s insults directed at Wyatt¡¯s wife and child had essentially included Yunice in her usations. Honestly, when Yunice was insulted, she was genuinely shocked. After the woman was dragged away, she didn¡¯t appear again.


    Before the end of the workday, the project department notified everyone involved that the Cooper family would be hosting a dinner at Millenium Hotel, and all participants were required to attend.


    Yunice and Victor changed into formal clothes and took the same car to Millenium Hotel.


    At this event, they would meet colleagues they would be working with in the future, which would be beneficial for future negotiations.


    Yunice worked in the basic division, while Victor was in charge of the design department, so they sat at different tables. However, Victor didn¡¯t have many acquaintances and was more reserved, so he ended up sitting with Yunice.


    As everyone engaged in small talk, Yunice used the opportunity to work on a physics problem.


    She had been so busytely that she hadn¡¯t had time to study. With the college entrance examsing up, she needed to push herself harder. Victor nced at the tablet in front of Yunice.


    He leaned over and studied the problem she was working on. ¡°I think you made a mistake on this


    one.

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    Jordan¡¯s gaze scanned the room without hesitation as he made his way through the banquet, passing by groups of people who greeted him in hushed voices.


    ¡°Mr. Cooper.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Cooper.¡±


    Jordan finally found his target and quietly whispered. ¡°Wyatt, <b>your </b>wife is here.¡±


    Wyatt happened to pass by Yunice, and as she looked up, their eyes met. She gave him a slight smile. The exchange of nces was brief, and Wyatt turned <b>away </b>and walked out of the banquet <b>hall </b>in a good mood.


    As soon as he left, the chatter in the hall grew louder again.


    The men were busy ttering each other, talking about where they had met Wyatt before and how they had exchanged a few words with him. The women, on the other hand, focused on rtionships, imagining when they might catch Wyatt¡¯s eye.


    Victor, who had been sitting close to Yunice, thought that Wyatt would be upset when he saw them so close. To his surprise, Wyatt didn¡¯t seem to mind at all. This was beyond his understanding.


    Victor turned his attention back to Yunice¡¯s paper and was surprised to realize that Yunice hadn¡¯t made a mistake on the problem. Her approach to solving it was unconventional, which was why he hadn¡¯t noticed at first.


    He awkwardly said, ¡°You have some interesting ideas<b>.¡± </b>


    Jordan followed Wyatt, <b>still </b>thinking about the scene he had just witnessed¨CYunice and Victor sitting together, heads close, talking.


    ¡°Wyatt, do you think it¡¯s too much for Mrs. Cooper to work and study at the same time? Isn¡¯t she getting too tired?¡±


    Wyatt asked, ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    Jordan replied, ¡°As your wife, shouldn¡¯t her focus be on ensuring the quality of your life? She can¡¯t keep working and studying like this.. At her age, it would be better if she had children, right?¡±


    Wyatt shot him a nce. ¡°Are you trying to get me to say something?¡±


    <i>Isn¡¯t </i><i>it </i><i>the </i>best time for Yunice to do whatever she wants, regardless of her age?


    Jordanughed awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help you out. You¡¯re not exactly high in education. so you can¡¯t help her with her studies, and someone else might take the opportunity to win her favor.¡±


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    hint of romanti interest. This was a problem. He lowered his voice and added, ¡°Victor may be like an older brother to her, but he¡¯s still a man.¡±


    Jordan thought he was being clear enough, but Wyatt didn¡¯t seem to care at all. Wyatt adjusted his cufflinks, then mocked. ¡°Do you think if she doesn¡¯t like me, she¡¯ll suddenly like Victor?¡±


    Jordan had no words for Wyatt¡¯s narcissism.


    He¡¯d already <b>given </b>his warning, but Wyatt didn¡¯t take it seriously. If someone else came along to steal his woman, he couldn¡¯tin.


    Wyatt then asked. ¡°Did you find the people I asked you to?¡±


    Jordan responded. ¡°They¡¯re all in the banquet hall. As soon as they hear it¡¯s an invitation from the Cooper family, they¡¯lle running


    <b>In </b><b>the </b><b>banquet </b>hall, someone whispered, ¡°Isn¡¯t that Yunice? What¡¯s she doing here at the Cooper family¡¯s event?¡±


    Yunice, with her keen hearing, caught the conversation and looked over. The two men didn¡¯t bother to hide their gaze and looked down at her from their elevated position. Yunice frowned. It was really unfortunate to run into people she disliked in a professional setting.


    The two men walked over with their sses in hand. After seeing the table¡¯s sign and realizing. Yunice didn¡¯t hold a high position, they straightened up even more.


    ¡°Ms. Saunders is really lucky to have gotten into the Cooper family¡¯s project,¡± one of them said, raising his ss, signaling <b>Yunice </b>to drink.


    Yunice raised an eyebrow, straightened her back, and gave them a defiant look.


    Sure enough. the man was provoked by her boldness and was about to say something cold. But before he could, hispanion grabbed him and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t argue with her. This is a Cooper family event. If we cause trouble, we¡¯ll be kicked out.¡±


    They¡¯d worked hard to get here, so it wasn¡¯t worth ruining things over something small.


    The man red at Yunice angrily, then returned to his seat. With <b>that </b>disruption, Yunice lost interest in studying. She put away her iPad and started observing the other guests.


    It was when she looked around that she realized just how many familiar faces were


    present.


    There were about seven or eight people who were mutual friends with Elsie, including some who had made things difficult for her thest time they were in the private room.


    Is this a coincidence? Yunice felt a sense of unease, but considering how vast the Northvale project <b>was </b>and how many people were attending the banquet, running into a few familiar faces <b>wasn¡¯t </b>that strange,


    ¡°Have you all heard about Henry<b>?</b>¡±


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    well. Yunice paid extra attention to them, so even though they were trying to keep their voices low, she could hear them clearly.


    ¡°Henry was bragging to me just a week ago about getting the Cooper family project. I was thinking of joining him, but now I¡¯m d I didn¡¯t. If I had. I¡¯d probably be sitting in prison with him right now.


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    ¡°Hmph, I knew Henry was shady from the start. Acts all proper, but he¡¯s the worst of the bunch¡±


    ¡°His wife and kid showed up at my ce the other day¨Ccrying, full¨Con begging me to save him. I mean, seriously? That clueless woman really thought I¡¯d go head¨Cto¨Chead with the Cooper Group for her man?¡±


    ¡°And then what happened?¡±


    ¡°I told her to go make a scene at the construction site. Stir up public opinion, and someone¡¯s bound to step in.¡±


    The groupughed and pointed at <b>him</b>. ¡°Man, that¡¯s cold. You really <b>told </b>her that? But seriously, you think Wyatt gives a damn about public pressure? I was wondering why we hadn¡¯t heard a word from that mother and son¡­ Wyatt probably already shut them down.¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t the only one listening¨CVictor was too. His expression darkened as the


    conversation went on.


    He took a sip of juice. Sensing the shift in his mood, Yunice leaned in and asked softly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ???


    Victor hadn¡¯t nned to say anything, but he couldn¡¯t hold back. ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t you think Mr. Cooper went too far? Sure, the adults might¡¯ve screwed up, but the kid didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Yunice paused, caught off guard. She managed a response. ¡°Look¡­ that¡¯s on the parents. They dragged their kid into it. If you¡¯re going to make a scene with a child in tow, you¡¯ve gotta be ready for whateveres with it. You can¡¯t expect Wyatt to go easy on them just because there¡¯s a kid involved.¡±


    Victor stared <b>at </b>her, clearly shocked. He hadn¡¯t expected Yunice to take Wyatt¡¯s side.


    ¡°Judging people behind their backs¨Cdoes that make you any better, Mr. Victor?¡± Wyatt¡¯s voice. came out of nowhere. He had walked up just in time to catch what they were saying.


    Victor frowned but didn¡¯t respond.


    Yunice was about to speak up and exin, but Wyatt didn¡¯t linger.


    Victor stood there with a stiff expression, clearly bothered.


    Not long after, he made an excuse and slipped out of the ballroom.


    Yunice noticed it right away¨CVictor wasn¡¯t just upset with Wyatt. He probably thought she was messed up too.


    Victor had a lot of good qualities. That was the problem. He¡¯d been too sheltered his whole life.


    <b>too </b>naive.


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    But that kind of thing? A few hard knocks from life had a way of fixing it fast.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t about to talk him out of it. Some lessons don¡¯te from words. <i>Life </i>teaches them the hard way. One hit, and <i>he¡¯ll </i><i>figure </i><i>it </i><i>out</i><i>. </i>


    Wyatt sat at the head table. Yunice was too far away to hear what he was saying, but he had a solid build and was easy on the eyes.


    Just then, Jordan strolled over with a bottle of liquor in hand. He walked right past Yunice and headed to the table behind her.


    Coincidentally, that table was filled with people Yunice used to know.


    Jordan set the bottle down with a solid thud and announced. ¡°This one¡¯s from Mr. Cooper. He wants you all to drink up¨Cdon¡¯t waste a drop.¡±


    The group, caught off guard, stood up quickly in surprise. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jordan! Please thank Mr. Cooper for us!¡±


    Jordan let out a shortugh and added, ¡°Mr. Cooper says he¡¯s got a lot of respect for this g


    So if the rest of you don¡¯t treat them right tonight, you¡¯re basically disrespecting him.¡±


    People exchanged uneasy nces. That didn¡¯t sound like apliment¡­


    Still, someone sharp enough to read between the lines caught on right away¨Cthis wasn¡¯t apliment. It was a setup.


    And just like that, the ttery started pouring in. People were lining up to toast that table, pushing, drink after drink on them.


    Those guys were totally clueless. They thought they were riding high, like they¡¯d finally made it. Trying to impress Wyatt, they just kept downing drinks one after another.


    Yunice turned and watched them¨Cfaces red, slurring their words, gripping the table while huping through drunken burps. A cold smirk tugged at her lips.


    She wasn¡¯t sure if Wyatt had done it on purpose or not, but seeing those same people who used to push her around now suffering like that? It felt damn good.


    After chatting for a bit, Wyatt left the event early.


    Momentster, Yunice received a message from him¨Ca location pin. He wanted her to meet him there.


    As she stood up to leave, she nced back at that table of men. Their faces had turned pale. A few of them had even thrown up blood.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t think Wyatt was being cruel¨Cnot one bit. After all¡­ what goes aroundes around.


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    To everyone else, she was just another nobody in thepany. Who would ever pay her any


    mind?


    from the


    Even those guys who drank themselves sick¨Csome even threw up blood¨Cwould never have guessed, no matter how hard they racked their brains, that their misfortune hade most unassuming person in the room¨CYunice.


    She opened the car door and leaned in, spotting Wyatt seated in the shadowy back seat.


    The moment she climbed in, the driver pulled away.


    Watching the streets roll by. Yunice asked, ¡°Are we heading back to Pavilion Hall?¡±


    Wyatt pressed his fingers to his temple and gave a low ¡°Yeah<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    The Northvale Project was just getting off the ground, and there was chaos at every turn. With the Powell Corporation constantly trying to throw a wrench in things, Wyatt had been running himself ragged for days.


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    Chapter 292 Silent Understanding


    He felt drained.


    Yunice nced at him and offered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you lie down on myp? I¡¯ll give you a massage.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s fingers paused. He opened his eyes.


    Then he actually did it.


    <b>His </b>head was heavy¨Cand Yunice was pretty slim. The weight sank straight into her, and she flinched.


    She adjusted him so he¡¯d be morefortable, and Wyatt had to awkwardly tuck his legs into the


    corner.


    As her hands gently massaged the top of his head, Yunice said, ¡°Thanks for getting everyone together.¡±


    No need to exin. <i>When </i>you¡¯re dealing with someone sharp<i>, </i>just a hint is enough.


    Wyatt knew exactly who she meant<b>. </b>


    And Yunice knew¨Che wouldn¡¯t have brought that group together unless he¡¯d taken the time to look into her situation.


    Sure enough, Wyatt didn¡¯t answer. He kept his eyes closed, silent.


    But a momentter, he reached up and wrapped her hand in his.


    His hand slid into hers, their fingerscing together.


    Yunice tensed for a second, caught off guard, as Wyatt gently brought her hand down and ced it against his chest.


    Then he stopped moving.


    She could feel his heartbeat¨Csteady, strong¨Calong with the warmth of his skin and the slight texture beneath it. The rhythm pulsed steadily against her palm.


    This feels¡­ too intimate.


    Wyatt was definitely still awake..


    Yunice didn¡¯t pull her hand away. Instead, she changed the subject. ¡°Victor¡¯s parents died taking the fall for some rich guy. He spent two years in an orphanage before Mr. Carl adopted him. I think he¡¯s still carrying that trauma¡­ that¡¯s probably why he misunderstands you.¡±


    Wyatt opened his eyes and looked at her.


    L


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    She knew Wyatt. He never let grudges slide. If someone crossed him be thways settled the score.


    That¡¯s what worried her. She could already tell he and Victor didn¡¯t click


    When Victor was little, he followed his mom around, trying everything they could to clear his


    dad¡¯s name.


    But it hadn¡¯t made a difference.


    So in his mind, someone like Wyatt¨Cruthless and calcting¨Cwas no diferent from the man who ruined his family.


    Wyatt stared at Yunice, his expression unreadable.


    Seeing the hint of pleading in her face, he gave an annoyed grunt of acknowledgmen


    Wyatt let him off the hook for one reason¨CYunice. And maybe a little for Will¡¯s sake too. Victor should consider himself lucky to have that connection.


    Wyatt stayed resting on Yunice¡¯sp for over twenty minutes.


    But instead of heading to Pavilion Hall, the car turned and drove toward the hospital.


    Morgan finally woke up after <b>two </b>days in aa.


    His injuries were serious this time¨Cfractured ribs kept him stuck in bed, and a bone bruise in his leg had it suspended in a sling.


    Bone injuries take time. For the next three months, forget sports cars¨Che¡¯d be lucky if he could walk again.


    Mary had worn herself thin taking care of him. She barely acknowledged Wyatt anymore. and when it came to Yunice, her attitude was even worse.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t bother with her. And Yunice? She acted like she wasn¡¯t even there.


    Furious, Mary wheeled herself out of the room.


    Yunice stood quietly behind Wyatt, throwing a nce at Morgan.


    His head was wrapped in so much gauze, he looked like a mummy. From the moment Wyatt walked in, Morgan kept nervously ncing over his shoulder.


    The moment his eyes met Yunice¡¯s, Morgan froze. He flinched, went rigid, and stared up at the ceiling¨Cwide¨Ceyed and pale.


    Wyatt narrowed his eyes.


    Yunice asked, ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem all there. You think the head injury messed him up?¡±


    1:13 PM C


    Chapter 292 Silent Understanding


    ¡°Bluh¨Cbluh¨Cnuh¨Cnuh! No!¡±


    05-15 39


    Finished


    Yunice turned to Wyatt. ¡°Yeah¡­ something¡¯s definitely not right. He can¡¯t even speak properly.¡±


    The second Morgan locked eyes with her, hepletely lost it. ¡°Grandma! Grandma, save me!¡±


    He was falling apart¨Chysterical and panicked¨Cbut his voice came out rough and strained, like his throat was ready to give out.


    Yunice raised her eyes and, just out of Wyatt¡¯s line of sight, shed Morgan a slow, wicked smile.


    Begging <i>for </i>Grandma won¡¯t <i>help </i>you now.


    Morgan¡¯s eyes went wide. Trussed up like a roast, he somehow managed to inch his way to the Jedge of the bed, nearly tipping over in the process.


    Yunice calmly pulled up a stool and ced her acupuncture kit on the table. She unzipped it and unfolded a neat row of silver needles, all in different lengths and widths, each one gleaming under the light.


    She smiled coolly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Morgan. I¡¯m trained in the Thirteen Phantom Needles. Once I begin, I¡¯ll <b>take </b>care of every issue in your body and make sure you¡¯re healthier than you¡¯ve ever been.¡±


    Morgan let out a strangled, muffled curse, but it was impossible to tell what he was trying to say.


    Yunice plucked a needle from the set. ¡°You don¡¯t want to end up brain¨Cdead, do you?¡±


    Wyatt pulled out his phone. ¡°I need to take a call.¡±


    Morgan let out a desperate whimper, but Wyatt didn¡¯t stop walking.


    The door closed behind him, leaving just Yunice and Morgan in the room.


    Yunice leaned in and gently slid a needle into Morgan¡¯s scalp, smiling sweetly as she did it.


    Morgan went stiff as a board¨Ceyes wide, throat rattling with a dry, panicked sound. He didn¡¯t


    dare move.


    Holding another needle just above his head, Yunice tilted it yfully between her fingers, her voice light and teasing. ¡°Looks like Wyatt¡¯s not here to save <b>you </b>anymore.¡±


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 293

    05 13 32


    Finished


    Morgan was shaking with fear, frozen like someone had hit a pause button on his body. He couldn¡¯t move an inch. His face said it all¨Cpure terror directed straight at Yunice.


    She acted like the sweet, harmless type¨Cbut she was far from it.


    By the time Wyatt came back into the room, Morgan had already fallen asleep.


    Yunice pulled out the needles one by one, then said with a smirk, ¡°Man, I wish I could sleep like that. Young people¨Cknock out the second their head hits


    the pillow.¡±


    Wyatt asked. ¡°How is he?¡±


    Yunice answered casually, ¡°Just some minor injuries. He¡¯s young and in good shape. As long as he takes it easy for the next few months, he¡¯ll be fine¨Cnosting damage.¡±


    Whether Wyatt believed her or not, he didn¡¯t question it further.


    Deep down, Yunice could tell¨CWyatt gave her a kind of ck he didn¡¯t offer to others.


    She didn¡¯t believe for a second that he didn¡¯t suspect something. But as long as she didn¡¯t leave Morgan seriously injured¨Cor worse¨CWyatt would look the other way.


    When they left the hospital, Mary still hadn¡¯t said a word to Yunice.


    Yunice returned the favor, treating Mary like she didn¡¯t even exist. As long as Wyatt was on her side, life stayed easy. Nothing else mattered.


    Back at Pavilion Hall, Yunice headed straight to the kitchen.


    There were housekeepers around, but she liked doing things herself.


    Wyatt followed her in. When he saw her grab tomatoes, he went to the fridge, pulled out sometro, and started plucking the leaves at a rxed. pace.


    He flipped his phone face¨Cdown on the counter, clearly still on a call. His voice was tense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let that paper show up in front of me again.¡± Yunice nced over while slicing the tomatoes. Then Wyatt lowered his voice and asked whoever was on the other end, ¡°Oh, you think this is funny?¡±


    A voice crackled faintly through the speaker. ¡°Wyatt, thepetition¡¯s having a field day with


    this.


    Yunice¡¯s ears perked up. She kept chopping but inched a little closer to where Wyatt was standing. What¡¯s going on<i>? </i><i>What¡¯s </i><i>so </i>funny?


    Wyatt shot her another look. Yunice acted like she hadn¡¯t noticed, casually scooped the tomatoes <b>into </b><b>a </b><b>bowl </b>then <b>switched </b>cutting boards <b>and </b>started on the heef


    <b>1/3 </b>


    1:13 PM c


    Chapter 293 Unspoken Boundaries


    Then Wyatt muttered into the phone. ¡°Fine. Get me anguage tutor.¡±


    05


    05 11:30


    Finished


    Yunice was straining to catch every word, totally lost in the drama and itching to ask¨Cbut Wyatt ended the call before she had the chance.


    He looked over at her. ¡°Did you catch any of that?¡±


    Yunice blinked, totally innocent. ¡°Catch what?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    Then he picked up the other half of the beef she¡¯d left and began slicing it into thin strips.


    The two of them stayed in the kitchen, quietly working side by side¨Ceach focused on their own task, not saying another word.


    Yunice madetro¨Clime beef stir¨Cfry. Wyatt went with beef taco bowls.


    While reaching for ingredients, their hands asionally brushed. When Wyatt reached for the salt, Yunice waited for him to finish before adding her own.


    At the dining table, the house staff stood quietly behind them, ready to serve¨Cbut after a few minutes of waiting for cues, they realized there was nothing to do.


    Wyatt went back for more stir¨Cfry. Yunice helped herself to another scoop of the taco bowl.


    Neither of them was picky. No arguments, no awkward tension¨Cjust two people enjoying good


    food.


    For some reason, Yunice¨Cusually so tense¨Cfelt surprisingly at ease. Weird, she thought. I <i>actually </i><i>feel </i><i>more </ifortable eating with <i>Wyatt </i>than <i>I </i>ever did at <i>the </i>Saunders <i>family </i><i>dinner </i>table.


    Just as they were setting down their utensils, Wyatt¡¯s phone rang again. He lifted it and answered -this time on speaker.


    ¡°Wyatt, I found a few top¨Ctier foreignnguage tutors, but¡­¡± Jordan¡¯s voice trailed off awkwardly.


    Wyatt¡¯s tone darkened. ¡°But what?¡±


    Jordan sighed and gave up trying to sugarcoat it. ¡°They all said your basics are too weak. They¡¯re afraid tutoring you will ruin their reputation. No one wants to take the job.¡±


    The mood in the room shifted immediately. The air felt heavier. Yunice nced up, hesitating. ¡± <b>Wait</b>, what kind of tutor are we talking about?¡±


    Wyatt looked <b>over</b><b>, </b>clearly debating whether or not to tell her.


    But before he could respond, Jordan recognized Yunice¡¯s voice through the speaker. ¡°Mrs. Cooper¡­ You¡¯re there too?¡±


    1:13 PM


    Chapter 293 Unspoken Boundaries


    05:09:27


    Finished


    Jordan hesitated. ¡°You¡­ haven¡¯t seen the news, have you?¡± He didn¡¯t wait for an answer. ¡°Wyatt got roasted at the press conference. His delivery was¡­ not great, and, well¨Cthe media tore him apart. Someone even turned it into a meme video. It¡¯s all over the inte.¡±


    Yunice blinked. A meme video?


    She considered herself a certified inte junkie¨Chow had she not seen this?


    Then again, she rarely ever came across negative news about Cooper Group. Wyatt¡¯s PR team and legal department were legendary. If he wanted something buried, it disappeared fast.


    Yunice stayed quiet, processing..


    On the line, Jordan sighed again. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, I¡¯m out of options here. Do you have any ideas<b>?</b>¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 294

    hapter 294 Laughter Between the Lines.


    05-07-21


    Finished


    Wyatt said, ¡°She dropped out of high school. What kind of ideas could she possibly have? I probably know more vocabry than she does.¡±


    Jordan went quiet.


    Yunice nced at Wyatt, held it in for a few seconds, and then finally blurted out, <b>not </b>ready to back down, ¡°I speak sevennguages.¡±


    Jordanughed. ¡°Mrs. Cooper,e on. Don¡¯t try to bluff us¨Cwe know your background. You spent three years in a psych ward, not anguage institute. There¡¯s no way you know sevennguages.¡±


    Yunice went silent.


    To prove she wasn¡¯t lying, Yunice replied to Jordan in six differentnguages.


    Wyatt frowned and asked through the phone, ¡°What¡¯s she rambling about?¡±


    Jordan was stunned for a second before replying, ¡°She said I shouldn¡¯t look down on her. And that if she had a college degree, she would¡¯ve passed the certification exam for trantors by


    now.¡±


    Wyatt nced at Yunice. ¡°That confident, huh?¡±


    Jordan added awkwardly, ¡°But I didn¡¯t catch everything she said.¡±


    Even someone like Jordan wasn¡¯t fluent in all sevennguages. He caught bits and pieces, but a few lines were totally lost on him.


    Yunice idly yed with her utensils and said calmly, ¡°The rest of what I said was, even though I never formally studied foreignnguages, I grew up reading original medical texts from all over the world. I used dictionaries and looked up every word one by one. By the time I was a teenager, I could hold full conversations without a problem.¡± She looked straight at Wyatt, full of confidence. ¡°Whichnguage are you struggling with<b>?</b>¡±


    Jordan jumped in before Wyatt could answer. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, you probably don¡¯t know this, but Wyatt¡¯s never spent a single day in school. Honestly, it¡¯s a miracle he can even read. Aside from his nativenguage? He¡¯s hopeless.¡±


    Wyatt frowned but didn¡¯t argue.


    Yunice paused for a second, then said, ¡°Let me handle it.¡±


    Wyatt gave Yunice a look. ¡°When will you have time?¡±


    They were both always busy¨Csometimes they went days without even seeing each other. They were always on different time clocks.


    05 05 22


    Finished


    Chapter 294 Laughter Between the Lines


    it¡¯s part of your everyday routine.¡±


    Then she realized Jordan was still on the line¨Cand immediately fell silent.


    Jordan hung up with a sharp click, giving them some space.


    Yunice didn¡¯t regret it for a second. She set her utensils down and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond right away. He took a slow breath, then looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Alright, Ms. Saunders.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed. For some reason, hearing Wyatt say Ms. Saunders felt different¨Clike there was something quietly intimate about it.


    And she meant what she said. Whenever they were together, she kept him close, pointing out around them and naming them as they came up. She kept it simple¨Cjust starting with whatever was right in front of them.


    After all, vocabry was the first step to learning anynguage.


    things


    Yunice had a feeling Wyatt wasn¡¯t going to be great at this¨Cbut she hadn¡¯t realized just how rough it would be.


    He


    gave


    it his best shot, mimicking her pronunciation with fullmitment, even if the results were¡­ questionable.


    She rubbed her temple, starting to feel like she was tutoring a kindergarten.


    Wyatt let out a slow breath and nced at her. ¡°Ms. Saunders, are you starting to question if you¡¯re even qualified to teach me?¡±


    Yunice blinked, surprised by how bold he was. Wow. He¡¯s not even embarrassed about how bad he is- and he¡¯s questioning me?


    Yunice kept her cool. ¡°Everyone starts out rough. Trust me¨Cyou¡¯ve got plenty of room to improve<b>.¡± </b>


    Wyatt raised <b>an </b>eyebrow. ¡°Is that just a nice way of saying I can¡¯t possibly get any worse?¡± He smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve got a real talent for encouragement, Ms. Saunders.¡±


    Yunice sighed, rubbing her forehead again before heading to the study to dig upnguage book. If she was going to teach him, she might as well start with bedtime reading.


    By the time she returned to the bedroom, Wyatt had already showered.


    She handed him the book, then grabbed her towel and pajamas. ¡°Flip through it for a bit. I¡¯ll read it to you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    Wyatt was just about toin that he wouldn¡¯t understand a word¨Cbut when he opened the book and spotted a few of her handwritten notes, his eyes lit up.


    111PM <b>d </b>


    Chapter 294 Laughter Between the Lines


    05 03 26


    Finished


    climbed onto the bed, turned to Wyatt, and asked, ¡°So¡­ did any of it make sense?¡±


    Wyatt nodded seriously. ¡°Pickle¨Ctastes good.¡±


    ¡°Bug¨Csquash it.¡±


    ¡°Lobster¨Ccrazy expensive.¡±


    ¡°Squid¨Cmy favorite:¡±


    Yunice stared at him,pletely speechless.


    He was reading word for word, totally straight¨Cfaced, quoting the ridiculous notes she¡¯d scribbled in the margins to help him remember things. She didn¡¯t say a thing.


    Wyatt nced sideways.


    Yunice had her head down, and her shoulders were shaking slightly under her silk pajama top.


    ¡°You¡¯reughing at me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m <b>not</b>, Yunice said, trying to lift her head¨Cbut she couldn¡¯t hold it in. Her face dropped again <b>as </b>she burst intoughter, shoulders shaking even harder.


    Wyatt watched her for a moment, then, seeing she had no intention of stopping, leaned over and poked her in the side. ¡°Stillughing, huh?¡±


    Yunice practically jumped. She was insanely ticklish¨Cespecially around the waist. One poke was all it took to make her jolt.

 Daghter 295

    Wyatt said, ¡°She dropped out of high school. What kind of ideas could she possibly have? I probably know more vocabry than she does.¡±


    Jordan went quiet.


    Yunice nced at Wyatt, held it in for a few seconds, and then finally blurted out, <b>not </b>ready to back down, ¡°I speak sevennguages.¡±


    Jordanughed. ¡°Mrs. Cooper,e on. Don¡¯t try to bluff us¨Cwe know your background. You spent three years in a psych ward, not anguage institute. There¡¯s no way you know sevennguages.¡±


    Yunice went silent.


    To prove she wasn¡¯t lying, Yunice replied to Jordan in six differentnguages.


    Wyatt frowned and asked through the phone, ¡°What¡¯s she rambling about?¡±


    Jordan was stunned for a second before replying, ¡°She said I shouldn¡¯t look down on her. And that if she had a college degree, she would¡¯ve passed the certification exam for trantors by


    now.¡±


    Wyatt nced at Yunice. ¡°That confident, huh?¡±


    Jordan added awkwardly, ¡°But I didn¡¯t catch everything she said.¡±


    Even someone like Jordan wasn¡¯t fluent in all sevennguages. He caught bits and pieces, but a few lines were totally lost on him.


    Yunice idly yed with her utensils and said calmly, ¡°The rest of what I said was, even though I never formally studied foreignnguages, I grew up reading original medical texts from all over the world. I used dictionaries and looked up every word one by one. By the time I was a teenager, I could hold full conversations without a problem.¡± She looked straight at Wyatt, full of confidence. ¡°Whichnguage are you struggling with<b>?</b>¡±


    Jordan jumped in before Wyatt could answer. ¡°Mrs. Cooper, you probably don¡¯t know this, but Wyatt¡¯s never spent a single day in school. Honestly, it¡¯s a miracle he can even read. Aside from his nativenguage? He¡¯s hopeless.¡±


    Wyatt frowned but didn¡¯t argue.


    Yunice paused for a second, then said, ¡°Let me handle it.¡±


    Wyatt gave Yunice a look. ¡°When will you have time?¡±


    They were both always busy¨Csometimes they went days without even seeing each other. They were always on different time clocks.


    05 05 22


    Finished


    Chapter 294 Laughter Between the Lines


    it¡¯s part of your everyday routine.¡±


    Then she realized Jordan was still on the line¨Cand immediately fell silent.


    Jordan hung up with a sharp click, giving them some space.


    Yunice didn¡¯t regret it for a second. She set her utensils down and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond right away. He took a slow breath, then looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Alright, Ms. Saunders.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed. For some reason, hearing Wyatt say Ms. Saunders felt different¨Clike there was something quietly intimate about it.


    And she meant what she said. Whenever they were together, she kept him close, pointing out around them and naming them as they came up. She kept it simple¨Cjust starting with whatever was right in front of them.


    After all, vocabry was the first step to learning anynguage.


    things


    Yunice had a feeling Wyatt wasn¡¯t going to be great at this¨Cbut she hadn¡¯t realized just how rough it would be.


    He


    gave


    it his best shot, mimicking her pronunciation with fullmitment, even if the results were¡­ questionable.


    She rubbed her temple, starting to feel like she was tutoring a kindergarten.


    Wyatt let out a slow breath and nced at her. ¡°Ms. Saunders, are you starting to question if you¡¯re even qualified to teach me?¡±


    Yunice blinked, surprised by how bold he was. Wow. He¡¯s not even embarrassed about how bad he is- and he¡¯s questioning me?


    Yunice kept her cool. ¡°Everyone starts out rough. Trust me¨Cyou¡¯ve got plenty of room to improve<b>.¡± </b>


    Wyatt raised <b>an </b>eyebrow. ¡°Is that just a nice way of saying I can¡¯t possibly get any worse?¡± He smirked. ¡°You¡¯ve got a real talent for encouragement, Ms. Saunders.¡±


    Yunice sighed, rubbing her forehead again before heading to the study to dig upnguage book. If she was going to teach him, she might as well start with bedtime reading.


    By the time she returned to the bedroom, Wyatt had already showered.


    She handed him the book, then grabbed her towel and pajamas. ¡°Flip through it for a bit. I¡¯ll read it to you when I¡¯m done.¡±


    Wyatt was just about toin that he wouldn¡¯t understand a word¨Cbut when he opened the book and spotted a few of her handwritten notes, his eyes lit up.


    111PM <b>d </b>


    Chapter 294 Laughter Between the Lines


    05 03 26


    Finished


    climbed onto the bed, turned to Wyatt, and asked, ¡°So¡­ did any of it make sense?¡±


    Wyatt nodded seriously. ¡°Pickle¨Ctastes good.¡±


    ¡°Bug¨Csquash it.¡±


    ¡°Lobster¨Ccrazy expensive.¡±


    ¡°Squid¨Cmy favorite:¡±


    Yunice stared at him,pletely speechless.


    He was reading word for word, totally straight¨Cfaced, quoting the ridiculous notes she¡¯d scribbled in the margins to help him remember things. She didn¡¯t say a thing.


    Wyatt nced sideways.


    Yunice had her head down, and her shoulders were shaking slightly under her silk pajama top.


    ¡°You¡¯reughing at me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m <b>not</b>, Yunice said, trying to lift her head¨Cbut she couldn¡¯t hold it in. Her face dropped again <b>as </b>she burst intoughter, shoulders shaking even harder.


    Wyatt watched her for a moment, then, seeing she had no intention of stopping, leaned over and poked her in the side. ¡°Stillughing, huh?¡±


    Yunice practically jumped. She was insanely ticklish¨Cespecially around the waist. One poke was all it took to make her jolt.

 Daghter 296

    Chapter 296 Not That Easy


    04 54 92


    Finished


    Elsie¡¯s heart skipped¨Csomething felt off. Before she could react, Yunice grabbed her by the wrist. yanked her into the room, and knocked her out cold.


    Yunice walked out calmly, shutting the door behind her. For a split second, she caught a final glimpse of Elsie, unconscious on the floor.


    She locked the door from the outside. No one was getting out.


    Then she headed to the ballroom like nothing had happened.


    Lily was the first to spot her. Her eyes scanned Yunice from head to toe, then flicked behind her. clearly expecting someone to follow. When no one did, her expression shifted.


    ¡°Wyatt didn¡¯te with you? You didn¡¯t tell him today¡¯s your birthday?¡±


    Her shoulders squared just a little¨Cclearly feeling smug. If Wyatt couldn¡¯t even bother to show up for Yunice¡¯s birthday, things probably weren¡¯t going so great between them.


    Figures. <i>If </i>Wyatt couldn¡¯t even bother to show up and be there for her tonight, that marriage didn¡¯t stand <i>a </i>chance, Lily thought to herself.


    ¡°Yunny!¡± Oscar rushed over. But even he hesitated for a beat when he noticed she was alone. The joy on his face dimmed for a moment¨Cthough he covered it quickly and turned to Lily. ¡°Mom. Yunny just got off work¨Cshe didn¡¯t have time to change. Didn¡¯t you pick out a dress for her? Go help her get ready.¡±


    Then he gave Yunice a warm smile.


    Yunice could tell¨COscar was trying hard to win her over. And he was dragging the rest of the Saunders family into the act.


    They were trying¨Cyet again¨Cto act like they cared. But Yunice knew the truth.


    Love doesn¡¯t need grand gestures or fancy words. You either feel it¡­ or you don¡¯t.


    And the harder they tried to fake it, the more it pushed her away.


    Still, she didn¡¯t want to embarrass Oscar. She¡¯d let her actions do the talking¨Cand show him just how little his efforts really meant.


    Lily led her to the dressing room backstage and pulled a luxurious gown from the closet.


    It was clearly expensive.


    -it looks <b>way </b>


    better


    ¡°Try it on,¡± Lily said, holding it up. ¡°I picked this one just for you. Trust me¨Cit looks than whatever Elsie¡¯s wearing tonight.¡±


    To be fair it was a beautiful dress


    Chapter 296 <b>Not </b>That Easy


    But when Yunice put it on, Lily struggled to zip it up from behind.


    Yunice stopped her. ¡°Forget it. It doesn¡¯t fit.¡±


    Lily kept trying. ¡°That can¡¯t be right. If Elsie can wear it, so can you.¡±


    04 52.99


    Finished


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. ¡°You do realize my chest is bigger than hers, right?¡±


    Lily knew. She just didn¡¯t care..


    Could you make it look a bit less¡­ obvious?¡± Lily said. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t draw too much attention¨Cpeople talk.¡±


    Yunice yanked at the neckline¨Cpop. The back zipper burst open.


    She turned her head and nced at Lily¡¯s chest. ¡°If you¡¯re that worried about gossip, maybe get a reduction and live like a man.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face darkened. She clutched the dress, clearly not thrilled.


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. She¡¯d heard it all before.


    Lily had made thosements more than once¨Calways behind her back.


    <i>If </i><i>only </i><i>Elsie </i>had gotten Yunice¡¯s looks instead. They¡¯re both my daughters, so why is it the one I can¡¯t stand ended up with all the good genes?


    Yunice remembered back in high school¨Cshe¡¯d already grown into her figure, feminine and hard to miss.


    Elsie, meanwhile, had just moved in from the countryside. She was all skin and bones, tall and stick¨Cthin, without a single curve.


    Lily used to gush over her. Called her ¡°elegant¡± and ¡°refined,¡± said she looked like a gentle, delicate girl from a painting. Then she¡¯d turn around and scold Yunice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t wear bras like that -it just draws attention. People will think you¡¯re doing it for the boys.¡±


    Back then, Yunice took her words to heart. It left her feeling insecure for a long time.


    Sometimes, when a guy tried to talk to her, she¡¯d wonder, did <i>I </i><i>do </i>something wrong?


    But looking back now, she realized Lily dressed femininely herself. She wore low¨Ccut blouses and fitted dresses. Yet she shamed Yunice for the exact same thing.


    There weren¡¯t any other dresses in the fitting room.


    Yunice <b>wasn¡¯t </b>bothered. She leaned casually against the vanity and scrolled through her phone, perfectly at ease.


    Lily was silently fuming. It was her birthday¨Cthere was no way she¡¯d walk out in street clothes. Sooner or


    113 PM


    Chapter 296 Not That Easy


    04 50 9


    Finished


    Meanwhile, Oscar was still waiting outside. hoping Yunice woulde out soon. He¡¯d nned. everything with care, wanting to walk her through all the little surprises he¡¯d prepared.


    He just wanted her to feel a little warmth¨Csomething that might finally break the tension


    between them.


    But after waiting and waiting, he still hadn¡¯t seen her. So he walked over and knocked gently. ¡°Yunny, are you ready?¡±


    Lily answered, still holding the dress in her arms. visibly annoyed..


    Oscar looked past her at Yunice, confused. Then he turned back to Lily. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she changed. yet?¡±


    Lily let out a dramatic sigh. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me. I¡¯ve tried everything¨Cshe just won¡¯t put it on.¡±


    Oscar shot her a look, then turned to Yunice. ¡°Yunny, you don¡¯t like it? Just tell me which one you do¨CI¡¯ll go get it right now.¡±


    Lily wasn¡¯t expecting <b>that</b>. Her expression soured. ¡°These dresses aren¡¯t cheap. And I thought we were trying to cut back on spending.¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 297

    hapter 297 Crossed Lines


    Lily crossed her arms. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you liked this dress?¡±


    Oscar kept his cool. ¡°Mom, what matters is that Yunny¡¯s happy. I¡¯ll cover it myself.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face darkened. She was clearly unhappy


    Oscar pulled out his phone, ready to <b>let </b>Yunice pick something out..


    That¡¯s when Yunice finally looked up. ¡°Oscar, the dress doesn¡¯t fit. The zipper popped¨CI can¡¯t


    wear it.¡±


    Lily blinked, clearly not expecting Yunice to speak up.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t fit?¡± Oscar turned to Lily, confused. ¡°Didn¡¯t you <b>have </b>it tailored to Yunny¡¯s measurements? How does that even happen?


    Oscar wasn¡¯t oblivious. It was bing clear¨CLily had agreed with him at the time, but behind his back, she¡¯d gone and done theplete opposite.


    Trying to defend herself, Lily said. ¡°Lused standard sizing for girls their age. Elsie and Yunny are about the same size, and it fit Elsie just fine<b>.</b>¡±


    Oscar¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You gave Yunny a dress Elsie wore?¡±


    Oscar was fuming. He¡¯d reminded them again and again¨Cput in the effort, take it seriously. And yet here they were, cutting corners like it didn¡¯t matter.


    Lily jumped in, trying to justify herself. ¡°Yes, the dress is Elsie¡¯s, but she never wore it in public. And it¡¯s her nicest, most expensive gown¨Cshe never even had the heart to wear it herself. Giving it to Yunny shows we were being thoughtful, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you? Yunny isn¡¯t Elsie. Stop treating them like they¡¯re interchangeable¨Cshe deserves to be seen for who she is.¡±


    His voice rose. Lily shrank back, her confidence fading. ¡°I didn¡¯t know,¡± she mumbled. ¡°I just thought it¡¯d save some money¡­ and the dress really is beautiful


    Oscar was so frustrated he didn¡¯t know where to put it. Without another word, he snatched the dress from her hands <b>and </b>threw it hard onto <b>the </b>floor.


    That <b>was </b>the moment Owen walked <b>in</b>, catching the scene as the dress hit the ground. He hurried over. ¡°What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± he asked. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting forever.¡± He nced down and spotted the dress. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Yunny¡¯s? Why¡¯s it on the floor?¡±


    ed to him, pissed. ¡°Take a closer look. You think this was made for Yunny? Were you in


    too?


    Owen looked confused. He clearly hadn¡¯t known. But after a <b>second</b>, the dress did look kind of


    Chapter 297 Crossed Lines


    new?¡±


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    Lily hesitated, caught between the two of them. ¡°The house expenses have been really hightely¡­ And didn¡¯t you two break a few of those expensive vasesst month? I had to rece them, and by the time I did, there wasn¡¯t enough left for a new dress.¡±


    Now even Owen was frowning.


    But there wasn¡¯t much time left¨Carguing wouldn¡¯t solve anything. And buying a new gown thiste? Nearly impossible.


    Owen held up the dress again and looked at Yunice. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not ideal¨Cbut it¡¯s better than what you¡¯ve got on now, right?¡±


    Oscar wasn¡¯t having it. They had gone out of their way to make this banquet grand¨Cfor Yunice¡¯s sake. She was the guest of honor¨Cand they expected her to walk into the spotlight wearing a dress that didn¡¯t even fit?


    Not happening. Oscar said. ¡°I¡¯ll call the mall and have a backup dress ready.¡±


    He stormed out.


    Owen sighed, then turned to Yunice. ¡°This whole thing got messed up, I¡¯ll admit that. Bute on, part of this is on you too. You knew what kind of night this was. You should¡¯ve picked out a dress ahead of time. Don¡¯t tell me you show up looking like this when you go out with Wyatt too.¡±


    Whenever it came to Elsie, the family always went all out¨Csometimes even more invested than she was.


    Yunice still remembered how seriously Lily had taken it when people thought Elsie might marry into the Powell family. She had helped pick out wedding dresses like it was already happening- every detail, every fitting, all done with care.


    And yet, even on her own birthday, she wasn¡¯t worth a simple dress that actually fit.


    She wasn¡¯t surprised. She was used to this kind of treatment¨Cand she had no interest in making


    a scene.


    The only reason she¡¯d shown up tonight was to let Oscar see the truth for himself¨Cto understand. it wasn¡¯t <b>that </b>she was cold or heartless.


    The truth was, there had never been a ce for her in this family¨Cand there never would be.


    Lily stood in the corner, arms crossed, lookingpletely unbothered.


    She couldn¡¯t have cared less what Yunice wore.


    Things were already beyond fixing, and Lily didn¡¯t even bother to fake it anymore.


    But after a few minutes, Lily nced around and frowned. Something felt off. She frowned.


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    Owen paused. <b>Now </b>that she mentioned it, it had been a while since he¡¯dst seen her<b>. </b>


    Lily tried calling. No answer.


    ave it a


    Owen try too. Still nothing.


    You don¡¯t think something happened, do you?¡± Lily muttered.


    Finished


    That <b>was </b><b>all </b>it took for Owen¡¯s expression to shift. He frowned. ¡°Mom, stay here with Yunny. I¡¯ll go look for her.¡±


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    Chapter 298 Stranger at the Door


    There was no way Lily was going to stay with Yunice. The second Owen stepped out, she followed right behind him.


    Just like that, Yunice was left alone in the dressing room.


    She sat quietly, idly spinning a makeup brush between her fingers. She didn¡¯t feel hurt or ignored anymore. That kind of disappointment had worn itself out long ago..


    Then, behind her, something crashed to the floor.


    Yunice turned around and saw a little boy with a blunt bob haircut. He was dressed in a suit and stood stiffly, one hand hidden behind his back like he was clutching something.


    She recognized him instantly¨Che was the same boy from the construction site, the one who¡¯d been crying on his knees while <b>his </b>mother begged for help.


    His dad was now behind bars, facing heavy fines. The man who used to hold the family together <b>was </b>gone. For a family like theirs, it was a breaking point¨Cand life ahead would only get harder. But did that mean they deserved her sympathy?


    Yunice stayed seated and didn¡¯t move. She calmly asked, ¡°Hey, kid. How old are you?¡±


    The boy answered softly, ¡°Three<b>.</b>¡±


    He stopped a couple of feet away, too nervous toe closer.


    Seeing Yunice wasn¡¯t paying him much attention, he tried again, more desperate this time. ¡°Miss, I got separated from my mommy. Can you help me find her?¡±


    Yunice kept her eyes on the mirror, still spinning the brush in her hand. She didn¡¯t respond.


    The boy¡¯s voice trembled, his eyes starting to well up. ¡°Please, miss¡­ If my mom can¡¯t find me, she¡¯s going to be really worried¡­¡±


    Yunice finally turned to him, her voice steady, almost gentle. ¡°Sorry, but if I left with


    you and my family couldn¡¯t find me, they¡¯d be worried too. How about this¨CI¡¯ll call the front desk, and they can help you find your mom.¡±


    ¡°Miss¡­¡± The boy¡¯s expression shifted¨Chis eyes shed with something sharp, almost guarded. ¡°Don¡¯t call the front desk. I don¡¯t need to look for her anymore¡­¡±


    His tone turned panicked. He took a step toward her, still hiding one hand behind his back.


    Meanwhile, Lily and Owen had searched the entire ballroom, and there was still no sign of Elsie.


    Calls went straight to voicemail. No one could reach her


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    Frustrated and panicking, they suddenly got a call from hotel management. One of the guests had reported a missing child, and since the Saunders family was hosting the event, the hotel asked for help.


    With no time to waste, Owen followed the hotel manager to his office to figure out what was going on.


    Apparently, the woman had been walking past the ballroom with her son when he slipped away and ran inside. Within moments, he was gone


    The hotel manager reviewed the security footage and quickly found the boy on camera. ¡°He went into the backstage dressing room.¡± he said, pointing to the screen ¡°He hasn¡¯te out since, That¡¯s the room Ms. Saunders is using, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Owen¡¯s stomach dropped.


    Yunice had a history of psychiatric issues¨Cand had once been ssified as potentially dangerous.


    The kid went in. Never came out.


    Owen didn¡¯t want to imagine what might¡¯ve happened.


    Without another word, he took off with the others, rushing toward the dressing room


    Oscar showed up just then, carrying a dress. Spotting everyone gathered outside the dressing room, he asked. ¡°What¡¯s going on out here? Where¡¯s Yunice:


    Owen pointed inside. ¡°She¡¯s in there.¡±


    Everyone followed him inside. The hotel staff and the boy¡¯s mother spread out, calling his name as they searched the room in a panic.


    Yunice, seated calmly at the vanity, nced up. ¡°No kid¡¯s been in here.¡±


    The boy¡¯s mother turned to her, surprised. ¡°You¡¯ve been in this room the whole time?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    The woman gave her a strange look, then went back to searching with the others.


    Meanwhile, the Saunders family had gathered around Yunice. Lily¡¯s eyesnded on the dress she was wearing, and her expression twisted. The material was clearly high¨Cend. ¡°I thought Oscar said he was going to buy you a new dress,¡± she said sharply. ¡°So why¡¯d you steal someone else¡¯s?¡±


    Hotel Marcellus hosted a lot of private events, so it wasn¡¯t umon for high¨Cend dresses to be stored backstage. So of course, Lily¡¯s first thought was that Yunice had gotten vain and grabbed someone else¡¯s gown to wear.


    Yunice turned and shot her a re. ¡°Wyatt sent it. He had it delivered specifically for me.¡±


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    Finished


    Owen frowned. ¡°You could¡¯ve mentioned that earlier. We¡¯ve all been running around trying to fix this, and you just sat here.¡±


    Yunice replied coolly. ¡°The only person who¡¯s been running around for me is Oscar. Weren¡¯t you. and Lily off looking for Elsie?¡±


    Owen stiffened. ¡°Every time someone says something, you act like we¡¯re attacking you. If this is the attitude you¡¯re bringing, maybe you shouldn¡¯t havee at all.¡±


    Oscar immediately stepped in, his voice sharp. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Mom, you¡¯re the one who should be more careful with your words. Since when did this family start jumping straight to me instead of asking questions? When did scolding rece support? Being the elder doesn¡¯t give you the right to tear someone down<b>.</b>¡±


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    Chapter 299 Turning Point.


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    Finished


    Oscar¡¯s words went nowhere. Neither Lily nor Owen took him seriously.


    They always stuck together, acting like Oscar was too uptight, too soft. Anything he said, they either ignored or brushed off.


    Oscar could feel it. His expression darkened, but there wasn¡¯t much he could do.


    By now, hotel staff had searched every inch of the dressing and changing rooms. And yet somehow, a three¨Cyear¨Cold child had seemingly vanished into thin air.


    With nowhere else to look, everyone turned their attention to the one person who¡¯d been in the room the entire time¨CYunice.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any kid,¡± Yunice said calmly. Then after a beat, she added, ¡°Unless he came in while I was in the changing room and left before 1


    got back?¡±


    The boy¡¯s mother stormed up to her. ¡°Security shows he never left. Don¡¯t lie¨Cyou must¡¯ve seen him. Did you hide my son on purpose?¡±


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hide him? You just said he came in and never left. I haven¡¯t left either. You already searched the whole ce¨Cthere¡¯s no one else here. What do you think I did, make him vanish into thin air?¡±


    If something had really happened to the boy, there would¡¯ve been signs¨Cblood, a body, something.


    She casually spun a small trinket on the vanity and said. ¡°Why are you all still standing here? If your kid¡¯s missing, shouldn¡¯t someone have called the cops by now?¡±


    The woman dropped to her knees in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s the point of calling the police?¡± she cried. ¡°You¡¯re part of the Cooper family! I know who you are¨CMrs. Cooper. My husband. offended your husband, and now you¡¯re taking it out on me¨Con my child. Please, if you¡¯re angry, punish me. Just don¡¯t hurt him. He didn¡¯t do anything. Just please, let my baby go!¡±


    Yunice adjusted her seat, looking utterly unbothered:


    Owen grew impatient. ¡°Can you just answer the question? Did you take the kid or not?¡±


    Oscar cut in sharply. ¡°Come on. The room¡¯s not even big enough to hide a child. And doesn¡¯t anyone else think it¡¯s strange she didn¡¯t even consider calling the front desk? She jumped straight to ming Yunice.¡± He turned to her, suspicious. ¡°Even your husband might not know the full story between Yunice and Wyatt. So how do you know?¡±


    The woman stiffened. ¡°Word gets around. Someone told me.¡±


    Yunice nced at her coldly. ¡°Let me guess¨CElsie?¡±


    Owen looked like he was about to jump in to defend Elsie, but Yunice cut him off. ¡°Save it. Don¡¯t


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    Finished


    He¡¯s the one who loaned Elsie seven hundred grand in the VIP room¨Cand signed a written IOU Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know.¡±


    Owen froze. He genuinely didn¡¯t know¨Che¡¯d been too drunk that night.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t surprised. She pulled out her phone and opened a video clip.


    In the video, the man was slumped over the table, signing the IOU that Elsie had written. Then he handed her a check for seven hundred thousand. At least ten mutual friends were there that night -any one of them could back it up.


    Yunice held up the screen. ¡°That¡¯s your husband, right?¡±


    The woman looked stunned. Completely blindsided. She had no idea her husband had given Elsie that kind of money.


    Seven hundred thousand.


    She spent weeks agonizing over a fourteen¨Cthousand¨Cdor purse¨Cand when she finally bought. it, he tore into her for being irresponsible.


    But he handed Elsie 700 <i>grand</i><i>? </i><i>Just </i>like that<i>? </i>Sure, he said <i>it </i>was a loan<i>¨C</i>but who knows if he ever got that money back? Or <i>if </i>he even could?


    Just minutes ago, the boy¡¯s mother had been in tears¨Cnow, all that emotion turned into fury. She jumped to her feet, stormed over to Owen, and grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Where¡¯s that maniptive brat Elsie? Get her out here! How dare she take advantage of a struggling mom and kid like us?¡±


    Lily stepped forward, trying to calm things down. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please don¡¯t-¡±


    But before she could finish, the woman shoved her aside, shouting, ¡°Oh, now it makes sense. She wasn¡¯t being helpful¨Cshe set me up! She told me who Wyatt¡¯s wife was. Told me to bring my son and start a scene, said if I caused enough chaos, Wyatt would feel pressured to let my husband<b>. </b>go!¡±


    Yunice raised her eyebrows, startled. ¡°Elsie actually said that?¡±


    The woman snapped, ¡°Why else would I be here looking for you?¡±


    Yunice leaned back, her voice suddenly cool. ¡°So let me get this straight. Now your kid¡¯s missing¡­. and so is Elsie. You don¡¯t think ma


    and have no way to defend myself?¡±


    she took him? Set this whole thing up so I¡¯d get med


    Owen had been inplete shock. He had no


    idea there was any connection between this woman and Elsie. But the second Yunice started pointing the me at Elsie, he snapped. ¡°Yunice, that¡¯s enough. Shut up.¡±


    Yunice gave a dryugh. ¡°What, struck a nerve?


    You weren¡¯t in a rush to speak up when I was the


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    Chapter 300 What Lies Beneath


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    The boy¡¯s mother kept ncing between Yunice and Owen, trying to figure out who was telling the truth.


    It didn¡¯t take long. She sided with Yunice almost instantly and snapped at Owen. ¡°Where¡¯s Elsie? Get her out here! If she doesn¡¯t show up. I¡¯m calling the cops!¡±


    Earlier, she¡¯d kept quiet because she knew she was pushing <b>a </b>false usation¨Cand she <b>was </b>afraid of what Wyatt might do. But now that her son was actually missing, and all signs pointed to Elsie, she had no reason to hold back.


    Ironically, it was Owen who stepped in to stop her. This is Yunice¡¯s birthday dinner. If you call the cops now and turn this into a scene, do you have any idea the kind of mess that¡¯ll create? We don¡¯t even know the full story yet. Stop pointing fingers.


    The woman wasn¡¯t having it. ¡°Then go find Elsie! Bring her out here and let her exin herself!¡±


    Owen had no idea how to handle her at this point. Frustrated, he snapped and sent everyone off to help search for Elsie.


    Once Owen and Lily stormed off, only Oscar <b>and </b>Yunice were left backstage.


    Yunice looked over, calm as ever. ¡°Oscar, you should go too. I just need a minute to put on some lipstick I¡¯ll be right behind you.¡±


    Eager to end the chaos, Oscar nodded and left.


    Yunice pulled a lipstick from her bag and leaned toward the mirror, carefully applying it. The hallway outside had finally gone quiet. No footsteps. No voices.


    Only then did she lift the skirt of her gown and reveal the three¨Cyear¨Cold boy fast asleep beneath her makeup chair.


    No one had found him because Yunice had hidden him under her dress.


    As long as she stayed seated, who would even think to look there?


    She looked down at his hand, still clenched around a military¨Cgrade pocketknife, and all she felt <b>was </b>a quiet, heavy sadness.


    If a three¨Cyear¨Cold was already carrying this much anger, it probably meant he was the one hurting most in the entire family.


    Just three years old, and he¡¯de after her with a knife. Someone had filled his head with lies. made him believe Yunice was the viin behind everything that had happened to his family.


    He was too young to question any of it. He just wanted to protect his parents. He thought hurting her would make everything right¨Cnever realizing he was being used the whole time.


    Chapter 300 What Lies Beneath


    04:30:10


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    They were counting on Yunice defending herself¨Coverreacting¨Cso they could turn the whole thing around and pin it on her.


    So she yed it differently.


    She stayed quiet. Hid him. Let them panic.


    Meanwhile, the hotel staff had joined the search for Elsie, covering far more ground¨Cand with more care¨Cthan Owen or Lily ever could.


    Even guests from the banquet hall got involved.


    ¡°Elsie¡¯s such a sweet girl,¡± someone said. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t just vanish like this. Something¡¯s off¨Cwe should all help find her.¡±


    Someone near the elevator control room heard a strange noise. At first, they thought it might be a rat¨Cbut curiosity got the better of them. They quietly stepped forward¡­ and yanked the door open


    A sharp scream rang out.


    Heads turned instantly in that direction.


    ¡°Wait¡­ isn¡¯t that Elsie? From the Saunders family?¡±


    ¡°We found her! Over here¨CElsie¡¯s in the control room!¡±


    Someone who didn¡¯t know what was going on started shouting¨Conly to be silenced by a hand over their mouth. ¡°Shhh! Stop yelling¨Cdo you even realize who¡¯s in there with her?¡±


    But it was already toote.


    Owen and Lily rushed over¨Conly to freeze at the doorway. There, inside the elevator control room, stood Elsie¡­ and Paul.


    The two lookedposed and fully dressed, but none of that mattered. Paul had recently thrown avish wedding. Everyone in the capital knew who he was¨Cand everyone knew his wife was Taylor.


    That was the real problem.


    He was married. And yet here he was, tucked away in a private corner with Elsic. The implications were clear, and none of them were good.


    Owen and Lily instinctively stepped forward, ready to defend Elsie¨Cready to smooth things


    over.


    But before either of them could speak, someone barreled past<b>, </b>knocking them aside. Owen stumbled left, Lily to the right.


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    No one had seen her arrive. But now that she was here, no one dared speak.


    She walked straight up to Paul and stopped. Her sharp gaze locked onto him first.


    Paul¡¯s eyes flickered with guilt, but he held his ground, locking eyes with her like nothing was wrong¨Clike he had nothing to hide..


    Then Taylor¡¯s eyes moved to Elsie.


    Elsie stood with her head down, looking fragile and pitiful¨Clike she¡¯d been the one wronged.


    Taylor¡¯s lips curled into a faint, cold smile. Without a word, she raised her hand.


    And pped her.


    The crack echoed through the hallway.


    Elsie¡¯s head snapped to the side, the force of the p leaving her stunned.


    Her mouth hung open, eyes wide with disbelief. She clearly hadn¡¯t expected Taylor to hit her. Not in front of everyone.


    Elsie had assumed Taylor would stay quiet¨Cthat she¡¯d hold it together to protect her pride. No wife wants to admit her husband¡¯s cheating, especially in front of a crowd.


    But it was clear¨CTaylor hadn¡¯te to y nice. She came to settle the score.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 301

    Chapter 301 The Simp


    Even Paul hadn¡¯t expected Taylor to p someone. But as a man, of course he had to stand up for his woman¨Cespecially when Elsie had sold off her family¡¯s assets to help him through his darkest days.


    Paul barked, ¡°You shrew! Ms. Elsie and I arepletely innocent¨Cwhat gives you the right to hit people?¡±


    He had only been lured here by someone else¡¯s scheme. Nothing had actually happened between them.


    Taylor dered loudly, ¡°She seduced a married man with no shame!¡±


    Paul snapped back. ¡°Any man stuck with a woman like you would want to find someone gentler!¡±


    So he wasn¡¯t even trying to pretend anymore?


    Fine. Taylor would help him out.


    ¡°If you had real ability and actually earned your sess, you could¡¯ve married whoever you wanted. But too bad¨Cyou don¡¯t. So you ended up with a shrew like me, and spent your life under my thumb. A simp.


    Those words hit like a sledgehammer.


    Paul¡¯s face turned ghostly pale. He could feel the burning gazes of everyone around him.


    Finding a mistress wasn¡¯t shameful. But finding one and still being dominated by your wife, unable to fight back? Now that was humiliating.


    dession :


    After today, he¡¯d be the butt of every afternoon tea gossip the capital¨Cthe man who lived off his wife.


    Taylor made a gesture, and bodyguards led by n surged forward from behind her.


    ¡°Take him away,¡± she ordered.


    The bodyguards moved in without question, grabbing Paul and hauling him off as he cursed and threatened to no avail.


    These weren¡¯t just any bodyguards¨Cthey were from Taylor¡¯s own family. Even the Powells would have to get her permission before dealing with them.


    With Paul gone, Elsie was suddenly left all alone¨Cand right at the center of the scandal.


    The stares from family and friends were enough to pin her to the spot.


    Back when Paul wasn¡¯t married, they¡¯d praised how well¨Cmatched she and Paul were.


    Chapter 301 The Simp


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    #Finished


    Whether out of genuine distress or just putting on a show, Elsie¡¯s legs gave our beneath her and she copsed to the ground.


    Owen and Lily rushed to help her up and took her straight to the hospital.


    A woman who hade with her kids followed closely behind, demanding Elsie give her an exnation.


    The scene turned into a noisy, chaotic mess as the group departed.


    Oscar, watching it all unfold, spat on the ground. ¡°Absolutely disgraceful.¡±


    He turned and was shocked to find the banquet hall guests scattering like water.


    He hurried up to someone, tugged their arm and asked with a forced smile. ¡°Hey, we haven¡¯t even celebrated Yunice¡¯s birthday yet¨Cwhy are you leaving?¡±


    His uncle answered awkwardly, ¡°Your mom, your sister, and your brother already left. The birthday party¡¯s basically over. Why would I stay?¡±


    Oscar said. ¡°But Yunice¡¯s still here, I¡¯m still here. This whole party was for Yunice¡­¡±


    But his uncle waved him off and left without another word.


    Oscar stood frozen, staring at the nearly empty banquet tables, the once¨Ccrowded room now dotted with just a handful of guests. A dazed expression settled on his face.


    Maybe now, he finally understood why Yunice had insisted on leaving this family.


    He sank into a chair, overwhelmed with regret. How was he supposed to face her after this?


    This kind of scene¨Cwasn¡¯t it like stabbing her in the heart?


    What he didn¡¯t see was Yunice quietly approaching behind him.


    Not everyone had left the hall. One family still remained.


    A young girl, maybe ten or so, suddenly jumped to her feet, eyes shining. ¡°Yunice!¡±


    Oscar looked up to see a distant rtive¨Che couldn¡¯t even recall their names¨Capproaching Yunice.


    The little girl reached her first and stopped right in front of her, staring in awe.


    ¡°Yunice, you¡¯re so pretty¨Cprettier than ever!¡±


    Yunice wore a morous gown and had put on makeup, making her even more striking than


    usual.


    She gently patted the girl¡¯s head. vaguely recognizing her. ¡°You¡¯re Lincoln¡¯s granddaughter?¡±


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    Yunice nodded, then looked around at the now¨Cempty banquet hall.


    The dishes hadn¡¯t even been served, and yet everyone had already left.


    Of course she knew why.


    At that moment, Oscar approached her, guilt written all over his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yunice. I¡­ I didn¡¯t handle it well¡­¡±


    Seeing him like that, Yunice felt a pang in her heart. She said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    Used to it?


    Oscar looked at her in pain. <i>Did </i>this kind of thing happen more than once?


    Before Yunice could answer, the old man behind them burst out in anger.


    ¡°All because of that little bastard. Every year, whenever we try to celebrate Yunice¡¯s birthday, she always throws a tantrum¨Cfainting, feeling sick¨Cdragging the whole family away and leaving Yunice to clean up the mess alone.¡±

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    Chapter 302 The Birthday That Finally Came


    Oscar clenched his fists at the old man¡¯s words.


    Yunice, on the other hand, turned to Lincoln. ¡°Youe to my birthday parties every year?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Yuna¡¯s parents passed away early, and our family hasn¡¯t done well. Every time we came, we were seated way in the corner. We didn¡¯t even dare go up to talk to you. When Yuna¡¯s parents had their car¡¯ident, we couldn¡¯t save them¡­ but our family has never forgotten what you did for us. Don¡¯t worry, Yunice. Even if everyone else leaves, my family will still celebrate your birthday with you.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s voice trembled as he raised it. ¡°And me.¡±


    Ma¡¯am.¡± Jordan¡¯s voice suddenly came from behind.


    Everyone turned <b>to </b>see Wyatt standing just beyond the edge of the lights.


    Yunice froze for a second, then remembered she should probably go greet him.


    But before she could take a step, Wyatt was already walking toward her.


    He stopped at her side naturally, slipping an arm around her waist as they faced Yunice¡¯s family. together.


    Wyatt nced down at Yunice and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us to each other<b>?</b>¡±


    Yunice came to her senses and quickly said, ¡°This is Lincoln¡¯s wife, Mel. And this is my cousin,


    Yuna.¡±


    Wyatt greeted them calmly. ¡°Sir, ma¡¯am.¡±


    When his eyesnded on Yuna, the girl blurted out, ¡°Hello, sir!¡±


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow and gently corrected her. ¡°Wrong title. I¡¯m your cousin¨Cinw.¡±


    Lincoln and Mel stared at him in shock, then turned to Yunice. ¡°And he is¡­<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice awkwardly clutched Wyatt¡¯s sleeve. She hadn¡¯t figured out how to introduce him. The word ¡°husband¡± felt stuck in her throat.


    So she went with something more neutral<b>. </b>¡°He¡¯s my husband.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze deepened, and the curve of his lips grew more pronounced.


    Oscar began to study Wyatt more carefully. He had never interacted with Wyatt directly¨Cthe only time he¡¯d seen him was from a distance, at Yunice¡¯s wedding.


    <b>Back </b>then, he had assumed Wyatt was the one who ruined Yunice¡¯s life.


    Chapter 302 The Birthday That Fmally Game


    04 17 72


    Finished


    Yunice nced toward Oscar. She hesitated, just about to introduce them, when Wyatt extended his hand toward him with quiet case. ¡°Oscar.¡±


    Oscar flinched slightly, his expression unreadable, caught between caution and scrutiny.


    But still, he reached out and shook Wyatt¡¯s hand. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    Wyatt could see right through his wariness, but didn¡¯t care.


    Meanwhile, Yunice¡¯s rtives were still looking at her with concern. ¡°Yunice, howe we didn¡¯t hear a word about your wedding?¡±


    Not just her rtives¨Ceven the Saunders family themselves hadn¡¯t been informed when Yunice got married.


    So even with Wyatt standing right in front of them, her parents had no idea who he was.


    Before Yunice could respond, Mel pped her thigh in frustration. ¡°It must¡¯ve been your mother -thought we were too poor, so she didn¡¯t tell us.¡±


    She then pulled two envelopes from her pocket. ¡°Yunice, we didn¡¯t make it to your wedding, but this is our cash gift. You have to ept it.¡±


    Yunice held the thick envelopes and felt her chest tighten<b>. </b>This was the first time anyone had given her wedding money.


    She knew her rtives must¡¯ve saved up for a long time, but she still epted it. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Wyatt lowered his gaze and ced a hand on her shoulder.


    Just then, the lights in the banquet hall came on all at once. Four people wheeled in a giant castle cake from backstage.


    Yuna gasped the moment she saw it, mouth hanging open.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    The cake stood over two meters tall, more dazzling than a real castle. The jewel¨Cstudded decorations sparkled brighter than the diamond ring on Lily¡¯s finger.


    Even Oscar looked stunned as the hotel staff swiftly transformed the entire venue. Within ten minutes, the in banquet hall had been upgraded to full luxury.


    Yuna, wide¨Ceyed like she¡¯d never seen anything so grand, gasped again and again, pulling out her phone to record everything and post it on her social feed.


    Soon, her posts were flooded withments. ¡°Where is this?¡±


    This kind of setup was something only the ultra¨Crich could afford. Even sneaking in for a photo would be worth bragging about for years.


    1:14 PM


    Chapter 302 The Birthday That Finally Came


    04 15-70


    Finished


    But the replies came in fast, filled with scorn. ¡°Fake photos from the inte. You¡¯ll never be more than wannabes.¡±


    ¡°Oscar doesn¡¯t even have a job. How the hell could he afford something like this for Yunice? Quit lying.¡±


    As the hate and ridicule piled up in thements, Yuna¡¯s face twisted with anger. Fearing Yunice would see it and get upset, she simply turned thements off.


    Send Gift

 Daghter 303

    Chapter 303 Too Late for Regret


    04 13 57


    Finished


    A few people hadn¡¯t yet left the hotel when they saw Yuna¡¯s posts on her social feed. Curiosity got the better of them, and they decided to return to the banquet hall to check it out.


    But they never made it past the elevators¨Csecurity was stationed at the entrance and politely turned them away. The exnation given was that the banquet <b>hall </b>had been fully booked and <b>no </b>one was allowed in.


    That sealed the deal. Those people no longer believed it was Yunice¡¯s birthday party <b>at </b>all. Someone even posted iming the hotel had kicked Yunice out so the venue could be used by a


    VIP.


    Thements under that post were full of gloating and mockery, iming Yunice that she was overreachingpletely unaware of her own worth.


    Naturally, Owen saw thesements while sitting in the hospital.


    When he stared at the screen, his face burned with shame.


    Stepping out of Elsie¡¯s hospital room, he immediately called Oscar.


    Oscar answered, and Owen went off. ¡°Oscar, what the hell are you doing? Wasn¡¯t the banquet hall I set up good enough? Why would you fake photos to show off? Do you know everyone¡¯sughing at Yunice right now!¡±


    Oscar waited until he¡¯d finished before letting out a coldugh. ¡°Owen, aren¡¯t you supposed to be busy taking care of your sister? Why do you care how my sister celebrates her birthday?¡±


    Owen choked on the reply, then softened his tone. ¡°Lifees first, okay? You can¡¯t expect me to just leave Elsie like that.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s voice turned steely. ¡°You know damn well how many times Elsie¡¯s fainted at Yunice¡¯s birthday parties. I don¡¯t need to spell it out. You want to y dumb, fine¨Cbut don¡¯t you dare use this to y the victim and guilt Yunice.¡±


    Owen heard voices in the background over the phone and frowned. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t the hotel kick you out? Why are you still¡­¡±


    Oscar scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t judge people based on your own shallow standards. Did you really think Yunice had no one left to love her?¡±


    Owen went nk for a second, then caught on. ¡°The one who booked the hall¨Cis it Wyatt?¡±


    So Yuna hadn¡¯t faked anything. The banquet hall really looked exactly like those photos!


    Oscar¡¯s response was sharp and cold. ¡°Listen to me, Owen. Yunice wasn¡¯t abandoned by you. From now on, she¡¯s the one who doesn¡¯t want you.¡±


    With that, Oscar hung up.


    Chapter 303 Too Late for Regret


    Owen stood frozen, staring at his phone, unable to snap out of it.


    He hadn¡¯t abandoned Yunice


    04 11 62


    Finished


    The banquet hall he had arranged might not have been as luxurious as Wyatt¡¯s, but he had poured his heart into it, nning every detail,


    Yunice¡¯s survival was the one thing he was most grateful for. He had genuinely tried to win her back¡­


    So why does everything always go so terong?


    From the hospital room, Lily stepped out and said, ¡°Owen, Elsie¡¯s awake.¡±


    Still reeling from Oscar¡¯s words, Owen was full of frustration¨Cbut he didn¡¯t even know who he was mad at anymore.


    Then he saw Lily and was suddenly reminded of the dress she¡¯d picked for Yunice. The resentment spilled <b>over</b><b>. </b>


    ¡°Mom, did you do it on purpose? When was buying a flower vase more important than getting Yunice a dress? Yunice and Elsie might be sisters, but howe Yunice always ends up in ill- fitting clothes, and Elsie never once had to wear Yunice¡¯s hand¨Cme¨Cdowns?¡±


    His voice turned colder. ¡°Mom, have you been taking the money I gave Yunice and spending it on Elsie instead? You¡¯ve never once bought Yunice anything new, only made her wear whatever Elsie didn¡¯t want¨Chave you?¡±


    Lily was dumbfounded, fumbling for excuses. ¡°That was because Yunice wasn¡¯t.. clean. We were afraid she¡¯d pass something on to Elsie, so we all agreed not to let Elsie wear her clothes. You were the one who said we should burn her old things until <b>her </b>illness cleared up, and then we¡¯d buy her new ones. That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been. Besides, Yunice never even told me if she got better or


    not¡­¡±


    Owen¡¯s face went pale. He¡¯d forgotten he¡¯d actually said something like that.


    Years ago, they had found a gynecological diagnosis slip in Yunice¡¯s backpack.


    It had happened right around the time scandalous rumors about her and Paul were at their peak. Everyone had jumped to the same conclusion¨Cthat Yunice had been promiscuous and brought it on herself.


    Owen had been furious and had said those things. He just never imagined Yunice had lived all these years under that kind of judgment.


    He felt a growing difort¨Cwanted to me someone¨Cbut in the end, he could only me.


    himself.


    Lily reminded him again that Elsie had woken up.


    1:14 PM


    Chapter 303 Too Late for Regret


    How many times had Elsie fainted during important moments?


    04 09 60


    Finished


    She fainted during Yunice¡¯s SAT exams, on her birthdays, even after Yunice¡¯s car ident.


    The only time she didn¡¯t faint.


    ¡­was the three years Yunice spent in the asylum.

 Daghter 304

    Chapter 304 No Brother Here


    Suddenly struck by a thought, Owen stormed back into the hospital room, yanking Elsie¡¯s arm he demanded. ¡°Were you really fainting, or just pretending?¡±


    Elsie stared at him in shock, trembling with hurt.


    Laly rushed to her daughter¡¯s <b>defense</b>. ¡°Owen! What¡¯s wrong with you? Why are youshing out at everyone?¡±


    ¡°I just want to know why she always faits at the worst possible moments!¡±


    ¡°Fainting isn¡¯t something she <b>can </b>controll Do you think Elsie wants this? It Yunice hadn¡¯t stabbed her three years ago and worsened her condition-¡±


    ¡°Stop making things up for her Owen exploded. ¡°I¡¯ve taken her for checkups how many times? Not a single report said she had a condition that causes fainting! And if it¡¯s really uncontroble, then why didn¡¯t she faint even once during those three years Yumice was gone<b>?</b>¡±


    Lily insisted. ¡°Today was different! She was triggered-¡±


    ¡°She brought it on herself! Owen shouted, pointing at Elsie. ¡°How many times have I told you to have some self¨Crespect? Were all the men in the world dead that you had to go chase a married one like Paul!¡±


    ¡°And you got pped by Taylor. Don¡¯t you feel humiliated?¡±


    Elsie had never been yelled at like this by Owen. She clutched her mouth and started crying. expecting her usual tactic to work.


    It didn¡¯t


    Owen warned coldly. ¡°You¡¯d better cut Paul offpletely. Now


    He turned to leave, then suddenly spun back around and roared. ¡°And if you dare faint at one more of Yunice¡¯s events¨Cdon¡¯t me me if I p you!)


    Elsie froze, eyes wide, tears streaking her face as she stared at Owen¡¯s retreating back, unable to believe what she¡¯d just heard.


    The moment he was gone, she burst into sobs and thre


    herself into Lily¡¯s arms. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong with Owen? He¡¯s never talked to me like this before! I used to do the same things and he never minded¨Cwhy is it not okay now?¡±


    Before Lily couldfort her, someone else burst into the room


    Without a <b>word</b>, the woman grabbed Elsie by the hair and dragged her off the bed.


    ¡°You little tramp! Where the hell did you hide my son!¡±


    Chapter 304 No Brother Here


    04 05 0


    on top of her and pped her across the face over and over.


    She wasn¡¯t just angry that Elsie had lied to her¨Cshe was even more furious that her husband had loaned Elsie five million.


    Now Jason was in jail. She was broke, wandering from ce to ce with her child, while Elsie still held onto their money.


    Her money.


    Jason¡¯s wife hit and wed at her, gripping Elsie¡¯s throat with a snarl. ¡°Give me my money back. or I¡¯ll rip your mouth apart!¡±


    Elsie couldn¡¯t even speak, let alone fight back. She waspletely overpowered.


    Meanwhile. Owen had no idea what was happening back at the hospital.


    Lily tried to call him, but he hung up without a second thought.


    He mmed the car door shut and looked up at the glowing lights on the top floor of the Hotel Marcellus..


    It was clearly still hosting a banquet.


    He headed for the elevator but was stopped by security at the entrance.


    ¡°The top floor is fully booked. No one is allowed up,¡± one of the guards said.


    Owen replied, ¡°I¡¯m the brother of the person hosting that banquet. I can¡¯t even go up?¡±


    The security guards looked him over and ignored him, acting like they hadn¡¯t heard.


    Owen quickly realized what was going on¨Ctoo many people had probably tried to sneak in by iming to be Yunice¡¯s rtive, so security no longer believed anyone.


    He pulled out his phone, determined to prove his identity with a photo of him and Yunice.


    But after scrolling for a full minute, he couldn¡¯t find a single one.


    That¡¯s when it hit him.


    It had been a long time since he¡¯d taken a proper photo with Yunice.


    More than that, he couldn¡¯t even remember thest time they sat down and really talked.


    He scrolled all the way <b>back </b>to five years ago¨Cbefore Elsie had entered their lives, back when he and Yunice still had a good rtionship.


    Sure enough, he found an old photo of them together and showed it to the guards.


    1:14 PM c


    Chapter 304 No Brother Here


    Upstairs, in the banquet hall-


    04 03 20


    # Finished


    Wyatt stood by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows<b>, </b>taking a phone call.


    The manager crouched slightly and hurried over <b>to </b>Yunice, doing his best not to <b>draw </b>attention.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, there¡¯s someone downstairs iming to be your brother. Should we let him up?¡±


    Oscar sat beside Yunice and <b>heard </b>everything. His gaze grew solemn as he looked at her.


    But this time, he didn¡¯t try to preach about family is family<i>. </i>


    Yunice smiled calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a brother. Thank you.¡±


    With that, the manager nodded and ryed the message back downstairs.

 Daghter 305

    hapter 305 The Sky She Deserves.


    04


    04 01 20


    Finished


    Owen stood in disbelief as security shoved him away. ¡°She said¡­ she doesn¡¯t have a brother? Did she really say that herself? I don¡¯t believe it¨CI need to ask her myself!¡±


    But the guards wouldn¡¯t budge. One gave him a shove that nearly sent him stumbling.


    Surrounded by curious onlookers. Owen had no choice but to retreat. Still, he didn¡¯t leave entirely. Instead, he paid for a hotel room across the street, one that had a partial view of the top floor of the Hotel Marcellus.


    From that distance, he could make our vague silhouettes. A tall figure moved toward Yunice and stood behind her. Laughter and joy seemed to ripple through the room.


    Wyatt handed Yunice the cake knife. Amid the group¡¯s cheers. Yunice raised her hand to cut the cake.


    Wyatt ced his hand gently over hers, helping guide the first slice.


    Yuna and Gill pped loudly beside them, cheerleaders of the moment.


    After everyone had tasted a symbolic bite of cake, they began inspecting the extravagant confection itself¨Ca towering two¨Cmeter¨Ctall castle cake, the likes of which most had only ever seen online.


    Especially the intricate jewel embellishments. Just looking at them made people feel nervous.


    It was¡­ too luxurious.


    Seeing Yuna and Gill practically drooling as they hovered near the cake decorations, Yunice turned to Wyatt. ¡°Can I keep the cake?¡±


    Wyatt blinked, clearly caught off guard by such a silly question. Still, he gave her a simple answer.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Yunice beamed, then turned to Yuna and Gill. ¡°If you like something, take it!¡±


    The girls immediately pulled back, hesitant. This was a work of art¨Cit felt wrong to just start ripping it apart.


    And besides, it was a gift from Wyatt to Yunice.


    ¡°But after tonight, it¡¯ll be taken apart anyway,¡± Yunice said, plucking the most prominent gem- studded fairy wand from the cake. ¡°I¡¯m keeping this one. You can have the rest.


    With Yunice¡¯s blessing, Gill didn¡¯t hold back anymore. Sheughed like a goose and pulled Yuna into a full¨Con treasure hunt, gleefully dismantling the cake decorations.


    Yunice even joined in to help them.


    Chapter 305 The Sky She Deserves


    count, <b>had </b>never seen anything like this.


    But the atmosphere was light and joyous. Everyone was having fun.


    03 59 79


    eFinished


    After all, once the celebration ended, the cake base would just be sent to


    disposal. It did need to be dismantled.


    the hotel staff for


    What girl didn¡¯t love romance and diamonds? The three of themughed as they passed the glittering stones around for a closer look.


    Meanwhile, Oscar remained in a quiet corner, watching Wyatt closely.


    Wyatt had long since noticed and walked over with a ss of wine.


    Oscar instinctively stepped back half a pace. He was the kind of man who spent all his time inbs and didn¡¯t mingle with people from society.


    He¡¯d heard plenty of rumors about Wyatt¨Cand none of them were good. The man was known to cripple others, gouge our eyes, or cut out tongues if displeased. Definitely not someone easy get along with.


    Oscar hadn¡¯t forgotten what happened at Yunice¡¯s wedding.


    Wyatt had someone sew Elsie¡¯s mouth shut.


    Most people didn¡¯t see it. He did. Her face had been a bloody mess, straight out of a horror film.


    That image had never left his mind.


    What scared him the most was this¨Cif a man like Wyatt ever got tired of Yunice, would he treat her the same way?


    But Oscar also knew fear wouldn¡¯t help. Someone like Wyatt could wipe out his whole family. without leaving them anywhere to file aint.


    Wyatt tilted his ss, lightly clinking it against Oscar¡¯s tightly gripped one.


    The crisp sound snapped Oscar out of his thoughts.


    Wyatt took a sip of wine and walked away.


    Oscar watched him return to Yunice¡¯s side, where he gently pinched the back of her neck.


    Yunice turned to him. Wyatt said, ¡°Come here.¡±


    Yunice stepped down from the stool she¡¯d been standing on and followed him to the floor¨Cto- ceiling windows.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze was focused outside. Curious, she looked too.


    Chapter 305 The Sky She Deserves


    Boom! A sharp whistle pierced the air.


    03 57 63


    Fmished


    Yunice instinctively looked up and saw fireworks blooming from the rooftop across the street.


    They soared into the sky, then exploded into a cascade of color, shifting patterns that dazzled the


    eye.


    Yunice gasped. ¡°A constetion<b>?</b>¡±


    This firework disy wouldst a full minute¨Cits price tag ran into the tens of millions. Just hearing the number was enough to make someone wince.


    But that was just the warm¨Cup. The real show was still toe.


    The entire banquet hall was captivated. Beyond the hotel, people all over the city had paused in the streets, phones raised, filming the sky while muttering in awe.


    Who was this prince showing <i>off </i><i>for </i>now?


    Across the street, from his hotel window, Owen watched the same sky.


    <b>But </b>his face held no wonder¨Conly a deep, lingering loneliness.


    Send Gifts


    80


    °Ù


    W

 Daghter 306

    Chapter 306 Too Late to Turn Back


    +8 Pearls


    Watching someone else dote on his little sister¨Cwhen he, her real brother, wasn¡¯t even allowed to be there¨COwen felt like there was a hole in his chest. A hollow that let in nothing but cold air.


    He was the one who used to bring Yunice surprises, who used to make herugh. He was her brother.


    So how¡­ how had he be the outsider?


    Oscar¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    <i>Not </i><i>that </i><i>you </i><i>didn¡¯t want </i><i>Yunice</i><i>. </i>It¡¯s <i>that </i>now, <i>Yunice </i><i>doesn¡¯t </i><i>want </i><b><i>you</i></b><b><i>. </i></b>


    She had cut him off.


    She didn¡¯t even want to be a part of the Saunders family anymore. She¡¯d severed every tie with them.


    She didn¡¯t invite them to her wedding. They weren¡¯t wee at her birthday.


    From now on, he had no ce in any of the major events of her life.


    Outside, fireworks lit the sky in a dazzling disy, but under those bursts of color, Owen slowly crouched down, burying his fingers in his hair.


    He finally realized¨CYunice hadn¡¯t been throwing tantrums to seek attention, or trying to guilt him. Every so¨Ccalled act of rebellion had been a cry for help, a signal.


    A <i>warning </i><i>I¡¯m </i><i>leaving</i><i>. </i>


    But now, even if he finally understood¨Cit was toote.


    His phone buzzed. Owen nced at it like it was a lifeline.


    It was <b>a </b><b>call </b>from the Hotel Marcellus manager<b>. </b>


    Hope red in his eyes as he answered. <b>Had </b>it all been a mistake<b>? </b>Did Yunice still recognize him as her brother?


    But the manager¡¯s voice on the other end said, ¡°Sir, the missing child has been found. He fell asleep in the dressing room. He¡¯spletely safe¡­¡±


    Before the manager could finish, Owen¡¯s hope plummeted.


    He snapped, ¡°What does that kid have to do with me? He can <b>sleep </b>wherever he wants¨Cwhy the hell are you calling me!¡±


    Still, some part of him waited, hoping the manager would say something¨Canything<b>¨C</b>about Yunice.


    But no. The call had been routine, just a hotel duty to rify <b>a </b>situation and ease a <b>guest¡¯s </b>concerns.


    Seeing <b>Owen </b>was in a foul mood, the manager apologized and ended the call.


    ¡°Sorry for the disturbance.¡±


    The dead silence from his phone made Owen <b>want </b>to smash it.


    But before he could even breathe, Lily¡¯s call came in again.


    He answered, annoyed, only to be greeted by her sobs. She cried that he needed to return to the hospital right away¨CElsie had been beaten up<b>, </b>and the attacker was demanding five million. They didn¡¯t have that kind of money.


    Owen pinched the bridge of his nose. His mind was drowning in Lily¡¯s endless crying.


    Lily cried Elsie cried. Their lives were made of tears.


    112


    <b>4:45 </b>PM


    Chapter 306 Too Late to Turn Back


    He said coldly, ¡°She borrowed the money. Let her figure it out.¡±


    Lily gasped. ¡°You know Elsie doesn¡¯t have any money¡­¡±


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°And?¡± Owen snapped. ¡°She¡¯s an adult. If she¡¯s broke, let her solve it herself. Yunice lived in our house for years. Did anyone give her a cent? Did you?¡±


    Lily fell silent.


    Owen¡¯s voice was ice. ¡°If Yunice could survive it, why can¡¯t Elsie?¡±


    Lily cried, ¡°Elsie came from nothing. I know all of you look down on her-¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t even let her finish. He hung up.


    He¡¯d heard this same sob story so many times over the years, it used to make his heart ache for Elsie. But now, it just made his skin crawl.


    Yes, Elsie had a rough background. But none of them caused that. <i>So </i>why <i>did </i><i>he </i><i>have </i><i>to </i><i>keep </i><i>paying </i><i>the </i><i>price</i><i>? </i>


    The heaviness in his chest was unbearable. Deep down, he had a gnawing sense that maybe he had done something wrong- he just didn¡¯t know what, or when, or how.


    And like many people in that moment, Owen didn¡¯t try to reflect or make amends. He numbed himself.


    He ordered drinks and got himself ckout drunk under the exploding sky, finally passing out on the hotel room floor.


    Meanwhile, back at the hospital-


    Oscar also received a call from Lily.


    She was his mother, and no matter how bitter he felt, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to ignore her.


    Through her sobs, she repeated Elsie¡¯s situation.


    She didn¡¯t expect Oscar toe and take care of Elsie¨Cshe just hoped he could help cover the five million.


    Tearfully, Lily wailed, ¡°That woman <b>was </b>too vicious! She beat up me and Elsie! If we don¡¯t pay soon, she¡¯ll kill us<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Oscar replied calmly, ¡°Elsie¡¯s room is filled with luxury items. She can¡¯te up with five million?<b>¡± </b>


    Send <b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 307

    7


    Chapter 307 Unwanted Debts


    +8 Pearls


    Lily choked. ¡°Those were all gifts from Paul. Now that Owen¡¯s forcing her to cut ties with him, she has to return everything¡­¡±


    Oscar let out a coldugh. ¡°If you¡¯d done that from the start, you wouldn¡¯t have embarrassed yourselves so badly. Yunice¡¯s name wouldn¡¯t have been dragged down with you.¡±


    Lily was speechless<b>. </b>


    In the Saunders family, they always med Yunice for ruining the family¡¯s reputation. How did it flip around now?


    But she needed something, <b>so </b>she didn¡¯t dare argue back. All she could do was cry and plead. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to talk about that. Fengdong, help me out just this once. I¡¯ll pay you back. Just think of it as a loan, please?¡±


    Oscar said bluntly, ¡°I don¡¯t have money.¡±


    His research hadn¡¯t yielded any returns yet¨Che had nothing.


    He looked down at the diamond in his hand. Yunice had taken it off the cakest night and handed it to him for fun.


    He could probably <b>sell </b>it for something.


    He hesitated, debating whether to bail Lily out.


    Lily, sensing that hesitation, tried to steer him. ¡°You and Yunice get along well. Could you maybe ask her for help? She¡¯s with Wyatt now. She must have money, right?¡±


    After all, every time Lily saw Yunice, she was wearing something gorgeous¨Cprobably gifted by Wyatt.


    What she didn¡¯t realize was that the moment she said those words<b>, </b>Oscar¡¯s face darkened. He clutched the diamond in his hand and made up his mind not to give it away.


    <b>¡°</b>Yunice married up. Thest thing she needs is for us to use her to fund the family. That kind of thing makes a husband look down on his wife. <b>Have </b>you thought about how that might affect her in the long run?¡±


    Lily snapped, ¡°You blockhead. Marrying up means you get to enjoy his money and connections. Otherwise<b>, </b>what¡¯s the point of marrying him?<b>¡± </b>


    <b>Oscar </b>said, ¡°<b>Even </b>if <b>it¡¯s </b>for the money, it should be for her to enjoy. You people <b>never </b>gave Yunice a dime<b>¨C</b>what right do you have <b>to </b>spend her money now<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    He hung <b>up</b>.


    Lily <b>stared </b><b>at </b>her now¨Csilent phone<b>, </b>stunned. Then, two secondster, she burst into <b>tears</b><b>. </b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b><b>gave </b>birth to two kids, <b>nearly </b>cost me my life, and they¡¯re both ungrateful! Not a single one is willing to help me! I don¡¯t believe I <b>can¡¯t </b><b>raise </b><b>a </b>lousy five million!¡±


    The next morning, Yunice woke up in Wyatt¡¯s bedroom to find him still at home<b>¨C</b>surprisingly, he hadn¡¯t gone to <b>work</b>.


    She nced at her phone. <b>It </b>was already ten.


    They¡¯d all had a <b>great </b>timest night, and since everyone present was someone she trusted, she¡¯d let her guard down and had <b>a </b>bit to drink.


    Just a little.


    Wyatt had brought her home and tucked her into bed. He hadn¡¯tid <b>a </b>hand on her.


    She got up and went into the bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she realized Wyatt had even helped her take off her makeup.


    After freshening up. she went <b>downstairs</b>.


    <b>4:45 </b>PM


    Chapter 307 Unwanted Debts


    He often stood by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, talking for long stretches¨Cten, fifteen minutes at a time.


    So whenever she ran into him, she almost always saw his back first.


    +8 Pearls


    But Wyatt had broad shoulders, long legs, and elegant hands gripping the phone¨Chis arm muscles defined beneath his shirt.


    He looked better than any male lead on TV.


    Noticing her movement, Wyatt nced back and said into the receiver, ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡±


    He pocketed his phone and walked over, sitting naturally across from Yunice at the dining table.


    ¡°Freya sent over your birthday gift first thing this morning.¡±


    Yunice perked up and immediately checked out the three shopping bags ced beside the table.


    Three bags<b>¡­ </b>she had a pretty good guess<b>. </b>Freya, Carl, and Victor.


    She opened each one.


    A bottle of rare, discontinued perfume¨Cclearly from Freya.


    A sleek fountain pen¨Cdefinitely Victor¡¯s style.


    The third box contained only a thin envelope. It was so slim she couldn¡¯t even guess what was inside.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve gotten this many presents. Feels like opening mystery boxes<b>.¡± </b>


    Wyatt leanedzily against his chair, head tilted as he watched her carefully open the envelope.


    She didn¡¯t want to damage anything, so she asked a maid for a utility knife and carefully cut through the <b>wax </b><b>seal</b>.


    Then she held the envelope from both sides and slowly slid the contents out.


    As soon <b>as </b>she <b>saw </b>the photograph, Yunice froze.


    Wyatt noticed her expression shift and sat up straighter, ncing at the photo.


    It was old, yellowed. The people in it looked young and a little awkward.


    But <b>it </b><b>was </b><b>clear </b>enough¨Cher father Will and Carl, <b>back </b>in their youth,


    Yunice <b>stared </b><b>at </b>her father¡¯s <b>face </b>in the picture. Her lips curved into <b>a </b>smile, but her


    eyes


    turned red.


    She had been gone for three <b>years</b>, and by the time she came <b>back</b>, almost all of her father¡¯s belongings had been cleared out.


    She <b>never </b>thought she¡¯d <b>get </b>to <b>see </b>a photo of him again.


    At that moment, <b>a </b>maid approached Wyatt and whispered behind him, ¡°Sir<b>, </b>the old house <b>just </b>called. They¡¯re asking <b>if </b>you and Madam could visit sometime soon.¡±


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


    <b>110 </b>

 Daghter 308

    Chapter 308 The Gift on Her Terms


    Wyatt shot the maid a look¨Ccold, with a tinge of me.


    She immediately lowered her head, full of unease.


    e


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice lowered her eyes and gently tucked the old photo away. There was still breakfast to eat. Getting lost in sentiment was out of ce now.


    After the maid retreated, Yunice turned to Wyatt. ¡°Can I use the Wellinges Pharma research center?¡±


    Wyatt looked up. ¡°Why?¡±


    Yunice answered honestly. ¡°You spent a lot on me yesterday. I was thinking, if I could develop an original drug, it might be useful for Wellinges Pharma¡­¡±


    <i>Clink</i>¨Cclink<i>¨C</i>clink¡­


    She trailed off as she heard the spinning. Wyatt was idly flicking a porcin teacup lid across the table, letting it spin in tight, rapid circles that filled the air with a sharp, nerve¨Cracking sound.


    Every time it slowed, he¡¯d tap it again¨Ccasually, as if he had all the time in the world.


    But for Yunice, the tension tightened like a string being pulled taut. Her chest was locked in a rhythm with the lid¡¯s spinning.


    She realized she might have stepped on andmine. If she didn¡¯t answer right¡­ the lid wouldn¡¯t be the only thing shattered.


    What had she said just now?


    She¡¯d mentioned that he¡¯d spent too much on her yesterday.


    And yesterday¡­ was her birthday.


    In ast¨Cditch effort, Yunice asked, ¡°When¡¯s your birthday?¡±


    Come to think of it, ever since meeting Wyatt, she had never heard anyone mention it.


    Wyatt looked <b>at </b>her. ¡°I don¡¯t celebrate birthdays.¡±


    With his background, it made sense. Even into his teens, he was stashed away in some side yard, treated worse than a servant in the Powell household. Who would remember his birthday? Who would celebrate it?


    They say a child¡¯s birthday is the day a mother suffers most¨Cbut his mother had died horribly. He had even more reason to avoid celebrating.


    Not every birthday is a joyful one. Not every birthday deserves a party.


    Yunice realized she had stepped on anotherndmine.


    She gripped her fork, frowned slightly, and asked, ¡°Did I say something wrong?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt caught the spinning lid and stilled it with his fingers. The tension snapped with it.


    He said, ¡°When you said I spent too much yesterday¨Cwere you talking about the fireworks and the cake?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice nodded. ¡°They were too extravagant.¡±


    She was afraid she¡¯d never be able to pay him back.


    Wyatt said, ¡°No one gives their wife fireworks and cake <b>as </b>a gift. That¡¯s just for fun¨Clike popping champagne after a win. It¡¯s for the mood. You get it?¡±


    4:45 PM


    Chapter 308 The Gift on Her Terms


    O


    ¡°When I give something, if someone dares give it back, I¡¯ll toss them out along with the gift. Got it?¡±


    Yunice blinked, then quickly replied, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Don¡¯t use poor¨Cpeople logic to measure a rich man¡¯s world.


    She returned to her meal and said nothing more about the research center.


    Then Wyatt said, ¡°I haven¡¯t given you your gift yet.¡±


    Yunice looked up. <i>There </i><i>was </i><i>more</i><i>? </i>


    Oh¨Cright. He¡¯d said earlier that the fireworks and cake didn¡¯t count.


    She nced at his shirt pocket. It looked t¨Cno ring box there.


    <i>Where </i>would <i>he </i><i>have </i>hidden it<i>? </i>


    Her eyes


    drifted to his wrist.


    Wyatt noticed and pulled his sleeve down to cover the beaded bracelet. ¡°No chance,¡± he said tly.


    Yunice was speechless.


    Then he said, ¡°Next time youe to the office, pick up your ID card. You can use the research center.¡±


    That was his real birthday gift.


    A bit unconventional, but¡­ it hit her right in the heart.


    They finished breakfast in surprisingly good spirits.


    Yunice had the day off. She didn¡¯t know why Wyatt hadn¡¯t gone to work, but she didn¡¯t ask.


    +8 Pearls


    They had been married for a little over two weeks, but Yunice still didn¡¯t know exactly how to get along with Wyatt. With a rare free day, instead of hiding in her room, she went out to the garden for some sun.


    The Pavilion Hall garden was huge¨Cbig enough to y golf on thewn.


    There was a woven swing made of rattan set up in the sunniest part of the yard. Yunice settled into it, soaking up the light.


    Not long after, Wyatt appeared. A fewndscapers followed behind him, carrying tools.


    It was early May¨Cthe perfect season to transnt trees and flowers.


    Wyatt stood with one hand in his pocket as the gardeners exined theiryout n.


    After they finished, one of them looked to Wyatt for input.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t answer. He just jerked his chin toward the swing.


    ¡°Ask her. She¡¯s in charge of the house.¡±


    Yunice was still a little dazed when the head gardener hurried over to her, full of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, would you like to add any new flowers to the garden?<b>¡± </b>


    He opened a catalog, filled with photos of blooming nts and elegant trees.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>


    }

 Daghter 309

    hapter 309 The Threshold


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°Anything you like, Ma¡¯am. I can coordinate the arrangement based on your preferences,¡± the gardener said warmly.


    Yunice knew Wyatt probably didn¡¯t care much about details like these<b>, </b>so she didn¡¯t push the task back. She picked a few varieties that looked pleasant and had a light fragrance.


    She had never liked heavily scented flowers. Back when she lived with the Saunders family, Oscar used to get dizzy from strong scents<b>, </b>so their home always avoided things like lilies or gardenias.


    ¡°Wyatt,¡± she suddenly asked, ¡°do you prefer strong or light floral scents?<b>¡± </b>


    This was his house, after all. She couldn¡¯t just follow the habits of the Saunders family.


    Wyatt paused, caught off guard by the question. ¡°Light.¡±


    Yunice nodded and returned to discussing arrangements with the gardener.


    Just then, the Powell family butler approached Wyatt¨Cand was surprised to find him in a good mood.


    The sharp¨Ceyed butler followed Wyatt¡¯s line of sight and spotted Yunice on the swing.


    Wyatt turned, meeting the butler¡¯s gaze with a smirkced with mockery. ¡°What are you here for?¡±


    ¡°Sir wants you to keep Mr. Paul in check,¡± Luke replied.


    Wyatt picked up a few pebbles from the flowerbed and tossed them into the fishpond. ¡°What if I kill him by ident? Who takes the me then?¡±


    Luke knew Wyatt was hard to convince<b>, </b>so he just stood there patiently, trying to wear him down.


    Wyatt continued tossing stones. The koi fish initially swam over eagerly, thinking it was food¨Conly to get smacked in the head by cold pebbles. They scattered in every direction, thrashing their tails in panic.


    Yunice nced over from the swing, silently lowering her presence.


    But Luke peeked at her and added, ¡°Now that Ms. Yunice is married in, wouldn¡¯t it be proper to visit the old house more often?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt hurled thest of the pebbles<b>, </b>snorting, ¡°What, you think the Powell family is such a prize? What if I don¡¯t want to go?¡±


    At that momeni, Yunice stepped off the swing, walked up to him in front of Luke<b>, </b>and leaned in close<b>. </b>


    ¡°I want to see the drama,¡± she whispered.


    <b>Wyatt </b>studied her face for a <b>beat, </b>then slipped both hands into his pockets and turned to Luke.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. But on one condition.¡±


    Luke¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Name it.¡±


    ¡°Get rid of that ridiculous <b>raised </b>threshold <b>at </b>your front gate<b>.¡± </b>


    <b>Luke¡¯s </b>brows furrowed.


    Wyatt¡¯s leg was healed now. Why was he making such a demand?


    Was this a calcted insult to the old <b>man</b>? Or the whole Powell family?


    No matter Wyatt¡¯s intentions, Luke had at least gotten a response¡ª<b>so </b>he returned to <b>report</b>.


    ¡°He wants the threshold removed?¡± The Powell patriarch fell into deep thought. Why now?


    <b>4:45 </b>PM


    Chapter 309 The Threshold


    §à


    Jensen sneered, ¡°What reason? He just wants to twist the knife.¡±


    The bnce of power had shifted. Wyatt held the cards now, and they were beneath him.


    Of course he¡¯d take his time settling scores.


    But like it or not, Wyatt could leave the Powell family. The Powell family couldn¡¯t afford to leave Wyatt.


    Jensen, ever since making a fool of himself in the meeting hall, had kept a low profile.


    The North City project needed a trusted insider to manage it.


    And Paul, <b>as </b>the heir, was due for his trial by fire. Wyatt¡¯s pressure would serve as the grindstone.


    Their n was clear mold Paul into a second Wyatt.


    It was the only way.


    +8 Pearls


    That evening, before the banquet began, the Powell family sent a message, the threshold had been removed. Wyatt could see for himself if he didn¡¯t believe it.


    So Wyatt took Yunice with him.


    She wore heels for once, dressed formally, standing confidently at Wyatt¡¯s side with a presence that matched his stride for stride.


    They entered through the main gate and headed toward the reception hall.


    The dining hall was on the other side¨Cno rush to eat just yet.


    The reception hall was arranged the same as before, high¨Cbacked chairs lined up in a semi¨Ccircle. Yunice remembered vividly how,st time she was here, everyone <b>else </b>had been seated¨Cwhile Wyatt stood alone, taking their abuse.


    But today¨Ceverything <b>was </b>different.


    <b>Paul </b>was on his knees in the <b>center </b>of the hall, pinned down by several men. His <b>face </b><b>was </b>flushed red <b>as </b>he struggled, but he couldn¡¯t overpower four hands with just two.


    <b>Out </b>of the corner of his eye<b>, </b>he caught a familiar silhouette and turned his head.


    Yunice walked in<b>, </b>arm in arm with Wyatt<b>, </b>calm and collected<b>, </b>taking her <b>seat </b>at the head of the room.


    For a moment, <b>Paul </b>didn¡¯t recognize her<b>. </b>


    <b>It </b>had only been half a month, yet <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>entire aura <b>had </b>changed. She glowed. Her <b>eyes </b>radiated <b>case </b>and control<b>¨C</b>so different from the ghost<b>¨C</b>like girl she used to be in the Saunders household.


    Paul couldn¡¯t stop staring <b>at </b>her, mind spinning.


    How had he ever thought such <b>a </b>Yunice <b>wasn¡¯t </b>good enough for him?


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 310

    Chapter 310 The Game She ys


    8


    +8 Pearls


    Paul still remembered what Yunice had looked like when she was first brought back from the asylum¨Clike a ghost haunting itsst breath.


    And now¡­ now he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.


    How had she transformed so suddenly?


    Yunice, sensing his gaze, lifted her eyes. Her expression was elegant,posed¨Cbut hidden behind that surface was a flicker of cold mockery, a sharp glint that cut deep.


    But Paul, dull as ever<b>, </b>couldn¡¯t see any of it.


    He probably still didn¡¯t know that the one who had orchestrated his downfall was Yunice herself.


    That day, when she locked Elsie in the elevator control room, it wasn¡¯t just to trap Jason¡¯s wife.


    Her true target had always been Paul.


    She needed him out in the open, publicly exposed, so that Taylor¨Cand the Powell family¨Ccould track him down.


    After being gone so long, the Powell family would definitely drag him back.


    And Paul, prideful to the core, would never admit fault once embarrassed. Butting heads with the family would lead him exactly here.


    It hadn¡¯t even been hard to lure him to the control room.


    Using Elsie¡¯s phone<b>, </b>Yunice had messaged Paul that she¡¯d seen her and Wyatt together inside.


    Paul had rushed <b>over </b>immediately.


    Yunice knew him too <b>well</b>.


    And she also knew he¡¯d never suspect her. When he realized he¡¯d been set up, he¡¯d me Elsie¨Cassume she <b>was </b>just ying jealous mind games again.


    Yunice turned her <b>gaze </b><b>away </b>from him, proud and satisfied.


    A inomentter<b>, </b>she felt warmth on her palm¨CWyatt¡¯s hand, closing around hers.


    She looked up to find him ring daggers <b>at </b>Paul.


    So he was using her to get under Paul¡¯s skin.


    Yunice leaned into it, squeezing Wyatt¡¯s hand tighter, <b>then </b>shot Paul a smug look.


    The message was clear Wyatt is better <b><i>than </i></b><b><i>you</i></b><b>, </b>and <b>I </b>know <b><i>it</i></b>.


    Paul turned green with rage and jerked his gaze away.


    Yunice turned to Wyatt <b>with </b>a sparkle in her eye. <i>Did </i><i>I </i>do good<b>? </b>


    Whether it was good or not didn¡¯t matter¨CWyatt <b>was </b>clearly in <b>a </b>great mood.


    Across from them, Taylor <b>sat </b>stiffly. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore and shot Paul a vicious re.


    Jackson and Jensen had been hoping Wyatt would take Paul under his wing on the North City project.


    To put it nicely, they called it mentorship. Truthfully, they just wanted Paul to worm his way into thepany¡¯s core


    operations.


    <b>4:45 </b>PM


    Chapter 310 The Game She ys


    estate to fulfill your filial duties in your ce.¡±


    Every person in the room turned to look at Jackson.


    0


    The move wasughably transparent¨Can attempt to keep Yunice as a hostage, right in their territory.


    Wyatt hadn¡¯t even spoken yet when Yunice smiled and leaned slightly forward. ¡°Of course.¡±


    That answer made the atmosphere tenser.


    Wyatt frowned but didn¡¯t object.


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice continued, ¡°I¡¯ll fulfill my duties to the Powell family, and our dear nephew will fulfill his to the Cooper family. Supporting each other like that, isn¡¯t that the secret to a prosperous household?¡±


    So they wanted to hold her hostage? <i>Fine</i><i>. </i><i>Two </i><i>could </i><i>y </i><i>that </i><i>game</i><i>. </i>If she had it bad at the Powell estate, Paul would have it worse under Wyatt.


    Let¡¯s <b>see </b>how prosperous they¡¯d be then.


    Every word she said was drenched in irony, but no one could point to anything directly.


    The old man¡¯s <b>face </b>darkened.


    Yunice turned to Jackson, all smiles. ¡°Mr. Jackson, you¡¯ve known me since I was little. You know I love a lively environment and I¡¯ve never been good at following rules. <b>If </b>I move into the Powell estate, you won¡¯t try to restrain me, right?¡±


    Just like how he once restrained Wyatt and his mother<b>. </b>


    Her smile was bright, but every word was a de.


    Jackson¡¯s face went dark enough to squeeze ink from.


    On the side, Wyatt¡¯s hand, resting on the armrest<b>, </b>subtly rxed.


    Then Yunice added, ¡°Mr. Jackson, if I do move in, can I choose my own courtyard? I¡¯d like to live near our dear nephew and his wife. We¡¯re close in age and <b>have </bmon interests<b>¡ª</b>wouldn¡¯t want to feel too lonely.¡±


    Paul¡¯s head snapped <b>up</b><b>, </b>eyes filled with confusion.


    She wanted <b>to </b>live <b>near </b>him?


    Only he would be stupid enough not to understand what she meant.


    The old man, on the other hand, felt a splitting headacheing on. He never realized that aside from being disliked, Yunice also had such a <b>sharp </b>tongue.


    Before anyone else could speak, Taylor exploded.


    ¡°I don¡¯t <b>agree</b>!¡±


    Her face twisted in disgust. <b>¡°</b>Having one Elsie in this house is bad enough. Now you want to bring Yunice in? Has anyone considered my dignuty?¡±


    Everyone knew the rumors between Yunice and <b>Paul</b>. It had been <b>a </b>public scandal.


    And Paul was <b>a </b><b>known </b>womanizer. You hand¨Cdeliver someone like Yunice to his doorstep and expect him not to take a bite?


    Taylor snapped, ¡°If Yurice moves into the Powell estate, I¡¯m going back to my parents¡® house<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt leaned back, fully rxed now.


    <b>Yunice </b>had yed her hand beautifully¨Cturning the heat elsewhere.

 Daghter 311

    Chapter 311 The Price of Memory


    But being sharp¨Ctongued and clever didn¡¯t always bring rewards.


    0


    +8 Pearls


    Paul¡¯s scandal had, after all, left the Powell family owing Taylor a debt. Her family background gave her power, and even if the old man disliked her, he had to show respect for the sake of her maternal family.


    ¡°I made an offhandment and you¡¯re all treating it like a political statement?¡± the patriarch snapped, thumping his cane. ¡°Not a single one of you knows how to show respect anymore!¡±


    Taylor crossed her arms and ignored him.


    Paul, on his knees, stiffened his neck and tried to resist the servants holding him down.


    The old man red at everyone. The sight of Yunice sipping tea and Wyatt slouching like he didn¡¯t care only made him angrier.


    Nothing had been decided about Yunice¡¯s stay, and Paul¨Cthe one in disgrace¨Crefused <i>to </i>cooperate.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to the Northvale project, and I¡¯m definitely not working under the Cooper family!¡± Paul shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll make my own way, seed on my own terms. I don¡¯t need him!¡±


    Jensen visibly winced. Paul? Seed on his own?


    If there weren¡¯t so many people in the room, he¡¯d have gotten up close and said it to his face. <i>Absolutely </i>not <i>happening</i><i>. </i>


    Paul continued to wail, drowning out the room with his tantrum.


    Taylor had enough. She covered her ears and snapped, ¡°Shut up already! Do you have no self¨Cawareness at all?¡±


    The patriarch and Jensen began chastising Paul in turn.


    Wyatt leaned toward Yunice. ¡°Want to go for a walk?¡±


    He had no interest in listening to the circus anymore.


    Yunice nodded. She¡¯d stirred the pot enough for one day. Time to make a graceful exit.


    Wyatt led her on a stroll through the Powell estate.


    The grounds were expansive, steeped in a century of legacy, but to Wyatt, there wasn¡¯t a single corner worth reminiscing about


    Still, he thought Yunice might appreciate it.


    She had spent her childhood running around these paths with Paul. Maybe she had fonder memories than he did.


    But as they walked, it became unclear whether it was coincidence or fate that led them where they ended up.


    They stopped in front of the courtyard where Wyatt had lived as a child.


    It was a fenced¨Coff section of the estate¨Ca barren patch with an old well, infamous because someone had once died in it. The area had been sealed since.


    The ce wasn¡¯t even as nice as the servant quarters, yet this had been assigned to Wyatt and his mother.


    It was from this very house that his mother had fallen to her death.


    The t¨Croofed building wasn¡¯t even three meters high, but it had still managed to im her life.


    Yunice hesitated. She figured Wyatt wouldn¡¯t <b>want </b>toe back here.<ol><li></li></ol>


    :¡­???


    a nadlock an


    4:45 PM


    Chapter 311 The Price of Memory


    After nearly a decade, the stone tiles showed no trace of blood.


    @


    ¡£


    Yunice stood behind Wyatt. She still remembered where she was standing the day his mother fell.


    At the time, the woman was still alive. Yunice had slipped her a life¨Csaving pill.


    She had always wondered about that day. ¡°Did you¡­ see her before she died?¡±


    She knew that Jackson had deliberately kept Wyatt away. The family had been holding a banquet that day.


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice had been dragged off by servants. When shest saw the woman, she still had a faint breath in her. But Luke had ordered her wrapped up in a straw mat like she was already gone.


    Wyatt said calmly, ¡°I saw her. We talked.¡±


    His voice was steady, like the pain had been smoothed over by time.


    ¡°She told me you gave her medicine. Said you were a good kid. Told me to protect you.¡±


    Yunice froze at those words.


    Wyatt added, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, pay your respects to your mother¨Cinw.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Before she could react, Wyatt gently pressed a hand to the back of her neck and bowed with her toward the old house.


    Her mind spun as she followed through with the motion, slowly understanding what he meant.


    His mother asked him to protect her. Was that why he married her? Why he treated her so well?


    All because she once gave his dying mother a pill?


    It was a strange feeling. As she stood upright again after the third bow, her head spinning, Yunice couldn¡¯t help but recall the young Wyatt¨Cand the woman who raised him.


    The seed sown in childhood had finally borne fruit ten yearster.


    They left the courtyard and locked the door behind them.


    Back in the reception hall, the shouting had stopped.


    The patriarch and Jensen had failed to convince Paul. With no other option, they decided to let Taylor step in and work at the Cooper family on Paul¡¯s behalf.


    But Taylor was still an outsider, so the Powell family remained cautious.


    As for Paul, he would remain locked up until he yielded.


    When Yunice heard the news, she was delighted.


    As they were about to leave, Wyatt turned to the patriarch and asked, ¡°So¡­. should Yunice stay behind to serve the Powell family or not?


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 312

    Chapter 312 Digging for Gold


    ¡°Get out,¡± Jackson barked, livid.


    0


    Wyatt threw an arm around Yunice and swaggered out without a care in the world.


    +8 Pearls


    The next morning, Paul received a deposit of twenty million from a middle¨Caged man¡¯s ount.


    It was the return on an investment he¡¯d made with just ten million in capital.


    He hadn¡¯t lifted a finger¨Cjust wired the money. And in one week, it had doubled.


    Who could resist that kind of return?


    Paul had considered the possibility of a scam, but ten million was pocket change to him. Even if it vanished, it wasn¡¯t going to hurt.


    But it hadn¡¯t vanished. He¡¯d made a fortune.


    Ecstatic, he wired the full twenty million¨Cprincipal and profit¨Cback to Yunice and asked her to manage it for him.


    In his mind, even if this turned out to be a scam, at least the scammer had serious credibility. And if the pot kept growing, they might not be able to keep up with payouts. Even if he lost some of it, for the Powell family, it would barely leave a dent.


    Yunice stayed calm and epted the transfer, promising to deposit forty million into his ount the following week.


    But she did the rnath¡ªat this pace, her capital chain would copse within a week.


    She needed money. A lot of it. Billions, if possible.


    Now, where could she find a rich fool to fleece?


    She nced at Wyatt behind the wheel.


    ¡­Nope. She didn¡¯t have the guts.


    Instead, Yunice started texting people for loans. She opened with Quinton and asked for one billion straight.


    Quinton, mid¨Cbreakfast<b>, </b>nearly spit out his milk. ¡°You trying to buy an immortal tortoise or something?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°I¡¯m strapped right now.¡±


    Strapped was an understatement. A billion?


    Quinton wiped his mouth. ¡°Why not ask Wyatt?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice responded, ¡°I¡¯m asking <i>you </i>because we¡¯re friends.¡±


    Maniptive? Absolutely. But effective.


    Quinton had no choice. He was still counting on Yunice to help treat his precious child. A billion? Two billion? He¡¯d find it.


    Once Yunice received Quinton¡¯s transfer, she hit up Taylor, Freya, and Victor too.


    Altogether, she scraped together fifty million.


    With Quinton¡¯s billion, she was still far from her target.


    But it was enough to keep things afloat for the next three weeks.


    4:46 PM


    Chapter 312 Digging for Gold


    Wyatt pulled into thepany garage.


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice hopped out with a handwritten referral letter from Wyatt and went straight to the pharmaceutical research center to pick up her ess badge.


    With the badge, she¡¯d have open ess to theb.


    Due to the risk involved in drug development, theb was on the top floor¨Ctwo levels above Wyatt¡¯s own office,


    As she handled paperwork with HR, a woman in a whiteb coat strode in, hands in her pockets, with the breeze of someone who didn¡¯t care how loud her steps echoed.


    She was clearly here for something else but overheard Yunice talking to the HR manager.


    Without warning, she snatched the letter from Yunice¡¯s hand.


    She opened it.


    ¡°Introduced by Mr. Wyatt?¡± she asked, gaze cool and probing.


    Yunice calmly looked her over too.


    First theb coat, then the name tag¨Cshe was a licensed pharmacist. Then the marks on her hands from long hours ofb work. Most likely, she worked on original drug development. They might even end up coborating.


    This woman looked like the type who didn¡¯t y well with others.


    Yunice retrieved the letter and resumed her conversation with HR.


    But the woman shot her a sharp look, then suddenly grabbed Yunice by the wrist and dragged her away without a word.


    With one hand in her coat pocket and zero regard for the curious stares of nearby coworkers, she strode confidently through


    the hall.


    Naturally, Yunice also became the center of attention.


    She frowned. She had no idea what this woman wanted and tried to shake free.


    But the woman shoved her into the elevator and hit the button for the executive floor.


    Yunice studied her again during the ride.


    She looked <i>to </i>be in her thirties. Probably single, judging by how well she maintained herself.


    If she didn¡¯t always have that icy expression, she might even look younger.


    When the elevator doors opened, the woman walked out first without turning around. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Fine<i>. </i><i>Lead </i><i>the </i><i>way</i><i>. </i>


    Yunice trailed behind, watching her swaying low ponytail and unbothered, loose¨Climbed gait.


    They arrived at the CEO¡¯s office. The woman stopped and pointed at the door. ¡°Go in.¡±


    Yunice raised a brow. ¡°Did you knock?¡±


    If someone inside was discussing confidential matters, barging in would be asking for trouble.


    The woman sneered but didn¡¯t argue. She stepped up and knocked.


    Yunice stood behind her. She wasn¡¯t the one stirring trouble. She had no reason to lead the charge.

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    Chapter 313 The Gate That Didn¡¯t Open


    There was no response from inside the office for a long moment.


    No sound¨Cunclear if it was empty or just upied.


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    The woman in theb coat was clearly in a hurry. She nced at her watch repeatedly, growing visibly impatient. Then, without waiting for any response, she turned the handle and pushed the door open.


    The moment the door cracked, a folder came flying out and smacked the ground near Yunice¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Do you not understand basic protocol?¡± a furious voice boomed from inside.


    The papersnded right in front of Yunice.


    The woman who had opened the door, due to her angle, had avoided the direct hit.


    Yunice nced at the scattered documents at her feet, then looked up¨Conly to see Wyatt¡¯s face, twisted with anger behind his desk.


    The rage on his face softened slightly when he realized it was her¨Cbut only slightly. He didn¡¯t say anything to her, just shifted his gaze back to the executives standing at attention before him.


    None of them dared break the silence. Jordan wasn¡¯t present either.


    The woman in theb coat froze, clearly stunned by the outburst. Her first instinct was to m the door and run.


    But when she noticed the documents near Yunice¡¯s feet, she hesitated.


    Those papers were important¨Cthey needed to go in. She couldn¡¯t just pretend not to see them.


    She started wildly signaling to Yunice with her eyes, as if silently scolding her for not being more aware.


    Yunice was irritated by her condescending attitude, but now was not the time for petty squabbles.


    Quickly, she gathered the documents, tucked them back into the folder, and stepped into the room under immense pressure. She ced the folder on Wyatt¡¯s desk, turned around, and was ready to leave.


    Then came Wyatt¡¯s voice from behind. ¡°Head to HR.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart dropped.


    What did that mean<i>? </i><i>Was </i><i>he </i><i>firing </i><i>her</i><i>? </i>


    She didn¡¯t dare ask. She just picked up her pace and left the office, closing the door behind her.


    Inside, Wyatt mmed a different file onto the table. The atmosphere was suffocating. No one dared breathe.


    As for the woman in theb coat, she seemed shaken too. Her face only rxed after the elevator doors closed,


    Then she looked up¨Conly to be met with Yunice¡¯s seething expression.


    Yunice had taken the fall for her.


    The <b>woman </b>probably hadn¡¯t expected things to go that way, but she said withplete confidence, ¡°That¡¯s just how it <b>is </b>in a workce Bad timing. Suck it up.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t even think about trying to exin it to the higher¨Cups. They hate people who mess up and make excuses. If something goes wrong and you¡¯re there, it¡¯s your fault.¡±


    She fiddled awkwardly with her hair, perhaps realizing she had overstepped, but continued, ¡°Besides, with your background, you¡¯d probably be cut from the research center anyway.¡±


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    Chapter 313 The Gate That Didn¡¯t Open


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, blocking her path.


    0


    0


    10


    The woman turned, scanned Yunice from head to toe, and motioned her to follow.


    Yunice stepped out and watched her open the doors to the research center.


    +8 Pearls


    The facility radiated an icy, industrial sense of precision and danger¨Cfrom the steel¨Clined walls to the warning signs and strict entry requirements.


    The woman didn¡¯t let Yunice enter. She stepped into a protective suit and gestured inside.


    ¡°Every researcher in here has at least a doctorate. The equipment, the chemical agents¨Cwe don¡¯t use anything that¡¯s avable on the open market. Most doctors spend their whole lives without seeing what we have in here.¡±


    She cast a dismissive look at Yunice. ¡°What¡¯s your education level?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°You know how to use this equipment? Understand how these reagents react under different conditions? I¡¯m not trying to scare you, but just three months ago, thisb exploded because a PhD was overworked and forgot to rinse a test tube. Four people were injured. One of them needed full¨Cbody skin grafts. Now he begs nurses to let him die every day in the burn unit.¡±


    She added, ¡°Mr. Wyatt might know how to run a business, but he doesn¡¯t understand theb. I¡¯m not trying to target you¡ª I¡¯m protecting everyone here.¡±


    As if on cue, the researchers inside¨Ccachpletely sealed in silver hazmat suits¨Clooked up in unison to stare at Yunice.


    She couldn¡¯t see their faces, but that only made them more alien¨Clike machines built of steel and ss.


    The woman returned to her station, slipping inside without another word.


    The doors closed. The workers lowered their heads and resumed their work, like a synchronized assembly line.


    Yunice stood at the threshold for two full minutes before turning back and heading to HR.


    To her relief, HR had received no instructions about terminating her position.


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    Chapter 314 The Woman He Backed


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    Yunice sat quietly in the reception area, clutching Wyatt¡¯s handwritten referral letter, but made no move to approach HR.


    She was waiting¨Cfor a verdict.


    Nearly an hour passed before the doors to the executive office opened.


    The high¨Clevel managers filed out one by one, all muttering variations of ¡°lucky day.¡± Any other time, Wyatt would¡¯ve kept them trapped for hours. Today, they were let off easy.


    Yunice sat upright, elbows resting on the table, lost in thought, when Wyatt pushed open the ss door to HR and walked in.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt,¡± the HR manager stood at once.


    Wyatt nced from Yunice to the man and said, ¡°Call Laurie in.¡±


    Something in his tone made the manager nervous¨Che immediately left to get her himself.


    Yunice lowered her arms as Wyatt came over and sat beside her.


    ¡°There were a lot of people in the room earlier. You¡¯re not mad, are you?¡± he asked gently.


    Yunice blinked at him, unsure if this was his version of an apology.


    To be fair, she had made a blunder today. In mostpanies, someone like her would¡¯ve been let go on the spot.


    Still, when he¡¯dshed out earlier, it had stung.


    Now though¡­ it was hard to stay mad.


    She had also been turning over Laurie¡¯s words in her mind¡ªand realized the woman hadn¡¯t been entirely wrong.


    To Laurie and the rest of the research team, Yunice was an outsider dropped in from above. If she were only there to pad her r¨¦sum¨¦, they might¡¯ve ignored her. But the moment she stepped into theb and started handling instruments orpounds, she became a risk.


    It was no different from Elsie being parachuted into a hospital and using patients as training props¨Cof course the staff would push back.


    And truth be told, Yunice <i>did </i>have confidence in her diagnostic and clinical knowledge, but she had never worked with cutting¨Cedge pharmaceutical equipment. Her academic background didn¡¯t qualify her either.


    She was, for the first time, seriously considering backing out.


    Laurie soon arrived, led in by the HR manager¨Cwho had clearly warned her ahead of time. She didn¡¯t look surprised to see Wyatt.


    She approached calmly, hands tucked into herb coat pockets, posture steady. Only the subtle flicker in her eyes when she looked at Wyatt betrayed her nerves.


    She probably assumed Wyatt was here to throw his weight behind Yunice.


    And she <b>wasn¡¯t </b>wrong.


    Wyatt gestured toward Yunice. ¡°This is my wife.¡±


    Laurie showed no reaction.


    Two secondster, her pupils dted in shock. She looked at Wyatt again, as if trying to confirm whether he was serious.


    He <b>was </b>


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    Chapter 314 The Woman He Backed


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    ¡°She¡¯s the one who developed the improved form for the Anning Cardio¨CCalmer,¡± Wyatt said tly, cutting her off.


    Laurie¡¯s face changed. She didn¡¯t believe it.


    That form <i>had </i><i>been </i><i>the </i><i>result </i><i>of </i><i>months </i><i>of </i><i>work </i><i>from </i><i>their </i><i>entire </i><i>research </i><i>division</i><i>. </i>How <i>could </i>it have <ie </i><i>from </i><i>Yunice</i><i>? </i>


    Wyatt stared her down. ¡°You think I¡¯d marry a pretty face with no substance?¡±


    But even if Yunice had some skill, Laurie still didn¡¯t budge. ¡°If Mr. Wyatt insists on letting her into theb, then we¡¯ll have no choice but to resign as a group.¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t desperate to join theb¨Cand she understood her presence might cause real disruption to the team. She was just about to speak up and back out when Wyatt reached over and took her hand.


    He didn¡¯t let her speak.


    He turned to Laurie. ¡°I let you all y with billions of dors¡® worth of equipment, and this is how you thank me?¡±


    Laurie tried to rify, but Wyatt didn¡¯t let up.


    ¡°You think she¡¯s inexperienced? Every single one of you learned on my machines. What, now that you¡¯ve gotten your turn, the door¡¯s closed behind you?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. If you want to quit, write it up right now. I¡¯ll approve it immediately.¡±


    Laurie¡¯s face turned pale.


    Wyatt leaned back, casually rubbing his thumb over the back of Yunice¡¯s hand. ¡°You studied for a few years and already forgot where you came from?¡±


    Then he added with a soft, scathingugh, ¡°I never went to school¨Cnot a single day. No degree. So what?¡±


    Yunice looked at him¨Cand in that moment, Wyatt glowed.


    Laurie stood frozen, her expression twisting with frustration and uncertainty.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Here¡¯s mypromise, she doesn¡¯t need to work alone. You supervise her.¡±


    Laurie¡¯s frown deepened. She looked deeply displeased.


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    Chapter 315 Leverage and Leverage


    ¡°Double your bonus,¡± Wyatt said.


    Laurie froze.


    She rubbed her forehead like she was tempted but too proud to admit it.


    Wyatt nced at Yunice, then added casually, ¡°How about Mr. Jameson as your mentor?¡±


    Mr. Jameson. One of the top figures in pharmaceutical research.


    Laurie felt the threat instantly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take her,¡± she said quickly.


    Wyatt smirked. Too easy.


    Yunice looked down, feeling for a moment like she was being¡­ kept.


    +8 Pearls


    HR got to work finalizing her paperwork. Laurie left to assign her a workstation and probably smooth things over with the rest of theb staff.


    Yunice finally got a moment to speak to Wyatt. ¡°Does this count as abuse of power?¡±


    Wyatt chuckled. ¡°If I can¡¯t even give my wife a little special treatment, what¡¯s the point of being CEO?¡±


    He said ¡°wife¡± so naturally. Yunice had found it jarring at first, but she was starting to get used to it.


    Wyatt¡¯s tone turned serious. ¡°But don¡¯t take theb lightly. Three months ago, there was an explosion. If you mess up too many times, I¡¯ll revoke your clearance.¡±


    Blunt, but fair.


    Yunice nodded earnestly. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then she added, ¡°Thanks¡­ for doing all this for me.¡±


    Wyatt nced at her, and after a pause<b>, </b>asked, ¡°Do you feel like you might love me a little more now?¡±


    His gaze was intense, unwavering.


    Yunice didn¡¯t dodge. She answered honestly, ¡°A little.¡±


    His lips lifted into a slightly smug smile.


    He stood, still holding her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat.¡±


    Yunice followed him, teasing, ¡°So¡­ you married me to repay a debt?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡±


    ¡°And your way of repaying kindness is marrying me? Why not marry Elianna<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt said, ¡°Because I¡¯m a mama¡¯s boy, and you¡¯re the daughter¨Cinw my mom picked.¡±


    Yunice burst outughing. ¡°That¡¯s not how ¡®mama¡¯s boy¡® works.¡±


    He was clearly messing with her.


    In the elevator, Wyatt said, ¡°Your SAT¡¯s in two weeks. Want to pauseb work for now<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


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    Chapter 315 Leverage and Leverage


    ¡°You support me going to college?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± he replied. ¡°One of us being uneducated is enough.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s chest tightened. ¡°You¡¯re not uneducated.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that hecked ability¨Che just never got the chance. The Powell family never gave him one.


    The elevator doors opened.


    Standing outside was Taylor, dressed in business attire, staring them down coolly.


    She was reporting for duty at the Cooper family today. From now on, she¡¯d be running into them often.


    As Wyatt and Yunice exited, Taylor entered.


    She turned around, watching their silhouettes disappear before the doors closed.


    For a moment, she felt a twinge of emotion.


    The couple everyone once thought would fail¡­ looked like the only ones who were truly thriving.


    Neither of them were what the rumors imed.


    +8 Pearls


    During lunch, Yunice¡¯s phone vibrated.


    She excused herself to the restroom to return the call.


    A man¡¯s voice answered. ¡°Elsie took the bait.¡±


    Elsie was strapped for cash.


    Though she had multiple properties and luxury cars, the upkeep alone¨Cinsurance, maintenance, utilities¨Ccost her hundreds of thousands every month.


    Paul used to foot the bill, so she never gave it a thought.


    But now Paul was broke. He couldn¡¯t even keep himself afloat, let alone her


    Elsie had no concept of restraint. Her salon cards alone cost tens of thousands, with each visit easily racking up thousands.


    more<b>. </b>


    To keep living that lifestyle, she had <i>to </i>sell.


    Today, she nned to offload a luxury car Paul had gifted her.


    Yunice told the man over the phone, ¡°Tell her we¡¯re not buying.¡±


    Then added, ¡°Throw her a bigger lure.¡±


    She hung up and stared at her reflection in the mirror,


    <i>Time </i>to stir the <i>pot </i><i>a </i>little <i>more</i>.


    Debt collectors were already blowing up Elsie¡¯s phone.


    She had tried selling a sports car, but the buyer¨Cclearly not impressed¨Chad walked away. Desperate, she turned to a <b>pawn </b>shop.


    <b>But </b>the price <b>was </b>far lower than she¡¯d hoped. Just as the deal <b>was </b>about to close, Owen stormed in and shut it down.


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    The Daughter in the Shadows

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    Chapter 316 Two Choices


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    Owen snapped. ¡°He¡¯s already married! It doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re unwilling¡ªyou¡¯re the other woman, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Yunice was able to cut her losses in time. Why can¡¯t you? She left Paul, and now she¡¯s doing just fine with Wyatt.¡±


    Again with theparisons to Yunice. Why was everyone suddenly on Yunice¡¯s side?


    Elsie said. ¡°But if I don¡¯t sell the car, I won¡¯t be able to pay back the five million I owe¡­..¡±


    Owen said righteously, ¡°Then why did you borrow it in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Why did you bring Jason¡¯s wife to the birthday banquet?¡±


    Elsie argued. ¡°Owen, it really wasn¡¯t me. Yunice set me up. That day at the birthday banquet, she¡¯s the one who locked Paul and me in there together!¡±


    Owen shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re still making excuses. Elsie, when did you be so calcting?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s heart thudded. She knew Owen¡¯s patience with her was running out.


    Her gaze instantly dropped, looking like she was about to cry. ¡°Owen, I know I was wrong. I¡¯ll return everything Paul gave me right away.


    Owen finally softened. He patted her shoulder andforted her, ¡°Elsie, believe me, things will get better. I¡¯ve already lost Yunice. I don¡¯t want to lose you too. So please¡­ don¡¯t let me down again.¡±


    Yunice sat in the car, the window cracked just slightly, but Owen¡¯s words came through loud and clear.


    So in Owen¡¯s mind, even now, he still thought she left because she had let him/down?


    He probably hadn¡¯t realized that the bigger disappointment hadn¡¯t evene yet.


    After leaving the pawn shop, Owen and Elsie returned to the Saunders family home and gathered everything Paul had ever given¨Cgifts, deeds, jewelry.


    Then they charged over to the Powell family.


    But what was humiliating was¡­. they couldn¡¯t even get the door open.


    Just then, another car pulled up beneath the Powell estate¡¯s arched entrance.


    Yunice and Oscar got out of the car<b>. </b>


    Yunice wore a loose¨Cfitting qipao with a shawl draped over her shoulders. Without looking left or right, she walked up to the Powell family¡¯s front gate and raised her hand to knock.


    Owen saw it was her. A sh of something crossed his eyes, but he quickly remembered that Yunice had already cut ties with


    him.


    <b>His </b>pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to show anything else, so his face quickly turned cold again.


    He turned to Oscar and asked, ¡°Oscar, what are you doing here?¡±


    Oscar gave <b>him </b><b>a </b>sideways nce. ¡°You alone represent the Saunders family now?¡±


    Then he shot a look of disgust at Elsie. ¡°When she made a fool of herself, it wasn¡¯t just your face she disgraced.¡±


    Owen swallowed his anger and asked, ¡°Then what is she doing here<b>?</b>¡±


    Oscar said, <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>Yunice weren¡¯t here, you wouldn¡¯t even make it past the front gate of the Powell family.¡±


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    Chapter 316 Two Choices


    +8 Pearls


    Even if the Powell family didn¡¯t think much of Yunice, she had Wyatt behind her. Offending her meant offending Wyatt.


    The Powell family still needed Wyatt. They wouldn¡¯t make trouble for her over something like this.


    Owen¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. Having to rely on Yunice to get in left him feeling humiliated.


    Elsie was clenching her skirt so hard that the fabric was nearly torn.


    Paul was being kept under house arrest in his own courtyard. When he saw Elsie, he was momentarily stunned.


    But the next moment, his gaze shifted¨Cfalling onto Yunice, who had just stepped in behind her.


    And then¡­ he just kept staring.


    Elsie noticed immediately, and her eyes turned red. She stepped in front of him, trying to pull Paul¡¯s attention back.


    ¡°Paul, let¡¯s break up. This is everything you¡¯ve given me over the years¨Cthe car deeds, house deeds, jewelry. It¡¯s all here. From now on, we owe each other nothing.¡±


    ¡°Break up?¡± Paul immediately red up. ¡°Why are we breaking up?¡±


    Owen heard that and was instantly enraged. He stormed forward and said, ¡°Do you even hear yourself? You¡¯re already married, and you¡¯re still trying to drag Elsie into this?¡±


    Paul turned to Owen and said, ¡°But hasn¡¯t it always been this way? Why didn¡¯t you talk about breaking up before? Now that I¡¯ve run into some trouble, now you¡¯re all cutting ties with me?¡±


    His sharp gaze swept across both Elsie and Owen. ¡°What is it? You realized there¡¯s nothing more to gain from me?¡±


    Before they could say anything, Yunice stepped forward with a faint smile, giving Elsie a sidelong nce.


    ¡°Ms. Elsie and Mr. Owen are very principled people,¡± she said. ¡°Aren¡¯t they here to return everything you gave them over the years, just to settle things properly?¡±


    Elsie bit her lip so hard she nearly broke the skin. Hearing Yunice say that made her stomach churn.


    She had thought Yunice came just to watch her fall.


    Yunice continued, ¡°Mr. Paul, the way I see it, you only have two choices. One, divorce Taylor and give Ms. Elsie a proper title. Or two, break things offpletely, go your separate ways¨Cjust like we did.¡±


    Paul looked into her eyes.


    And for a long time¡­ he just kept looking.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


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 Daghter 317

    Chapter 317 Just Like We Were


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    That one line-¡°Just like we did back then¡°-dragged Paul back into a flood of memories with Yunice.


    He looked at the pile of gifts in Elsie¡¯s hands and suddenly remembered all those years with Yunice.


    It seemed like he had never given her anything.


    Back then, he treated Yunice like his live¨Cin mistress, assuming it was only natural for her to follow him around and enjoy everything he had, without needing him to actually spend anything on her.


    So even when they broke up, broke off the engagement¨Cthere hadn¡¯t been any financial settlement.


    Now that he thought about it, he really had owed Yunice a lot over the years.


    Owen turned to look at Yunice, He hadn¡¯t expected her to show up and actually help Elsie stand up for herself.


    He couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe Yunice¡¯s bark was worse than her bite. Maybe she still stood with the Saunders family deep down.


    Otherwise, why would she bother getting involved at all?


    Paul looked at the things Elsie was holding and said, ¡°I really do love Elsie, but divorcing Taylor¡­ that¡¯s something I can¡¯t do.¡±


    The moment he said that, Owen nearly rushed forward and punched him. ¡°Then break up with Elsie! And don¡¯t you <i>dare </i>bother her again!¡±


    Paul tried to smooth things over. ¡°Keep the gifts. I¡¯m not the type of man who takes back what I¡¯ve given. You can have them.¡±


    Elsie rxed, thinking she¡¯d just managed to hold on to her fortune.


    But Yuniceughed coldly. ¡°Mr. Paul, so from the beginning, you nned to keep Ms. Elsie as your mistress, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Paul frowned. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°Only a mistress needs financialpensation. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t you and I ever have money involved. between us back then?¡±


    Hearing that, Elsie snapped, ¡°Yunice! I won¡¯t let you insult my rtionship with Paul! You spend Wyatt¡¯s money all the time- does that make you his ything too?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes sparkled as she smiled. ¡°Do you know the difference between a wife and a mistress<b>? </b>A wife spending her husband¡¯s money¨Cthat¡¯s her right. But when a mistress spends a man¡¯s money, the wife has every right to take it back. Got


    it?¡±


    Yunice said ¡°<i>mistress</i>¡± again and again, pushing Elsie to the brink of tears. Owen felt ufortable hearing it too and muttered under his breath, ¡°Yunice, watch your words.¡±


    Yunice answered, ¡°She started theparison.¡±


    Paul interrupted them, ¡°Elsie¡¯s been through a lot with me. All those things, I gave them willingly. Just think of them aspensation.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s smile disappeared. She turned to Paul with a cold stare. ¡°She¡¯s been through a lot with you? And what about me?¡±


    Her words made everyone in the room stiffen.


    Owen scolded her, ¡°Yunice! You¡¯re already married¨Cwhy bring up the past? Don¡¯t say things that make people think you <b>haven¡¯t </b>moved on!¡±


    But Yunice ignored him. She kept her eyes locked on Paul and asked again, slowly, ¡°The years I spent with you.. were those years of suffering?¡±


    4:46 PM


    Chapter 317 Just Like We Were


    He remembered those years. The things Yunice had done for him¡­ and the things he had done to her.


    Then he looked back at Elsie, holding those gifts with red¨Crimmed eyes.


    His heart feltplicated. He knew Yunice wasn¡¯t doing this for fun. He knew he really had owed her.


    But he said, ¡°Even if you feel wronged, that was my fault. It had nothing to do with Elsie.¡±


    Paul looked at Yunice. ¡°Don¡¯t take out your resentment on her just because you haven¡¯t let go.¡±


    The fury in Yunice¡¯s eyes faded, slowly cooling into a sharp chill.


    She finally understood¨CPaul didn¡¯t feel guilty. He didn¡¯t feel any remorse for how he¡¯d treated her all those years.


    +8 Pearls


    Owen shot Yunice a nce. At first, he¡¯d thought she was here to help. Now, he was convinced she¡¯d onlye to stir up trouble.


    Owen turned to Paul. ¡°Fine. If you¡¯re giving the gifts willingly, then put it in writing. Say you¡¯ll nevere after Elsie over this again, and we¡¯ll leave it alone.¡±


    In other words, they¡¯d take the money¨Cbut also make sure the rtionship was finished for good.


    Yunice watched them deliberate. She had wanted to cut off Elsie¡¯s ess to money, but clearly, that wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    Paul was a jerk, sure¡ªbut he cared too much about appearances. In front of an audience, he¡¯d never take back a gift. He had to maintain his image as a romantic and generous man.


    Just as she expected, Paul pulled out his phone and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have mywyer draft up a contract. That good enough?¡±


    Owen and Elsie both looked relieved.


    Elsie was d she¡¯d saved her assets.


    Owen too. He wasn¡¯t some saint who saw money as dirt. He just wanted to keep it with dignity.


    Paul agreeing to make it official was perfect. If they took nothing, it would¡¯ve felt like Elsie had suffered for nothing all these


    years.


    Only Oscar stood coldly to the side, his re so sharp it looked like he wanted to strangle Paul with his bare hands.


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 Daghter 318

    apter 318 A p That Shattered More Than Pride


    Oscar watched as Paul handed out generosity to Elsie, and he couldn¡¯t help but think of Yunice.


    Yunice had followed Paul around since they were kids¨Ceighteen years of loyalty, of putting up with him taking advantage of her, of swallowing bitterness.


    And what had she ended up with?


    A ruined reputation, years of suppressed emotions, being discarded, and total neglect after he broke off the engagement.


    What had Paul ever done for her?


    And now, he was standing right in front of her, givingpensation to the mistress who reced her.


    Oscar imagined if it were him, and he nearly couldn¡¯t stop himself from walking up and choking Paul to death.


    How was it that someone like this still hadn¡¯t been struck down?


    By this point, Paul had already had someone print out the agreement.


    Tears still clinging to hershes, Elsie smugly nced at Yunice¨Cas if silentlyughing at how useless she was.


    So what if she was indignant?


    Paul still doted on her, still indulged her, still gave her everything.


    If not for the audience, she would¡¯ve leaned over and whispered in Yunice¡¯s ear. <i>You¡¯re </i>just <i>a </i><i>cheap </i><i>castoff</i><i>. </i><i>No </i><i>one </i><i>ever </i><i>loved </i><i>you</i><i>. </i>


    Elsie looked at Paul with satisfaction, just as he was about to sign.


    That was when a voice cut through the crowd.


    ¡°Paul!¡±


    Taylor¡¯s voice rang out, clear and sharp.


    1


    She strode through the people without hesitation, her regal, dominant presence parting the crowd instinctively.


    When she reached Paul¡¯s side, she grabbed the unsigned contract right out of his hand. She nced at it briefly, then her cold eyes fixed on Elsie and Owen.


    ¡°I was wondering what kind of shameless woman the Saunders family could raise,¡± she said, biting each word with venom. ¡°Turns out shamelessness is just part of your family¡¯s tradition, huh?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice replied calmly, ¡°Ms. Taylor, maybe check the facts before you speak. We came here to make a clean break with Mr. Paul. We intended <i>to </i>return the gifts and end things. It was Mr. Paul who insisted on making a voluntary offering to Ms. Elsie out of a sense of guilt. How is <i>that </i>shameless on our part?¡±


    Owen nced at Yunice again. He was more confused than ever.


    Was she helping Elsie or not?


    One moment she was tearing into her, the next she was defending her.


    Taylor let out a sharpugh and held up the contract pages¨Cover a dozen of them, just listing the assets.


    ¡°Six hundred million in three years. That¡¯s your guilt? Quite the generous debt repayment, huh?<b>¡± </b>


    Elsie¡¯s face twitched with guilt.


    Taylor waved the list with a cold smile, ¡°And I bet that¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg. What you spent over the past three years


    4:46 PM


    Chapter 318 A p That Shattered More Than Pride


    Her voice went soft, delicate¨Cpainting Taylor as loud and aggressive by contrast.


    +8 Pearls


    Elsie continued, ¡°Paul loved me. That¡¯s why he gave it to me. Ms. Taylor, if you haven¡¯t received the same, maybe you should reflect on whether you¡¯ve fulfilled your duties as a wife, whether you¡¯ve kept your husband happy. If you haven¡¯t, what right do you have topare yourself to me?¡±


    Taylor snapped.


    She swore under her breath and pped Elsie across the face.


    ¡°Taylor, you crazy woman¨Ccan you only hit Elsie?¡± Paul barked, stepping forward.


    Before he could say more, Taylor whipped around and pped him too.


    ¡°What, thought I forgot to hit <i>you</i><i>?</i>¡±


    Paul¡¯s face flushed red, and in the next instant, he raised his hand high¨Cready to strike back.


    Yunice instinctively stepped forward, but she didn¡¯t grab him in time. Paul swung hard¡ªhis motion yanked Yunice down with him, and the force of the p stillnded square on Taylor¡¯s cheek.


    Taylor stood frozen, cradling her face in disbelief. She stared at Paul, wide¨Ceyed.


    Even her father had neverid a hand on her.


    And now Paul had hit her?


    ¡°Yunice,¡± Oscar rushed forward to help her up, while Owen muttered beside them, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have meddled. It¡¯s their fight¨Cwhy get involved?¡±


    Yunice gave Owen a long look.


    That¡¯s who <i>you </i><i>are</i><i>, </i><i>huh</i><i>? </i>


    Taylor had once had feelings for this man. And now here he was<b>, </b>thinking Paul was justified. Maybe he even felt a little pleased, thinking Paul had pped Taylor on behalf of Elsie.


    Yuniceughed coldly in her mind.


    What they didn¡¯t know was that <i>this </i>p¨Cthis moment¡ªhad just shattered the Saunders family¡¯s good fortune.


    ?


    Paul had a flicker of guilt<b>, </b>but he quickly straightened his back.


    Taylor hit him first. Why shouldn¡¯t he hit back?


    This was the Powell family, not some fairytale house of rules.


    He looked Taylor straight in the eye. ¡°You started it. You know exactly how you wed your way into this marriage. You and I both owe Elsie. I¡¯m just making it right. Who are you to cause <b>a </b>scene?¡±


    Taylor let out a chillingugh. ¡°You want to talk about how I got here?¡±


    ¡°Paul, you cheated. Cheated. When we got engaged, did you ever tell me Elsie <b>even </b>existed?¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s you who owe me, not the other way around!¡±


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    +8 Pearls


    Taylor stared at the six¨Chundred¨Cmillion gift list, then thought about her wedding¨Chow Paul had walked out halfway¡­


    This was beyond infuriating.


    Seeing the look in Taylor¡¯s eyes, like she was ready to strike back, Paul frowned. ¡°If you want to run home crying to your dad, go ahead. At most, we¡¯ll get divorced. That¡¯ll finally let me and Elsie be together.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s heart practically exploded with joy. She wished Taylor would get mad enough to divorce him on the spot.


    But Taylor just scoffed. ¡°If you had the balls for that, you would¡¯ve done it a long time ago.¡±


    Taylor took two steps forward, closing in on Paul.


    Seeing the clear p mark on her face, Paul unconsciously backed up two steps.


    Taylor¡¯s fierce eyes locked on him. In the end, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not letting you get what you want.¡±


    Paul¡¯s throat moved. ¡°Whether you like it or not doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    He reached out to grab the contract in Taylor¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m giving all of this to Elsie.¡±


    Taylor lifted her hand and tore the contract to shreds, right in front of him.


    Paul red at her.


    Elsie was so angry she could¡¯ve jumped up and punched Taylor herself.


    It¡¯s not <i>your </i><i>money</i><i>. </i><i>What </i><i>the </i><i>hell </i><i>are </i><i>you </i><i>getting </i><i>all </i><i>worked </i><i>up </i><i>about</i><i>? </i>


    Taylor flung the shredded paper into the air, sneering. ¡°Is it even your money to give?¡±


    ¡°Paul, have you done a single decent thing in all your years at the Powell family? Ever earned a dime? Do you think your grandfather knows whose card you¡¯ve been swiping for that six hundred million?¡±


    Paul growled, ¡°Don¡¯t try to throw Grandpa in my face!¡±


    Taylor snorted. ¡°Take a guess<b>¨C</b>why do you think he backs me instead of you?¡±


    She wiped the swelling on her <b>face </b>with the back of her hand and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re finished.¡±


    Paul clenched his jaw and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Taylor turned her head and looked at Owen. ¡°If you people so much as walk out of here with a single gem, I¡¯ll go hang banners outside your Saunders house, proudly announcing you as the Powell family¡¯s official concubine!¡±


    Owen shouted, ¡°You!¡±


    He muttered under his breath, ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d turn out to be this jealous, this irrational.¡±


    Taylor fired back with a sneer, ¡°And I didn¡¯t think <i>you </i>were this pathetic, living off money your own sister earned selling


    herself.¡±


    Owen¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Say that again! We came to return those gifts! Nobody wants your dirty money!¡±


    Taylor said, ¡°Looks to me like you were ready to drool over it.¡±


    Owen was so furious he yanked Elsie toward the exit. ¡°We don¡¯t want your damn money! I hope every time you spend it, you remember the blood and tears Elsie shed!¡±


    4:47 PM


    Chapter 319 The Real Price of a p


    Paul shouted at Taylor, ¡°Can you shut the hell up!¡±


    O


    Taylor yelled back, ¡°Who the hell do you think you are to act all high and mighty!¡±


    The two of them kept shouting at each other, sparks flying. Owen, fuming, dragged Elsie out of the Powell estate.


    +8 Pearls


    Naturally, Yunice and Oscar didn¡¯t stay much longer either. Oscar followed close behind Owen and Elsie, griping the whole way. ¡°What are you mad about? You people took six hundred million over three years. And you really had the nerve to take it? Back when Yunice got dumped, she didn¡¯t get a cent. Did I see you making a scene then?¡±


    Owen covered his ears, looking like he was about to explode.


    Yunice walked at the very back. With Paul¡¯s gifts sessfully revoked, she was clearly the happiest one in the group.


    Just then, n walked in from outside. He hadn¡¯t been by Taylor¡¯s side earlier¨Cif he had been, Paul¡¯s p never would¡¯vended on her.


    ¡°n.¡± As they passed, Yunice called out to him. ¡°Ms. Taylor was hit by Paul.¡±


    Because of Yunice¡¯s position, n had initially kept his guard up around her. But the moment he heard that, his face darkened like a thundercloud ready to strike.


    Just as he stormed off, Yunice handed him a small bottle of ointment. ¡°Have Ms. Taylor apply this. It¡¯ll make the swelling worse.¡±


    n narrowed his eyes at her. What was she ying at?


    Yunice said, ¡°Just tell her what I said. She¡¯ll understand.¡±


    n couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue. He turned and hurried to find Taylor.


    He found her dragging Paul toward the old man¡¯s courtyard.


    When Taylor turned her face, n saw the bright red handprint on her cheek.


    That moment, the fury in n practically erupted. He raised his fist, ready to beat Paul on the spot.


    But Taylor stopped him. Her voice was cold. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him, I¡¯ll make him pay myself.¡±


    Paul barked, ¡°Don¡¯t act all righteous. I¡¯m going to Grandpa. I¡¯ll ask him straight up¨Cwhat the hell does it mean for you to keep another man by your side?¡±


    Paul went into Jackson¡¯s courtyard first¨Cmost likely hoping to get there first and tattle.


    n wanted to ask about her injury, but thinking of what Paul had just said, he realized he couldn¡¯t cross any lines.


    So he said dutifully, ¡°This is from Yunice. She said it¡¯ll make your bruise worse¨Cand that you¡¯d understand what she meant.¡±


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    Chapter 320 The Face That Couldn¡¯t Be Ignored


    Finished


    Taylor furrowed her brow. She¡¯d only met Yunice a few times. Last time, when Lily falsely used Yunice, she had defended her purely because they¡¯d been on the same side.


    But now, she and Yunice should be on opposing teams.


    She looked at the little bottle of ointment in her hand¡­ Why would Yunice want her to make the injury worse?


    Suddenly, her expression shifted¨Cshe got it.


    ¡°Any parent will protect their own. The Kendall family will stand by me. The Powell family will naturally stand by Paul.¡±


    ¡°I got pped, and to the Kendall family, that¡¯s a massive humiliation. But to the Powell family, it¡¯s just a little marital spat. Grandpa will definitely brush it off, tell me to suck it up. And since I pped Paul too, technically I¡¯m not in the right either.¡±


    Taylor immediately understood and, without hesitation, applied the ointment to her face.


    ¡°Miss!¡± n panicked, thinking Yunice might be trying to trick her.


    But when Taylor lifted her head again, n¡¯s face twisted with visible shock.


    There wasn¡¯t any pain on Taylor¡¯s end, but judging by his expression, she asked, ¡°Is it that bad?¡±


    n numbly nodded.


    Taylor turned and walked straight into the main hall. As she entered, she caught the sound of Paul tattling.


    ¡°Grandpa, Taylor¡¯s wild and overbearing. This isn¡¯t the first time she¡¯s humiliated me in public. She doesn¡¯t understand what it means to be a proper wife. A woman like this only brings disgrace to the Powell family!¡±


    The old man squinted at him. ¡°So what do you want?¡±


    <b>Paul </b>said firmly, <b>¡°</b>I want a divorce<b>!</b>¡±


    The old man replied, ¡°You can get divorced.¡±


    Before Paul could <b>even </b><b>react </b>with joy, the old man added, ¡°As long <b>as </b>you¡¯re capable of taking over the Powell family business. Then I won¡¯t stop you from marrying whoever you want. When Taylor married in, she brought a dowry worth ten billion. She holds five <b>percent </b>of Powell Corporation¡¯s shares<b>. </b>You want to divorce her¨Ccan you afford that?¡±


    Taylor stood just outside the door, smiling faintly <b>as </b>she listened. So Grandpa <b><i>did </i></b>know how important she was.


    Then she really wanted to see how he nned to handle this situation.


    ¡°Grandpa<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>Taylor walked in, <b>head </b>bowed in sorrow<b>, </b>and stopped beside Paul. ¡°I want to divorce Paul.¡±


    Paul blinked, surprised, Why <b>was </b>she keeping her head down like that? He couldn¡¯t see her <b>face </b>clearly.


    Still, he didn¡¯t think too much of it. It was just one p. Not <b>even </b>an injury. Grandpa wouldn¡¯t do anything <b>over </b>that.


    The old man took a deep breath, sounding disappointed. <b>¡°</b><b>Paul </b>being immature is one thing¨Cbut how could <i>you </i>be <b>so </b>thoughtless? Marriage isn¡¯t <b>a </b><b>game</b>. You think you <b>can </b>just <b>get </b>divorced <b>whenever</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Linda, who was serving tea beside the old man<b>, </b>also chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s normal for couples to fight. Didn¡¯t you p Paul to get


    even<b>?</b>¡±


    She walked over, trying tofort Taylor. ¡°But you weren¡¯t entirely <b>right </b>either. Men <b>care </b>about saving <b>face</b><b>. </b>How could you p him in front of everyone? He¡¯s still your husband. You have to protect his dignity so you have your own. Paul likes that <b>Bai </b>girl because she¡¯s gentle and considerate. You should learn from her. If you did, maybe Paul wouldn¡¯t want a divorce¡­¡±


    The word ¡°divorce¡± wasn¡¯t even finished when Linda suddenly froze, her hand reaching out to touch Taylor¡¯s shoulder¨Cthen <b>she </b>gasped <b>in </b>horror <b>and </b>covered her mouth.


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    Chapter 320 The Face That Couldn¡¯t Be Ignored


    Finished


    The old man, alerted by her scream, looked up with irritation¨Cready to scold them all for giving him a headache¡ªwhen he too saw Taylor¡¯s face.


    Half her face was zing red, like it had been scraped with sandpaper.


    Linda couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°This¡­ this was from Paul?<b>¡± </b>


    Taylor asked calmly, ¡°Who else?¡±


    Linda hesitated. No p should¡¯ve caused this kind of damage. It looked like she¡¯d been wed by a bear.


    Taylor looked at Linda. ¡°Did your father¨Cinw ever hit you like this<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Linda¡¯s expression turned awkward.


    Paul was dumbfounded. ¡°Yeah, I pped her, but there¡¯s no way it did that kind of damage. Taylor, you¡¯re faking it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Taylor looked at the faint mark on his cheek and said bitterly, ¡°I pitied you because you¡¯re my husband. When I hit you, I didn¡¯t even use force. But for your little side chick, you nearly beat me to death. Do you think I dare stay in this marriage?¡±


    Paul stared <i>at </i>her, trying to figure out what game she was ying.


    The old man, upon seeing her face, realized this couldn¡¯t be brushed off. He shouted, ¡°You bastard! Still standing there like an idiot? Take your wife to get her face checked!¡±


    Taylor took a deep breath, as if she had given up on everything. ¡°No need. Today is my father¡¯s birthday. I¡¯m going home to attend the birthday party¡­ I won¡¯t stay here at the Powell family and get in everyone¡¯s way.¡±


    Birthday <i>party</i><i>? </i>


    That meant the Kendall family¡¯s friends and rtives would all be there.


    And Taylor, walking in with a face like that?


    No way the Kendall family would let that slide.


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 Daghter 321

    Chapter 321 Whose Dignity Was It, Really?


    Finished


    Linda quickly grabbed Taylor¡¯s arm. ¡°Taylor, dear, you young people need to stop acting so rashly. Think about your elders. Your father isn¡¯t young anymore. If you go back like this, won¡¯t that just worry your whole family<i>?</i><i>¡± </i>


    Linda offered her a suggestion. ¡°Why not just say things are busy at work and you can¡¯t make it home today? Let your father have a happy birthday. Wouldn¡¯t that be better?¡±


    Paul looked at Taylor nervously. He really was afraid of her blowing this out of proportion.


    But Taylor wasn¡¯t about to y along. ¡°If my dad doesn¡¯t see me, he won¡¯t celebrate.¡±


    Linda frowned.


    The old master¡¯s voice dropped an octave. ¡°Enough with the performance. Stop making a fuss. Just say what it is you want, and maybe then you¡¯ll calm down.¡±


    Taylor didn¡¯t fear the old man¡¯s temper. After all, she had the entire Kendall family behind her.


    So, seeing that the old man was softening, Taylor raised her demand directly. ¡°It¡¯s simple. I want Paul to take back every asset he¡¯s ever given Elsie. If he does that, I¡¯ll let this go.¡±


    The old man¡¯s face darkened. So this was all just jealousy?


    He¡¯d never liked Elsie anyway, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t care about her. He waved it off impatiently. ¡°If you want to take it back, then take it back. If she won¡¯t give it back, sue her. Just stop making both families lose face!¡±


    Paul protested, ¡°Grandpa!¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t even look at him.


    Taylor nced at Paul smugly and added, ¡°Today¡¯s your father¨Cinw¡¯s birthday. Even if you¡¯re dying to divorce me, today you¡¯re stilling back with me to the Kendall house. We¡¯re putting on a good show as a loving couple¨Cthat¡¯s an order.¡±


    Meanwhile, the Saunders family group was just about to get into their car when Luke stopped them.


    His tone was all business. ¡°Regarding the Powell family¡¯s assets that are currently under Ms. Elsie¡¯s name, we¡¯ll be assigning someone to handle the transfer and recovery. If the assets are not returned within three days, a formal legal notice will be issued.¡±


    Elsie couldn¡¯t ept what she¡¯d just heard. She rushed after Luke and asked, Is Paul the one who wants to take them back?¡±


    ¡°The cards Mr. Paul used for Ms. Elsie¡¯s expenses all came frompany ounts. Powell Corporation has every right to reim them.¡± In other words, not even Paul could control the oue.


    If the Powell family wanted to pursue it, they would get it back.


    Elsie copsed. She had coaxed Paul for three years, served him for three years, let him use her however he wanted for three years¨Conly to be told now that the assets were merely held in her name temporarily?


    But she wasn¡¯t the only one who broke down. Lily had just stepped out of the car when she overheard the news.


    The Powell family¡¯s gates were already closed. Yunice had gotten exactly the result she wanted. She turned to leave, but Lily. overwhelmed and emotional, grabbed her hard.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere!¡±


    ¡°You tell me what the hell is going on! Why is the Powell family taking Elsie¡¯s money back? Was it <i>you </i>who stirred things up behind the scenes!¡±


    Oscar stepped forward to stand in front of Yunice. ¡°Mom, Owen was the one who brought Elsie to the Powell family to cut ties. It was his idea to return the money. Yunice even fell down trying to help him. And now you¡¯re ming her?¡±


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    4:47 PM


    Chapter 321 Whose Dignity Was It, Really?


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    Lily looked like she was going to copse. Clutching her chest, she demanded, ¡°Why would you do that? That¡¯s your sister¡¯s <i>three </i><i>years </i><i>of </i><i>youth</i>! She gave everything to Paul. What¡¯s wrong with asking for a little something in return? You¡¯re just handing your sister over to a man for nothing<i>!</i>¡±


    Oscar said coldly, ¡°If you¡¯d taken that money, people would¡¯ve said you pimped out your own daughter.¡±


    The moment Lily heard that, she exploded. ¡°Only whores don¡¯t take money! Yunice let Paul use her for years, didn¡¯t get a dime, and still acts all pure and proud. Even when she got locked in the psych ward, <i>we </i>paid for her hospital bills! And Paul? Nothing happened to him. He went on living like a damn prince!¡±


    ¡°Yunice sold herself and didn¡¯t even get paid¨Cnow she wants Elsie to follow her example and y fake ¡®purity¡® too!¡±


    Her words were cruel and utterly aimed at Yunice.


    Owen¡¯s original intent in returning the money was to show Paul they were done with him.


    He had expected Paul would refuse the assets, but he hadn¡¯t ounted for Taylor or the Powell family stepping in.


    Now, the whole thing had backfired.


    But in truth, Owen and Lily shared the same logic¨Cif they didn¡¯t get any of the money, then what had Yunice and Elsie¡¯s youth even been worth?


    But it was toote for regrets.


    Yunice looked at Lily¡¯s resentful expression, listened as she called her cheap, as she used her of spending the Saunders. family¡¯s money.


    She sneered. ¡°I¡¯ve already proven what kind of garbage Paul is. But you all insisted on thinking you¡¯d found gold¨Crushing to offer the same man who hurt your daughter to another one of your daughters.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, who¡¯s the one with no shame?¡±


    Lily froze, staring <i>at </i>Yunice with a conflicted expression.

 Daghter 322

    hapter 322 A Split Beyond Repair


    0


    Finished


    Oscar finished the words Yunice had left unsaid. ¡°The real culprit here is Paul. When Yunice got hurt, you didn¡¯t cut ties with him. You med your own daughter for being cheap. The reason Elsie ended up like this is because of you. This is what it looks like when you dig your own grave.¡±


    As he spoke, Yunice turned to Owen and mocked, ¡°And you. You wanted the money and your dignity too. Didn¡¯t expect to end up with neither, huh?¡±


    Owen flushed. Her words had hit him right where it hurt. ¡°Yunice, whose side are you even on?¡±


    Yunice found itughable. ¡°No way. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ you actually still think I consider myself part of the Saunders family, that I still care about your feelings?¡±


    Owen froze, his face going red.


    <i>Wasn¡¯t </i>she<i>? </i>


    He had thought Yunice came to help because she still wanted to be close to the family.


    She¡­ wasn¡¯t here to help?


    Lily broke down on the spot. She pointed at Yunice and yelled at Owen, ¡°See! I told you and you didn¡¯t believe me! This whole thing¨Cshe stirred it all up!¡±


    Owen said nothing, because he had no proof that Yunice was behind any of it.


    It had been his idea to return the money. It was Taylor and the old man who wanted it reimed. Yunice didn¡¯t have the status to make any of that happen.


    It was just their bad luck this time. They¡¯d underestimated the Powell family¡¯s shamelessness.


    When Owen didn¡¯t speak, Lily lunged at Yunice, yanking her wrist and sobbing, ¡°You have to make this right for Elsie! Get her money back!¡±


    Yunice let her grab on, then pulled Lily close and whispered right by her ear, too quietly for anyone else to hear, ¡°I got used and spat out for years and didn¡¯t get a single penny. But you¨Cyou got dragged into the mountains and used for fifteen years, raising someone else¡¯s bastard like a cuckoo. Doesn¡¯t that make you even cheaper?¡±


    Lily¡¯s body trembled violently. She looked up at Yunice, then without warning, raised her hand to p her.


    But Yunice dodged easily and shoved Lily backward to the ground.


    ¡°Mom!¡± Owen and Elsie rushed over. Oscar frowned and stepped between Yunice and the others.


    Yunice looked at his shoulder but said nothing.


    Owen roared, ¡°Yunice! How dare you put your hands on Mom!¡±


    Oscar¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her raise her hand first? Or do you just automatically go blind every time someone tries to hit Yunice?¡±


    Lily sat on the ground, trembling with rage, pointing at Yunice. ¡°She insulted me! Didn¡¯t you hear her!¡±


    Yunice stood behind Oscar, revealing only half her face as she looked at Lily with a sneer.


    Sure enough, Oscar asked calmly, ¡°What exactly did she say that was so bad you needed to p her in front of everyone?¡±


    ¡°Or is it that while I was away, you got used to pping her around? One bad mood and it¡¯s open season?¡±


    Lily froze. She looked at Oscar, then at Yunice again.


    The things Yunice had said still echoed <b>in </b>her mind. but she couldn¡¯t repeat a single word of it out loud.


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    Chapter 322 A Split Beyond Repair


    Yunice tugged gently on Oscar¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    0


    Oscar shot the trio onest cold re, then opened the car door for Yunice.


    As the car pulled away, he suddenly realized something. ¡°Yunice did you just call me?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t imagining that, right?


    Yunice said, ¡°Now that Elsie has Owen, and I have you, I¡¯m not scared of them anymore.¡±


    Oscar grinned so wide he showed eight teeth, practically bouncing in his seat.


    But after the joy came the sadness¨Cthe disappointment in their family ran deep.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s been back from the mountains all these years, but her heart was never with us.¡±


    Finished


    Yunice nodded. ¡°Yeah. The time she¡¯s spent with Elsie adds up to more than she¡¯s spent with all of usbined. We got reced a long time ago.¡±


    But if she had said this to Oscar right when he returned to the country, he wouldn¡¯t have believed it. Wouldn¡¯t have cared.


    He had to live it. Had to see it firsthand.


    Only after that could he finally recognize Lily¡¯s favoritism and understand just how bad Yunice had had it.


    Now, finally, Oscar and Yunice were on the same side.


    Yunice might have broken away from the Saunders family, but Oscar still wasn¡¯t at ease about Wyatt<b>. </b>


    He worried Wyatt might turn out to be another Paul.


    The difference in power between them was too great. If anything ever went wrong, Yunice would be the one leftpletely vulnerable.


    Just like Elsie today, kicked out of the Powell family gates without mercy.


    But Yunice was calm. ¡°Oscar, don¡¯t go borrowing trouble. Who knows what the future holds?¡±


    Oscar replied, ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll work hard and make money. That <i>way</i>, if it everes to it, I¡¯ll be able to help you run.¡±


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    <b>¡£ </b>

 Daghter 323

    Chapter 323 The Cost of Vanity


    0


    O


    That same night, Oscar moved out of the Saunders family¡¯s old home.


    Finished


    He had already found a new job at a pharmaceutical research institute, and they provided him with a dorm. He decided he might as well move out¨Che was tired of Lily and Owen watching him like he was some kind of thief.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a shame Dad built that hospital from the ground up,¡± Oscar said. ¡°Now it¡¯s probably gonna get ruined in Owen¡¯s hands.¡±


    As he spoke, he punched his thigh in frustration. ¡°That idiot Owen¨CElsie¡¯s got him on a leash like a damn dog!¡±


    Yunice wanted to tell him she nned to take the hospital back. But before everything was set in stone, she wasn¡¯t going to say anything.


    The atmosphere in the Saunders household was grim.


    It was as if time had rewound back to three years ago. In that huge house, it was just Lily, Elsie, and Owen again.


    They had onceughed and joked, eating meals together, with Lily smiling as she watched Owen and Elsie leave for work. Afterward, she¡¯d get facials, sip tea, y cards.


    Life had been leisurely. Carefree.


    Now, with Yunice and Oscar both gone, the house still had the same three people¨Cbut it felt lifeless, hollow.


    Lily and Elsie sat on the bed, staring at drawer after drawer that had been pulled open.


    Most of them were empty. Some held a few pieces of jewelry Elsie never cared much about.


    And yet, even those things¨Cthings she had once looked down on¨Cwould no longer belong to her.


    She sat there in a daze. Her phone buzzed again, vibrating constantly with promotional messages and membership renewals, each one more aggravating than thest.


    Irritated, she kept declining the calls, but they kepting. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she answered one.


    It was a luxury brand boutique.


    ¡°Ms. Yunice, the item you reserved with usst week just arrived. When would you like toe in and pay?¡±


    Elsie brushed it off. ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush.¡±


    ¡°Well, Ms. Yunice, it¡¯s a very popr item,¡± the woman replied sweetly. ¡°We can¡¯t hold it too long. Can you give us a specific time?¡±


    ¡°Just let someone else buy it,¡± Elsie said. ¡°I¡¯ll get something even better next time.¡±


    The sales rep¡¯s tone shifted subtly. ¡°Ms. Yunice, this is from the J C collection. You need to maintain customer status for three years before you even qualify. Are you sure you want to give up that opportunity?¡±


    Elsie clenched her teeth. She had spent nearly three years buying and spending at that store, just to qualify for this status. And now, all that groundwork¨Cgone in a sh?


    But what could she do? She didn¡¯t have <b>a </b>single cent. Paul¡¯s phone wasn¡¯t even connecting.


    The woman on the line, hearing no response<b>, </b>continued, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is it because Mr. Paul stopped paying for you now that he¡¯s married? If you really don¡¯t have the means anymore, I¡¯ll just remove you from our client list. We won¡¯t be able to serve you again-


    ¡°Who said he¡¯s not paying for me!¡± Elsie couldn¡¯t take it anymore and snapped. ¡°Hold it for me. I¡¯lle pick it up


    tomorrow<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>4:47 </b>PM


    Chapter 323 The Cost of Vanity


    e


    Elsie didn¡¯t know what to say. But what she <i>did </i>know was that she couldn¡¯t stand being looked down on.


    Irritated, she got up. ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here and rot. I¡¯m going to work.¡±


    Finished


    ¡°At the hospital?¡± Lily frowned. ¡°Your sry there isn¡¯t much. And it¡¯ll be a while before your paycheck evenes through¡­¡±


    Elsie said nothing as she walked out. ¡°Still better than waiting around.¡±


    But Lily had no idea¨CElsie already had something else in mind.


    After leaving the bedroom, Elsie quietly slipped into Owen¡¯s study.


    Lily, weighed down by stress, didn¡¯t even notice Elsie¡¯s strange behavior. She herself had lost ess to her leisurely lifestyle, unable to afford any of her usual indulgences.


    Meanwhile, Elsie rummaged through drawers in Owen¡¯s study, then slipped out of the house with a few documents¨Cand Owen¡¯s personal seal.


    She reached out to the same scruffy man who had approached her before, and the two met in person.


    pping the files down in front of him, she said coldly, ¡°You told me before that you also buy uppany shares.¡±


    ¡°This is ten percent of Saunders Hospital. How much can you offer?¡±


    The man flipped through the paperwork. Sure enough, the documents were for ten percent ownership of Saunders Hospital.


    It was Yunice¡¯s share.


    When Elsie took over Yunice¡¯s identity, she naturally took over her assets too.


    This ten percent had been given to Yunice by Will. Both she and Oscar had ten percent each. Owen held thirty¨Cfive percent.


    With the hospital on a downward spiral and barely enough to pay sries, the shares didn¡¯t bring in any real ie. So Elsie figured she might as well cash them in¨Cfor now.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>

 Daghter 324

    Chapter 324 Nothing Left to Lose


    0


    Elsie had told herself she¡¯d buy the shares back once her finances were back in order.


    Finished


    But the moment the scruffy man finished flipping through the documents, he wrinkled his nose and looked disgusted. ¡°I¡¯m not taking this. It¡¯s not even worth anything.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s heart dropped. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you buy shares?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± he repliedzily. ¡°But only if they¡¯re worth something. I invest in stocks with potential. I¡¯m not a junkyard. Powell Corporation¡¯s stock has been tanking. What would I want with this?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face went pale on the spot.


    She had thought she could sell the shares for a good price¡ªmaybe it would pull her out of her current crisis, even temporarily.


    But now, not only was the man not buying, he casually lit a cigarette and added, ¡°That hospital of yours? Old, outdated, and barely standing. Silverburgh¡¯s building the biggest hospital in Northvale soon. Little ces like yours? Destined for foreclosure. You won¡¯t be able to sell that thing even if you beg.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s expression darkened. She didn¡¯t know what to say.


    The man took another drag and shrugged. ¡°Still, you¡¯ve been a long¨Ctime client. I can give you a hand.¡±


    He held up a hand, fingers spread slightly apart. ¡°Eight million. I¡¯ll take your shares for eight million.¡±


    ¡°Eight million?¡± Elsie¡¯s voice rose in disbelief. She snatched the documents back from him. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡±


    Eight million? That was the price of a few of her handbags. And he wanted to buy 10% of <i>Saunders </i><i>Hospital </i>with that?


    This <i>was </i><i>daylight </i><i>robbery</i><i>! </i>


    Elsie turned and walked away slowly, hoping the man would stop her and offer more.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    When she nced back, he was already swinging a leg over his motorcycle, clearly ready to take off.


    Elsie gritted her teeth. No. She couldn¡¯t sell for eight million.


    It was too cheap.


    And what could eight million even do for her now? It wouldn¡¯tst her two days.


    She reached for her car door¨Cbut just then, a figure lunged out from the alley, grabbed her by the cor, and yanked her straight out of the car.


    Elsie screamed, stumbling backward¨Cand looked up into the crazed face of Jason¡¯s wife.


    In just a few days, the woman looked like she¡¯dpletely lost it. Disheveled, wild¨Ceyed¨Cclearly suffering after what her husband did with the money, possibly going half¨Cmad¨Cfrom the stress<b>. </b>


    And worst of all¨CElsie <i>still </i>hadn¡¯t paid her back that five million.


    Jason¡¯s wife mmed Elsie to the ground, flicked open a switchde, and pressed it against her cheek. ¡°Five million. You paying me back or not? If not, I¡¯ll carve up your face. Let¡¯s see how you seduce my husband after that!¡±


    Elsie cried out as the woman yanked her hair. Her scalp burned, her eyes watered from the pain. ¡°Who the hell wants your <b>man</b>! That loser isn¡¯t even my type!¡±


    ¡°Then why did you take his money? Why!¡±


    <b>4:47 </b>PM


    Chapter 324 Nothing Left to Lose


    The de rxed a little, but the woman still clung to her, refusing to let go.


    Finished


    Elsie wanted to call Owen toe help, but the woman wouldn¡¯t let her touch her phone. She was afraid she¡¯d try to run.


    Instead, she demanded Elsie pay her back with her own savings.


    But what savings? Elsie didn¡¯t have any.


    With the knife still dangerously close, Elsie had no choice but to call the scruffy man again and say she agreed to sell the shares.


    He showed up quickly. Elsie gave him frantic looks, desperate for him to help her¨Creport this, do something.


    But no matter how desperately she batted hershes or twisted her face, the man might as well have been blind. He didn¡¯t even blink at the knife against her face.


    Biting down on his cigarette, he drawled, ¡°What¡¯s this? Finally changed your mind?¡±


    Elsie was sweating bullets, her eyes darting in every direction. But this alley was too hidden. No one would just wander by.


    The knife nicked her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.


    Elsie couldn¡¯t afford to wait anymore. Trembling, she signed her name on the share transfer documents.


    The man took the file, then grabbed her phone, transferred eight million into her ount, and even wrote a receipt on the spot.


    When he handed the phone back to her, Jason¡¯s wife snatched it away in one quick motion.


    She immediately used Elsie¡¯s phone to transfer herself five million.


    Elsie shouted, ¡°You¡¯re stealing from me!¡±


    Jason¡¯s wife pressed the de against her again. ¡°Put in your password.¡±


    Elsie gritted her teeth, but with no other choice, typed it in.


    As soon as the transfer went through, Jason¡¯s wife bolted.


    Elsie shot up off the ground and immediately called the police. Then she turned to find the scruffy man.


    She was going to tell him she was taking the shares back.


    But when she turned around-


    <i>He </i>was <i>gone</i><i>. </i>


    She called his number, only to be met with a robotic voice. ¡°The number you have dialed is no longer in service.¡±


    That¡¯s when it finally hit her.


    How <i>the </i><i>hell </i>did Jason¡¯s wife know where to find <i>her</i><b><i>? </i></b>

 Daghter 325

    Chapter 325 What Goes Around


    <i>Why </i><i>was </i><i>no </i><i>one </i><i>around? </i>


    <i>Why </i><i>didn¡¯t </i><i>the </i><i>scruffy </i><i>man </i><i>call </i><i>the </i><i>police</i><i>? </i>


    It hit Elsie like a lightning bolt.


    She¡¯d been set up.


    Finished


    She jumped into her car and raced to the police station, trembling all the way¨Cdesperate to report what had just happened.


    But just as she left, a figure stepped out from the shadows at the end of the alley.


    It was Yunice.


    A sleek motorcycle sat behind her, the scruffy man perched on it, cigarette dangling between his lips.


    He handed over the signed Powell Corporation share transfer agreement, and Yunice epted it with a cold smile.


    All her nning since that dinner with her old ssmates had finallye full circle.


    She had the document in her hands. Her document.


    The scruffy man puffed smoke and muttered, ¡°It was yours to begin with. Now you had to buy it back. That¡¯s some irony.¡±


    It was true. The shares were Yunice¡¯s. But as long as Elsie was living under her identity, Yunice couldn¡¯t touch them. Not legally.


    <i>Money</i>? She didn¡¯t care about money. Not anymore.


    Now that she had reimed her 10% stake in Saunders Hospital, it was only the beginning.


    One day, she¡¯d take back the old Saunders home. The entire hospital.


    By then, she¡¯d have severed ties with the Saunders familypletely. Not even her father¡¯s will would hold her back.


    The scruffy man raised an eyebrow. ¡°You spent a lot to pull off that trap. And that cash¨Cback date with Paul ising up too.¡±


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t worried.


    <i>No </i><i>money</i><i>? </i><i>No </i><i>problem</i><i>. </i>


    She had time¨Cand she could afford to y the long game.


    ¡°I¡¯m assigning someone to hold my Powell Corporation shares for now,¡± she said coolly. ¡°I don¡¯t want any more drama for a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± the man was genuinely curious.


    Yunice tucked the agreement into her bag. ¡°I¡¯ve got the SATSing up.¡±


    The man gave a half¨Camused grunt. <i>Of </i><i>all </i>things, why pick the slowest <i>route</i><i>? </i>


    But Yunice was young. Whatever path she picked, she had the time to walk it.


    And as for Elsie reporting her?


    Let her try.


    Yunice knew thew better than anyone. There was no <i>case</i><i>. </i>


    0


    0


    Chapter 325 What Goes Around


    Finished


    As for the share transfer? That was a civil matter¨Ca contractual dispute, not fraud. If she had a problem, she could try filing awsuit.


    Elsie dropped to her knees right there on the floor of the precinct.


    She couldn¡¯t sue. Not yet.


    She definitely couldn¡¯t let Owen find out she¡¯d sold Yunice¡¯s shares.


    He had made it very clear, she was only borrowing Yunice¡¯s identity. She was never supposed to touch any assets under that


    name.


    If he knew she¡¯d sold the shares, the whole ¡°good girl¡± act would fall apart.


    ¡°I just have to stall. One day at a time¡­ I¡¯ll turn things around. I will¡­¡± she muttered to herself.


    Dragging her battered pride with her, Elsie went back to work at the hospital.


    Ever since Paul¡¯s marriage, the hospital leadership had been treating her like she didn¡¯t exist. No more special privileges. No more attention.


    She¡¯d bepletely unwee.


    Technically, interns didn¡¯t get paid. But Elsie refused to quit¨Cbecause this ce was her only connection to the upper ss.


    And sometimes, luck still knocked.


    She rounded a corner, a pile of medical files in her arms¡ªand locked eyes with a red¨Chaired punk lounging in a wheelchair.


    <i>Morgan</i><i>. </i>


    Ever since his car ident, he¡¯d been cooped up in the hospital, bored out of his mind.


    Seeing the way Elsie stared at him without blinking, he perked up.


    Looks like the fun¡¯s <i>back</i>.


    Meanwhile, Yunice wasser¨Cfocused on her SAT prep¡ªnot that she really needed to be. She was confident in her performance.


    Most of her time was spent on administrative tasks, processing documents, selecting schools.


    She wasn¡¯t nning to attend sses full¨Ctime<b>, </b>so she was also applying for exam¨Conly options¨Choping to earn her degree by taking tests alone.


    Time flew<b>. </b>


    The days grew hotter.


    And the Saunders family continued to unravel.


    Owen stumbled home from another long day, his energy all but drained. Saunders Hospital hadn¡¯t paid sries in two months. Staff were protesting. The hospital was hemorrhaging money.


    At thetest board meeting, yet again, someone had proposed bankruptcy.


    As soon as Lily <b>saw </b>him, she jumped up like a drowning person spottingnd. ¡°Owen! The hospital¡¯s dividends should¡¯ve arrived by now, right?¡±


    She was still waiting on this month¡¯s allowance.

 Daghter 326

    hapter 326 The Seed of Ambition


    Owen said nothing.


    Just then, Elsie came home, humming with satisfaction. But the moment she saw Owen and Lily¡¯s grim faces, she immediately wiped the smile from her own.


    Owen turned to her. ¡°You went to the municipal hospital today?¡±


    Elsie nodded. ¡°I want to get a permanent position as soon as possible. That way, I can help you out more.¡±


    Owen was touched. He gave her a small nod. ¡°You¡¯re still the most thoughtful.¡±


    Finished


    Elsie finally smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be on night shifts for a while, though. So I probably won¡¯t being home for dinner. You and Mom don¡¯t need to wait up.¡±


    Owen grunted in acknowledgment, his mind clearly elsewhere.


    He might¡¯ve been thinking about Yunice.


    <i>Was </i><i>the </i><i>family </i><i>really </i><i>falling </i><i>apart</i><i>? </i>


    What would happen to the hospital?


    Where was his path now?


    Suddenly, he felt isted¨Clike there was no one left who would lend him a hand.


    Lily wasn¡¯t sitting idle either. The next morning, she got dressed up carefully and went to see Carl.


    But before she could step inside, she spotted Yunice and Freya sitting in the office lounge.


    She froze<i>. </i>


    Freya was perched on the coffee table in front of Yunice, holding an eyebrow pencil and studying Yunice¡¯s face.


    ¡°I had a tarot reading done,¡± Freya said seriously. ¡°It said if you draw your brows like this tomorrow, you¡¯ll definitely pass the exam.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass whether I draw them or not,¡± Yunice replied.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so skeptical. This <b>is </b>Mr. Carl¡¯s personal tarot reader. Super urate.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yunice raised a brow. ¡°I want a reading too.¡±


    ¡°What do you wanna know?¡±


    Yunice thought for a second. ¡°When I¡¯ll be rich.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already rich.¡±


    ¡°I mean, sugar momma rich.¡±


    Freya burst intoughter. ¡°In that case, nope. Not telling you. If Mr. Wyatt hears, he¡¯ll be traumatized.¡±


    At the mention of Wyatt, Freya¡¯s expression softened. ¡°So he¡¯s totally fine with you going to college?¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t get involved in my business.¡±


    ¡°Providing money for his wife¡¯s tuition? That¡¯s top¨Ctier husband behavior.¡±


    Yunice leaned in to sniff <b>a </b>lipstick, then ced it back down. ¡°This one smells weird. Toss it.¡±


    ¡£


    Chapter 326 The Seed of Ambition


    ¡°Sure,¡± Yunice replied easily.


    Just behind the ss door, Lily remained frozen.


    She was listening intently.


    Yunice <i>is </i>taking the SATY


    She was already in her twenties. <i>Was </i>that <i>even </i>allowed?


    No doubt Wyatt was pulling strings behind the scenes.


    Lily scoffed to herself. <i>Why </i>couldn¡¯t <i>Yunice </i><i>just </i><i>be </i><i>content </i>as a rich <i>man¡¯s </i><i>wife</i>? <i>Why </i><i>did </i><i>she </i><i>have </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>so </i><i>vain</i><i>? </i>


    She was sure Yunice just wanted topete with Elsic.


    Elsie was a grad student. Now Yunice wanted to chase a degree too.


    Finished


    Lily¡¯s mood soured. Yunice had Wyatt smoothing the road ahead for her. Sooner orter, she¡¯d surpass Elsie¨Cand everyone would forget about her daughter.


    Grimacing, Lily gave up on seeing Carl and quietly left.


    The next day was the SAT.


    As Yunice requested, Wyatt selected the most low¨Cprofile car in the garage to drive her to the test center.


    Roads near the center were restricted, andmunication signals jammed.


    As they arrived, Yunice reached for the door handle¨Cbut Wyatt stopped her. ¡°Too early.¡±


    She sank back into her seat, pulling out her test supplies and double¨Cchecking everything for tampering.


    Thankfully, it was simple¨Cnothing seemed touched.


    When she finally looked up, something yellow entered her view.


    Wyatt was holding out a sunflower.


    ¡°For a brilliant win,¡± he said.


    Yunice stared for a second¨Cthenughed. She couldn¡¯t take the flower inside, so she stuck it between the car seats.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot today,¡± she said. ¡°You don¡¯t need to wait. Come back when I¡¯m done.¡±


    Wyatt nodded.


    Yunice got out.


    Outside the exam building, it was chaos.


    Parents were everywhere¨Csome decked out in bright qipaos, both men and women, hoping to invoke luck.


    There were tears,ughter, whispered blessings, anxious nces.


    Every parent wore their hope and worry like a badge. The air buzzed with expectation.


    Compared to their family warmth, Yunice looked very much alone.


    But she thought about that sunny little flower, and her heart lightened.


    Chapter 320 The Seed of Ambition


    Taller than the mwl, be rated a hand high and gave her a confident gratum


    Yunice lined her hand in response, waved oner


    Send Gifts


    and mined on her heel, disappearing into the building.

 Daghter 327

    V


    hapter 327 Framed


    Yunice sat dead center in the exam hall as the invigtor walked down the aisle, distributing the papers.


    The long examnded on her desk. She flipped through it calmly, confident in every type of question.


    Three years in the asylum had not been wasted. She had kept up with her studies, prepared for this, moment.


    She filled in her name on the answer sheet and slipped into full¨Cfocus mode.


    All around her, the tension in the hall was thick and quiet¨Conly the sound of pens scratching and paper rustling broke the silence.


    Outside, the atmosphere was no less heated.


    It was sweltering. The zing sun beat down on a restless crowd of parents, each one more anxious than their own child. Some stood, Others sat on curbs. None looked rxed.


    Among them, que person stood out, overdressed for the heat, face hidden under a hat and mask, pacing as she talked excitedly on the phone.


    ¡°Yes, yes, thank you again for preparing the cheat sheet! Yunice is definitely going to crush the test,¡± the woman gushed.


    ¡°Good thing you spoke to the invigtor. With him watching out, no one will catch her. Rx¨Conce this is over, I¡¯ll take Yunice and treat you to dinner¡±


    Though she kept her voice down, her excitement made it impossible not to overhear.


    Nearby parents exchanged stunned nces. Their faces twisted with rage and envy.


    The SAT was brutallypetitive¡ªevery unfair advantage meant another child¡¯s future getting squeezed out.


    When the woman finally hung up, she noticed several strangers suddenly standing nearby.


    One of them, smiling politely, struck up a conversation. ¡°Hi there, here for the SAT too? You look so young and well¨Ckept- your child must be very bright.¡±


    Behind her mask, Lily¡¯s eyes curved in a smug smile. ¡°Grades matter, sure, but it¡¯s really about the parents paving the way. Your kids only have one path, studying hard. Mine has options.¡±


    The others smiled stiftly.


    ¡°Your kid must be listed in all the honor rolls by now, huh?¡± someone said casually.


    Lily gave a coy smile. ¡°She doesn¡¯t waste time going to school like the rest. She=¡±


    In her excitement, Lily gestured too wildly¨Csmack. Her wallet dropped to the ground, popping open..


    A parent swiftly scooped it up¨Csnapped a photo of the ID inside¡ªand handed it back with a pleasant smile.


    Lily snatched it back, eyes wide with panic.


    But it was toote.


    The parents had everything they needed.


    The image of Yunice.


    Minutester, the group was gathered at the exam center¡¯s main office, demanding a full investigation.


    They chanted for the test to be voided¨Cfor the cheating student to be permanently disqualified¡ªand for her name to be


    4:48 PM


    Chapter 327 Framed


    Back outside, Wyatt and Jordan had not yet left.


    The noise by the school gates drew their attention.


    0


    0


    Finished


    Jordan returned with an update. ¡°Someone¡¯s being used of cheating. It happens every year. Nothing for us to worry about.¡±


    Yunice had scored well in mock tests. She didn¡¯t need to cheat.


    They didn¡¯t take the news seriously.


    Inside, Yunice worked swiftly. She¡¯d alreadypleted one side of the test.


    As she flipped the page, she noticed something odd, the ssroom¡¯s camera, which had been rotating, suddenly focused and fixed directly on her.


    Yunice immediately sensed it.


    She nced at the lens briefly, then lowered her eyes and kept writing.


    What she didn¡¯t know was that in the monitoring room, a team of officials were huddled around the screen¨Cstaring, analyzing her every movement.


    A few minutester, four members of the inspection team entered her ssroom.


    Two went straight to the front and pulled the invigtor aside.


    Whatever they said to him made his face go pale with panic. Momentster, he was removed entirely from the room.


    Yunice watched it happen out of the corner of her eye. Then, a recement invigtor took over the post.


    <i>They¡¯re </i>switching <i>monitors</i>? she wondered.


    So the invigtor was under investigation.


    She lowered her eyes again and kept working.


    In an SAT room, anything could happen. She wasn¡¯t about to let it throw her off.


    But then she noticed something else¨Ca shadow that didn¡¯t leave.


    Someone was standing right next to her desk.


    She had been aware of it for several minutes now.


    Frowning, she slowly looked up.


    Four people were staring directly at her, arms behind their backs, expressions grim.


    They weren¡¯t there for a routine check.


    They were there for her.

 Daghter 328

    Chapter 328 A Calm Storm


    Other test¨Ctakers began casting nces in her direction.


    Finished


    With four officials surrounding her, there was no hiding the disruption. The implication was clear¨Csomething must be wrong with her.


    As expected, one of the inspectors tapped his knuckle against the corner of Yunice¡¯s desk and said in a firm, chilly tone, ¡°Student, we¡¯ve received a report that you may be involved in cheating. Please step out now and cooperate with our investigation.¡±


    Yunice wanted to protest.


    She hadn¡¯t cheated.


    But ncing from the officials to the rest of the room, she understood that now wasn¡¯t the time to speak. If she disrupted the other examinees, she¡¯d risk disqualification no matter what. She wouldn¡¯t even get the chance to defend herself.


    With deliberate calm, she stood up.


    Her eyes flicked toward the pages she hadn¡¯t yet answered¨Ctwo sides left. a readingprehension and the essay prompt.


    As she followed the inspection team out, she silently calcted how much time she¡¯d need to finish.


    Her test tools were confiscated as well. All that remained was a half¨Cfinished answer sheet lying t on her desk.


    They led her into an administrative room under surveince. Cameras recorded everything for documentation. Some officials examined her supplies¨Cpens, erasers, and scrap paper¨Cwhile others turned their attention to her directly.


    They checked her ears for hidden earpieces, her mouth and teeth for transmitters, her limbs and waistband for concealed signals. Every essory was removed.


    But Yunice wore no jewelry. No watch. No sses.


    Nothing.


    They found nothing.


    Through it all, she remained utterlyposed.


    The inspectors couldn¡¯t help but admire her self¨Cpossession. Most examinees caught in this situation broke into cold sweats or babbled nervously. But she hadn¡¯t said a word¨Chadn¡¯t flinched once.


    When the final check waspleted, Yunice calmly spoke for the first time.


    ¡°Excuse me, may I ask how I was reported for cheating? Did someone witness the alleged act?<b>¡± </b>


    Her tone was polite, cool¨Cbut sharp. She was already digging, already analyzing


    She knew she¡¯d been targeted.


    One official held out a phone. ¡°Is this you?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice looked at the screen. A student ID photo. She recognized it immediately¨Cit <b>was </b>taken years ago when she was still in school.


    ¡°Yes,¡± she confirmed. ¡°That¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°Someone outside imed to be your mother,¡± the inspector continued. ¡°Said she gave you cheat notes and paid off an invigtor to watch your back.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s gut twisted. Cold anger surged like a rising tide, crashing against her ribs.


    4:48 PM


    C


    Chapter 328 A Calm Storm


    But this¨Ctrying to sabotage her college entrance exam¨Cwas cruel even for Lily.


    She¡¯d earned this opportunity with her own hands. Yet Lily still tried to rip it away from her.


    Yunice spoke slowly, her voice steady and grave.


    Finished


    ¡°Teachers, I request that this incident be documented and kept on record. I will be filing an appeal after the SAT. I¡¯ve been ndered and falsely used. This has caused severe and unwarranted interference with my exam.¡±


    She continued.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯ve reviewed my profile. I am a registered orphan. I have <i>no </i>mother. How is it possible I was reported by one?¡±


    The officials exchanged looks.


    Nothing had turned up. No concealed device. No shady materials.


    Except¡­ her pace had been a bit fast.


    But she was a special case¨Can adult test¨Ctaker. And not a typical one.


    Her file listed her as a self¨Ceducated orphan from a rural vige. She¡¯d never had formal schooling, which exined her absence from past exams. She was only now testing as a private candidate after being adopted.


    All documentation was in order.


    No tools found. No irregrities beyond her speed.


    This very well could be a malicious report.


    The team had no choice but to let her return to the exam¨Cunder continued observation for post¨Cexam review.


    Back at her desk, Yunice nced at the clock.


    Thirty minutes left.


    More than enough.


    She¡¯d already built the <b>essay </b>outline in her mind during the inspection. Now all she had to do was write it.


    In the surveince room, officials remained glued to the monitors, watching her every move.


    ¡°She¡¯s unshakable,¡± someone murmured in admiration. ¡°Even after that, her hand didn¡¯t tremble. She jumped right back in like nothing happened.¡±


    ¡°I took a peek at her answers,¡± another added. ¡°I didn¡¯t see a single error.¡±


    ¡°Her uracy¡¯s insane. No wonder someone tried to sabotage her. They must¡¯ve realized they¡¯d never beat her fair and square.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s smart,¡± a third said. ¡°Most examinees panic and waste time trying to prove their innocence. But not her. She cooperated immediately, defused suspicion, and then redirected the me.¡±


    They paused, watching as Yunice scribbled efficiently.


    ¡°She even zoned out during the search process. I bet she was brainstorming her essay. Look at her now¨Cshe¡¯s already writing.¡±


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


    110

 Daghter 329

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    Chapter 329 The Wrong Kind of Spotlight


    ¡°She¡¯s got a clear n. I wonder which college she wants to apply to¨CI¡¯d actually love to be her advisor someday.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not jump the gun. Sure, she did great in thenguage section, but what if she¡¯s bad at other subjects?¡±


    True enough. There were still plenty of exams ahead. What if they bet on the wrong horse?


    The bell signaling the end of the test rang. Yunice calmly spread her hands, letting the proctor collect her test sheet and answer card.


    As she stepped out of the testing room, the other students inside were all staring at her.


    Yunice knew¨Ceven if she hadn¡¯t cheated, she was still going to be caught up in the drama, the center of attention for both students and teachers.


    This was exactly Lily¡¯s trap.


    Even if she wasn¡¯t actually brought down by the usation, most people would have their mindsetpletely wrecked after something like this. They¡¯d fall apart and tank the rest of their exams.


    But Yunice¡¯s mental strength had long since been forged through fire. A few looks or passing whispers from strangers wouldn¡¯t make her lose sleep or spiral into anxiety.


    The SAT was always under the constant watch of parents and the media. Yunice figured that if someone had reported her, the news must have already made its way to both groups.


    Whether she cheated or not, the second she walked out, she¡¯d be surrounded and interrogated.


    She pulled on a face mask, kept her head down, and blended into the crowd, trying to slip away unnoticed.


    Wyatt had just gotten out of the car. He was holding a bouquet. With his height, he could easily see the tops of headsing out the school gate.


    He had expected Yunice toe bouncing out, bright and sunny. What he didn¡¯t expect was to see someone slinking around like a thief.


    Wyatt paused for a second, then tossed the bouquet into the arms of a grinning Jordan and turned to open the car door, pulling out a ck umbre.


    Jordan didn¡¯t even have time to react before he saw Wyatt step into the crowd,


    Then, with precision, Wyatt picked someone out from the sea of students and stopped to open the umbre.


    The sunlight above Yunice dimmed. Her heart seized for a moment¨Cshe thought someone had grabbed her.


    But when she looked up and saw Wyatt¡¯s face, the panic in her eyes instantly disappeared.


    Wyatt caught that flicker of fear. He knew something had definitely happened.


    He shielded her with the umbre and said, ¡°Come with me,¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t see the road ahead. She hooked her arm through his, trusting himpletely as he led her to the car.


    Wyatt stayed outside to fold up the umbre. Several camera shes went off as photographers snapped away.


    Plenty of media outlets and inte personalities had gathered outside, all trying to piggyback on SAT coverage. A guy like Wyatt¨Cclean¨Ccut, well¨Cdressed, and carrying flowers¨Cwas just <b>as </b>eye¨Ccatching as the first top¨Cscoring student to walk out. Of course, they snapped pictures.


    Some even spected who he might be picking up. Maybe a rich heiress who just finished the SAT<b>? </b>


    But Wyatt stood firmly in front of the car door, blocking any view inside. No one could get <b>a </b>shot of the passenger.


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    Chapter 329 The Wrong Kind of Spotlight


    Wyatt got in the car and handed Yunice a bottle of water.


    Once she drank, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yunice told him about the investigation that happened during the exam.


    Wyatt¡¯s face darkened, angry at himself.


    Something like that had happened¨Cand he hadn¡¯t even known.


    Yunice said, ¡°I was really worried you¡¯d get involved.¡±


    ¡°If you showed up, then it would¡¯ve been impossible to clear my name.¡±


    People would¡¯ve said she had powerful backing.


    de


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes were like ink. He might not have jurisdiction over the school, but there were people he <i>could </i>deal with.


    When it came to Yunice¡¯s exams, he cared more than she did.


    He was afraid she¡¯d eat something that upset her stomach, so every meal he¡¯d prepared had been triple¨Cchecked.


    By the afternoon session, even more media had gathered outside.


    Wyatt¡¯s car hadn¡¯t moved an inch..


    Because Yunice¡¯s photo had already been leaked online.


    Finished


    Angry parents, not satisfied with theck of an official statement on the alleged cheater, suspected a cover¨Cup and tried to use public pressure to force a response.


    Wyatt saw the false usation video and his face went grim.


    Jordan asked, ¡°Want me to have PR pull the trending tag?¡±


    Wyatt remembered what Yunice had said¡ªshe didn¡¯t want him involved. ¡°Leave it.¡±


    Let it burn.


    At the same time, the inspection team also saw the video. They were furious.


    ¡°Theseizens act like it¡¯s all a show. Do they think we¡¯re clowns?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°If this keeps going, it won¡¯t just affect Yunice¡¯s future¨Cit¡¯s a p in the face to the SAT¡¯s integrity.¡±


    ¡°Get legal on this. Start gathering evidence and make a few examples apologize publicly. We¡¯ve got full surveince from her entire exam session. I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t shut them up.¡±


    But the rification had to wait until after the SAT.


    At most, a day.


    That afternoon, Yunice finished her math test. She didn¡¯t dare hand it in early,


    Leaving early would make her stand out. She¡¯d be too easy to target.


    She waited until the final bell, then slipped into the crowd to leave.


    The math test was brutally hard. Students poured out of the exam rooms in total copse.


    Some were crying uncontrobly. Others lookedpletely defeated. It was like a battlefield of emotional wreckage.


    Yunice felt eves on her<b>. </b>She instinctively nicked un her <b>nace </b>


    4:48 PM


    Chapter 329 The Wrong Kind of Spotlight


    O


    It was definitely a guy. He was strong. As Yunice was pulled away, all she could grab was the cor of his shirt.


    Finished


    There were too many students. Too much chaos. Even if someone saw her being dragged, they¡¯d probably just think it was kids messing around.


    Besides, Yunice spotted people actively helping to cover for him.


    In no time, she was dragged into the men¡¯s bathroom.

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    0


    0


    The ce was empty¨Ccleared out for the test¨Cso there weren¡¯t many students around.


    With a loud bang, the bathroom door mmed shut and locked from the inside.


    Yunice was cornered.


    Finished


    She¡¯d been shoved into a boy¡¯s bathroom by three students¨Ctwo guys and one girl. All of them were taking the SATs, same as her.


    One of the guys had her pinned from behind with a hand mped over her mouth. He was tall and already built like an adult man, with a strength Yunice couldn¡¯t match.


    She struggled, but the guy¡¯s grip only tightened.


    That¡¯s when she saw the others.


    The girl and the second guy stood in front of her, arms crossed, faces cold and smug. They didn¡¯t look like honor roll students¨Cmore like the kind of kids who ran the halls with a bad attitude and a thirst for bullying.


    The guy holding her leaned in and hissed in her ear.


    ¡°Tell us how you cheated. Now. Or we¡¯ll make sure you don¡¯t walk out of here.¡±


    Yunice stared at them. She didn¡¯t recognize any of their faces¨Cexcept maybe the guy from her testing room.


    Clearly, they¡¯d heard the rumors. They thought she had some secret way to cheat, and now they wanted in.


    She tried to speak, but the guy¡¯s hand muffled everything. She squirmed harder.


    Eventually, he let her breathe.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat,¡± she said quickly. ¡°If I did, the exam board would¡¯ve disqualified me already.¡±


    The girl snorted. ¡°You finished the paper that fast? Don¡¯t lie. You¡¯ve got answers.¡±


    The guy beside her stepped forward. ¡°There¡¯s three of us. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re gonna mess up your score. Don¡¯t be selfish.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond.


    She could tell there was no point arguing. These kids weren¡¯t interested in the truth.


    She looked around. No phone. No one to call. No security. And she sure as hell wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight all three at once.


    So she yed along.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you how I did it. But you have to swear you won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±


    The girl narrowed her eyes. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Yunice lowered her voice. ¡°There¡¯s a projector hidden in the ssroom camera. It beams the answers onto my test paper. I don¡¯t even need to read¨CI just copy.¡±


    The three of them stared at her.


    The guy in front squinted. ¡°That sounds fake as hell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s real. I swear.¡± Yunice nodded, trying to sound desperate. ¡°You think I¡¯d lie to you with three people in here? If I screw you over, you could ruin me.¡±


    They exchanged looks. The girl looked convinced.


    4:48 PM


    Chapter 330 Behind Closed Doors


    O


    0


    Finished


    Yunice¡¯s blood turned to ice.


    The guy¡¯s smirk spread. ¡°Just in case. Gotta keep you on a leash.¡±


    The girl pulled a camera from the bathroom tank. She unwrapped it carefully and aimed it straight at Yunice¡¯s face.


    It hit her then.


    They weren¡¯t just threatening her. They were nning to film it.


    One guy to pin her. One guy to do it. One girl to film the whole thing.


    They wanted leverage. They wanted ckmail.


    Yunice stood frozen. Calcting.


    The guy moved toward her, unzipping his pants.


    The girlughed. ¡°You look like you¡¯re into it. What¡¯s the matter? Never had it before?¡±


    ¡°She probably gets off on it,¡± the other guy said, sneering.


    Yunice met the girl¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s a girl who¡¯s ¡®been yed with¡® supposed to look like?¡±


    The girl smirked. ¡°Like you.¡±


    Same twisted faces. Same disgusting smirks.


    It felt like three years ago all over again.


    She didn¡¯t argue. She just waited. Watched.


    When the guy crouched in front of her, hand outstretched for her waistband, she struck.


    Her knee came up hard¨Cright between his legs.


    He let out a howl and dropped like a rock, clutching his groin.


    The girl screamed and lunged for Yunice, hand raised for a p.


    Yunice ducked. The pnded right across the face of the guy still holding her from behind.


    He flinched back, stunned.


    The girl was fuming. She grabbed the nearest mop, yanked it free, and raised it high.


    Yunice braced.


    That¡¯s when the door burst open with a deafening crash.


    All three of them froze. The mop hovered in midair. The guy on the floor wheezed in pain.


    The girl screamed. ¡°Block the door!¡±


    The two guys stumbled toward it-


    But it <b>was </b>toote.

 Daghter 331

    Chapter 331 You¡¯re Too Nice¨CLooking to Scare Anyone


    Before the two boys could reach the door, it flew open with a loud bang¨Cmming straight into their faces.


    +8 Pearls


    One got it in the nose, the other got shoved into his stomach by the first, and the two copsed into a pile on the floor.


    The girl stood frozen in the middle of the bathroom, staring at the man who appeared at the door..


    He was wearing a school jacket, but something about him screamed not a student. The face, the presence¨Cway too sharp to pass for a kid.


    But she didn¡¯t have time to figure it out, because Yunice ran straight into his arms.


    It was Wyatt.


    The girl frowned, pouting with jealousy as she watched Yunice cling to him.


    Gripping the cor of his borrowed school jacket, Yunice looked up and said quietly, ¡°I remember all their names and faces. Let¡¯s just go.¡±


    She didn¡¯t want any more attention. The only thing she wanted now was to make it through the rest of the SAT without any more drama.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t say a word. He nced down at the floor, saw the condom wrapper that had fallen out during the scuffle¡­ and on the way out, he made sure tond a kick to each of the guys still moaning on the ground.


    Hand in hand, he led Yunice out of the bathroom. She had to jog a little to keep up with him, sneaking nces at his face the whole way.


    She was practically holding her breath. She just kept thinking, <i>God</i>, <i>I </i><i>cause </i>so <i>many </i><i>problems</i>.


    Sure enough, Wyatt kicked over a trash can they passed like it owed him money.


    Yunice didn¡¯t know what to say.


    There were still a few media people hanging around the school gates. Wyatt pulled his borrowed school jacket up and over Yunice¡¯s head, covering herpletely, and ushered her into the car.


    The door mmed behind them.


    Jordan, sitting up front, turned around and burst outughing the second he saw Wyatt still dressed like a teenager.


    ¡°Dude,¡± he snorted, ¡°you look about as much like a high schooler as I look like a prom queen.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°Told you Ms. Yunice was fine. But no, you just had to storm in there.¡±


    Yunice kept her head down. She didn¡¯t say a word about what had actually happened,


    Wyatt stayed silent too. He didn¡¯t want her to have to.


    She thought about saying she could¡¯ve handled it. She had three years in that psych ward. She wasn¡¯t like the fragile rich kids who¡¯d never been punched before.


    But she didn¡¯t say anything.


    Because she also worried¨Cmaybe this would make Wyatt rethink letting her go to college..


    Trouble seemed to follow her like a shadow.


    The test day was over. Jordan drove them back to Pavilion Hall.


    Yunice curled up on the couch, sneaking nces at Wyatt every couple of minutes.


    331


    Chapter 331 You¡¯re Too Nice¨CLooking to Scare Anyone


    He turned to her after a few seconds and pinched her chin gently, angling her face toward him. ¡°Try scowling.¡±


    Yunice blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°Come on. Give me your meanest look.¡± He sounded exasperated. ¡°You know bullies pick targets, right? You look way too nice.¡±


    She thought he was about to say she was weak.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    Wyatt went on. ¡°Look at me. Now scowl.¡±


    Yunice furrowed her brow and red up at him as hard as she could.


    He stared back at her. For a second, something flickered in his eyes¨Cthen he looked away, let go of her chin, and sighed.


    ¡°Forget it.¡±


    Yunice was confused. That <i>wasn¡¯t </i><i>mean </i><i>enough</i><i>? </i>


    Wyatt went upstairs without another word.


    Yunice stayed on the couch, trying to mimic Wyatt¡¯s angry expression in the reflection of the window.


    It made herugh.


    The rumor about her cheating on the SAT didn¡¯t die down. Her old student photo had gone viral, though no one had managed to identify her.


    She was like a ghost¨Cher identitypletely scrubbed from the public. Even Lily didn¡¯t know her new name.


    That night, Owen was scrolling his phone during dinner when Yunice¡¯s picture popped up under a headline about the SAT scandal. His chopsticks ttered to the table.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with the media?¡± he muttered. ¡°Why would they put up a picture of Yunice? She took the SAT years ago.¡±


    He figured it was some kind of mistake, so he called up the media outlet and asked them to take it down.


    But the reporter told him it wasn¡¯t a mistake. The tip was a verified submission. The source had even provided details of Yunice¡¯s testing location.


    Then the reporter asked if he was rted to the girl in the photo.


    Owen could tell from the guy¡¯s tone that things were going off the rails, so he hung up immediately.


    If this really is about Yunice, he thought, those vultures are going to hound the Saunders family nonstop.


    He couldn¡¯t wrap his head around it. Why would Yunice take the SAT now? She hadn¡¯t studied in three years. Was she just setting herself up to fail?


    He couldn¡¯t understand her at all.

 Daghter 332

    Chapter 332 The One Who Can¡¯t Stand to Lose


    +8 Pearls


    Owen stared at Lily across the dinner table, his toneced with suspicion. ¡°Aren¡¯t you even a little shocked that Yunice took the SAT?¡±


    Lily waved it off. ¡°Must be a mistake. Someone probably used her photo or something. That tag¡¯ll be gone in a day or two. Wyatt didn¡¯t say anything, right? If it were real, he¡¯d be all over it.¡±


    Owen thought about it and nodded. That did make some sense.


    He nced over at Elsie¡¯s usual seat. ¡°She¡¯s noting home again tonight?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s working overtime,¡± Lily said smoothly. ¡°Hospitals don¡¯t exactly run on a nine¨Cto¨Cfive.¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t say more, but the posts he¡¯d seen online stuck in his mind. Everything about Yunice¡¯s supposed SAT sit seemed too detailed to be fake.


    The next morning, curiosity got the better of him. He rerouted hismute and stopped by the testing center.


    Sure enough, outside the gates, parents were still talking about the girl in the cheating scandal. When they mentioned her, their faces twisted in disgust.


    Owen¡¯s expression turned ugly. He couldn¡¯t believe Yunice had brought shame on the family¨Cagain.


    He stayed by the front gates, scanning each arriving student.


    Then, when a girl with a face mask walked past, he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. ¡°Yunice. You think a mask¡¯s gonna fool me?¡±


    Yunice hadn¡¯t expected to run into him.


    Owen yanked on her arm. ¡°You¡¯reing with me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the SAT,¡± Yunice snapped.


    ¡°SAT? What a joke. You know what people are saying about you? About us?¡± His tone turned nasty. ¡°You cheating on a standardized test¨Cis this your big n? Humiliate the Saunders family in public and watch us get trampled?¡±


    To Owen, this was all deliberate. He thought Yunice was making a scene just to drag their name through the mud.


    He noticed the pencil pouch in her hand and lunged for it. ¡°Faked an ID too, huh? You know you could go to jail for this?¡±


    He tried to tear up her admission slip on the spot.


    He figured if he could stop this madness right now, before the test, maybe the whole thing would blow over. Better to pull the plug than let her finish the test and stir up even more trouble.


    But Yunice was faster. She snatched the pouch back and darted to the side, ducking behind the uniformed guard stationed nearby.


    ¡°Officer,¡± she said loudly, ¡°this man tried to destroy my test ID. I don¡¯t even know him. I think he¡¯s unstable. Maybe dangerous. Can you please restrain him?¡±


    The guard ced a hand on the baton at his hip and gave Owen a sharp look.


    Owen flinched. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m your brother!¡±


    He turned to the guard, trying to sound reasonable. ¡°She¡¯s cheating. She¡¯s never even been to school. She doesn¡¯t know anything Letting her into that test room is unfair to everyone else!¡±


    Yunice peeked from behind the guard and raised her voice. ¡°If I don¡¯t know anything, then where did all the trophies in Elsie¡¯s roome from? You forget, huh? Say a lie enough times and you start believing it, is that it?¡±


    <b>3:31 </b>PM


    Chapter 332 The One Who Can¡¯t Stand to Lose


    He moved to follow, but the guard blocked his path.


    Owen stood there, reying what she¡¯d said. The trophies in Elsie¡¯s room¡­


    +8 Pearls


    The more he thought about it, the more it nagged at him. Elsie did get some early praise back in school. But now that he really tried to remember, wasn¡¯t it Yunice who¡¯d actually won thosepetitions?


    Back then, Elsie had poor grades and no confidence. Owen, trying to help, had swapped their names on the entry forms. Yunicepeted, Elsie got the credit. It gave Elsie the boost she needed, and after a few rounds of apuse, she started improving on her own.


    Those trophies had always been Yunice¡¯s.


    He sighed. <i>Okay</i>, maybe she <i>used </i><i>to </i><i>be </i>smart, but that was years ago. She¡¯s been out of school forever. <i>There¡¯s </i><i>no </i>way <i>she </i>prepped <i>for </i><i>this </i>test <i>legitimately</i>.


    The only exnation that made sense to him was that she¡¯d cheated¨Cwith Wyatt pulling the strings behind the scenes.


    After waiting a while longer outside, Owen got fed up. He¡¯d done his part. If she wanted to ignore him, then fine. Let her deal with the fallout.


    On the third day, Yunicepleted the SAT.


    The three students who had ambushed her never came back after the first incident. She guessed Wyatt had stepped in behind the scenes. Either way, those kinds of people had no business being there in the first ce.


    After the test, Yunice was in a great mood. She even threw a celebratory dinner, inviting friends and close contacts.


    She felt good about how she¡¯d done. College was basically in the bag. Now all she had to do was wait for the results, then fill out her applications.


    Life was finally back on track. Everything felt clearer, more purposeful.


    The scandal tag about her cheating slowly dropped off trending.


    It was like the storm had passed.

 Daghter 333

    pter <b>333 </b>Honor Student


    +8 Pearls


    The whole cheating incident fizzled out online. With no updates or follow¨Cups, people quickly forgot.


    Meanwhile, Yunice got back on track and threw herself into theb, shadowing Laurie and observing the use of advanced equipment and ongoing PhD¨Clevel research projects<b>. </b>


    Laurie was a stickler. No matter how eager Yunice was to try the equipment herself, Laurie wouldn¡¯t let her touch anything. She could only watch.


    Time flew by in those busy, productive <b>days</b>, and before long, it <b>was </b>score <b>release </b>day<i>. </i>


    Everyone¨Cexcept for the Saunders family¨C<b>was </b>anxious on Yunice¡¯s behalf.


    Yunice sat in front of theputer, Wyatt standing behind her, arms braced on her chair.


    She typed in her info and hit ¡°Search.¡±


    Wyatt leaned in, visibly more invested than she <b>was</b>.


    But when the scores came up, his brows slowly knit together. ¡°What the hell?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice, holding the mouse, froze too.


    Her phone rang. It <b>was </b>Carl.


    She picked up. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Did your scoree out?¡± Carl asked.


    Yunice hesitated. ¡°Something¡¯s<b>¡­ </b>off.¡±


    Carl picked up on herck of excitement and tried tofort her. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>okay <b>if </b>it didn¡¯t go well. There¡¯s always next year.¡±


    Freya¡¯s voice piped up from the background. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you felt good about it? You even threw a party. Was it the cheating scandal that messed you up?¡±


    If that was the case, then <b>all </b>that confidence and celebration would¡¯ve just been a giant flop.


    Yunice stared at the screen, then nced up at Wyatt and muttered, ¡°I think I got gged.¡±


    <b>Wyatt </b>frowned. ¡°gged? You think someone¡¯s sabotaging you?¡±


    Before Yunice could reply, Victor¡¯s voice drifted through the phone. ¡°Top ten <b>scorers </b>in Silverburgh get their <b>results </b>concealed. It¡¯s a standard <b>privacy </b>protocol to avoid public hype and pressure around the ¡®perfect <b>score</b>¡® kids. <b>Keeps </b>the process <b>fair</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt¡¯s <b>jaw </b>tightened.


    Yunice, sensing his pride was wounded, rushed to exin. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know they did that. This <b>is </b><b>a </b>first for me too.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t look any better.


    Three years ago, Yunice had taken the SAT, but her results were stolen and used by Elsie. She hadn¡¯t even been allowed <b>to </b>check her own score<i>. </i>


    Looking <b>at </b>where Elsie ended <b>up </b>academically<b>, </b><b>it </b>was obvious Yunice had scored pretty damn high <b>back </b>then too.


    ¡°Top ten in the province<i>?</i>¡± Carl and Freya both exploded on the other end of the line.


    They figured she¡¯d done well¨Cbut top ten? <b>That </b>was insane.


    mmo hartaund aus chari¡¯d nuchable. ha en <b>miscad </b>that couldn¡¯t an at ninho


    Chapter 333 Honor Student


    Yunice blinked. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    He looked at her, serious. ¡°Proud husband moment.¡±


    ¡°My wife¡¯s a genius. The world deserves to know.¡±


    Yunice awkwardly rubbed her temple.


    After checking her scores, Wyatt even started walking differently¨Clike he <b>was </b>carrying a national treasure.


    +8 Pearls


    He called Laurie into his office and practically shoved the screenshot in her face<b>. </b>¡°You <b>see </b>this? That¡¯s the kind of academic ck¡® my wife has<b>.¡± </b>


    Laurie rolled her eyes so hard they nearly got stuck, but she clearly started treating Yunice a little better after that.


    The rest of the week, Yunice¡¯s phone didn¡¯t stop ringing¨Coffers from universities poured in.


    But her heart had long been set. She wanted to <b>go </b>to Med U.


    Word spread fast..In circles that relentlessly tracked Wyatt¡¯s every move, it wasn¡¯t long before the Powell family found out about Yunice¡¯s score too.


    Silence fell over the whole Powell house.


    No one could believe it.


    The woman they used to ridicule as a crazy person, the same one they¡¯d treated like garbage to insult Wyatt, was now practically glowing.


    <i>Top </i><i>ten </i><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>province</i><i>? </i>


    Paul had never cared much about school, but even back in the day, only Taylor had managed scores like that. Now Yunice was matching her.


    When Paul heard the news, he got stuck being Grandpa¡¯s verbal punching bag again. He tried to defend himself. ¡°Yunice <b>always </b>had decent grades. You guys just misjudged her. Her only real issue <b>was </b>mental illness. Once that was treated, she¡¯s not different than anyone else. I was the one who said she wasn¡¯t a good match for Wyatt.¡±


    The old man mmed the table. ¡°You were wrong either way. And look at the fake you ended up with. You really don¡¯t know how she got her diploma? You think someone like that¡¯s going to help you get anywhere<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ?


    Linda chimed in coldly, ¡°I heard it was Yunice who reworked the new form for Anning Heart Tabs. We were nning to use that to hit Wyatt hard, and she turned it into a win. You really think a good spouse isn¡¯t crucial to <b>sess</b>?<b>¡± </b>


    The room <b>fell </b>silent again.


    <b>No </b>one <b>had </b>anything left to <b>say</b><b>. </b>


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 334

    Chapter 334 The Gambler


    Paul stiffened. He hadn¡¯t expected Yunice to be this exceptional.


    +8 Pearls


    Linda said calmly, ¡°Even if Yunice is that good, her loyalty¡¯s with Wyatt. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t she ever help you build your


    career?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t like the sound of that.


    Linda went on, ¡°Taylor¡¯s no less capable than Yunice. If you two worked together for real, things would go twice as smoothly.¡±


    But Paul wasn¡¯t listening. His mind was still stuck on the idea that Yunice had helped Wyatt, but never once helped him.


    The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced¨CYunice¡¯s obedience all those years must¡¯ve been an act. She never really loved him.


    If she had, why wouldn¡¯t she fight for him?


    Even Elsie, who started from nothing, had tried every trick in the book to improve herself for his sake.


    Yunice, on the other hand, had been so quick to write that breakup letter. She let the world believe she was useless, and never once revealed her own strengths¨Cnot even to change his mind.


    But for Wyatt? She gave it everything.


    The guilt Paul had asionally felt about falling for Elsie? Gone.


    Now he was convinced¨CYunice had yed <i>him</i>.


    Taylor? He didn¡¯t care to even pretend with her. Mr. Randy and Linda could nag all they wanted¨Che wasn¡¯t going to team up with Taylor.


    He had other ns.


    Thetest round of investment payouts had justnded. When Paul saw the 320 million transfer hit his ount, his confidence soared.


    Who needed the Powell family? He¡¯d turned 10 million into 320 million all by himself.


    What were grades? What was intelligence? What mattered was seizing the right opportunity.


    Riding high, Paul reached out to the investment group to reinvest all 320 million.


    But this time, they turned him down.


    A calm male voice answered on the line. ¡°Apologies, sir. Due to increased administrativeplexity, we¡¯re shifting our focus. Going forward, we¡¯ll only be working with high¨Cworth clients.¡±


    Paul¡¯s face soured. ¡°Oh, you guys <b>are </b>getting cocky now?¡±


    The man replied evenly, ¡°Well, Mr. Paul, you just earned three hundred million. Surely you wouldn¡¯t want to go back to investing peanuts. We¡¯re scaling up¨Conly taking premium ounts from here on out.¡±


    Paul asked coldly, ¡°What¡¯s the new buy¨Cin?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Starting at five billion,¡± the man said smoothly.


    Paul nearly choked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just go rob a bank?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°You¡¯re wee to walk away, Mr. Paul. We¡¯re expanding overseas. Once weunch, domestic clients will be phased out anyway. Best of luck with your future investments.¡±


    Paul didn¡¯t <b>answer </b>Rut <b>a </b>wire tightened in his chest


    <i>1/2 </i>


    Chapter 334 The Gambler


    6th Peads


    The money train screeched to a hah, and Paul found himself in a fog


    He didn¡¯t rush to find a new opportunity


    Instead, his first thought was How do Ie up with jive bomt


    The Powell family¡¯s total assets ran into the hundreds of billions. Five billion wasn¡¯t impossible.


    But for Paul¨Cwhose assets were frozen¨Cit was very much out of reach.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that on the other end of the investment, Yunice had gone all¨Cin.


    If Paul didn¡¯t take the bait, she¡¯d lose everything¨Cand end up deep in debt


    It was a high¨Cstakes gamble between them.


    Yunice capped her pen and leaned back,pletely unbothered. Investment always came with risk. That was true for


    everyone.


    No one wins every hand


    But she wasn¡¯t afraid to lose.


    Could Paul say the same?


    While all this was unfolding, news of the SAT valedictorian finally reached the Saunders family,


    Even though high¨Cscoring students were normally kept anonymous, someone still managed to dig up Yunice¡¯s info.


    Carl had already fielded several calls from reporters trying to find out where Yunice was nning to go to college,


    He denied all of them¨Cdoing his best to protect her privacy,


    Oddly enough, the first person in the Saunders family to learn about Yunice¡¯s score was actually Elsie,


    She rushed home and blurted out, ¡°Did you guys know Yunice took the SAT?¡±


    She¡¯d been swamped at the hospital and hadn¡¯t had time to keep tabs on Yunice, She¡¯d figured Yunice was just hiding out somewhere licking her wounds.


    And now she was being named valedictorian?


    Watching your lifelong enemy seed¨Creally seed¨Cwas one of the most unbearable feelings on earth.


    But when she brought it up, neither Owen nor Lily looked even remotely surprised,


    ¡°You knew? And you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± Elsie¡¯s voice rose.


    Then she caught herself, quickly softening her tone. ¡°Owen, am I not part of this family anymore?¡±


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 Daghter 335

    apter 335 Witch Hunt


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    Owen said, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. We didn¡¯t tell you because we figured you were busy with work. No need to add more stress.¡±


    Lily nodded, then noticed the new bracelet on Elsie¡¯s wrist and asked, ¡°How¡¯s work beentely?¡±


    Elsie had been seeing Morgan on the side. He gave her spending money, though not as generously or as easily manipted as Paul. It was Morgan who first brought up that Yunice had be a top scorer on the SAT.


    Elsie wasn¡¯t ready to reveal she had a new boyfriend, so she gave some vague updates about progress at work, then steered the conversation back to Yunice.


    ¡°Everyone online says Yunice is the SAT valedictorian. Mom, Owen¨Cshould we invite her home to celebrate?¡±


    The thought of Yunice quietly bing the SAT valedictorian made her stomach turn. Worse, if Yunice kept leveling up like this, what if Lily and Owen started liking her better?


    But Owen¡¯s face immediately soured. ¡°That score came from cheating. What¡¯s there to celebrate? It¡¯s an embarrassment.¡±


    Elsie paused, then looked at Lily. ¡°So you¡¯re saying¡­ Yunice¡¯s score was fake?<b>¡± </b>


    Lily nodded.


    Elsie instantly rxed and sat down, no longer fuming with jealousy. ¡°She cheated and still managed to score at the top?¡±


    Owen scoffed. ¡°Wyatt definitely pulled some strings. And she¡¯s greedy too¨Ccouldn¡¯t even keep a low profile. Doesn¡¯t she know the tallest tree catches the wind?¡±


    Elsie leaned back, finally at case, and fanned the mes. ¡°There are <i>so </i>many people online wondering who Yunice is. What if reporterse knocking on our door?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Owen cut her off coldly. ¡°If anyonees asking, none of you are <i>to </i>say a word about our connection to Yunice. Her cheating will be exposed sooner orter. If we defend her, we¡¯ll go down with her.¡±


    Elsie quickly nodded and swore she wouldn¡¯t say anything. Owen¡¯s instruction was clear¨Cact clueless and don¡¯t get involved.


    Not long after, Yunice received her official eptance letter from Silverburgh Medical University.


    But at the same time, the cheating rumors roared back to life.


    Someone dug up her old student ID photo again, along with video footage of parents questioning her outside the testing center. Coupled with her admission news, the public outrage reignited.


    People flooded the university¡¯sment sections, demanding ountability. Some even imed the school was sheltering a cheater.


    Keen¨Ceyed users noticed something suspicious, despite the scale of the outrage, no one had ever managed <i>to </i>uncover the girl¡¯s real identity.


    All they had was a single blurry student photo.


    The fact that her personal info hadn¡¯t leaked¨Cdespite how hot the topic had gotten¨Conly fueled conspiracy theories.


    People started whispering that the person behind the cheating scandal had powerful connections. Powerful enough to shut everything down.


    Within days, the cheating debate exploded online, and Yunice received a notice from the university asking her toe in for a meeting


    Yunice <i>was </i>ready.


    ¡°I say <i>grab </i><i>a </i>few of the ringleaders,¡± she told the staff calmly. ¡°I¡¯ll confront them face¨Cto¨Cface.¡±


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    Sheunched a livestream.


    Face fully visible.


    ¡°I¡¯m the girl everyone¡¯s been talking about,¡± Yunice said to the camera, eyes steady.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here to clear my name. I¡¯m here to hold people ountable.¡±


    Thement section exploded. Screenshots flew across the inte. Her bold opening line went instantly viral.


    Tens of thousands flooded into the livestream, and the chat was a flood of hate, usations, and garbage.


    Yunice didn¡¯t flinch.


    When the viewer count hit six figures, she finally spoke again. ¡°Let¡¯s be real¨Cnone of you have the guts to join this stream and say it to my face. If you have proof I cheated, show it. Now.¡±


    The chat flew so fast it was unreadable.


    ¡°This girl¡¯s got a death wish!¡±


    ¡°She gonna beat up the inte through a camera?¡±


    ¡°Two minutes in. Where¡¯s the whistleblower? Who¡¯s got the proof?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, someone join. I¡¯m just here for the drama.¡±


    <b>Time </b>ticked on. All eyes were on the countdown. And Yunice¨Cstone¨Cfaced and calm¨Cwaited for her users to speak.


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 336

    Chapter 336 Public Trial


    ¡°This is gettingme. I¡¯m out. Someone tag me if anything actually happens!¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice had a countdown timer in front of her. Within five minutes, hundreds of viewers requested to go live with her¨Cbut every single one just used the opportunity to troll, mock, or clown for attention.


    Not a single person was the actual whistleblower.


    At the five¨Cminute mark, Yunice stopped epting requests.


    She looked directly into the camera. ¡°You¡¯ve all seen it. So many requests, but every one of them was just chasing clout. I know most of you came here because you want to know the truth. Did I cheat on the SAT? If so, how? And who¡¯s backing me?¡±


    Her tone was calm, but thement section shifted. People who genuinely wanted the truth started pushing back on the trolls.


    Everyone just wanted a good show. Everyo


    ?


    Yunice continued, ¡°My time is valuable, and I¡¯m sure yours is too. So I¡¯m going to give you something more straightforward. Something better.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got nerve, I¡¯ll give her that.¡±


    ¡°Enough talking, show us already!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dragging this out. Bet she didn¡¯t get into med school and now she¡¯s trying to go viral off the drama.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what her n is. I¡¯m hooked. I need to see how she¡¯s gonna flip this.¡±


    ¡°Okay but seriously, doesn¡¯t anyone know who this girl actually is? What¡¯s her background?¡±


    Yunice saw someone finally ask the right question, and her lips curved ever so slightly.


    Her new identity was irond. She¡¯d covered her tracks well. No one knew who she really was. Not even Lily. She had no birth records, no family, no digital footprint.


    Even those who used to know her only had <b>ess </b>to the identity Elsie stole. Which was useless now.


    So she spoke directly into the mic, ¡°Miss Yunice, graduate student at Central General Hospital, former SAT examinee from Silverburgh I know you¡¯re in my stream. Want toe face me?¡±


    The chat blew up instantly.


    <i>Who </i><b><i>was </i></b><i>she </i>talking to?


    What¡¯s the <i>connection</i><i>? </i>


    <b><i>What </i></b>kind <i>of </i>showdown was <i>this</i><i>? </i>


    Elsie was, in <b>fact</b>, watching. So were Owen, Lily, and Oscar.


    As soon as Yunice called her out by name, Elsie broke out in goosebumps and immediately exited the stream.


    Owen was fuming. He and Lily had been trying to distance themselves from Yunice¨Cand here she was dragging them back in front of ten thousand live viewers.


    Was she trying to ruin them too?


    Owen jumped into thement section under a burner ount. ¡°Your cheating finally caught up to you, and now you¡¯re trying to doxx innocent people? Shame on you.¡±


    3:32 PM


    Chapter 336 Public Trial


    . : 0


    +8 Pearls


    Then, without missing a beat, she said, ¡°Sir, do you have any actual proof I cheated? If not, what you¡¯re doing right now is public harassment.¡±


    With that, she banned his ount frommenting.


    Then she looked straight into the lens. ¡°The Saunders family. You were bold enough to submit a formal report using me of falsifying my SAT results, but you don¡¯t have the guts to say it live?¡±


    The media caught the whiff of blood instantly. Smelling a real¨Ctime scandal, a few outlets started investigating the identity of ¡°Yunice¡± from the Saunders family.


    And what do you know¨Cthey found her. She really was working at Central General Hospital.


    Reporters swarmed the hospital before security could even react.


    Cameras were shoved in Elsie¡¯s face, and someone in the media even connected her live to Yunice¡¯s stream¨Choping for a front¨Crow seat to the carnage.


    Yunice¡¯s smirk said it all. <i>Lily </i><i>thought </i><i>she </i><i>could </i>ruin <i>me </i>with <i>the </i><i>media</i><i>. </i><i>She </i><i>didn¡¯t </i><i>expect </i>me to <i>turn </i><i>the </i><i>spotlight </i><i>back </i><i>on </i><i>them</i>.


    The press didn¡¯t care about right or wrong. They cared about engagement.


    Elsie stood frozen, eyes wide as cameras zoomed in.


    She knew she¡¯d just been exposed to ten thousand people in a matter of seconds. And worst of all¨Cshe had no idea what Yunice was nning.


    Then Yunice spoke again, voice calm, sharp.


    ¡°Miss Yunice,¡± she said smoothly, ¡°do you know why I¡¯m calling on you to clear my name? From what I understand, you¡¯re currently in a graduate program, correct?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s stomach twisted. Her face tensed as she watched the stream.


    Yunice continued, ¡°Then I assume you¡¯re quite familiar with SAT¨Clevel questions. So how about this¨Cwe let the audience choose a few SAT problems, and we solve them together. Sound fair?¡±


    Elsie snapped, ¡°What does your cheating have to do with me? Why should I help you?¡±


    The chat went feral.


    This wasn¡¯t just a scandal anymore.


    This was bloodsport.

 Daghter 337

    hapter 337 No Way Out


    Elsie turned on the reporters in frustration. ¡°This is a hospital Back off, or F¡¯ll call the police and report you for disturbing the peace!¡±


    But before she could push her way out, Yunice¡¯s voice camg om again from the livestream: ¡°Miss Yunier, if you really have nothing to do with my so called cheating, then why did you anonymously send that report to the media using me of 12


    ¡°Mywyer already has your submission. Do you want me to show it to everyone right now?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face went pale. She barked out, ¡°You¡¯re paranoid. I didn¡¯t report anything I don¡¯t even know who you are!¡±


    Watching from his phone, Owen was practically choking with panic. He typed furiously into thements only to realize toote that he was still banned from the chat.


    He immediately called Yunice, wanting to force her to end the livestream before she embarrassed the family even more.


    But the call didn¡¯t go through.


    Back in the stream, Yunice narrowed her eyes and kept her tone even. ¡°It¡¯s just one SAT question. The undience is waiting Why so evasive, Miss Yunice? You¡¯re a grad student, right? Are you saying you can¡¯t even solve a high school test question?¡±


    Elsie could barely breathe as she saw thement section coplode again. The viewers weren¡¯t just curious now they were thirsty for blood.


    ¡°The hell is her problem? It¡¯s just a question!¡±


    ¡°This is all staged, right? No way this isn¡¯t a setup¡±


    ¡°Calling it now, that girl¡¯s just a decoy, Watch Yunice ask her a rigged question, get it right, and use it to ¡®prove¡® she didn¡¯t cheat. Then it¡¯ll turn into a smear campaign against the other girl for being dumb¡±


    Yunice saw thestment and almostughed out loud, Smart cround. meone give them a prize.


    She leaned her chin into her hand, eyes calm, and said into the mic, ¡°Since you¡¯re all so brilliant and passionate about fairness, how about you vote on the most urate and transparent way to test me? Let¡¯s let you decide¡±


    She checked the time and added, ¡°Tell you what I¡¯ll give you until tomorrow. Figure it out. I¡¯ll go live again then¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, she¡¯s unreal. She just put all of us on trial!¡±


    ¡°Who even gave her the mic! She¡¯s bossing the whole inte around!¡±


    ¡°Great. We bust our asses during the day and now she wants freebor from us at night too?<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Okay but seriously¨Canyone got ideas? I really wanna see her go down¡±


    Yunice watched the chaos unfold in thements. Then she calmly ended the stream.


    She wasn¡¯t trying to clear her name anymore. She wanted to raise the stakes.


    She was betting that these angryizens didn¡¯t actually care about the truth¨Cthey just wanted a scapegoat to beat down, someone to symbolize everything wrong with society.


    So she let them take the reins.


    Let the mob decide how to judge her. Let them feel like it was their justice.


    If she yed by their rules and still won¨Cwhat excuse would they have then?


    Yonice left the study and stepped out onto the second floornding of Pavilion Hall.


    Fyrun there he had a clear view of the line mam Dawn below Wust sat on the couch levs creed nosture rved


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    Chapter 337 No Way Out


    Their eyes met.


    Yunice started down the stairs slowly, each step deliberate.


    She walked over and sat next to him. He turned to her and asked, ¡°Are you scared?¡±


    The rumors. The storm. The pressure. Yunice hadn¡¯t let him interfere once.


    But now it was out of control. No one could predict how far this would go.


    If she failed the public test tomorrow, thebel of ¡°cheater¡± would stick for life.


    Everything she worked for would go up in smoke.


    +8 Pearls


    But Yunice didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°What¡¯s the worst that could happen? I go back to square one? I started with nothing anyway. What¡¯s there to be afraid of losing?¡±


    Wyatt reached out, brushed his knuckles gently under her jaw. ¡°If I¡¯m here, you¡¯ll never go back to zero.¡±


    Even if she fell, he would catch her.


    Yunice looked into his eyes¨Cand for the first time in a long time, she let herself lean on someone else.


    She tilted her head and gently nuzzled against his fingers..


    For someone so used to being ignored, that one touch was a lifeline.


    The world wanted to drown her, and Wyatt¡­ he was the only one offering her a raft.


    How could she not want to hold on for dear life?


    But neither of them moved any closer.


    They held the line¨Cjust barely.


    After that moment passed, Wyatt turned to his financial reports. Yunice curled up with a book.


    Outside, the inte was on fire.


    Clips from her livestream were everywhere.


    Screenshots. Edits. Reactions. Debate threads.


    Even Elsie¨Cwho had only shown her face for a few seconds¨Cwas being hunted down byizens.


    Tomorrow was going <i>to </i>be the real war.

 Daghter 338

    Chapter 338 Trial by Fire


    +8 Pearls


    Rumors about Elsie were spreading online like wildfire¨Csome true, some twisted beyond recognition. Either way, it was enough to keep her locked inside, curtains drawn, too afraid to even step out the door.


    She spent the entire night crying on the couch, blowing through two boxes of tissues.


    Owen mmed his fist into the armrest. ¡°Is Yunice trying to destroy this family? She must be having another psychotic episode! Can¡¯t we have hermitted again!¡±


    Even Lily hadn¡¯t expected things to get this out of hand. What started as noise about Yunice¡¯s cheating had somehow dragged Elsie into the mess. And these days, inte users weren¡¯t so easily distracted. What if someone dug up real dirt on Elsie?


    At that point, the entire Saunders family would be toast.


    All Owen wanted now was for Yunice to shut it all down. He¡¯d called her a dozen times.


    She never picked up.


    Elsie sobbed, voice hoarse. ¡°She cheated and she¡¯s still not satisfied¨Cshe wants to take me down with her!¡±


    Owen paced the room, gritting his teeth. ¡°She¡¯s apulsive liar. No one¡¯s going to believe her tomorrow. Let her embarrass herself on livestream. Who would trust a professional fraud?¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°Exactly. Just don¡¯t engage. Keep a low profile and let the fire burn out on its own. If anyone should be panicking, it¡¯s her.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    The inte had already whipped itself into a frenzy.


    Yunice had promised to prove her innocence live¨Cand users weren¡¯t going to miss the show.


    A public vote decided on the format, a livestreamed, on¨Csite exam at a stadium, with volunteers selecting the test questions in real¨Ctime.


    The stadium had full surveince coverage. No one believed she could cheat under those conditions.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t surprised by the result.


    She¡¯d already arranged for the venue and security. It was a public event, so she¡¯d filed official notice with the city. Police and guards had cordoned off the perimeter to keep order.


    Inside the massive stadium, a single desk had been ced in the center of the field. Cameras from every major outlet followed Yunice as she entered.


    ¡°Miss Yunice,¡± she said with a bright smile into the mic, ¡°did you make it today?¡±


    A reporter replied from the press box, ¡°We reached out, but her family told us she was hospitalizedst night from severe stress brought on by online harassment. She¡¯s currently unconscious with a high fever.¡±


    Yunice lifted her brows. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    Another journalist pressed her. ¡°Why are you so set on involving Miss Yunice? Are you trying to ruin her reputation? Or is it like people online are saying¨Cthat you nted her as a decoy?¡±


    Yunice looked directly at the camera. ¡°So she can use me anonymously, but I can¡¯t ask her to say it to my face?¡±


    ¡°That was a public callout. Doesn¡¯t that vite her right to privacy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wee to send me a cease-and¨Cdesist.¡±


    Yunice walked calmly to the lone desk in the center of the stadium.


    Chapter 338 Trial by Fire


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice sat down quietly while the professors conferred. Each had prepared a set of questions. The format? A randomized lottery draw.


    Ping¨Cpong balls marked with the question sets were tossed into a transparent spinning cage. One would be drawn at random.


    Before they could start, Yunice lifted a hand.


    She looked up toward the judges and the livestream cameras.


    ¡°I just want to be sure we¡¯re all on the same page here. Are you positive this setup is foolproof? Totally fair?¡±


    ¡°Because no matter how this turns out, I¡¯ll make one thing clear, every one of you cheering this on¨Ceverymenter, every voter¨Cyou¡¯re all part of this.¡±


    <i>What </i><i>the </i><i>hell¡¯s </i><i>she </i>talking <i>about </i><i>now</i><i>? </i>


    This <i>chick¡¯s </i><i>totally </i><i>losing </i><i>it</i>. And <i>this </i><i>is </i><i>your </i>SAT <i>top </i><i>scorer</i><i>¡®</i><i>? </i><i>Really</i><i>? </i>


    The livestream kept rolling. A professor drew a ball. Yunice got up, received her test sheet, and returned to her desk.


    Two questions per professor¨Cshort but extremely difficult. The kind of questions that only the top 1% of test takers could


    answer.


    Cameras zoomed in on Yunice¡¯s answer sheet. Every step of her logic was visible to the audience.


    Across the country, thousands of teachers, tutors, and college students watched the stream and began analyzing her work in real¨Ctime.


    ¡°She got that part wrong.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she use the easier form here? Did she forget it¨Cor does she not know it?¡±


    ¡°Wait, she skipped a step here. That¡¯s a red g.¡±


    Online debates exploded as self¨Cproimed experts pounced on every little error.


    And Yunice? She didn¡¯t blink.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 339

    +8 Pearls


    Rumors about Elsie were spreading online like wildfire¨Csome true, some twisted beyond recognition. Either way, it was enough to keep her locked inside, curtains drawn, too afraid to even step out the door.


    She spent the entire night crying on the couch, blowing through two boxes of tissues.


    Owen mmed his fist into the armrest. ¡°Is Yunice trying to destroy this family? She must be having another psychotic episode! Can¡¯t we have hermitted again!¡±


    Even Lily hadn¡¯t expected things to get this out of hand. What started as noise about Yunice¡¯s cheating had somehow dragged Elsie into the mess. And these days, inte users weren¡¯t so easily distracted. What if someone dug up real dirt on Elsie?


    At that point, the entire Saunders family would be toast.


    All Owen wanted now was for Yunice to shut it all down. He¡¯d called her a dozen times.


    She never picked up.


    Elsie sobbed, voice hoarse. ¡°She cheated and she¡¯s still not satisfied¨Cshe wants to take me down with her!¡±


    Owen paced the room, gritting his teeth. ¡°She¡¯s apulsive liar. No one¡¯s going to believe her tomorrow. Let her embarrass herself on livestream. Who would trust a professional fraud?¡±


    Lily nodded. ¡°Exactly. Just don¡¯t engage. Keep a low profile and let the fire burn out on its own. If anyone should be panicking, it¡¯s her.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong.


    The inte had already whipped itself into a frenzy.


    Yunice had promised to prove her innocence live¨Cand users weren¡¯t going to miss the show.


    A public vote decided on the format, a livestreamed, on¨Csite exam at a stadium, with volunteers selecting the test questions in real¨Ctime.


    The stadium had full surveince coverage. No one believed she could cheat under those conditions.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t surprised by the result.


    She¡¯d already arranged for the venue and security. It was a public event, so she¡¯d filed official notice with the city. Police and guards had cordoned off the perimeter to keep order.


    Inside the massive stadium, a single desk had been ced in the center of the field. Cameras from every major outlet followed Yunice as she entered.


    ¡°Miss Yunice,¡± she said with a bright smile into the mic, ¡°did you make it today?¡±


    A reporter replied from the press box, ¡°We reached out, but her family told us she was hospitalizedst night from severe stress brought on by online harassment. She¡¯s currently unconscious with a high fever.¡±


    Yunice lifted her brows. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±


    Another journalist pressed her. ¡°Why are you so set on involving Miss Yunice? Are you trying to ruin her reputation? Or is it like people online are saying¨Cthat you nted her as a decoy?¡±


    Yunice looked directly at the camera. ¡°So she can use me anonymously, but I can¡¯t ask her to say it to my face?¡±


    ¡°That was a public callout. Doesn¡¯t that vite her right to privacy?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wee to send me a cease-and¨Cdesist.¡±


    Yunice walked calmly to the lone desk in the center of the stadium.


    Chapter 338 Trial by Fire


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice sat down quietly while the professors conferred. Each had prepared a set of questions. The format? A randomized lottery draw.


    Ping¨Cpong balls marked with the question sets were tossed into a transparent spinning cage. One would be drawn at random.


    Before they could start, Yunice lifted a hand.


    She looked up toward the judges and the livestream cameras.


    ¡°I just want to be sure we¡¯re all on the same page here. Are you positive this setup is foolproof? Totally fair?¡±


    ¡°Because no matter how this turns out, I¡¯ll make one thing clear, every one of you cheering this on¨Ceverymenter, every voter¨Cyou¡¯re all part of this.¡±


    <i>What </i><i>the </i><i>hell¡¯s </i><i>she </i>talking <i>about </i><i>now</i><i>? </i>


    This <i>chick¡¯s </i><i>totally </i><i>losing </i><i>it</i>. And <i>this </i><i>is </i><i>your </i>SAT <i>top </i><i>scorer</i><i>¡®</i><i>? </i><i>Really</i><i>? </i>


    The livestream kept rolling. A professor drew a ball. Yunice got up, received her test sheet, and returned to her desk.


    Two questions per professor¨Cshort but extremely difficult. The kind of questions that only the top 1% of test takers could


    answer.


    Cameras zoomed in on Yunice¡¯s answer sheet. Every step of her logic was visible to the audience.


    Across the country, thousands of teachers, tutors, and college students watched the stream and began analyzing her work in real¨Ctime.


    ¡°She got that part wrong.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t she use the easier form here? Did she forget it¨Cor does she not know it?¡±


    ¡°Wait, she skipped a step here. That¡¯s a red g.¡±


    Online debates exploded as self¨Cproimed experts pounced on every little error.


    And Yunice? She didn¡¯t blink.

 Daghter 340

    apter 340 No Room for Doubt


    ¡°¡­Wait, something¡¯s not right here¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoa, my brain itches. Am I¡­ am I starting to get it? I think I kind of understand what Tommy meant¡­¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Tommy wrote. ¡°None of you have even met me, but just because I¡¯m called a ¡®test god, you assume I¡¯d never cheat. Then she gets caught up in a cheating rumor and you all act like you saw it with your own eyes. Isn¡¯t that stupid? Tell me, what else could she possibly do to prove she¡¯s innocent? So anyone can just nt a lie and use you as their weapon? If she really was falsely used and it ruined her future, who among you keyboard warriors would take even a sliver of responsibility? She didn¡¯t take the test to prove her innocence. She took it to force you to admit that you wanted her gone. You never cared about the truth. What you really enjoy is sitting up there on your moral high horse, judging people without ever facing the consequences of being wrong.¡±


    Tommy¡¯sment, long and relentless, made thement section gradually quiet down.


    Even the proctors in the stadium were staring at the test papers in deep thought.


    What kind of high¨Ctech gadget could possibly transmit answers under the watchful eyes of millions online?


    Yunice gave a bitter smile. ¡°Knowledge can¡¯t be stolen. Even if you want to use me, at least catch me in the act. Don¡¯t try to erase everything I¡¯ve done with just a single object after the fact.¡±


    She reached out and took the small item from the proctor¡¯s hand, set it on the desk, and smashed it.


    With a soft crack, the tiny thing split in half.


    The camera zoomed in. It was just a small yellow bean.


    Just a bean.


    And it had been deliberately wedged into the desk gap by Yunice herself.


    The camera slowly shifted from the bean to Yunice¡¯s calm, steady face.


    Thement section fellpletely silent.


    Everyone started to realize what had happened.


    From the moment Yunice started livestreaming yesterday, she never nned to prove anything. She never cared about clearing her name.


    Both livestreams had been acts of revenge¨Ctargeted at the inte trolls, the rumor¨Cmongers, the liars.


    People who once insulted her, people who doubted her¨Ceven if they said nothing now, their faces burned with shame.


    Staring into the camera, Yunice said softly, ¡°Have you ever been doubted? Did you ever prove yourself? Did that make it go away?¡±


    No one responded. Viewers started to leave the stream in droves, each lost in their own thoughts.


    The pain only hits when the needle¡¯s in your own skin. Yunice¡¯s words struck a nerve deep inside everyone watching.


    People never truly know each other. Who hasn¡¯t been misunderstood? Who cany their heart bare and be fully seen?


    There is nothing more devastating than being unable to defend yourself no matter what you say.


    Tommy, still in the stream, left anotherment. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Tommy from MedTech University. Whether you cheated or not, I¡¯d be honored to rmend you as a student here.¡±


    Then he exited the stream.


    But his message reignited thement section into a frenzy.


    Chapter 340 No Room for Doubt


    ¡°Ugh, so jealous. Did she just turn a scandal into a win?<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Bute on, her scores were always MedTech¨Clevel anyway. No one¡¯s actually proven she cheated¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, does anyone even know her name? Any MedTech students here recognize her?¡±


    The livestream ended with wild spection still flying around.


    The cheating scandal fizzled out in a quiet, bloodless trial that never truly resolved anything.


    Yunice and the inte reached a strange stalemate¨Cneither could punish the other.


    The crowd had misjudged her. Yunice couldn¡¯t fully clear her name.


    +8 Pearls


    In a conference room at Wellinges Pharma, Wyatt stared darkly at hisptop. ¡°Who the hell does this Tommy think he is?¡±


    The arrogance<i>. </i>


    Did he really think he was some kind of hero, swooping in to save Yunice?


    Seeing Wyatt¡¯s sour expression, Jordan rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Come on, Wyatt. The public¡¯s calmed down, hasn¡¯t it? And your wife¡¯s not even going back to school. She¡¯s never going to cross paths with this Tommy guy. Why are you getting jealous?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s jealous?¡± Wyatt shot him a frosty look.


    If Yunice hadn¡¯t told him to stay out of it, Tommy never would¡¯ve had a chance to step in.


    Jordan wisely kept quiet, folding his hands in front of him and pretending to study the floor.


    Meanwhile, the Saunders family had also watched Yunice¡¯s stream.


    To be honest, even Owen was floored by how she handled those test questions.


    The difficulty level? Not even he could¡¯ve pulled that off.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


    120


    ËÄ

 Daghter 341

    Chapter 341 A Rotten Bargain


    +8 Pearls


    As the livestream ended, Owen said quietly, ¡°Technology is really something these days. Even in a livestream environment, under direct filming, someone can still manage to cheat. The funniest Chapter 341 A Rotten Bargain


    +8 Pearls


    As the livestream ended, Owen said quietly, ¡°Technology is really something these days. Even in a livestream environment, under direct filming, someone can still manage to cheat. The funniest part is, even Tommy got fooled by Yunice¡¯s acting. I can¡¯t imagine how much he¡¯s going to regret defending her in the livestream when he sees what she¡¯s really capable of in college.¡±


    Elsie slowly munched on some fruit. ¡°Tommy could¡¯ve stayed a legend at MedTech forever. It¡¯s a shame Yunice¡¯s going to end up being a stain on his life. Just goes to show, you can¡¯t go sticking your neck out for people casually.¡±


    Owen nodded.


    Just as the two finished talking about Yunice, someone knocked on Elsie¡¯s hospital room door.


    The department director from General Hospital came in, coughed awkwardly with his fist over his mouth, and said, ¡°Ms. Yunice, after discussion in our hospital meeting, we¡¯ve decided that you should take a break from work for a while.¡±


    Elsie asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Paul hadn¡¯t shown up at the hospital for a long time, and the director had started looking down on Elsie because of it. He didn¡¯t even bother to be tactful anymore. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the spotlight a lottely. The hospital¡¯s worried that someone might use your internship against us and cause negative publicity. We¡¯re suspending your position for your own good. Once things settle down, you cane back to work.¡±


    Others might not know how Elsie got her internship at General Hospital, but the director and hospital president did. They didn¡¯t want to take that risk.


    After the director left, Elsie burst into tears again. ¡°Owen, I¡¯ve been working so hard this past month, and I was just about to get a full¨Ctime offer. Now it¡¯s all gone because of one sentence from my sister¡­¡±


    Owen was furious too, but he couldn¡¯t interfere with the hospital¡¯s decision.


    ¡°People online are still questioning Yunice. I¡¯m worried that if she gets desperate, she¡¯ll throw you under the bus. Let¡¯s just keep a low profile for now.¡±


    Yunice had an audience now. One sentence from her could steer public opinion. Owen could only step out of the spotlight for the moment.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that Yunice didn¡¯t post anything online¨Cinstead, she came to the hospital alone.


    When the Saunders family saw her, they were all pretty surprised.


    Owen stood up angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you block people and mute them? Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t dare confront me? And now you¡¯ve actually got the nerve toe find us?¡±


    Lily pulled Owen back and spoke gently. ¡°Owen, talk properly. Maybe she came to apologize.¡±


    Yunice was carrying a fruit basket, and she really did look like she was here to apologize.


    Owen¡¯s expression softened a little.


    Yunice walked in. Elsie sat on the bed, wiping her tears. ¡°Yunice, I got suspended from the hospital.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for calling your name during the livestream. If I hadn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have been dragged into this.¡±


    When Owen heard she really hade to apologize, he turned his face and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying this now? I think you did it on purpose to drag Elsie down with you.¡±


    Yunice exined, ¡°I really wanted to prove I didn¡¯t cheat. I thought, since my sister¡¯s a grad student, I could ask her for help.¡±


    Hearing that, Lily frowned, and Owen stood up abruptly. ¡°So you were cheating. You were trying to drag Elsie into it. You knew her academic background-¡±


    Chapter 341 A Rotten Bargain


    +8 Pearls


    Owen said angrily, ¡°No matter what, this was your mistake. You¡¯ve been away from home for a long time. You don¡¯t know how bad business has been. Elsie¡¯s been working so hard during her internship at the hospital, doing everything she can to go full- time. She hasn¡¯t even had time toe home at night. And now, just because of you, she got suspended. With consequences this serious, all you bring is a crappy fruit basket?¡±


    He kicked over the fruit basket Yunice had brought.


    Yunice looked down at the orange that had rolled to her feet, then slowly looked up and said, ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    Owen took a deep breath. Knowing Yunice wasn¡¯t good at picking up on things, he justid it out for her. ¡°You got Elsie fired, so of course you have to get her another job.¡±


    Yunice said, confused, ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything, and I can¡¯t do anything. I can¡¯t even find a job for myself. How can I get one for her?¡±


    Owen lowered his voice, furious. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, but doesn¡¯t Wyatt?¡±


    Yunice looked down. ¡°He doesn¡¯t really like talking to me. If I say too much, he¡¯ll definitely get annoyed¡­¡±


    Owen thought she had a point. Yunice had a sharp tongue and always rubbed people the wrong way. If she went to talk about it herself, there was a real chance she¡¯d ruin everything.


    Owen coached her. ¡°Just go tell Wyatt to give Elsie a position¨Canything. For him, it¡¯s just a matter of saying the word. Of course he¡¯ll help.¡±


    Yunice looked at Elsie and said, ¡°But that¡¯s pulling strings. Isn¡¯t she always upright and tough? Would she really do something so shameless?¡±


    <b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Send </b><b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gifts </b>


    120 is, even Tommy got fooled by Yunice¡¯s acting. I can¡¯t imagine how much he¡¯s going to regret defending her in the livestream when he sees what she¡¯s really capable of in college.¡±


    Elsie slowly munched on some fruit. ¡°Tommy could¡¯ve stayed a legend at MedTech forever. It¡¯s a shame Yunice¡¯s going to end up being a stain on his life. Just goes to show, you can¡¯t go sticking your neck out for people casually.¡±


    Owen nodded.


    Just as the two finished talking about Yunice, someone knocked on Elsie¡¯s hospital room door.


    The department director from General Hospital came in, coughed awkwardly with his fist over his mouth, and said, ¡°Ms. Yunice, after discussion in our hospital meeting, we¡¯ve decided that you should take a break from work for a while.¡±


    Elsie asked, ¡°Why?¡±


    Paul hadn¡¯t shown up at the hospital for a long time, and the director had started looking down on Elsie because of it. He didn¡¯t even bother to be tactful anymore. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the spotlight a lottely. The hospital¡¯s worried that someone might use your internship against us and cause negative publicity. We¡¯re suspending your position for your own good. Once things settle down, you cane back to work.¡±


    Others might not know how Elsie got her internship at General Hospital, but the director and hospital president did. They didn¡¯t want to take that risk.


    After the director left, Elsie burst into tears again. ¡°Owen, I¡¯ve been working so hard this past month, and I was just about to get a full¨Ctime offer. Now it¡¯s all gone because of one sentence from my sister¡­¡±


    Owen was furious too, but he couldn¡¯t interfere with the hospital¡¯s decision.


    ¡°People online are still questioning Yunice. I¡¯m worried that if she gets desperate, she¡¯ll throw you under the bus. Let¡¯s just keep a low profile for now.¡±


    Yunice had an audience now. One sentence from her could steer public opinion. Owen could only step out of the spotlight for the moment.


    What he didn¡¯t expect was that Yunice didn¡¯t post anything online¨Cinstead, she came to the hospital alone.


    When the Saunders family saw her, they were all pretty surprised.


    Owen stood up angrily, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you block people and mute them? Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t dare confront me? And now you¡¯ve actually got the nerve toe find us?¡±


    Lily pulled Owen back and spoke gently. ¡°Owen, talk properly. Maybe she came to apologize.¡±


    Yunice was carrying a fruit basket, and she really did look like she was here to apologize.


    Owen¡¯s expression softened a little.


    Yunice walked in. Elsie sat on the bed, wiping her tears. ¡°Yunice, I got suspended from the hospital.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for calling your name during the livestream. If I hadn¡¯t, you wouldn¡¯t have been dragged into this.¡±


    When Owen heard she really hade to apologize, he turned his face and said, ¡°What¡¯s the point of saying this now? I think you did it on purpose to drag Elsie down with you.¡±


    Yunice exined, ¡°I really wanted to prove I didn¡¯t cheat. I thought, since my sister¡¯s a grad student, I could ask her for help.¡±


    Hearing that, Lily frowned, and Owen stood up abruptly. ¡°So you were cheating. You were trying to drag Elsie into it. You knew her academic background-¡±


    Chapter 341 A Rotten Bargain


    +8 Pearls


    Owen said angrily, ¡°No matter what, this was your mistake. You¡¯ve been away from home for a long time. You don¡¯t know how bad business has been. Elsie¡¯s been working so hard during her internship at the hospital, doing everything she can to go full- time. She hasn¡¯t even had time toe home at night. And now, just because of you, she got suspended. With consequences this serious, all you bring is a crappy fruit basket?¡±


    He kicked over the fruit basket Yunice had brought.


    Yunice looked down at the orange that had rolled to her feet, then slowly looked up and said, ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    Owen took a deep breath. Knowing Yunice wasn¡¯t good at picking up on things, he justid it out for her. ¡°You got Elsie fired, so of course you have to get her another job.¡±


    Yunice said, confused, ¡°But I don¡¯t know anything, and I can¡¯t do anything. I can¡¯t even find a job for myself. How can I get one for her?¡±


    Owen lowered his voice, furious. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything, but doesn¡¯t Wyatt?¡±


    Yunice looked down. ¡°He doesn¡¯t really like talking to me. If I say too much, he¡¯ll definitely get annoyed¡­¡±


    Owen thought she had a point. Yunice had a sharp tongue and always rubbed people the wrong way. If she went to talk about it herself, there was a real chance she¡¯d ruin everything.


    Owen coached her. ¡°Just go tell Wyatt to give Elsie a position¨Canything. For him, it¡¯s just a matter of saying the word. Of course he¡¯ll help.¡±


    Yunice looked at Elsie and said, ¡°But that¡¯s pulling strings. Isn¡¯t she always upright and tough? Would she really do something so shameless?¡±


    Send Gifts


    120

 Daghter 342

    Chapter 342 A Face Behind the Mask


    Elsie curled her lip, annoyed by how harsh Yunice¡¯s words sounded.


    Owen said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who cheated too?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat.¡±


    Owen said, ¡°You didn¡¯t cheat, but people still made a huge deal out of reporting you?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°You didn¡¯t watch the full news report. You only know I was reported, but did you ever look into who reported


    me?¡±


    Owen said, ¡°Of course it was some concerned citizen!¡±


    From the moment he saw the news, he was dead certain that Yunice had cheated, and that someone who noticed the signs reported her. If that¡¯s not a concerned citizen, what is?


    Yunice


    Yunice lowered her head and scrolled through her phone, then handed it to Owen. ¡°This is the video from the inspection team¡¯s investigation on me.¡±


    Owen watched the video in shock. In the clip, Yunice calmly asked the man sitting across from her, ¡°Hello, teachers. Could you tell me how I was reported for cheating? Did someone witness how I cheated?¡±


    The man answered, ¡°We received a report off¨Ccampus. Your mother said she gave you cheat sheets and tools, and even bribed a teacher to look after you¡­¡±


    Owen stared at the screen for a good ten seconds before turning to Lily in disbelief.


    Yunice¡¯s phone volume had been loud. After the video ended, she casually put the phone away.


    Lily had clearly heard it too. She met Owen¡¯s gaze, a flicker of guilt shing in her eyes, but quicklyposed herself and asked, pretending to be calm, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Owen said, ¡°The video said you were the one who reported Yunice.¡±


    Lily was so startled she jumped up, her expressionplex as she looked at Yunice. ¡°Yunice, how could you lie like this? I¡¯m your mother. Why would I hurt you? Even if we don¡¯t get along, I¡¯d never interfere with your SAT¡­ If you seed, I¡¯d benefit


    too¡­¡±


    Yunice knew she¡¯d deny it, so she yed a second video.


    This one had been recorded by another student¡¯s parent. In the video, a woman in a hat and mask was speaking on the phone.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks again for the cheat sheets. Yunice is definitely going to get a great score this time. Good thing you talked to the teacher in advance to watch out for her. With those cheat sheets, there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll get caught. Don¡¯t worry¨Conce the test is over, I¡¯ll take Yunice to treat you to dinner.¡±


    Owen stayed silent for a long time. The woman in the video was masked and hatted, but they were far too familiar with Lily. From the little things¨Cthe way she moved, the tone of her voice¨Cthey could tell exactly who it was.


    Lily denied it tly. ¡°That¡¯s not me. Her face is covered like that¨Cwho¡¯s going to believe it¡¯s me?¡±


    ¡°Yunice, you can cheat on your scores, but you can¡¯t cheat life. What¡¯s the point <i>of </i>lying to yourself like this?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t argue with her. She said, ¡°I was falsely used of cheating, and Lily was the one behind it. So if Ms. Yunice wantspensation, she should be demanding it from Lily.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes sharpened as he looked at Yunice. Why did she refer to Elsie as Ms. Yunice?


    <i>That </i><i>wasn¡¯t </i>a slip <i>of </i><i>the </i><i>tongue</i>. <i>What </i><i>was </i>she <i>trying </i><i>to </i><i>pull</i><i>? </i>


    Chapter 342 A Face Behind the Mask


    Owen suddenly caught on!


    His eyes darted to the door, but it was empty. No sign that anyone had been standing there.


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice stood up. ¡°As for helping Yunice get a job through the back door. I can¡¯t do it. But I¡¯ve already submitted the evidence of the false usation to the SAT department, and we¡¯re forwarding it to the court. The parties involved will be receiving awyer¡¯s letter soon. I hope it won¡¯t be any of you.¡±


    Owen stared, dumbfounded. As Yunice turned to leave, he reached out and grabbed her wrist. ¡°What do you mean? What are you nning? Yunice, you¡¯re bing more and more of a stranger to me. You¡¯re getting scarier and scarier!¡±


    Yunice turned back and stared at him deeply.


    Owen didn¡¯t feel like he¡¯d said anything wrong. ¡°What can you prove with those two videos? Cheating is still cheating. Just because no one reported you, you think you could¡¯ve been top scorer in the SAT on your own? You haven¡¯t even touched a textbook in years. Everything you learned, you already gave back to the teacher.¡±


    Yunice sneered. She was starting to wonder if Owen had his brain swapped with his butt.


    All the evidence was right in front of him, and yet he still preferred to believe she had cheated.


    You can¡¯t wake someone who¡¯s pretending to sleep.


    Yunice didn¡¯t argue with him. She nced at a book on Elsie¡¯s nightstand¨Cthe one Elsie pretended to study from, just for show.


    Yunice flipped it open at random, skimmed a few lines, then picked up a pen and drew a few marks on the page.


    Then, with a flick of her wrist, she tossed the pen aside and walked out.


    Owen was furious at her behavior and shouted, ¡°Stop right there! You think you can just walk away without finishing this!¡±

 Daghter 343

    Chapter 343 Not That Simple


    Yunice couldn¡¯t care less about him.


    +8 Pearls


    Owen had nned to chase after her, but when his eyes swept over the book on the table, curiosity got the better of him¨Che wanted to see what Yunice had written.


    So he walked over and reached out to grab it-


    But Elsie was faster. She snatched up the open book before he could touch it.


    She had never even looked at this book. It was a used workbook she¡¯d bought online, one that someone else had already filled


    out.


    On one of the problems alreadypleted by someone else, Yunice had circled a few things.


    Elsie might be a grad student now, but her heart had never really been in her studies. She couldn¡¯t figure out what the parts Yunice had highlighted were supposed to mean.


    <i>Did that </i><i>mean </i><i>the </i><i>question </i><i>was </i><i>wrong </i>and <i>Yunice </i>had <i>caught </i><i>it</i><i>? </i>


    <i>Impossible</i>. <i>This </i>was <i>a </i><i>graduate</i><i>¨C</i><i>level </i><i>problem</i>.


    Owen reached for the book, but Elsie didn¡¯t want him to see it¨Cshe was afraid he¡¯d notice something and ask her about it, and she wouldn¡¯t have an answer.


    But if she yanked it back, that would seem way too suspicious.


    She could only look at Owen with a guilty expression on her face.


    Owen took the book from Elsie and studied the problem, his brows furrowed deeply.


    The longer he said nothing, the more Elsie felt like she couldn¡¯t breathe.


    She¡¯d bought that workbook randomly. Who knew what kind of student had done the problems? If it turned out to be total garbage and Owen figured it out, the whole good¨Cstudent image she¡¯d worked so hard to build would copse.


    Owen stayed silent for a full minute. Just as Elsie was panicking, he rolled the workbook up and said, ¡°I¡¯m taking this home to look at.¡±


    Elsie was speechless.


    Lily had been sitting silently to the side the whole time, twisting two fingers together like something was weighing on her mind.


    Owen noticed and was just about to ask about the SAT situation when Lily suddenly jerked her head toward the door like a spooked animal.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t closed the door when she left.


    Owen followed Lily¡¯s line of sight¨Cand just in time, caught a sh of light.


    It was <i>a </i><i>fill </i><i>light </i><i>used </i><i>with </i><i>professional </i><i>cameras</i><i>! </i>


    <i>Someone </i><i>was </i><i>secretly </i><i>taking </i><i>pictures </i><i>outside</i><i>! </i>


    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Owen charged after them!


    A man dressed like a paparazzo, wearing a baseball cap andpletely bundled up, took off running the second he was spotted.


    The guy was clearly a pro. He slipped away easily in just a few seconds.


    Chapter 343 Not That Simple


    +8 Pearls


    In an empty hallway of the hospital, Yunice stood ghost¨Clike in the shadows, watching the paparazzo walk away with a camera full of content.


    <i>They </i><i>throw </i>mud at me¨C<i>once </i>it <i>dries</i>, <i>I¡¯ll </i><i>smash </i><i>them </i><i>with </i><i>it</i><i>. </i>


    Lily wanted to use public opinion to bring Yunice down. But what she didn¡¯t know was that public opinion had also brought Yunice traffic.


    The buzz around the cheating scandal had quieted down somewhat, but that didn¡¯t mean no one was going to revive it. If they could use Yunice to flip the narrative and push the story further, that would count toward their click metrics.


    Yunice had known for a while that she was being followed by paparazzi. That¡¯s why she¡¯de to the hospital and said all that.


    Lily wanted to drag her through the mud while the rest of them came out clean?


    <i>Keep </i><i>dreaming</i>.


    At the security office, Owen found out that the paparazzo had followed Yunice the entire time and had been lurking outside the hospital room taking pictures.


    Yunice probably didn¡¯t even know she¡¯d been tailed.


    Owen thought hard, trying to recall whether he¡¯d said anything he shouldn¡¯t have during their conversation carlier. The more he thought about it, the more nervous he got.


    But there was no way to find the guy now, or to know exactly what he¡¯d captured on camera¨Cworrying wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    All he could do was ce the me back on Yunice. me her for having a bad reputation. me her foring here and saying things that could so easily be misunderstood.


    Back in the hospital room, Owen told Elsie and Lily about the paparazzo who¡¯d been filming them.


    Both of their faces flickered with panic.


    Elsie was worried that the part about Owen offering to get her a job had been caught on camera.


    Lily was afraid that her report about Yunice cheating would be exposed.


    All Owen could do now was wait and see how things yed out¨Cand get Elsie discharged from the hospital as quickly as possible.


    No matter what happened next, they would hide in the Saunders family estate and refuse to respond to anything.


    After returning to the Saunders home, Owen locked himself in his study and pulled out Elsie¡¯s workbook.


    He stared at the circles Yunice had drawn and still couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    What exactly had Yunice meant by those marks?


    After everything that had happened, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Yunice had gotten smarter. That made him believe there had to be some hidden meaning behind those circles.


    In the end, he snapped a photo of the problem and made a post online asking for help solving it.


    Two hourster, the post hadn¡¯t gained much attention, but he did get one reply.


    ¡°Posting a wrong answer like this online? Seriously, get a life.¡±


    Owen replied to the ount. ¡°What wrong answer?<i>¡± </i>

 Daghter 344

    Chapter 344 Too Cheap to Ask For


    +8 Pearls


    Thementer said, ¡°This answer only got the result right. The process is all wrong¡­ What kind of education do you even have, that you can¡¯t see that?¡±


    Owen¡¯s ount profile showed his academic background. As soon as he saw thatment, he hurried to hide it.


    The user followed up with another jab. ¡°You¡¯re obviously just some white¨Ccor desk jockey. The parts she circled are exactly where the problem is wrong. Take it home and fix it.¡±


    Owen gave a cold snort and scoffed, then deleted the entire post.


    <i>Trying </i><i>to </i><i>act </i><i>like </i><i>she </i><i>knows </i><i>everything</i><i>¡­ </i><i>This </i><i>is </i><i>a </i><i>graduate</i><i>¨C</i><i>level </i><i>problem</i>. <i>What¡¯s </i><i>Yunice¡¯s education </i><i>level </i>again? And she just casually <i>circles </i><i>the </i><i>exact </i>mistake?


    Owen felt ridiculous for even believing her little stunt.


    Two days passed. Owen never heard anything, and no paparazzi contacted him.


    The whole getting¨Cphotographed incident slowly faded from his mind.


    As the buzz around college admissions ramped up, the SAT scandal was gradually forgotten.


    The inte traffic Yunice had attracted disappeared in a sh. Once life returned to normal, Elsie started going out again.


    After Yunice sessfully checked in at MedTech University, the Powell family started stirring up drama once more.


    Today was the anniversary of Wyatt¡¯s mother¡¯s death, and the Powell family had arranged a memorial ceremony.


    Back then, the Powell family had treated his mother worse than a servant. But now that Wyatt held real power, they all put on a grand show¨Cinviting rtives and close friends toe mourn.


    Wyatt sat in the high seat beside them, expression cold and indifferent, watching those so¨Ccalled rtives and family members approach one by one to offer incense. Afterward, they¡¯d squeeze out a few crocodile tears andment how they should¡¯ve helped Wyatt and his mother more back in the day. Then they¡¯d tack on a line about how sessful Wyatt was now and how his mother could rest easy.


    Big wealthy families were experts at keeping up appearances. Their acting was wless. After doing it for so long, they didn¡¯t even feel awkward anymore. In fact, they probably believed it themselves.


    And as the future daughter¨Cinw, Yunice was naturally the center of attention. But since she stayed right beside Wyatt the whole time, no one dared mess with her lightly.


    Anything rted to his mother would set Wyatt off. He became terrifyingly irritable. Anyone who tried to stir up trouble in front of him would either end up dead or ruined.


    After the ceremony ended, the old man called Wyatt away.


    Whatever he wanted to say clearly wasn¡¯t something Yunice could hear, and Wyatt didn¡¯t take her with him.


    Yunice sat alone in the grand armchair, staring back at a room full of Powell family members.


    She could feel someone watching her. Following the gaze, Yunice locked eyes with Paul.


    Paul didn¡¯t look away. His eyes were cold, filled with nothing but hatred.


    Yunice lowered her eyes and set down her teacup. A momentter, she got up and left.


    When she reached a secluded bamboo courtyard, Paul¡¯s furious voice shouted behind her, ¡°Yunice, do you know what the price is for lying to me?¡±


    Yunice turned around in surprise and came face to face with Paul¡¯s shadowed, malicious expression.


    3:32 PM


    Chapter 344 Too Cheap to Ask For


    Yunice asked, ¡°How did I cling to power?¡±


    ?


    +8 Pearls


    Paul¡¯s face twisted as he let out a sharpugh. ¡°You married Wyatt, healed his legs, got into college, improved hispany¡¯s heart medicine form, even solved a business crisis for him¨Cthose are earth¨Cshattering achievements, and yet you¡¯ve been quiet about all of them.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°He¡¯s my husband. His sess is mine too. Isn¡¯t it natural for me to help him?¡±


    Paul ground his teeth. ¡°But you never did any of that for me. You pretended to be so in love with me, but when it came down to it, you never actually lifted a finger for me! I used to think you were just being sensitive, but now I get it¨Cyou looked down on me from the start. You were always nning to break off the engagement!¡±


    Yunice said nothing.


    Paul¡¯s jaw clenched tight. ¡°You don¡¯t love me, and you don¡¯t love Wyatt either! What you love is the benefits he gives you!¡±


    Yunice looked up at him. ¡°What else? If I don¡¯t love his power, should I love your harem of mistresses? Should I love empty wallet? Or should I love the fact that you¡¯re aplete loser?¡±


    your


    Paul snapped back, ¡°Aren¡¯t you mad I never gave you anything all those years? If you wanted money, you could¡¯ve just asked me. If you wanted power, I could¡¯ve helped you! You never even said anything¨Cdon¡¯t act like I wasn¡¯t willing to give it!¡±


    Yunice stared at him. ¡°A gift you have to ask for is meaningless. A gesture you have to remind someone to make is worthless. If I have to tell you to do something before you do it, it bes cheap. And if I tell you and you still don¡¯t do it, then I be cheap.¡±


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    Chapter 345 Who¡¯s the Joke On Now?


    Paul said, ¡°You¡¯re just being dramatic and fake!¡±


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    Yunice replied casually, ¡°Say what you want, but at least Wyatt only has one woman right now. He gives me a sense of security. Can you?¡±


    She had just finished speaking when Paul suddenly let out a mockingugh. His expression was full of contempt¨Csmug and triumphant, as if Yunice had just done something incredibly stupid that gave him immense satisfaction.


    ¡°Wyatt only has one woman? You really think that highly of yourself¡­¡± Paul hadn¡¯t even finished his sentence when he let out a sharp cry of pain and jumped back a step.


    He was shaking his hand like it had just been burned.


    Yunice looked down and only then noticed the still¨Cburning cigarette butt on the ground. It had clearly fallen from the floor above.


    She looked up¨Cand saw Wyatt standing by the upstairs window. Her heart tightened, and her expression darkened.


    When did Wyatt get here?


    How much of what I said <i>just </i>now did he hear<i>? </i>


    Does he care?


    Wyatt¡¯s moods were always unpredictable. Sometimes he was easy to talk to. Other times, he¡¯d snap over just one sentence and wouldn¡¯t rest until someone paid the price.


    Wyatt stared dead¨Ceyed at Paul, his voicepletely t. ¡°What were you chatting about with your aunt?¡±


    Paul¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as he forced down two dry swallows.


    He knew Wyatt had been in a bad mood these past few days. No one dared cross him at a time like this.


    Without saying a word, Paul turned and walked away.


    Yunice eyed Wyatt warily. But after a moment, she realized he wasn¡¯t even looking at her.


    She figured Wyatt probably didn¡¯t feel like dealing with her right now, so she quickly left, heart heavy, already thinking about how to smooth things over the next time they met.


    Paul was just ahead of her. Yunice thought to herself¨Cshe couldn¡¯t let Wyatt get angry for nothing.


    She caught up to Paul. ¡°You always act so high and mighty, but the second you saw my husband, you turned tail and ran. And you call me the one with no spine? Who¡¯s the coward now?¡±


    Paul red at her, but remembering his earlier humiliation, he didn¡¯t want to provoke Wyatt again¨Cand that meant not. provoking Yunice either.


    But Yunice had no intention of letting him off easy. She went on, ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding out in thepound so much, you probably don¡¯t even know how people outside areughing at you. They say you¡¯re a Ninja Turtle, with the Hulunbuir grasnds growing on your head¨Cand you¡¯re too dumb to even know it.¡±


    That line hit its mark. Paul stopped. ¡°What Hulunbuir grasnds?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°Take a guess. Do you really think a man with no money still gets to keep his woman around?¡±


    Paul¡¯s expression flickered. He was clearly furious at the insult, but at the same time, thoughts were racing through his head, trying to figure out who might¡¯ve cheated on him.


    Was it Taylor or Elsie?


    3:32 PM


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    Chapter 345 Who¡¯s the Joke On Now?


    He might not love Taylor, but that didn¡¯t mean he¡¯d tolerate her cheating on him.


    He turned around to go deal with Taylor, but Yunice¡¯s voice drifted after him, calm andzy. ¡°How long has it been since Elsiest contacted you? Cheater-¡±


    Paul¡¯s mind exploded. He turned around, eyes wide with fury and disbelief, staring at Yunice.


    Yunice tossed him another bomb. ¡°VIP wing, City Hospital. Room Three. Go see for yourself.¡±


    And with that, while he was still torn between anger and suspicion, Yunice turned and headed back to the living room, light on her feet and totally at ease.


    Paul¡¯s own house was burning down¨Chow could he have time to fight with Yunice now?


    Maybe he¡¯d finally remembered that it really had been a long time since Elsiest reached out. Paul spun around and left the Powell family estate.


    Back in the living room, the guests were still the same bunch of rtives. The old man and Wyatt hadn¡¯t returned.


    A few of them were lounging in chairs, joking around openly in front of Yunice. Whatever sad, mourning faces they¡¯d shown earlier¨Cthey didn¡¯t even bother pretending anymore.


    In the study, after the old man came back, Wyatt casually shut the window.


    The old man ced a document on the desk and said, ¡°Sign this agreement to be officially recognized as part of the family, and I¡¯ll tell you where your mother is buried. That way, you¡¯ll have a ce to pay your respects in the future.¡±


    Wyatt sat carelessly in the armchair. He flipped through the agreement¨Cit outlined his mother¡¯s official remarried status and acknowledged Wyatt as the Powell family¡¯s second heir.


    Wyatt let go of the document and gave the old man a mocking look. ¡°I¡¯ll recognize the family, but I¡¯ve got one condition.¡± The old man asked, ¡°What condition?¡±


    His tone was easygoing, like no condition could really be that big of a deal.


    Wyatt pointed straight at Jensen and said arrogantly, ¡°Switch her mother¡¯s ce with mine. Make my mom the official wife and hers the mistress. How about it?¡±


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    hapter 346 The Price of Blood


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    Jensen was so furious his veins nearly burst. He mmed his hand down on the table and stood up. ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯re full of shit. Do you even know what your mother¡¯s status was? Just a housemaid, and you think she¡¯s qualified to switch ces with my mom? Who¡¯s the legitimate heir and who¡¯s the bastard? You think changing titles makes people forget the truth?¡±


    ¡°We let you be born, let you grow up, and you should be grateful to us! My mom was practically killed by you people. What gives you the right to step on her memory?¡±


    Wyatt tilted his head, disdainful. ¡°Your mom couldn¡¯t even keep your dad¡¯s belt buckled. She brought it on herself.¡±


    Jensen froze, and when he realized what Wyatt had just said, he was so angry he nearly vomited blood.


    Wyatt¡¯s mother had originally been just a maid in the Powell family¨CJackson¡¯s old¨Cman indulgence and a disgrace forced into existence.


    Once Wyatt was born, both mother and son werepletely rejected.


    Jensen¡¯s mother never once med Jackson for any of it. Instead, she poured her bitterness into bullying and tormenting Wyatt¡¯s mother at every turn. Even when Wyatt¡¯s mother tried to leave with her son, she was stopped. The Powell family couldn¡¯t have their shameful secret out in public.


    If Wyatt hadn¡¯t wed his way up and be indispensable to the Powell family, Jackson would¡¯ve never suddenly had the bright idea to recognize him as part of the bloodline.


    Jackson listened to Wyatt¡¯s demand and said nothing at first.


    After a moment, he said, ¡°We can put your mother¡¯s name into the family registry. We can also move her grave to lie beside mine.¡±


    Jensen was stunned. ¡°Dad, if you move <i>her </i>grave there, then where does my mother get buried?¡±


    The old man red at him with clear contempt, like he didn¡¯t even understand why Jensen was still talking.


    Jensen didn¡¯t dare argue. He red at Wyatt instead, eyes filled with hatred¨Che looked ready to kill him.


    Wyatt nced from the old man to Jensen, mocking. ¡°See how cheap your mom¡¯s position is? Schemed her whole life, and in the end, one word from him erased everything.¡±


    Jensen¡¯s heart filled with bitterness<b>. </b>He turned to look at the old man with rising resentment.


    How could he not hate this? How could he possibly ept it?


    If the old man could cast his mother aside today, it could be him tomorrow¨Cor Paul.


    At the end of the <b>day</b><b>, </b>all the old man ever cared about was profit.


    Jensen was seething with resentment. The old man didn¡¯t respond to Wyatt but stared coldly and asked, ¡°Are you signing or


    not<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt casually swept the agreement off to the side. ¡°Not signing¡±


    The old man¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°What else are you dissatisfied with?¡±


    ¡°Everything. I¡¯m dissatisfied with everything,¡± Wyatt said, arrogant as ever. ¡°You think you¡¯re some priceless gem? Getting buried next to you would be an insult to my mother. And you¡¯re trying to pass it off like <b>it¡¯s </b>some kind of reward?¡±


    That trash grave of yours, that pathetic family head position¨Conly someone useless like Jensen would care about that crap.¡±


    Jensen¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot. <b>He </b>was on the verge of tears from the insult.


    He was already over forty, had carried the title of heir for decades, but had spent all those years acting as the crown prince under the old man¡¯s iron rule. On the surface, he had prestige<b>. </b>In reality, he¡¯d been living in humiliation. And now, he¡¯d


    Chapter 346 The Price of Blood


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    The old man¡¯s face darkened further. He had already stirred up Jensen¡¯s discontent, which meant he had to stabilize Wyatt and bring him fully into the Powell family.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care about being buried together. You don¡¯t care about being the Powell family¡¯s second son. So you don¡¯t even care about your mother¡¯s ashes? Don¡¯t you want to know where she¡¯s buried? Don¡¯t you want a ce to pay your respects?¡±


    As long as he joined the Powell family on paper, he¡¯d have ess to his mother¡¯s grave.


    Wyatt let out augh, as if he¡¯d just heard the world¡¯s dumbest joke. ¡°Her grave? You, someone this cold and ruthless, this selfish and heartless, who treated my mother like garbage when she was alive¨Cwhat, now you expect me to believe you gave her a decent burial after death? Rolled her up in a straw mat and tossed her in a ditch more like.¡±


    ¡°Or do you think if you hand me some random handful of ashes, I¡¯ll just assume they¡¯re hers? She¡¯s already dead. Gone. And you think dangling her remains in front of me is going to move me? What a joke.¡±


    The old man gripped the armrest tightly. ¡°You ungrateful, unfilial bastard!¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Spare me the crap about morals and virtue. The only reason you want me back in the Powell family is so when I eventually die, you¡¯ll have the legal right to take everything I own.¡±


    Who <i>do </i><i>you </i><i>think </i><i>you¡¯re </i><i>fooling</i><i>? </i>


    He¡¯d watched the Powell family pull scams his whole life. He¡¯d suffered enough to know exactly how this game was yed.


    Wyatt stood and walked out without a shred of hesitation.


    The door creaked shut behind him, leaving only the old man and Jensen in the study, staring each other down.


    Neither said a word, but after what Wyatt had done, the bond between father and son had already fractured beyond repair.


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    Chapter 347 No Rest for the Dead


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    Jackson clearly sensed Jensen¡¯s shift in attitude. He tried to cate him. ¡°Everything in the Powell family will be yours and Paul¡¯s in the end. How many years do you think I have left? Wyatt¡¯s just trying to mess with you.¡±


    Jensen lowered his head. ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    But beneath that lowered head, his eyes had clearly turned cold.


    Wyatt entered the main hall and pulled Yunice away without a word.


    All the rtives and guests in the room stood up, trying to say something to Wyatt, but he ignored them with a cold face.


    After they left the Powell family estate, Wyatt stayed silent. Yunice could tell he was in a bad mood.


    Who would be in a good mood on their mother¡¯s death anniversary?


    When Wyatt¡¯s mother passed away, he was still a childpletely powerless against the Powell family.


    Yunice remembered hearing Paul brag about it when they were kids, saying that when Wyatt¡¯s mother died, the servants held Wyatt back so he couldn¡¯t get close. She was wrapped in a straw mat and taken out of the estate, no one even knew where she ended up.


    Over a decade had passed. Wyatt probably didn¡¯t even have a ce to mourn her.


    What kind of son can¡¯t even bury his own mother? How could he not feel guilty and suffocated?


    A person needs something to hold onto in life. His mother was the most important person to him, and yet she hadn¡¯t left him anything¨Cnot even a trace of memory.


    Yunice said softly, ¡°We can keep looking. Back then, someone must have handled it. If we threaten or bribe the right person, someone will eventually talk.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t turn his head. His voice was both t and urgent. ¡°I asked. Not a single one of those old bastards told the truth. Who even knows if anything they said is real?¡±


    Yunice gripped Wyatt¡¯s sleeve tightly, following along while watching his face.


    She understood what he meant. Wyatt¡¯s mother probably hadn¡¯t received a proper burial. That¡¯s why no matter how much pressure he applied, those people wouldn¡¯t talk.


    Because if they did, they knew Wyatt¡¯s rage would make their fate even worse.


    So they all mmed up or tossed out some random location.


    After so many years, how could anyone even identify the remains?


    And so, the end result was that Wyatt lost his mother forever¨Cwithout even a ce to mourn her.


    And now Jackson had the nerve to put on a fake mourning ceremony? Of course Wyatt would lose it.


    In the car, Wyatt¡¯s tone was cold as he barked at Jordan, ¡°Keep squeezing Powell Corp¡¯s market. Don¡¯t spare a single one of those old men or Jensen¡¯sckeys. If I¡¯m miserable<b>, </b>then no one gets to feel good.¡±


    Jordan froze for a second, then gave Yunice a worried nce.


    Wyatt must have been truly enraged¨Che didn¡¯t even bother hiding this kind of talk from Yunice.


    Yunice minimized her presence and didn¡¯t say a word.


    After Jordan dropped them off at Pavilion Hall, he immediately went to move against the Powell family.


    Want locked himself in his room


    Chapter 347 No Rest for the Dead


    She didn¡¯t know Wyatt well enough. She had no idea how to calm him down in a situation like this.


    She was afraid of stepping on andmine and dragging herself into it.


    But doing nothing felt disloyal.


    +8 Pearls


    In the end, she called Joe. She chatted for a bit, then asked if he knew anything about Wyatt¡¯s taboos rted to his mother.


    Joe didn¡¯t know much, but after all those years of working together, he did know a bit.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s like this every year.¡±


    ¡°When this month rolls around, no one dares get close to Wyatt. Everyone keeps their distance. Just do the same. Once he adjusts, it¡¯ll pass.¡±


    After saying that, he suddenly realized¨CYunice was now living with Wyatt. Sure, she could avoid him during the day, but what about at night?


    Joe said, ¡°There¡¯s one thing of Wyatt¡¯s mom¡¯s that you absolutely must not touch.¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°A pink cashmere scarf. There¡¯s a koi fish stitched at the end. Very recognizable.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s head snapped up.


    Joe noticed the silence on her end and knew something was off. rmed, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t <i>have </i><i>touched </i><i>it </i><i>already</i>, <i>could she</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice was living in Pavilion Hall. It was normal for her to clean up the ce. If she had seen the scarf was old and tossed it¡­.


    Then she was dead meat.


    Joe¡¯s voice rose in panic. Yunice¡¯s pupils gradually stilled. She answered calmly, ¡°Nothing. I just remembered. I¡¯ve seen that scarf before.¡±


    Joe let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Whatever you do, don¡¯t touch it. Don¡¯t even try to wash it. Honestly, it¡¯s best if you don¡¯t mess with anything in Pavilion Hall. It¡¯s way too easy to set him off.¡±


    Then he realized his words mighte off as offensive, so he quickly added, ¡°Wyatt¡¯s carrying a lot emotionally. It¡¯s only natural that y

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    pter 348 The Meaning Behind the Scarf


    Yunice said, ¡°I know.¡±


    After exchanging a few words, she hung up the phone.


    Then she fell into a long silence. Things she hadn¡¯t understood before finally started to make sense.


    Yunice still remembered the first time she saw that scarf.


    +8 Pearls


    At the time, she¡¯d been sitting at the pavilion in front of Paul¡¯s courtyard. A servant had brought her a scarf. She had asked who sent it, but the servant didn¡¯t tell her.


    Later, she wore that scarf, and the old man of the Powell family had taken a second look at her.


    Not long after that, news of her engagement to Wyatt hade out.


    Back then, she couldn¡¯t figure out why Jackson had made that decision.


    Now she understood¨Cit was because of that scarf.


    That scarf was something Wyatt treasured. No one else was even allowed to touch it. And at that moment, it had been draped over her shoulders¡­


    What would Jackson think? Naturally, he¡¯d assume that Wyatt cared deeply for Yunice¨Cso much so that he¡¯d let her wear something left behind by his mother.


    On top of that, Jackson believed marrying her off to Wyatt would be a kind of humiliation to him. Wyatt wouldn¡¯t refuse anyway, so the wedding was arranged.


    But now, thinking back¨Cwho was ying whom?


    Why had Wyatt given her that scarf? Why had he let the old man see it?


    It was deliberate. From the very beginning, his goal had been to marry her.


    Yunice sat outside for a long time. She knew she had done Wyatt a few favors, but was it really enough for him to go this far?


    He could¡¯ve treated her like Elianna¨Cjust given her a few benefits. Why go through the trouble of marrying her?


    If he liked her, then why had he looked at her with such guarded, scrutinizing eyes the first time they met?


    What exactly was he feeling?


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, dinner is ready. Would you like me to go call sir out to eat?¡± a servant approached and asked quietly.


    Even the servants knew¨Cit was best to stay far away from Wyatt.


    But while everyone else could hide, she was his wife in name. If even she avoided him, that would be too much.


    Yunice got up and went to knock on the bedroom door.


    She knocked three times. After waiting a full minute, there was no response.


    Seeing this, Yunice didn¡¯t knock again. She knew that when someone was in a bad mood, knocking would only make it worse.


    She turned the doorknob quietly and gently cracked the door open, peeking inside.


    Wyatt was sitting in a chair, arms resting on the table, doing nothing at all.


    Almost as soon as Yunice peeked in, Wyatt¡¯s eyesnded on her.


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    Chapter 348 The Meaning Behind the Scarf


    She didn¡¯t ask he wanted to cat¨Cshe gave him option one or two. Of course, he murght still choose ¡°on¡±


    But Wam didn¡¯t pick etter option. Instead, he raised his hand and cupped her face in his palm.


    Yunice stayed perfectly still. She couldn¡¯t read hirua.


    -8 Pearls


    Back in the bamboo house an the Powell estate, she had said some things to sprite Paul. Maybe Wyan had heard itern


    There was no guarantee he hadn¡¯t make it over..


    Fiumice had always beem the type to stay still unless provoked.


    But than strategy didn¡¯t work on Wyar. Winh him, she had no be the one to move first.


    Yumice said. ¡°Everything I said to Famill today¨CI only sand in to get under this skin.¡±


    Wyan asked. ¡°Which part?¡±


    Yunice paused, then yed coy. ¡°Whichever parn you minded most.¡±


    Wyatt stared at her. ¡°Saving you love my power, the perks I give you that was just no pass him off too?¡±


    Yunice fell silent. Wyam really was the only opponent slive had watino excaually used his brain. He always hit her where in hurt


    She couldn¡¯t say yes. If she admitted in was no prowoke Paul, far would mean she didn¡¯t love power¨Cshe loved Wyan himself


    But Yunice knew very clearly¨Cwinan she felt for W/ 125 me like the mutual dependence between allies. It hadn¡¯t reached love yet.


    But she couldn¡¯t say no either. If she didi Wyan would be angry


    When Yunice didn¡¯t answer, Wyam sneered ¡°Lying again


    ¡°Love or not, what difference does it make? In the end, everyone¡¯s ar


    His fingers gradually tightened around her face. His eyes grew driver


    A momentter, the back of Yunice¡¯s neck was suddenly pressed foon Wyam pulled her dose.


    The space between them shrank to just a few inches.


    Yunice had no idea what he meant by this, but instinctively¨Cshe could feel the danger.


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    hapter 349 Loaded


    Yunice said, ¡°Wyatt, if you¡¯re really feeling upset, I can help you sleep for a while.¡±


    Wyatt locked onto her wording. You mean you¡¯ll help me sleep, or let me sleep?¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice looked at him. She had already prepared herself for the possibility that she and Wyatt might one day consum the marriage


    She was just about to say, tf sleeping with me will help you feel better, then I¡¯m okay with it.


    But Wyatt cut her off before she could speak.


    ¡°I originally wanted to wait until yo were willing. But now it¡¯s clear you¡¯ll never love me, so I don¡¯t want to pretend anymore.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brows furrowed slightly. She stared into Wyatt¡¯s eyes, trying to read the cold detachment in his gaze.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked.


    Wyatt said, I¡¯m done pretending.¡±


    Realizing he wasn¡¯t joking. Yunice immediately tried to stand up.


    Wyatt pressed down on the back of her neck, keeping her from escaping.


    Yunice snapped, ¡°We¡¯ve barely even started this act and you already want to drop it? I haven¡¯t taken the bait yet¡±


    She¡¯d long known that what Wyatt loved most was being the hunter.


    He was a patient hunter¨Che liked luring his prey into his trap little by little with sweet promises. Then, at the very moment the prey let its guard down and began to enjoy itself, he¡¯d deliver the fatal shot.


    Extreme joy, extreme pain¨Cthat was his game.


    So even when Wyatt treated her well, Yunice always kept a sliver of caution in her heart.


    She hadn¡¯t expected him to run out of patience after just a few months.


    Then again, for him, a few months was already pushing it. In the past, a month had been more than enough for any of the others.


    No wonder he was tired of waiting


    Wyatt gripped the back of her neck, his jaw clenched. His voice was low and rough. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to pretend anymore.¡±


    Yunice tried to pull back, but Wyatt¡¯s hand stayed firm¨Clike he was holding a disobedient cat. She couldn¡¯t move.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze drifted downward,nding at her cor. ¡°Take it off¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t move. Anger swelled inside her.


    She said. ¡°I¡¯m willing to give myself to you, but if you try to force it, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Wyatt challenged her. ¡°And if Linsist?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s hands trembled slightly. She didn¡¯t answer.


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t outright refuse, Wyatt tilted her chin up and kissed her.


    Yunice¡¯s whole body trembled¨Cshe was struggling emotionally.


    She could give herself to Wyatt. But now, at the very moment heid it bare, the entire situation felt different.


    Chapter 349 Loaded


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    away.


    Then, in one fluid motion, she reached down beside her leg, pulled something out, and with a loud click¨Craised it in both hands, aiming straight at Wyatt¡¯s forehead.


    Wyatt leaned back in the chair, staring at Yunice, who was now kneeling on top of him, holding a dark, loaded gun right at his


    face.


    His sharp eyes nced at the weapon. He gave a mocking smile and looked up at Yunice. ¡°I really underestimated you. So all that obedience¨Cthat was just an act too, huh?¡±


    He reached a hand toward the gun. ¡°Do you even know how to use this thing?¡±


    Before he could touch it, Yunice shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±


    Wyatt looked confused. ¡°Why not? Afraid you¡¯ll identally shoot me? You don¡¯t want me dead?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s hands trembled even harder. Her voice was tight from pressure. ¡°Don¡¯t push me. I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


    Wyatt asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to hurt me?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never hurt me. You¡¯ve actually been really good to me. I¡¯ve always been grateful.¡±


    ¡°Grateful¡­¡± Wyatt lifted his eyes. ¡°And yet you¡¯re pointing a gun at me?¡±


    He grabbed her wrists, the ones holding the gun. ¡°Then let¡¯s see¨Cdo you dare pull the trigger?¡±


    Her hands shook even harder in his grasp.


    But Wyatt only pushed further. Yunice struggled to break free, and the gun flew from her hands, ttering to the floor and skidding far across the room.


    Out in the living room, the servants waited for the couple toe out for dinner¨Cbut no one came.


    Not only did Wyatt note out, but after Yunice entered the room, she didn¡¯te out either.


    Then came the worst part¨Cthe unmistakable sound of crashing and banging from inside the bedroom.


    The servants¡® faces turned pale. That didn¡¯t sound good. Were they fighting?


    ¡°You go check¡­


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t dare go in. You go¡­¡±


    The servants kept pushing the responsibility onto each other. But the noise inside was growing <i>too </i>loud and too violent. Worried that something had really happened, one of them ran to call Jordan, hoping he would know what to do.

 Daghter 350

    apter <i>350 </i>Triggered


    Jordan happened to be on his way to Pavilion Hall when he got the call.


    When he picked up and heard what the servant said, he thought something was wrong with his ears. ¡°Who did you say is fighting?¡±


    ¡°Sir and Madam,¡± the servant repeated anxiously.


    Jordan paused for a second. He thought about it¨Ctoday wasn¡¯t April Fools¡® Day.


    ¡°Wait¡­ are you sure?¡± Just look at Yunice. She was going to fight Wyatt?


    Wyatt could knock her over with one p. She wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to fight back, would she?


    But nothing was ever impossible. Jordan picked up his pace and headed toward Wyatt¡¯s bedroom.


    He raised his hand, about to knock¨Cwhen a sudden bang came from inside!


    Jordan froze. The sound was dull, but powerful. It sounded just like¡­


    He kicked open the door and rushed into the room!


    The ce was a mess, like it had just been torn apart.


    Yunice was sitting on the floor. Beside hery a dropped gun.


    Wyatt stood two steps away from her, an expression of disbelief on his face. His body leaned slightly backward.


    Wyatt had been shot!


    Jordan could hardly believe it¨CWyatt had gotten hurt by Yunice? Still, he rushed toward him, trying to check where he¡¯d been hit.


    But Wyatt brushed him off and immediately lunged forward, pressing his hand to Yunice¡¯s abdomen.


    Wyatt was drenched in cold sweat, his expression drawn tight as he looked up at her.


    Yunice was breathing heavily. She didn¡¯t say a word, didn¡¯t scream in pain.


    But her face was pale as a sheet¨Csomething was definitely wrong.


    Jordan, finally catching up, looked down and saw the blood slowly seeping through Wyatt¡¯s fingers, which were mped against Yunice¡¯s lower abdomen.


    Wyatt¡¯s entire body was shaking. It was like he¡¯d just been struck by lightning.


    Once Jordan recovered from the initial shock, he immediately called for emergency aid.


    What the hell happened in here<b><i>? </i></b>


    Who fired the gun?~


    Did Wyatt lose control and <i>hurt </i>her during a fight<i>? </i>


    Wyatt stood stiffly outside the operating room, face cold but eyes filled with suppressed fear. ¡°No damage to the kidneys, no damage to the spleen. She¡¯s not going to die.¡±


    He said it like a statement, but the way he stared at Jordan¨Che was clearly waiting for confirmation.


    Jordan didn¡¯t answer. He countered with a question. ¡°Wyatt, what are you really thinking?¡±


    ¡±


    Chapter 350 Triggered


    Jordan noticed Wyatt¡¯s hand behind his back. He was quietly rubbing the blood off his fingers.


    +8 Pearls


    Inside the operating room, Yunice was still conscious. Joe leaned in to reassure her. ¡®Don¡¯t be scared, we¡¯ll give you anesthesia right now. The bullet didn¡¯t hit any organs¨Cit¡¯s just embedded in the flesh. We just need to remove it.¡±


    Yunice spoke softly, her voice faint. ¡°Dr. Du, anesthesia doesn¡¯t work on me. It won¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Joe¡¯s face twisted with concern.


    The door of the operating room opened. Jordan rushed up. ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡±


    The nurse said, ¡°The patient doesn¡¯t respond to anesthesia.¡±


    Anesthesia doesn¡¯t work?


    Jordan realized what that meant. ¡°So¡­ they¡¯re going to dig it out raw?¡±


    The nurse nodded and hurried away.


    Jordan turned and saw theplicated look on Wyatt¡¯s face.


    Wyatt stepped forward and knocked on the operating room door.


    No outsiders were allowed in the OR, but Joe still let Wyatt inside.


    Because if Wyatt wanted in, no one could stop him.


    Since the wound hadn¡¯t hit any vital organs, Yunice hadn¡¯t passed out. Joc exined that while the injury wasn¡¯t life- threatening, it was going to be excruciating.


    Yunice had always had a high pain tolerance. No matter how much it hurt, she rarely made a sound. But every now and then, her consciousness would flicker¨Cher eyes would go nk for a moment.


    Wyatt stood beside her, sliding his hand into hers.


    Joe was covered head <i>to </i><i>toe </i>in surgical garb. Before he began, he nced at Wyatt.


    Wyatt¡¯s face looked calm, but his eyes were swirling with chaos.


    Noticing Joe¡¯s look, Wyatt red back at him, eyes rimmed red.


    Joe snapped back to focus and began the procedure.


    Scalpels, scissors, forceps¨Call kinds of cold, metallic tools dug into her flesh, prying, scraping, pulling. The pain was sharp and merciless.


    No matter how good Yunice was at enduring, she couldn¡¯t help but let out a few strangled cries. She squeezed Wyatt¡¯s hand so hard she left deep marks¨Cbut what could that really do to case the pain?


    Seeing her grit her teeth, Wyatt tried to cushion her grip with his own hand.


    But Yunice turned her head away. She didn¡¯t want him to touch her.


    The foreign object was finally extracted. It ttered into the surgical tray with a loud ng.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t look back. But hearing that sound, he finally let out a breath.


    Yunice didn¡¯tst much longer¨Cwithin moments, the pain dragged her into unconsciousness.


    Send <b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 351

    hapter 351 Where the Bullet Lands


    Once Yunice¡¯s blood pressure stabilized, Joe immediately began suturing the wound.


    After a flurry of work, the nurses and assisting doctors counted the tools and left the operating room one by one.


    Only Joe remained behind to continue monitoring her condition.


    He removed his gloves, then nced at Wyatt, who had been standing with his back to him the whole time.


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°Wyatt, Madam really went through hell this time. The abdominal cavity is so small¨Cif the angle had been off just a bit, it could¡¯ve been fatal¡­¡± Joe knew Wyatt hated hearing this kind of thing, but he couldn¡¯t help himself. ¡°No matter how upset you were, you can¡¯ty a hand on her. She¡¯s just this big, so fragile. Didn¡¯t it hurt you to hit her? ¡­ You don¡¯t even know. A few hours ago, she called me¨Casked me how she could help you calm down.¡±


    Wyatt turned his head. ¡°She asked about me?¡±


    Joe caught a good look at Wyatt¡¯s face and froze for a moment.


    His eyes were rimmed red, but there wasn¡¯t any visible affection in them. Still, Joe could sense the emotion buried deep behind his gaze.


    Joe gave a soft nod. ¡°More than once.¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Just another tactic to please me.¡±


    Joe couldn¡¯t deny that. He didn¡¯t know how Yunice really felt about Wyatt.


    But he <i>did </i>know Wyatt. ¡°Wyatt,st time Madam took a bullet for you, you were so torn up over not being able to protect her because of your leg that you agreed to treatment. That meant something¡ªyou cared about her. So why can¡¯t you take one more step forward?¡±


    ¡°With how unstable your emotions are¨Cafter what happened this time¨Cdo you think she¡¯ll still dare toe near you?¡±


    Wyatt frowned and looked at Yunice¡¯s pale face, his expression conflicted.


    Everyone assumed he had hit her. But that wasn¡¯t what happened


    He was just angry that Yunice didn¡¯t like him. That¡¯s what got to him.


    He never expected her to have such a fierce temper¨Cthat she¡¯d actually dare to fight back.


    She never acted like that with Paul.


    That thought made Wyatt sneer coldly. <i>Only </i><i>the </i><i>favored </i><i>get </i><i>to </i><i>be </i>so <i>bold</i>. And <i>what</i>, <i>he </i><i>expected </i><i>to </i><i>get </i><i>treated </i><i>the </i><i>same </i><i>as </i><i>Paul</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice¡¯s injury had only been a grazing wound¨Cshe wasn¡¯t in danger¨Cso Joe didn¡¯t stay in the OR.


    Outside, Joe and Jordan exchanged a look. Both had thoughts, but neither said a word.


    When Yunice woke up, she had already been moved to a regr hospital room.


    The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was the broad back of someone standing beside her bed.


    The figure was tall, impossible to ignore.


    In a hoarse voice, Yunice said, ¡°Wyatt.¡±


    Wyatt turned around but didn¡¯t approach. He stood over a meter away from her.


    Yunice looked up. ¡°You¡¯re not crazy anymore?¡±


    rounded like howetly holding him nunta


    like he¡¯d donaathinamane


    0


    §à


    Chapter 351 Where the Bullet Lands


    Wyatt couldn¡¯t meet her eyes. He turned his gaze aside, then stepped forward and ced her gun on her pillow.


    The muzzle faced himself.


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice propped herself up, and the movement tugged at her wound¨Cshe winced from the sharp pain. Wyatt looked at her nervously.


    She leaned back against the pillow, sitting up, then picked up the gun.


    ¡°This was a wedding gift from a friend,¡± she said. ¡°He told me, if I ever found myselfpletely powerless, I could use it to try and fight back.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t care who the friend was who gave it to her. What pissed him off was. ¡°So your tactic against me was to shoot yourself?¡±


    His voice trembled with anger, but he couldn¡¯ty a finger on her.


    He¡¯d had a violent temper since he was young. He usually tried to keep it under control, ignored people when he could, treated their words like trash.


    But sometimes, he just couldn¡¯t hold back. The more he cared about someone, the stronger his reactions got.


    He had cherished Yunice so much¨Cand she had turned a gun on herself in front of him. The fact that he hadn¡¯t kicked something in fury was already him holding back.


    He was afraid of losing control, so he trashed the room instead. But even then, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from yelling at her. <i>Why </i><i>the </i><i>hell </i><i>is </i><i>it </i><i>not </i><i>allowed </i><i>when </i>it <ies </i><i>to </i><i>me</i><i>! </i>


    Maybe Yunice had been startled. That¡¯s why she pulled the trigger.


    If he hadn¡¯t been fast enough, she wouldn¡¯t just be lying in bed now¨Cit would¡¯ve been much worse.


    If he¡¯d been the one shot, he could¡¯ve turned it all back on her. He could¡¯ve said whatever he wanted. Hell, he could¡¯ve stuffed her in a sack and shipped her off abroad if he wanted.


    But she¡¯d pointed the gun at herself.


    No matter how angry Wyatt was, it all ended up getting choked back like a misfired shell.


    Yunice looked at him, her voice soft and warm. ¡°I told you¨CI didn¡¯t want to hurt you.¡±


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    Chapter 352 The Substitute


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong to me. I was the one who wasn¡¯t mentally prepared. That¡¯s my fault. If I ever hurt you, I wouldn¡¯t be human.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s hand, still behind his back, clenched tightly. After a long pause, he said, ¡°You can shoot me to even the score. I won¡¯t


    move.¡±


    Yuniceughed. ¡°If we start hurting each other, then we¡¯re just ying right into Jackson¡¯s hands.¡±


    She rubbed her stomach. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat dinnerst night. I¡¯m starving.¡±


    ¡°I want your wontons.¡±


    ¡­Wyatt finally looked at her. ¡°Joe said you should stick to easily digestible food.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. I know. But I still want wontons.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t refuse. He didn¡¯t say anything. He just stepped forward, slipped the agarwood bracelet off his wrist, and fastened it onto Yunice¡¯s./


    Yunice blinked, slightly startled, and watched his back as he left the room.


    Not long after Wyatt left, a man dressed as a doctor pushed open the door to Yunice¡¯s hospital room.


    Yunice was sitting up in bed and immediately recognized the familiar face.


    It was Kingsley.


    Back at her wedding with Wyatt, Kingsley had promised her a gift¡ªand that gift had been the gun.


    Nobody believed in her marriage with Wyatt. Everyone thought he was a ticking time bomb. Kingsley had been worried that if Wyatt¡¯s mood shifted, Yunice would be in serious danger.


    So he gave her the gun for protection.


    Yunice said, ¡°Kingsley.¡±


    Kingsley pulled down his mask and gave her a hard, disappointed look


    He¡¯d given her that gun to defend herself¡ªnot to shoot herself.


    Yunice said, ¡°Kingsley, this was part of my strategy.¡±


    Kingsley¡¯s face was cold. He looked like he was ready to grab a rifle and go avenge her on the spot.


    Yunice said, ¡°The best way to deal with a ticking bomb¡­ is to set it off right where it sits.¡±


    Kingsley replied, ¡°You¡¯re bargaining with a tiger.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°Kingsley, this is a game of chess.¡±


    Kingsley didn¡¯t say anything else. He knew better than anyone, even if someone wasn¡¯t crazy when they entered a mental hospital, staying there long enough would make anyone go mad. Yunice had been in that ce for three years. How could she still think like a normal person?


    Everyone who survived that ce had learned how to y the game.


    By taking a shot at herself. Yunice had earned Wyatt¡¯s guilt and his fear. The next time he wanted to pressure her, he¡¯d remember what happened today.


    He¡¯d remember how she got hurt, and how she endured surgery without anesthesia.


    Chapter 352 The Substitute


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice tilted her head and asked Kingsley, ¡°Kingsley, did you see the woman at Gardison Residence? Does she look like me?¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t stupid. Elianna and Paul¡¯s slip¨Cups had tipped her off. There had to be something emotional going on in Wyatt¡¯s past.


    She had asked Kingsley to help her investigate. After watching for nearly half a month, Kingsley had finally tracked down Gardison Residence,


    There was a woman hidden there¨Ca vegetative patient. Wyatt visited her regrly.


    Kingsley had already seen the woman¡¯s condition for himself. ¡°She¡¯s on a venttor to maintain vitals. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s waking up. She doesn¡¯t really look like you, but from a nce, there¡¯s a vague resemnce.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°If Wyatt sees me as her stand¨Cin, then everything makes sense.


    Why he was so attached to her. Why he went out of his way for her. Why he med himself every time she got hurt.


    It was all because, deep down, he was projecting his feelings onto her.


    Understanding that. Yunice felt much lighter inside.


    After Kingsley left, Yunice rested.


    Meanwhile, Paul was going through hell too. Following Yunice¡¯s tip, he found the hospital¨Cand discovered that the patient in the room was a young man.


    He¡¯d been admitted over a month ago due to a car ident. His condition was serious enough that he hadn¡¯t been discharged.


    Paul checked the man¡¯s records and found out he was Morgan, the only son of the Johnson family.


    Paul disguised himself and staked out the room for an entire afternoon, but there was no activity around Morgan¡¯s room.


    Just as he started to wonder if Yunice had yed him for a fool,ughter suddenly came from the break room next door.


    ¡°What are you so scared of? Paul¡¯s got that dragon¨Cwife watching him at home. You really think he¡¯s gonnae looking for you? Just put all your focus on me¨Ckeep me happy, and good things wille your way. I worked so hard just now¨Cmy hands and mouth are sore, and you¡¯re still teasing me like this¡­¡±


    The moment he heard that familiar voice, Paul felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.


    He rushed forward and peeked through the crack in the door¨Conly to see a red¨Chaired man in a wheelchair, and behind him stood Elsie.


    Her hands were wrapped around the man from behind, slipping under his cor, fingers teasing down his chest¡­


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 Daghter 353

    Chapter 353 Torn Between Two Devils


    ¡°Elsic!¡± Paul roared and kicked the door open!


    Elsie flinched, her whole body trembling as she quickly shoved her hands behind her back. Her wide eyes locked onto Paul in


    terror¡­


    <i>Why </i><i>is </i>he here?!


    Paul stormed over, grabbed Morgan by the cor, and yanked him out of the wheelchair. ¡°You bastard! You think you can steal my woman?!¡±


    Morgan, still injured, fell hard to the floor and red at Paul with fury in his eyes.


    But he was far from recovered¨Che was all bark and no bite.


    Paul ignored him. With one hand, he grabbed Elsie by the throat and dragged her toward him.


    Elsie was frozen in fear, staring at him in horror. Then she forced herself to calm down and blurted out first, ¡°Mr. Paul, why are you attacking Mr. Morgan?!¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes bulged with rage. ¡°You whore, Elsic. How did I never realize you were this good at seducing men?¡±


    Elsic frowned. ¡°Mr. Paul, show some respect. We broke up, remember? You¡¯re married now. Who I¡¯m with has nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°We broke up? Since when did I agree to that? You think just saying it makes it true?¡± he barked.


    ¡°What do you expect me to do?¡± she shot back, ¡°Keep living in shame while watching you y the loving husband to Taylor<i>? </i>Do you have any idea what people have been saying about me since your wedding? I got suspended from the hospital. Store clerks mock me like I¡¯m some beggar. And where were you? Laughing it up with Taylor! I gave you everything I had. When everyone turned on you, I was the only one who stayed. I sold my own things to raise money for you. And what did I get in return? Paul, if you can¡¯t give an answer, then you shouldn¡¯t have made promises.¡±


    Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed¨Cquiet and full of sorrow, as if Paul had betrayed her a hundred times over.


    Paul¡¯s expression shifted. There was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes.


    Every promise he¡¯d made to Elsie shed through his mind. For the first time, he felt a pang of guilt. He made up his mind- he was going to take her with him.


    Morgan, watching from the floor, sneered coldly. ¡°Elsie, if you walk out with him today, I swear you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s steps faltered, her gaze torn.


    Both men were rich, powerful, and came with their own perks. She didn¡¯t want to let go of either of them.


    Paul didn¡¯t notice her hesitation. He pulled Elsie behind him and red at Morgan. ¡°I know Wyatt¡¯s backing you, but don¡¯t think that puts you on my level. Watch your back, or one day you won¡¯t even know what hit you.¡±


    Morgan had never taken well to threats. Heughed. ¡°Everyone in Silverbrough knows you live off women. Don¡¯t act all tough here just to go crying at your wife¡¯s feetter. Beg her to fight your battles, huh? Hahaha¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s pride couldn¡¯t take mockery like that. Fuming, he raised his fist, ready to teach Morgan a lesson.


    Elsie panicked and pushed against him. ¡°Paul! Someone¡¯sing! Let it go, okay?¡±


    Her attempt to calm him only made things worse. ¡°Let theme! I¡¯m not afraid!¡± he snapped.


    Elsie stamped her foot. ¡°What do you expect me to say to people after this?!¡±


    That finally got through to Paul. He started thinking. This whole mess wasn¡¯t a good look for anyone.


    3:33 PM


    O


    G


    O


    Chapter 353 Torn Between Two Devils


    Elsie¡¯s face went ghost¨Cwhite. She clung to Paul¡¯s arm, terrified he¡¯dsh out again.


    +8 Pearls


    Paul didn¡¯t respond. Jaw clenched, he stormed out of the hospital with a face like thunder, shoved Elsie into the car, and mmed the door behind him as he got in.


    His fury terrified her. She whispered in a trembling voice, ¡°Paul, don¡¯t be like this¡­. You¡¯re scaring me¡­¡±


    His face was like stone. Suddenly, he raised his hand and grabbed her by the throat again. ¡°You slept with him?¡±


    Sensing how violent he was getting. Elsie quickly denied it. ¡°No! He said that just to provoke you!¡±


    I¡¯ll ask one more time. Did you sleep with him or not?¡± Paul growled through gritted teeth.


    Elsie shook her head furiously, refusing to admit anything.


    She knew if she did. he really would kill her.


    But Paul wasn¡¯t letting her off. ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot? I heard you! You said your hands and your mouth were sore. You¡¯ve been getting real creative, huh?¡±


    Elsie burst into tears. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­. Paul, you¡¯ve got it all wrong. I¡¯m just Mr. Morgan¡¯s caregiver. My hands were sore from giving him physical therapy. My mouth was sore from blowing on hot water for him. Nothing happened between us, I swear! After being with you, how could I possibly have room in my heart for another man?¡±


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    hapter 354 Leverage and Lies


    .


    Paul let out a coldugh. ¡°Then what was your hand doing inside his shirt? Giving him a massage too?¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Elsie trembled. ¡°Mr. Morgan said he felt tightness in his chest, that his heartbeat was irregr. I was just doing my job as a doctor, checking his pulse.¡±


    Her eyes darted nervously. Even she didn¡¯t believe the lie she¡¯d just told. But if she wanted to survive, she had to try something¨Canything.


    Paul didn¡¯t interrupt, so she kept going, adding a pitiful touch to her voice. ¡°To pay you back for everything you spent on me, I¡¯ve put up with all kinds of abuse from patients. Just a few days ago, I was even diagnosed with depression. If you hadn¡¯te to find me today, you might¡¯ve been looking at my corpse instead¡­¡±


    Her expression was heartbreakingly tragic, her performance worthy of an Oscar.


    Seeing Paul stay silent, Elsie grew bolder and slowly leaned into his arms¡­


    Meanwhile, Owen dragged his tired body through the front door after another long shift at the hospital. He changed into slippers and nced toward the living room.


    Lily was lounging on the couch, flipping through thetest fashion magazine.


    Even though the Saunders family was barely scraping by financially, Lily never cut back on spending when it came to herself.


    Not seeing Elsie around, Owen asked, ¡°She¡¯s noting home again tonight?¡±


    Lily gave a vague hum. ¡°She called earlier. Said her advisor pulled her into some research project. She¡¯s noting back tonight.¡±


    Owen nodded, figuring Elsie probably was due to graduate from her master¡¯s program by now.


    Thinking of Elsie naturally brought Yunice to mind.


    He shook his head. To him, Yunice was a disgrace to academia¨Ca ticking time bomb waiting to go off.


    With the hospital¡¯s new projects falling short of expectations, Owen was physically and mentally drained. He skipped dinner and went straight to the study.


    Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his temples with his fingers.


    Then his phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, he picked it up, his voice weary. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Owen, have you given any thought to selling Saunders Hospital?¡±


    The entitlement in the voice instantly lit Owen¡¯s fuse. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯m saying this¨CSaunders Hospital will go bankrupt before it¡¯s sold off! That¡¯s my father¡¯s legacy. No one outside the Saunders family has the right to run it!¡±


    Rumors about Saunders Hospital¡¯s financial trouble had been swirling for a while. Lately, the calls from potential buyers were nonstop. Some even tried to pressure him with insultingly low offers, using underhanded tactics that had worn him down.


    But Owen had never once considered selling.


    After chewing the caller out, he tossed his phone toward the desk. It slid to the edge, nearly falling off.


    A few momentster, the phone buzzed again. The vibrations echoed across the desk, grating on his nerves. Owen assumed it <b>was </b>another buyer and ignored it.


    But the caller didn¡¯t give up, dialing over and over.


    The constant vibration made the whole desk shake. Owen, now thoroughly irritated, snatched up the phone and snapped, ¡°I said I¡¯m not selling! Not for any price! How many times do I have to repeat myself?!¡±


    Chapter 354 Leverage and Lies


    Owen frowned but kept listening.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to collect a debt,¡± the caller said with a nasty littleugh.


    +8 Pearls


    Owen was puzzled. As far as he knew, the family didn¡¯t owe anyone money. Thinking it might be a scam, he was about to hang up when the voice continued, ¡°I have something that might interest you. If you¡¯re not curious, I¡¯ll just post it online.¡±


    Despite the guy¡¯s cryptic tone, curiosity got the better of him. Owen stayed on the line and asked in a low voice, ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Check your email,¡± the man replied.


    Owen leaned forward and grabbed his mouse. Sure enough, a new message had appeared in his inbox.


    He opened it and saw a video file at the top.


    It was footage from when Elsie was in the hospital¨CYunice hade to visit and unknowingly got recorded.


    Owen¡¯s voice went cold. ¡°You were that paparazzi.¡±


    The caller chuckled. ¡°Good memory, Mr. Owen.¡±


    Owen watched the video. Because of the angle, it only showed Yunice¡¯s back, while his and Lily¡¯s faces were clearly visible, along with a side view of Elsie sitting on the hospital bed.


    Fortunately, the incriminating parts of the conversation were spoken in hushed tones, so the audio was muffled.


    Owen assumed that was a mistake on the guy¡¯s part. He scoffed. ¡°You think you can ckmail me with a useless, blurry video? You¡¯re dreaming.¡±


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    Chapter 355 The Price of Blindness


    +8 Pearls


    The caller spoke calmly, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have dared to disturb you, Mr. Owen, without something real. Ever wonder why I waited this long after filming the video to reach out?¡±


    A chill ran down Owen¡¯s spine. He couldn¡¯t guess what the man was getting at.


    The voice on the other end chuckled darkly. ¡°Finished reading the email yet, Mr. Owen?¡±


    His heart pounded. He exited the video, and sure enough, there was more content below.


    He slowly scrolled down, eyes widening bit by bit.


    The man didn¡¯t wait for him to finish. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one day to think it over. Ten million. Transfer it to me, and I¡¯ll hand over all the evidence.¡± Then he hung up.


    Owen sat frozen in front of theputer, unable to move.


    The email was still open¨Can entire investigative reportpiled by the paparazzi on Elsie.


    Not only had they uncovered inconsistencies in Elsie and Yunice¡¯s personal information, but they¡¯d also captured a crystal- clear video of Elsie getting cozy with a patient at the hospital.


    Wait¨Cthat patient was Morgan.


    The same Morgan the Saunders family had once tried to match with Yunice.


    Back then, Morgan had dismissed Yunice as mentally unstable and used the Saunders of looking down on him. He¡¯d even said he¡¯d get his hands on Elsie just for fun.


    Owen never imagined that, without his knowledge, the two had actually gotten involved.


    Any one of the clips in that video would be enough to ruin Elsie if it got out.


    His throat tightened. Panic set in as he quickly dialed Elsie¡¯s number. She needed toe back immediately.


    But the call didn¡¯t go through.


    He tried again. This time, not only did she reject the call, she then shut her phone off.


    At the hotel, Paul powered off Elsie¡¯s phone and tossed it aside.


    Then he turned around and looked at her sleeping on the bed.


    After dragging her away from Morgan, Elsie had been trying hard to win him back¨Cying up her feelings, pretending she still cared.


    So Paul brought her to a hotel. When she brushed up against him with obvious intent, he gave her a drinkced with something.


    She passed out not long after.


    Paul had stripped her bare and checked her himself.


    Now shey face down on the bed without a stitch on her, several clear handprints on her backside.


    They weren¡¯t his.


    Paul¡¯s eyes turned red. He sucked in a breath, then looked away, unable to face it.


    Elsie really thought he was a fool.


    Cha¡¯d al¨Candne with Mawan and she will had the name to throw half no him <b>like </b>nothing <b>hannanad </b>


    <b>3:33 </b>PM


    Chapter 355 The Price of Blindness


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    He hadn¡¯t been doing welltely, his funds drying up. And just like that, Elsie switched gears and found someone willing to spend on her.


    So those five years of ying nice, of ttering him¡­ it had all been for money. And he¡¯d actually believed it was love.


    Paul sat in a chair, chain¨Csmoking, one cigarette after another.


    His thoughts drifted to Yunice.


    He¡¯d always imed Yunice stayed with Wyatt for power. But now, looking back¡ªwhat had he ever given Yunice when she was with him?


    He¡¯d spent over a billion on Elsie. He helped her secure her advisor. He paid for VIP memberships at luxury clubs. He connected her to rich businessmen, helped her steal projects, and built her up into a young, sessful woman.


    Wherever Elsie went during those years, she was admired and envied.


    And Yunice? Yunice had been with him for eighteen years. He bullied her from the start, treated her like property. He never thought about what she wanted. He never tried to make her feel loved.


    The things thate easy are never cherished.


    Yunice never got what Elsie did. People looked down on her, pushed her around, and he never once stood up for her.


    Paul lit cigarette after cigarette. He kept thinking, finally piecing everything together.


    He thought about what he¡¯d gained from Yunice¨Cand from Elsie.


    What he had done for Yunice¨Cversus what he had spent on Elsie.


    And only now did he realize: all those years with Elsie had been nothing but talk. She never helped his life or career. In fact, she¡¯d only made things worse. She was the reason his grandfather and father kept losing faith in him.


    Now he understood why they¡¯d never approved of her from the beginning.


    He had been the only one too blind to see it.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 356

    Chapter 356 Smoke and Strings


    Paul stubbed out thest cigarette. The pack was empty.


    Elsie woke up coughing from the heavy stench of smoke filling the room.


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    Her head pounded and spun from the lingering effects of the drug. She sat up slowly, pressing a hand to her forehead, and mumbled softly, ¡°Morgan¡­¡±


    Paul heard her loud and clear. He turned his head, voice eerily calm. ¡°Awake now?¡±


    The sound of Paul¡¯s voice snapped Elsie out of her daze like a bolt of lightning.


    She remembered now¨CPaul had taken her from Morgan, brought her to this hotel.


    And she¡¯d just called out Morgan¡¯s name¡­


    Her face went pale. She scrambled to get out of bed and beg for forgiveness, but the moment she moved, she realized she was naked.


    Then her gaze shifted, and her panic disappeared.


    Her body was covered in bruises, some red, some purple. Even with a foggy memory, it was obvious what had happenedst night. The marks said enough.


    Paul had been so eager to have her, so rough¨Che had to have missed her like crazy. It could only mean he still had feelings for her. He wanted her back.


    It felt like victory. Elsie decided not to get out of bed. Her waist ached, her limbs were sore, but shey there with smug satisfaction, convinced she had Paul in the palm of her hand.


    She¡¯d made the right choicest night.


    She¡¯d been worried about getting nothing from either side, but now at least Paul was back under control.


    Leaning seductively against the pillows, Elsie asked, ¡°Paul, how many times did you take mest night? I¡¯m so sore¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t touched Taylor at all since you married her?¡±


    She figured Paul must¡¯ve been saving himself for her. Otherwise, why would he have so much pent¨Cup energy?


    She was <b>so </b>sore, it was swollen down there.


    Paul¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm, though there wasn¡¯t a trace of a smile in his eyes. ¡°What can I say? I just can¡¯t get enough of you.¡±


    Elsie giggled at his reply, but then noticed something¨Chis voice was hoarse. Really hoarse.


    She climbed out of bed and threw on a robe. As she walked toward him, the smoke hit her straight in the face, making her cough.


    Covering her nose, she frowned slightly. ¡°You smoked this much? Are you in a bad mood?¡±


    Paul hadn¡¯t slept all night and had chain¨Csmoked until his eyes were bloodshot. He looked like a wreck.


    If she hadn¡¯t known he was the heir to the Lu family, someone like this wouldn¡¯t even be worth her time.


    But guilt gnawed at her. She couldn¡¯t help wondering if his state meant he¡¯d figured something out.


    She knelt at his feet, voice soft and sweet. ¡°I swear, nothing happened with Morgan. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡±


    After a long pause, Paul finally asked, ¡°What if I went broke? Would you still stay with me<b>?</b>¡±


    Elsie smiled ¡°You¡¯re the heir to your family. You? Broke? That¡¯s never gonna hannen¡±


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    Chapter 356 Smoke and Strings


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    His eyes narrowed with cold determination. ¡°Exactly. Anyone could lose everything¨Cbut not me. I¡¯ll make damn sure the whole world knows this: I, Paul, never let anyone get away with disrespecting or betraying me.¡±


    His words were venomous. Elsie had never seen this side of him before.


    It unnerved her a little. But Paul hadn¡¯t hurt her, so she told herself she was just being paranoid.


    She¡¯d known Paul for years. She could y him like a fiddle.


    Easy to control.


    Meanwhile, in Yunice¡¯s hospital room, Wyatt was feeding her dumplings.


    Jordan walked in, paused at the door when he saw Yunice lying there quietly, and hesitated like he had something to say.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t even nce at him. ¡°Out with it.¡±


    Clearly, he wasn¡¯t trying to keep anything from Yunice.


    Jordan said, ¡°News came inst night¨CPaul¡¯s set to take over Jensen¡¯s position. He¡¯s joining the Northvale project.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes went to Yunice first. She met his gaze, then lifted her chin slightly and prompted, ¡°Dumplings.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished eating.


    Wyatt kept feeding her.


    Jordan stood awkwardly at the side, silently observing the two of them.


    Last night they were practically at each other¡¯s throats, ready to kill each other. Now they looked like the picture of harmony -like some perfect couple.


    And that wasn¡¯t all. Yunice was wearing Wyatt¡¯s prized agarwood bracelet, the one he almost never took off.


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 Daghter 357

    hapter 357 Trapped from All Sides


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    Yunice had begged for that bracelet countless times, and Wyatt never once gave in¨Cnot even after she risked her life for him during the Rainier Arc Street incident. But now, all it took was a minor injury and it was suddenly hers?


    Jordan found both of thempletely baffling.


    Wyatt had been at the hospital for over twenty¨Cfour hours straight. Work was piling up¨Che couldn¡¯t afford to be gone any longer.


    Yunice gently urged him to go back to work.


    Paul was reckless. If he got involved with the Northvale project, who knew what kind of mess he might stir up.


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You¡¯re not happy for him?¡±


    Yunice shot back, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±


    Wyatt scoffed and walked out.


    After he left, Yunice smiled and slipped off the bracelet, admiring it in her hand.


    After everything, her father¡¯s keepsake had finallye back to her.


    Just then, the light above her dimmed slightly¨CWyatt had returned without her noticing.


    She looked up as he reached out and tapped her nose with a yful smile, then left again.


    Yunice was speechless.


    Once she was sure he was really gone, Yunice leaned back against the headboard, her mind already working.


    Paul had always beenzy. If he was suddenly this driven, something must¡¯ve rattled him.


    She suspected he¡¯d figured out Elsie had cheated, and now he wanted revenge¨Cto make Elsie regret her choices.


    Which meant he had walked right into the trap Yunice hadid for him.


    A Powell barging into a Cooper family project like Northvale? That wasn¡¯t going to be easy.


    Paul didn¡¯t realize that every step he took, every decision he made, had been carefully paved by Yunice.


    He wanted Elsie to regret? So did she.


    Elsie dragged her sore body back to the hospital.


    Every step hurt. Her legs ached, her waist throbbed¨Ceach movement pulled painfully at her lower body.


    She couldn¡¯t help wondering when Paul had gotten so¡­ intense.


    He¡¯d never been like that before.


    <i>Is </i><i>it </i><i>because </i><i>I </i><i>left</i>? <i>Was </i><i>he </i><i>holding </i>back <i>all </i>this <b><i>time</i></b><i>? </i>The thought made her secretly proud.


    She made her way to Morgan¡¯s room, but before she went in, she spotted Old Madam Jiang inside through the crack in the door.


    She paused, deciding to wait.


    She had barely stood there a moment when a hand suddenly mped around her wrist.


    3.34 PM


    Chapter 357 Trapped from All Sides


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    Owen¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here for you for a while.¡±


    Elsie forced a smile. ¡°Waiting for me? What for-¡±


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    She stopped mid¨Csentence as her expression shifted. She realized why Owen would be waiting for her outside Morgan¡¯s


    room.


    <i>No </i><i>way</i>¡­


    Just then, a sound came from the hospital room. Owen¡¯s face darkened, and he grabbed her arm. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    ¡°Owen, I¡¯m on the clock. Can¡¯t we talk after my shift?¡± she resisted.


    Owen didn¡¯t even turn his head. His voice was tight with anger. ¡°You think you¡¯ll still have a shift to finish?¡±


    The paparazzi had given him a one¨Cday deadline¨Cand that was almost up.


    If the story dropped online before they handled it, Elsie would be finished.


    He didn¡¯t hold back. ¡°You¡¯ve been photographed getting cozy with Morgan. By a tabloid.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s entire body stiffened. <i>Cozy </i><i>photos</i>? <i>How </i>cozy<i>? </i>


    She and Morgan had done plenty. And those paparazzi could get into anything. Who knew how damning those shots were?


    Her knees buckled.


    She suddenly felt like everyone at the hospital was staring at her. Their eyes pierced through her like a thousand needles.


    How <i>did </i><i>this </i><i>happen</i><i>?! </i>


    <i>What </i><i>did </i><i>we </i><i>do </i><i>to </i><i>deserve </i><i>this</i><i>? </i><i>Why </i><i>go </i><i>to </i><i>such </i><i>cruel </i><i>lengths </i><i>to </i><i>destroy </i><i>me</i><i>?! </i>


    She snapped out of her panic. The others didn¡¯t matter. What mattered now was Owen.


    She gripped his hand tightly, as if all her hope rested on him. ¡°Owen, I¡¯m not that kind of person. Paul and I broke up already. I have the right to date someone else, don¡¯t I?¡±


    She was trying to say she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong¡ªat least not morally.


    Owen said nothing, just kept dragging her toward the exit.


    Once they were in the car, he started the engine, his tone grim. ¡°Does Paul know you¡¯re seeing Morgan?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s hands clenched tightly in herp. Her eyes darted away.


    She didn¡¯t know how to answer.


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 Daghter 358

    hapter 358 Scandal on the Brink


    Elsie was practically seething inside. She could¡¯ve managed both men perfectly¨Cif not for that damn paparazzo.


    Why hadn¡¯t he ckmailed her directly? Why go behind her back and approach Owen?


    <i>How </i><i>am </i><i>I </i>supposed <i>to </i><i>exin </i><i>my </i><i>way </i><i>out </i>of <i>this </i><i>now</i><i>? </i>


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    But Owen didn¡¯t have time to dwell on her expression. He nced at her as he turned the wheel, assuming her stunned look was just embarrassment.


    He warned, ¡°Don¡¯t let Paul find out about this. You two just broke up¨Cnot long enough for him to believe anything else. With his temper, he¡¯ll assume you cheated.¡±


    Elsie had dodged a bullet¨Cfor now. But it felt like there was a de hanging over her neck.


    Because Paul already knew.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that she¡¯d slept with Morgan. But if the paparazzi leaked the footage, she¡¯d be finished.


    Tears welled in Elsie¡¯s eyes as she clutched Owen¡¯s sleeve, voice trembling with sorrow. ¡°Owen, please help me. Mr. Morgan came on so strong. I¡­ I didn¡¯t know how to say no¡­¡±


    Owen exploded. ¡°That bastard forced you?!¡±


    Elsie just kept crying.


    Owen mmed his fist on the steering wheel. ¡°If we hadn¡¯t been in such a rush to arrange Yunice¡¯s engagement, we never would¡¯ve crossed paths with that lunatic! He¡¯s doing this out of spite over the canceled marriage. He¡¯s using you to get revenge. He¡¯s not to be trusted. Once we clean this up, stay away from him.¡±


    Elsie nodded quickly, all wide¨Ceyed obedience.


    Back at the Saunders estate, Owen ignored Lily, who was sitting in the living room, and took Elsie straight to the study.


    The fewer people who knew about this, the better. He didn¡¯t n to tell Lily anything.


    Once the door closed, Elsie sat down and opened the email from the paparazzi. The moment she saw the files, her legs nearly gave out.


    She¡¯d known the pictures might be bad¨Cbut she hadn¡¯t expected them to be this graphic.


    Her voice trembled. ¡°Owen, this is fake. It has to be. This is a malicious edit, I swear! I would never¡­ I couldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    She wanted to crawl into a hole.


    Thankfully, she¡¯d always yed her role well. In Owen¡¯s eyes, she had a strong moralpass.


    That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t believed the woman in those explicit photos could be Elsie¨Cand why he dragged her home to confirm.


    Her grades were always excellent. Her professors praised her constantly. The report even imed she faked her academic credentials, but Owen dismissed that outright.


    Now that he had her confirmation, he was furious. ¡°Then we¡¯ll sue them!¡±


    Elsie panicked. ¡°No!¡±


    Owen looked over, confused, as she burst into tears. ¡°Have you forgotten what happened to Yunice when she got doxxed online? The inte is brutal, Owen. If this leak spreads, even if it¡¯s fake, my reputation will be destroyed¡­ I might as well disappear.¡±


    Her voice dropped into a hopeless whisper. ¡°I should just find somewhere quiet and end it.¡±


    <b>3:34 </b>


    Chapter 358 Scandal on the Brink


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    If money were that easy toe by, Owen wouldn¡¯t be sweating.


    What little savings he had left had already gone into plugging the hospital¡¯s financial holes. The family hadn¡¯t brought in ie for months.


    A million? He couldn¡¯t even scrape together half that.


    Elsie copsed against the desk, sobbing quietly.


    Owen¡¯s head throbbed. Thest time she cried, he¡¯d warned her he¡¯d p her if she did it again.


    And now, here they were. Another crisis.


    She kept her sobs muffled, and he was too agitated to yell. After all, this wasn¡¯t entirely her fault.


    They were siblings. If Elsie¡¯s name got dragged through the mud, the entire Saunders family would go down with her.


    He sat down with a grim face. ¡°Stop crying. I¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    At that, Elsie wiped her tears and asked softly. ¡°Owen..¡­.. do you think Yunice might be behind this? Why else would Morgan suddenly start hitting on me, and then paparazzi just happen to be right there filming us¡­?¡±


    She wanted to redirect the me to Yunice.


    But Owen shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not her. Morgan¡¯s never been a decent guy. I should¡¯ve never considered marrying Yunice off to him. He¡¯s barely human.¡±


    Elsie was irritated. He was ming Morgan¨Cbut not Yunice?


    Yunice was his real sister. No matter how horrible she got, Owen would always feel something for her.


    But Elsie couldn¡¯t swallow it. She was convinced Yunice had orchestrated the whole thing.


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 Daghter 359

    Chapter 359 Smoke and Schemes


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    Owen might¡¯ve helped smooth things over today, but only Elsie knew the truth¨Cthe expos¨¦ was real. And sooner orter, it would blow up again.


    Ever since Yunice married Wyatt, her own luck had gone straight downhill. Meanwhile, Yunice was thriving¨Cher glow practically radiated luxury.


    If things kept going this way, Yunice would end up burying her.


    Elsie nced at Owen, who was on the phone frantically trying to scrape together money. Then she quietly stepped out and made a call of her own.


    Standing at the second¨Cfloor railing, she talked on the phone while casually watching the first floor below.


    She spotted Lily answering a call, then walking over to open the front door.


    A delivery man handed her a thick envelope.


    Elsie raised an eyebrow, curious. Lily looked up toward the second floor cautiously.


    But since Elsie was leaning behind a column, Lily didn¡¯t see her.


    Elsie frowned. What¡¯s Mom being so sneaky about?


    Then she saw Lily do something even weirder¨Cshe didn¡¯t even open the envelope before pulling out a lighter and setting one corner of it on fire.


    But the rising smoke triggered the fire rm.


    With a yelp, Lily quickly doused the burning papers with a ss of water, tossed the soggy mess in the trash, and hurried off to the kitchen to turn off the rm.


    The second Lily was out of sight, Elsie rushed downstairs, pulled the half¨Cburned document from the trash, and unfolded it.


    The text was still legible¨Cit was a court summons.


    <i>Defamation</i><i>, </i><i>false </i><i>usation</i><i>, </i><i>malicious </i>nder¡­ The letters SAT jumped out at her. Suddenly, everything clicked.


    She remembered Yunice saying in the hospital that whoever falsely used her would be receiving a court summons.


    Which meant¡­ the person was Lily.


    Hearing Lily¡¯s footstepsing back from the kitchen, Elsie quicklyposed herself and slipped back upstairs like nothing. had happened.


    But as she turned her back to Lily, a smirk curled across her lips.


    Elsie had always thought Lily was protecting her out of favoritism. Even when she did something wrong, Lily would lie for her, cover for her, y the doting mother.


    Now she saw it clearly. Lily didn¡¯t love her¨Cshe just hated Yunice.


    Watching Yunice struggle was Lily¡¯s favorite pastime. She was jealous of her own daughter.


    The Saunders family had never been hers to manipte. Everyone in it had their own dark side. And once you were no longer useful, you ended up just like Yunice.


    In the study, Owen had finally begged and bargained his way to securing the million¨Cdor payout. He made the deal with the paparazzi, kept the evidence, and stored it safely.


    That¡¯s when Elsie¡¯s voice called from the hall.


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    Elsie¡¯s eyes were red. ¡°Word just came from the Powell family. Wyatt beat Yunice. She was rushed to the ER in the middle of the night!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Owen shot up from his chair, shock written all over his face.


    He grabbed his coat and bolted for the door.


    ¡°Which hospital?¡±


    Elsie followed closely behind. ¡°Wellinges Pharma only sponsors one hospital, it¡¯s got to be that one! Wyatt¡¯s gone too far. No matter what Yunice did, he had no right to hit her so hard she ended up hospitalized! And it¡¯s been hours¨Cwhy hasn¡¯t anyone told her family?¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression turned grim. He suddenly stopped at the door and blocked Elsie¡¯s path. ¡°You¡¯re noting. You¡¯ve caused enough troubletely. Just stay home for now.¡±


    That kind of tone had always been used on Yunice. Now<i>, </i>it was being turned on her?


    Elsie immediately picked up on it¨Cthere was a subtle shift in Owen¡¯s attitude toward her.


    ¡°I¡¯m worried about Yunice too,¡± she said quickly. ¡°And besides, you¡¯re all men. If she¡¯s really hurt, wouldn¡¯t it be better to have a woman there to look after her?¡±


    Owen hesitated, clearly moved by the reasoning.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. If she really was injured, we need to bring her home. Our family should be taking care of her.¡±


    With that, he strode out the door.


    Elsie hurried to catch up, and once they reached the hospital, Owen called Oscar and Carl toe as well.


    He had a n¨Cand this was only the beginning.


    Meanwhile, Yunice sat up in her hospital bed, a small tray table across herp as she worked on a research proposal.


    Lately, Wellinges Pharma had caught wind of a rare new infectious agent appearing overseas.


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 Daghter 360

    Chapter 360 me and Blood


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    Laurie and a group of PhDs were deep in analysis, studying the mutation process of a newly discovered infectious agent.


    They were working on targeted antivirals and vine candidates.


    Yunice had been attending Laurie¡¯s lectures for the past two weeks and had gained a lot of insight. She was nowpiling her own thoughts and proposed solutions, refining them as she wrote.


    Wanting a quiet environment, she had told Joe in advance not <i>to </i>let anyone disturb her. If she needed anything, she¡¯d press the call button herself.


    She hadn¡¯t expected thatck of supervision would open the door for Owen and Elsie to barge in just like that.


    Owen entered with long strides, his face tight with worry. He had pictured Yunice badly injured¨Cwrapped head to toe like a mummy.


    Wyatt had a reputation for being violent. Anyone who shed with him rarely walked away unscathed.


    So when he saw Yunice sitting upright, clearly alive and without visible wounds, he paused in confusion.


    Yunice had an IV drip in her hand and sat up in surprise.


    Her injuries had been kept confidential, so she was shocked they had found her.


    But the movement tugged at the deep cut along her side. It wasn¡¯t life¨Cthreatening, but the pain still felt like being sliced open again.


    Elsie noticed the grimace.


    Owen stepped forward, voice uncertain. ¡°Did Wyatt hit you<i>?</i>¡±


    He did care¨Cdeep down. He could scold Yunice all day, but if someone elseid a hand on her, especially someone like Wyatt, it would spark both anger and guilt.


    He wanted to ask if it had been a p or something worse, but the rift between them made him hold back.


    ¡°Yunice, if anything happened, you have to tell your family¡­¡± Elsie burst into tears and suddenly lunged <i>at </i>her.


    Her handnded squarely on Yunice¡¯s injured side, pressing directly on the stitches.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes red with pain and fury. ¡°Get off me!¡±


    It felt like the wound had ripped open all over again¨Cthe stabbing pain was enough to blur her vision.


    But Elsie, oblivious or pretending to be, kept pressing down. ¡°Owen was so worried when he heard you were hurt, he ran out without even putting on proper shoes. Please, Yunice, just listen to him. Leave that monster Wyatt ande home¨Cyou won¡¯t have to suffer anymore¡­¡±


    Sweat soaked Yunice¡¯s back <b>as </b>the pain drained every ounce of her strength. Her vision flickered between ck and white.


    ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t be so hard on Owen. If you¡¯re angry, take it out on me. He really does care about you. Everything you go through weighs on him. I hate seeing you fight with the family like this. I hate seeing Owen suffer because of it¡­¡±


    Elsie kept rambling, pretending to be the voice ofpassion.


    And Owen¨Cidiot that he was¨Cstood there doing nothing, even <b>as </b>Yunice¡¯s face turned ghostly pale.


    Yunice couldn¡¯t summon the strength to push Elsie off. So instead, she grabbed Elsie¡¯s wrist and, with thest of her energy, sank her teeth into Elsie¡¯s shoulder.


    It happened so fast, no one reacted in time.


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    Chapter 360 me and Blood


    But the harder he pulled, the more Yunice mped down.


    Finally, in desperation, Owen braced his hand against Yunice¡¯s shoulder and shoved her away.


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    The metal IV stand ttered to the floor. The needle in Yunice¡¯s hand ripped free, and a thin stream of blood snaked down her fingers in a vivid red line.


    Owen pulled Elsie¡¯s cor aside and saw the bite: a raw, angry imprint¨Calready bleeding through her shirt.


    She¡¯d been bitten hard. If he hadn¡¯t stepped in, Yunice might¡¯ve taken a chunk out of her.


    Owen turned and red at Yunice, furious. ¡°What could she possibly have done to deserve this?!¡±


    Yunice braced herself on the mattress, gasping for breath. She nced toward the call button and reached for it.


    Owen, faster, yanked it away.


    ¡°You better give me a reason,¡± he said sharply. ¡°Why¡¯d you bite her?¡±


    ¡°Because she couldn¡¯t keep her filthy hands to herself,¡± Yunice snapped.


    Owen was about ready to explode. ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable. Wyatt already hit you, and you think he¡¯s still going to protect you<i>?</i><i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Where did you hear that?¡± Yunice narrowed her eyes. ¡°Who said he hit me?¡±


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 Daghter 361

    Elsie wept. ¡°Yunice, stop being stubborn. Owen¡¯s only trying to help you.¡±


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    Owen snapped. ¡°You always put up a front like you¡¯re strong, but you¡¯re nothing but a bully behind closed doors. If you had the guts to bite someone, why didn¡¯t you bite Wyatt when he hit you?¡±


    He was convinced Wyatt had lost patience with Yunice. Now, Owen was set on dragging her back to the Saunders family.


    ¡°Get up. You¡¯reing home with me.¡±


    He grabbed her by the arm, trying to pull her out of bed.


    Yunice screamed and fought him off. ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    ¡°Owen, help me tie her down,¡± he said, pressing her to the bed. ¡°You¡¯vepletely lost it. You need to go back to the psych ward. Once you learn how to behave, then you cane back.¡±


    Elsie rushed over, grabbed the IV tubing, and began wrapping it around Yunice¡¯s wrists.


    The two of them were actually trying to restrain her and send her back to a psychiatric facility.


    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    A sharp voice cut through the chaos behind them. The moment Owen heard it, he froze.


    He turned and saw Carl and Oscar standing in the doorway.


    Owen shifted to the side, revealing Yunice behind him.


    Her hair was a mess, her wrists tied with IV tubing. She¡¯d copsed to her knees on the hospital bed, her gown disheveled from the struggle.


    Her eyes were red with humiliation, but she refused to shed a single tear.


    The sight made Oscar snap. He let out a furious yell, lunged forward, and grabbed Owen by the cor¨Cthen mmed him to the floor.


    Elsie didn¡¯t even have time to react before Oscar turned and kicked her hard, sending her sprawling to the ground.


    Then he ripped off his jacket and gently draped it over Yunice¡¯s shoulders.


    He knelt down and began untying the IV tubing from her wrists. It had been wrapped so tightly, it had sunk into her skin.


    Yunice looked at Oscar silently, her throat tightening. At least <i>someone </i>still <i>stands </i><i>up </i><b>for </b><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    Carl didn¡¯t move, but his mere presence was overwhelming.


    His <b>gaze </b></divnded on Owen like a death sentence.


    Despite Carl¡¯s long¨Cstanding friendship with the Saunders family, he was a man even Wyatt treated with respect. His fury <b>wasn¡¯t </b>something Owen could handle.


    Owen didn¡¯t dare look Carl in the eye, but he refused to back downpletely. He had to exin himself.


    ¡°Mr. Carl, it¡¯s not what it looks like! Wyatt¡¯s the one who hit Yunice. I was just trying to take her home because I was worried


    about her!<b>¡± </b>


    <b>As </b>expected, his words shifted the focus. Oscar and Carl¡¯s faces both changed.


    ¡°Wyatt hit Yunice?¡±


    Owen straightened his back, his voice righteous. ¡°Why else would she be in the hospital? Why do you think I¡¯m here?¡±


    At that moment, Joe¨Cthe nurse responsible for Yunice¨Cfinally heard themotion from her room.


    <b>8:36 </b>PM


    Chapter 361 Torn Open


    He came rushing over, but when he saw the scene inside, he froze at the door.


    ¡°Holy crap¡­ this is bad,¡± he muttered, turning and running off to notify Wyatt.


    +8 Pearls


    Back inside, Carl¡¯s eyes narrowed. He turned to Yunice, fists clenched behind his back. ¡°Did Wyatty a hand on you?¡±


    Yunice shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Owen erupted. ¡°You¡¯re insane! He beat you so badly you ended up here and you¡¯re still defending him? You think you¡¯re his great love or something? One of these days he¡¯s going to beat you to death and no one in your family will even know!¡±


    Yunice looked at him. ¡°So you brought Elsie here to protect me?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Owen replied.


    Then he turned to the others and started ranting again. ¡°And this is how she thanks us. She bit Elsie for no reason, didn¡¯t even try to exin herself!¡±


    He pulled Elsie forward, presenting her like evidence. ¡°Look what she did to her. Does that look like something a sane person would do to someone who <b>cares </b>about her?¡± would


    Elsie let her robe slip slightly, revealing the bite on her pale shoulder¨Ca deep, purplish¨Cred imprint.


    Clearly, it hadn¡¯t been a gentle nibble.


    Oscar stood abruptly, cing himself protectively in front of Yunice.


    Elsie cast a sorrowful nce at Carl, eyes shimmering with unspoken appeal.


    She knew Carl never liked her. But if this wound could earn his sympathy, maybe it would finally change his opinion.


    Carl furrowed his brow and replied coldly, ¡°<b>If </b>you know you¡¯re not wee, why show up and hang around someone who¡¯s sick? You deserved to get bitten.¡±


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    Chapter 362 Who Really Stands With Me


    Elsie¡¯s eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t believe a man with a warm 98.6¨Cdegree body could say something that cold.


    <i>Where¡¯s </i><i>Carl¡¯s </i><i>legendary </i><iposure</i><i>? </i>


    Even Owen couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He snapped,


    ¡°Mr. Carl, Elsie¡¯s the victim here. Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being unfair?¡±


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    Carl shot back, ¡°<b>Use </b>your brain for once. Her father killed your father. She¡¯s the daughter of your enemy. You might choose to turn a blind eye, but do you really expect Yunice to? A person like her should beying low at home, not strutting around in front of people who despise her. Is she here to unt that, as a murderer¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s been forgiven by the victim¡¯s family and is living <i>a </i>good life?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen¡¯s frustration boiled over. ¡°Mr. Carl, her father made the mistake, not her. You can¡¯t punish the whole family for one person¡¯s crime!¡±


    Carl jabbed a finger at him. ¡°If <b>I </b>were your father, I would¡¯ve beaten you to death myself!¡±


    Owen¡¯s face drained of color. He mmed up under Carl¡¯s scolding.


    Behind him, Elsie tugged at his sleeve. Their eyes met¨Cboth of them looking like they¡¯d been wronged, both wearing the same pitiful expression.


    Yunice looked up. She could see Owen wasn¡¯t the least bit sorry.


    And she wasn¡¯t about to let them off the hook with just a few angry words.


    She turned to Oscar and said calmly, ¡°Oscar, can you get Mr. Carl a chair?¡±


    Oscar blinked, then finally got the message and hurried to fetch one.


    The moment Carl <b>sat </b>down, Owen¡¯s <b>face </b>twisted. <i>He¡¯s </i><i>settling </i><b><i>in</i></b><i>? </i><i>He¡¯s </i><b><i>not </i></b><b><i>leaving</i></b><i>? </i>


    Yunice shifted slowly, propping herself up in bed. She looked straight at Owen. ¡°You said you came to stand up for me. So how exactly do you n to do that?¡±


    Owen replied, ¡°By bringing you back to the Saunders family, of course<b>. </b>So we can take care <b>of </b>you properly.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°That¡¯s funny. Because before Mr. Carl arrived, you weren¡¯t saying anything about taking <b>care </b>of me. You said you were going to throw me back in the psych ward. Said you¡¯d let me out once I ¡®learned to behave<b>.</b>¡±


    Owen <b>was </b><b>briefly </b>speechless, then quickly said, ¡°I only said that <b>because </b>you bit Elsie. I was angry. But seriously, you need to get your head checked. I don¡¯t think your mental <b>issues </b><b>ever </b>got better. You¡¯re always stirring up trouble, <b>always </b>violent. <b>Just </b><b>ask </b>Elsie¨Chow many injuries has she gotten because <b>of </b>you?¡±


    <b>Oscar </b>had heard enough. He stepped forward and pointed at Owen. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>care about your <b>sister</b>? Well, I <b>care </b>about mine<b>. </b>If she did something wrong, then <b>say </b>it. Bring us all here<b>, </b><by </b>out the <b>facts</b><b>. </b>If she has mental <b>issues</b><b>, </b>fine<b>¨C</b><b>we¡¯ll </b><b>get </b>it checked out. But who <b>gave </b>you the right to tie <b>her </b>up? Who <b>gave </b>you the right to restrain <b>her</b><b>? </b>I¡¯m her big brother. Who the hell are <b>you </b>to decide how she¡¯s <b>treated</b>?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen bristled under the criticism. ¡°What <b>are </b><b>you </b>saying, <b>Oscar</b><b>? </b><b>Your </b><b>sister</b><b>, </b>my <b>sister</b><b>¨C</b>Yunice is my <b>sister </b>too. Why would I <b>want </b>to hurt her<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>Oscar </b>exploded. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tie <b>up </b>that illegitimate <b>sister </b>of yours with IV tubing?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Watch <b>your </b>mouth, <b>Oscar</b><b>! </b>What do you <b>mean</b>, ¡®<b>illegitimate</b><b>¡®</b><b>?!</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Then how about <b>you </b>define ¡®mental illness<b>¡®</b><b>? </b>You know <b>better </b><b>than </b>anyone whether Yunice <b>ever </b>had any. Don¡¯t <b>act </b><b>like </b>you


    don¡¯t<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to hear them go on<b>. </b><b>She </b>gently <b>patted </b><b>Oscar¡¯s </b>arm, and he <b>fell </b>silent.


    She looked at Owen again and asked in an <b>even </b>tone, ¡°Let me ask again. You said you came to stand up for me. Is that really all it means¨Cjust taking me home?¡±


    <b>8:36 </b>PM


    Chapter 362 Who Really Stands With Me


    Owen countered, ¡°What else do


    you


    want?¡±


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    Yunice replied, ¡°You don¡¯t n on helping me get justice?¡±


    Oscar chimed in. ¡°Yeah, funny how you go all out defending your little stray sister, but when it¡¯s my sister who¡¯s hurt, suddenly you¡¯re out of steam?¡±


    That hit a nerve. Owen snapped back at Oscar. ¡°You talk a big game, but where were you? I didn¡¯t see you doing anything to stand up for her.¡±


    Wyatt had supposedly hit Yunice. Was Oscar really nning to go toe¨Cto¨Ctoe with him?


    Oscar didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°And who said I won¡¯t stand up for her? When Wyatt gets here, however he hit Yunice, I¡¯ll return the favor -blow for blow. You in or not?¡±


    Owen nced nervously at Carl, then answered stiffly, ¡°You think I¡¯m afraid?¡±


    After all, Carl was here. Wyatt wouldn¡¯t dare go too far.


    Yunice looked at Owen again. ¡°<b>Is </b>that how it is with everyone who¡¯s hurt me? You¡¯ll get back at all of them?¡±


    Owen frowned ¡°Who else hurt you?¡±


    Without a word, Yunice slowly lifted the nket off herp.


    Everyone assumed she was about to get out of bed.


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 Daghter 363

    Chapter 363 Blood and me


    +8 Pearls


    Oscar <b>was </b>the first to catch the sharp scent of blood. He looked down¨Cand saw that Yunice¡¯s hospital gown <b>was </b>soaked red.


    Owen turned <b>as </b>well, and his face went nk with confusion.


    What¡¯s <i>going </i>on<i>? </i><i>Where¡¯s </i><i>all </i><i>that </i><i>blood </i><iing </i><i>from</i><i>? </i>


    Oscar and Carl both went pale. One jumped forward, panicked, while the other rushed to press the call button.


    But it didn¡¯t work.


    Oscar looked down and realized the cord had been yanked out.


    He turned his head sharply toward Owen. ¡°Who did this?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen avoided his


    eyes.


    But everyone knew.


    Oscar clenched the snapped cord in his fist, his voice shaking with rage. ¡°So when Yunice tried to call for help, you bastards made sure she couldn¡¯t!<b>¡± </b>


    Q


    He threw the cord in Owen¡¯s face.


    Owen muttered weakly, ¡°She never said she was hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°Her face was white as a sheet! You couldn¡¯t <b>see </b>that? You couldn¡¯t ask? No, you were too busy covering your own ass to let anyone in and find out what really happened!¡±


    Carl growled, ¡°Get the doctor. Now.¡±


    He stepped up to Yunice¡¯s bedside, taking Oscar¡¯s ce. ¡°How did you get hurt?¡±


    Owen scoffed from behind. ¡°Seriously? We already said¨CWyatt hit her. Why else would she be in the hospital?¡±


    But Yunice pointed to Elsie. ¡°She did it.¡±


    ¡°She knew I had surgery right here, and she still pressed on the wound over and over. It hurt so bad I couldn¡¯t take it. When she wouldn¡¯t stop, I bit her.¡±


    Elsie let out a loud cry. ¡°Yunice! Don¡¯t lie in front of Mr. Carl¨CI didn¡¯t touch your injury!¡±


    Owen jumped in too. That¡¯s right. Even I didn¡¯t know where you were hurt. How could she press it exactly? <b>If </b>it happened, it <b>was </b>an ident. You didn¡¯t even say anything.¡±


    Yunice answered calmly, ¡°Let¡¯s hope that next time you¡¯re in a hospital bed, someone jabs your wound. I hope you¡¯re able to scream for help.¡±


    Owen had noeback.


    Yunice went on. ¡°And you <b>say </b>she didn¡¯t know where <b>I </b>was hurt¨Cthen why did youe to the hospital at all? Who told you I <b>was </b>injured? Didn¡¯t that person mention where the injury was<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen hesitated.


    He looked <b>at </b>Elsie. She was the one who¡¯d told him Yunice had been hurt.


    Elsie stammered, ¡°A friend from work told me<b>. </b><b>I </b><b>passed </b>it along to Owen right away.¡±


    Yunice narrowed her <b>eyes</b>. ¡°What friend? Got <b>a </b>name? A number? Let me see some proof. Don¡¯te crying to meter about being falsely used. You hit the one and only injury I have<b>¨C</b>what a coincidence, huh<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    With Carl on her side, Yunice had no fear of Owen defending Elsie.


    <b>7:31 </b>PM


    Chapter 363 Blood and me


    Elsie hesitated, and Carl¡¯s voice dropped low. ¡°Show me your call log.¡±


    Elsie clutched her phone behind her back. ¡°I won¡¯t betray a friend like that.¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re not betraying her. You¡¯re protecting yourself.¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Owen tried to smooth things over. ¡°Yunice, you¡¯re being unreasonable. It was a mistake. There¡¯s no need to push her this hard.¡±


    Yunice turned her gaze to him, voice cold. ¡°Do you know the difference between a true saint and a fake one? A real one says, You¡¯re hurting¨Clet me take the pain for you. A fake one says, ¡®Life¡¯s hard for everyone¨Cjust suck it up and move on. So which one are you?¡±


    Owen nced uneasily at Carl. He thought Yunice was being too harsh.


    Just then, Oscar returned¨Cwith Joe in tow.


    Joe carried a tray of bandages and supplies. He pulled the curtain around the bed to block the others from view and began dressing Yunice¡¯s wound in private.


    The rest stayed outside, where the argument continued.


    Oscar yanked the phone out of Elsie¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s see if this ¡®friend¡® even <b>exists</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Owen stepped in. ¡°Hey! Can you at least try not to be a brute?¡±


    Oscar shoved him aside with his shoulder. ¡°You were all about brute force when you were tying Yunice up. Don¡¯t preach to me now.¡±


    Using facial recognition, Oscar unlocked Elsie¡¯s phone and called thest dialed number.


    The line connected.


    Just as Elsie opened her mouth to speak, Oscar mped a hand over it.


    A woman¡¯s voice came through the phone. ¡°Ms. Elsie, I was right, wasn¡¯t I? Now that it¡¯s confirmed, can you send me the mone

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    Chapter 364 Truth Carved in Flesh


    Oscar spoke into the phone. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    The voice on the other end froze.


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    Oscar expected her to hang up, so he quickly added, ¡°I already have your full info. If you hang up, Wyatt will find you in minutes. You don¡¯t want to die, do you?¡±


    That name worked like a knife to the throat. The woman immediately caved, voice trembling. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, I swear! I just heard Ms. Yunice was in the hospital and told Ms. Elsie. She told me to keep her updated and said she¡¯d pay me¡­¡±


    Oscar kept pushing. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    She didn¡¯t dare cross Wyatt and spilled it all. ¡°I¡¯m one of the housemaids at Mr. Paul¡¯s estate. My name¡¯s Peter.¡±


    Oscar ended the call, tossed the phone back at Elsie, and said, ¡°You bribed someone for intel and lied through your


    Elsie lowered her head, eyes darting nervously. Tears streamed down her face.


    teeth.¡±


    Owen jumped in, defending her. ¡°Elsie only did that because she was worried about Yunice! And the maid said it herself¨Cshe didn¡¯t even know what part of Yunice was hurt. How could Elsie know where to press? I think Yunice staged the whole thing to frame her! We all know how much she hates Elsie. She¡¯s totally capable of this! And she¡¯s always had a high pain threshold. She didn¡¯t even flinch when her internal organs were injured. This cut is nothing. She just sshed some blood around, and you all bought it. Just proves how easy it is for her to manipte people.¡±


    Oscar stormed forward and kicked Owen to the ground ¡°Shut the hell up!¡±


    That was when Wyatt finally burst into the room.


    He took one look around, didn¡¯t even break stride, and swept open the privacy curtain to check on Yunice.


    Joe had just finished treating her wound, but the blood on her gown was enough to turn Wyatt¡¯s eyes cold.


    ¡°Who did this?¡± he asked, his voice low.


    Yunice answered, ¡°Elsie.¡±


    Without another word, Wyatt flung the curtain aside, stepped out¨Cand pped Elsie so hard she hit the floor.


    A grown man¡¯s full¨Cforce p. Her cheek instantly swelled.


    Elsiey there, dazed for nearly half a minute, unable to even blink.


    Owen stood frozen in shock. It took him a long moment to stammer out, ¡°Wyatt, that¡¯s going too far!¡±


    Wyatt scoffed. ¡°Since when have I ever imed to be reasonable?¡±


    Owen growled, ¡°Wyatt, Mr. Carl is right here. Show some respect.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes swept the room, his presence radiating power. ¡°I¡¯m standing up for my wife. Got a problem with that?¡±


    Carl¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. He didn¡¯t lift a finger to help Owen.


    Owen¡¯s face twisted again and again, until he tried to redirect the me. ¡°Wyatt, admit it¨CYunice got hurt because you hit


    her!¡±


    Yunice stepped out from behind the curtain. ¡°It wasn¡¯t him.¡±


    Wyatt looked over, gaze still stormy. When she moved toward him, he met her halfway so she wouldn¡¯t have to walk too far.


    Joe stepped out as well, addressing Carl directly. ¡°Mr. Carl, I¡¯m Yunice¡¯s attending physician. I need to clear this up¨CYunice¡¯s injury was from abdominal surgery.¡±


    C


    C


    Chapter 364 Truth Carved in Flesh


    <b>Oscar¡¯s </b>brows furrowed. ¡°Surgery? Why?¡±


    Joe nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the right question.¡±


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°Ever <b>since </b>Yunice came back from the psychiatric facility, I¡¯ve been overseeing her health. Mr. Carl, Mr. Oscar, <b>I </b>know you both returned from <b>overseas </b>recently. There¡¯s a lot you might not know. Her body may look fine on the outside<b>¡ª</b>but it¡¯s been through hell.¡±


    Owen sneered. ¡°Overexaggerating much? Yunice walks around just fine every day. Still has the energy to stir up drama, going after SAT, meddling in the Saunders family, the Powell family, the Cooper family, even the Johnson family. And let¡¯s not forget Quinton¨Cword is she¡¯s in bed with him too. You expect me to believe someone that ¡®fragile<b>¡® </b>is this full of energy?¡±


    Joe ignored him and handed over a medical file.


    ¡°Here¡¯s her initial diagnostic report.¡±


    Oscar snatched it before Carl could reach. Carl might not follow the medical terms, but Oscar could read every word.


    He scanned the page line by line.


    Blunt force trauma. Internal organpression. Slow abdominal bleeding. Old electrical burn scars. Soft tissue contusions.


    This kind of injury profile didn¡¯t happen by ident. It was the kind of damage only long¨Cterm abuse could cause.


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 Daghter 365

    hapter 365 Brother in Name Only


    Oscar stood frozen. Yunice had never once mentioned any of this to him since he¡¯de back.


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    As shock, fury, and grief shifted across his <b>face</b>, Joe calmly said, ¡°We¡¯re not done. This <b>is </b>Yunice¡¯s second hospital file.¡±


    This time, Carl stepped forward and took the report. It detailed secondary abdominal trauma and internal bruising.


    Carl scanned both reports. The second injury had urred just two months after the first.


    Yunice had already returned to the Saunders family by then, and instead of recovering, she¡¯d ended up even worse off¨Cback in the hospital again.


    Carl¡¯s face darkened, veins bulging on his forehead in rage.


    Joe added coldly, ¡°This second injury happened right around the time of Yunice and Mr. Wyatt¡¯s engagement. At the time,


    Owen was forcing Yunice to marry him. She refused, and Owen kicked her so hard she ended up with serious internal damage.


    Her body was already full of old wounds. The surgery didn¡¯t go as nned, so we had to operate again once she was stable. But somehow, word got out that Mr. Wyatt had beaten her¨Cand these two twisted it into a public usation.


    Tell me, what kind of brother does that to his own sister? And you¨COwen¨Cyou¡¯ve got the nerve to get worked up over, Wyatt kicking Elsie? Haven¡¯t you done worse to your own blood?¡±


    Owen stood stunned, blindsided by the shift. He hadn¡¯t expected anyone to bring up the past, let alone all unite against him.


    He¡¯de here for Yunice¡¯s sake¨Chow did it turn into this<b>? </b>


    Feeling both wronged and resentful, Owen barked, ¡°Yunice kicked my mom first! I acted out in the moment!¡±


    Joe replied tly, ¡°And how strong do you think a girl like her really is? How strong are you? Funny how your mother walked away just fine, but Yunice ended up hospitalized.¡±


    Owen couldn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°The records are right in front of you. Yunice¡¯s injuries were serious. You had two months to help her recover, and you did nothing. She just kept getting worse. If Mr. Wyatt hadn¡¯t stepped in, she¡¯d probably be six feet under by now.


    Not only are you ungrateful, you tried to smear Wyatt¡¯s name, saying he beat her.¡±


    Wyatt looked at Yunice, unreadable.


    Yunice returned his gaze, calm and clear, then quietly reached for his hand.


    She knew exactly what he was thinking.


    This hospitalization wasn¡¯tpletely unrted to Wyatt. He hadn¡¯t actually hit her, but he had gotten rough.


    He didn¡¯t like that they were shielding him from me. It didn¡¯t sit right.


    Sensing that, Yunice gently scratched his palm, <b>a </b>silent signal.


    <i>Keep </i><b><i>calm</i></b>.


    <i>Let </i><i>her </i><i>finish </i><i>this</i><i>. </i>


    Carl nced at them, then turned his <b>gaze </b>to Owen, now hard as iron.


    ¡°As your elder, I <b>have </b><b>to </b><b>ask- </b><b>Is </b>what he said true?¡±


    Owen stiffened. ¡°This <b>is </b>all a misunderstanding. Yunice <b>isn¡¯t </b>telling the whole truth! Mr. Carl, <b>if </b>you don¡¯t believe me or Elsie<b>, </b>fine. But you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t believe my mom either<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    7:31 PM


    Chapter 365 Brother in Name Only


    ¡°Enough!¡± Carl mmed the report to the floor. He¡¯d given Owen a chance¨Cbut all he got was denial.


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°Elsie¡¯s been caught in lie after lie. She can¡¯t even keep her story straight. And still, you defend her. Look at Yunice¨Clook at the evidence. Yet you use <i>her </i>of lying?


    Who¡¯s biased now<b>? </b>


    Your family owns a hospital. You tell me¨Cif you really cared about Yunice, why did her health worsen in your <b>care</b>?


    And the psychiatric facility? Let¡¯s talk about that. Even if she had needed help, why was she hurt so badly there? Did you look into it? File aint? Do anything?


    You¡¯re not a brother¨Cyou¡¯re a goddamn disgrace.¡±


    Owen stood there pale, speechless.


    Carl turned to Yunice with a mix of guilt and sorrow in his eyes. His voice cracked. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me? If today hadn¡¯t happened, I would¡¯ve never known what those animals did to you. I wouldn¡¯t even know how to face your father.¡±


    nice


    lowered her spoke softly. ¡°He¡¯s still my brother. I didn¡¯t want him to be condemned too harshly.¡±


    eyes<b><i>. </i></b>


    Carl¡¯s throat tightened, tears threatening. He looked back at Owen, full of disappointment. ¡°Did you hear that? After everything she¡¯s been through, she¡¯s still trying to protect you. And you¨Clook at what you¡¯ve done.¡±


    He pointed. ¡°Elsie pressed directly on her wound. You think that didn¡¯t hurt?¡±


    Carl let out a breath, like he¡¯d burned through hisst shred of patience.


    ¡°This ends today. Yunice¡¯s suffering won¡¯t be ignored any longer.¡±


    Owen¡¯s face twisted. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Carl raised his head, voice cold, ¡°You said Yunice was faking it, right? Then go ahead¨Cfake it for me. Show me how someone could use pain like this to frame someone else.¡±


    Send <b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 366

    Chapter 366 A Misguided Loyalty


    Owen looked at Carl, guilt written all over his face, as if waiting for a sentence to be handed down.


    +8 Pearls


    He knew he had lost today and that things would not end well for him, but he still said, ¡°It was all me. It had nothing to do with Elsie. Carl, if you want to punish someone, punish me.¡±


    Yunice kept her head down, her eyes focused on her nose, her nose on her heart. At a time like this, Owen was still thinking about protecting Elsie. Maybe he really did care for her, cared enough to defend her more fiercely than anyone else in the Saunders family.


    Oscar snorted. ¡°What an idiot.¡±


    Carl¡¯s expression darkened. He said nothing for a long time. Then, after a heavy pause, he spoke lightly, ¡°Leave.¡±


    His words left everyone stunned.


    He was just letting them go?


    Oscar leaned over and nced at Yunice. They couldn¡¯t just let it go like this! But neither Yunice nor Wyatt said a word.


    Oscar was furious but also knew the situation had been decided. No matter what he said now, it would be useless.


    Owen, meanwhile, was so shocked that he let out a sigh of relief. Gratitude filled his eyes as he bowed to Carl and said, ¡°Thank you, Carl.¡±


    He quickly dragged a dazed Elsie out of the hospital, as if afraid Carl would change his mind.


    Owen thought Carl must still have some affection left for old times¡® sake. After all, Owen was the son of his sworn brother. Even if Carl was backing Yunice now, he wouldn¡¯t go too far.


    Once they were out of sight, Owen finally calmed down.


    He stopped walking.


    Elsie, her face swollen like a pig¡¯s head, looked at him in fear.


    Owen stared at her for a long, long time. ¡°Why did you press on Yunice¡¯s wound?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyebrows twisted up, and she looked like she was about to cry.


    A crisp pnded on the other side of her face.


    Owen didn¡¯t use much force; it was meant to shock her more than hurt her.


    It was the first time he had ever hit Elsie


    anymore.


    ¡ª


    a sign that he was serious and had no intention of listening to her prettied¨Cup lies


    He calmly asked again, ¡°Why did you press on Yunice¡¯s wound?¡±


    Covering her face, Elsie stammered in fear, ¡°I really didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s say I believe you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Then tell me why were you asking about Yunice? Why were you contacting the Powell family¡¯s servants? Why did you lie in public? Even Carl didn¡¯t know Yunice was in the hospital, yet you knew. What were you nning?¡±


    Elsie shook her head. ¡°Owen, I really do care about Yunice. I was afraid she would be mistreated, so I asked the Powell family¡¯s servants to help me find out what was going on! The Cooper family is so tightly guarded that there was no way for news to get out. I was worried Yunice didn¡¯t have anyone looking out for her, so I turned to the Powell family. And what good would lying do for me? If Yunice came back home, I would have to give up my room for her. Share your and Mom¡¯s love with her. I could have just refused to let here back!¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression twisted, as if he wanted to believe her.


    Chapter 366 A Misguided Loyalty


    +8 Pearls


    But the real problem was, even if Yunice did return to the Saunders family, she wouldn¡¯t take away his or his mother¡¯s love, nor would she steal Elsie¡¯s room.


    That was just what Owen imagined he would do.


    In reality, just a few words from Elsie and Lily could make him turn on Yunice, striking and scolding her without a second thought.


    Elsie bit her lip, holding back her sobs. She was already full of resentment. She had truly believed Wyatt would lose interest\ after hurting Yunice and leave her alone. Who could have guessed the information she bought was wrong and ended up ruining her instead?


    Now, even Owen didn¡¯t fully trust her anymore.


    Although Owen didn¡¯t me her outright, he still warned, ¡°From now on, focus on your studies and your job. Stay away from anyone who¡¯s not good for your future. You¡¯ve been making too many wavestely.¡±


    Elsie quickly grabbed Owen¡¯s arm, coaxing him, ¡°Owen, I made you upset today. When we get home, I¡¯ll make you some sweet rice wine.¡±


    Owen frowned the moment he heard that.


    Back then, whenever he was upset, it was Yunice who made him sweet rice wine.


    Thinking about the things Yunice said to Carl today, that faint prick of guilt started to ferment again in Owen¡¯s chest.


    If Elsie hadn¡¯t stirred up so much trouble, maybe he could have made peace with Yunice.


    He stopped walking and said to Elsie, ¡°You go home first. I¡¯m going to walk for a bit.¡±


    He was going to make some sweet rice wine and bring it to Yunice.


    After all, she was injured now. As her older brother, he naturally needed to show he cared.


    Everything before was just a misunderstanding. Now that everything had beenid out clearly, there was no need to keep fighting.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 367

    Chapter 367 The Knife That Changed Everything


    ¡°Owen¡­¡± A look of jealousy shed across Elsie¡¯s <b>face</b>. She couldn¡¯t let Owen go back to Yunice¡¯s side.


    She had to make him stay.


    Just then, a few thugs swaggered toward Owen, twirling butterfly knives in their hands.


    +8 Pearls


    Owen immediately sensed they were after him and instinctively stepped back. But the men followed himzily, saying, ¡°Buddy, you know you gotta pay when you y. You didn¡¯t really think you could do bad things and not pay the price, did you?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°Were you sent by Wyatt? Or Carl?¡±


    hai <b><i>No </i></b>


    ¨C


    <i>Carl </i><i>had already </i><i>said </i><i>he </i><i>forgave </i><i>him</i><i>. </i><i>He </i><i>wouldn¡¯t </i><i>go </i><i>back </i>on his <i>word</i>. <i>It </i><i>had </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>Wyatt</i><b><i>. </i></b>


    The men didn¡¯t answer. Instead, with the clear intent to end things quickly, one of them flipped the butterfly knife in his hand and lunged straight at Owen.


    Caught off guard, Owen could only retreat again and again.


    At that moment, a figure suddenly stepped in front of him. ¡°Owen!¡±


    Elsie¡¯s voice caught in her thro Owen stood behind her, wide¨Ceyed, as he watched the butterfly knife get pulled out of


    Elsie¡¯s abdomen.


    The attacker frowned and cursed under his breath before turning and walking away.


    Elsie¡¯s body went limp and copsed into Owen¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Elsie¡­ you, you idiot, why would you take the knife for me¡­¡± Owen pressed his hands against the bleeding wound.


    Thinking<ol><li>b. <i>how </i>he had just used her earlier, guilt and fear that Elsie might not survive/overwhelmed him.</li></ol>


    Elsie


    by taking the knife for him, Owen would always stand by her side from now on.


    Through her tears, she smiled and said, ¡°Owen is the most important person in Elsie¡¯s life. Owen gave Elsie a home. If you were gone, Elsie¡¯s home would be gone too. So if someone had to die, I wanted it to be me.¡± As she spoke, her hand fell limp.


    Owen was on th


    verge of breaking down. He felt like a criminal.


    Stiff and stumbling, he picked up Elsie and rushed her back into the hospital they had just left.


    As he ran, he kept trying tofort her. ¡°Elsie, you¡¯re gonna be okay. I¡¯m not gonna let anything happen to you! Hang in there!¡±


    At that moment, Yunice, who was walking with Wyatt after seeing Carl off, happened to witness the <b>scene</b>.


    Owen was holding a bleeding Elsie, frantically searching for the emergency room.


    He shouted at the top of his lungs in the hospital lobby, and when he spotted the emergency room behind Yunice, he charged straight for it<b>, </b>still carrying Elsie.


    <b>As </b>he rushed past Yunice, he barked angrily, ¡°Move<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt quickly pulled Yunice to his side to avoid being knocked over.


    Yunice looked stunned, ncing back at Wyatt and Carl.


    What on earth had happened to Elsie<b>? </b>


    Carl clearly had no intention of getting involved in Owen and Elsie¡¯s <b>mess </b>anymore.


    After sending Carl off, Wyatt stayed behind to walk Yunice <b>back </b>to her hospital room.


    7:31


    Chapter 367 The Knife That Changed Everything


    Oscar ran off to <b>see </b>what was going on with Owen.


    Elsie was in surgery. Owen sat outside, staring at his blood¨Cstained hands, waiting.


    Oscar asked, ¡°Who stabbed her?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen looked up, his eyes bloodshot. ¡°Happy now? Have we paid off our debt to Yunice<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Seeing the hatred burning in Owen¡¯s eyes, Oscar felt baffled. ¡°Nutcase,¡± he muttered, losing all interest in meddling.


    +8 Pearls


    Back in the room, with no outsiders around, Wyatt leaned against the table and looked at Yunice and Joe. ¡°You two nned that?<b>¡± </b>


    Joe chuckled. ¡°Ma¡¯am taught me what to say.¡±


    Wyatt couldn¡¯t help but see Yunice in a new light. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t bother fighting back.¡±


    HE


    He <b>was </b>right. All this time, no matter how cruelly the Saunders family treated her, Yunice had quietly endured. She had neverined to anyone.


    Even when Carl became her godfather, she never sought pity. Everyone thought she was just a soft pushover.


    But only Yunice knew the truth the time hadn¡¯t been right yet.


    Carl had deep ties to the past. He still felt responsible for Will¡¯s orphan.


    And Ow


    was also Will¡¯s son.


    So even when Owen messed up, Carl would still turn a blind eye out of old loyalty.


    If she had kept relying on others for support, it would only have made people annoyed and resentful.


    That¡¯s why Yunice waited until now


    had suffered in the Saunders family.


    letting Carl see her at her most vulnerable, then having Joe recount every wrong she


    That way, once Carl¡¯s emotions reached their breaking point, he would react instinctively, throwing aside all thoughts of old bonds and brotherhood.


    Send Gifts


    228


    1

 Daghter 368

    Chapter 368 Hidden Moves


    But¡­


    Yunice asked Wyatt, ¡°Did you have anything to do with Elsie getting hurt?¡±


    Wyatt crossed his arms. ¡°I can deal with others, but not your family.¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Even though Yunice and the Saunders family were separated by deep hatred, blood ties were still blood ties. Wyatt could help her teach her family a lesson, but he would never actually stab them.


    After all, people¡¯s hearts were unpredictable. Wyatt didn¡¯t want to nt andmine for the future.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t exin further, but Yunice studied him thoughtfully.


    If he was thinking that far ahead, did it mean he had considered staying with her for a long time?


    Wyatt didn¡¯t avoid her gaze. Instead, he said, ¡°I really want to install a chip in your brain.¡±


    JYunice was puzzled.


    Wyatt said, ¡°That way, whenever you need me, I¡¯ll sense it right away.¡±


    Yunice seriously considered it. ¡°There are cases where chips have been installed in human brains, but since human thoughts change constantly, the chip couldn¡¯t receive correctmands. In the end, the person was tortured intomitting suicide¡­ you still want to put a chip in me?¡±


    Wyatt: <b>¡­¡­. </b>


    After teasing Wyatt, Yunice bent down to pick up the small table that had fallen to the floor.


    Wyatt took it from her casually. ¡°Go lie back down.¡±


    When Yunice stood up, Wyatt added beside her, ¡°Next time you scheme against someone, don¡¯t use such a stupid method. Your blood only makes the people who love you feel pain.¡±


    Yunice paused for a moment, then went back to lie on the bed.


    Sitting there, she thought for a long time. She felt Wyatt¡¯s words were probably meant for someone else through her.


    While Yunicey on the bed, Wyatt continued tidying up the room.


    She pulled her gaze away from him, flustered, and busied herself by putting her manuscript pages back on the small table, pretending to be hard at work.


    She ran her hand over the torn edge of one page¡­ the virus analysis she had written had been ripped.


    ¡°Wyatt,¡± Yunice called, ¡°can you look around for a missing page?¡±


    Wyatt had almost finished cleaning the room, and there wasn¡¯t any torn paper left lying around.


    Still, he checked under the bed and between the <b>cracks </b>in the desk.


    Yunice said, ¡°Someone must have taken it.¡±


    <b>It </b>couldn¡¯t have disappeared into thin air.


    Wyatt asked, ¡°What was on it?¡±


    Yunice frowned. ¡°An analysis <b>of </b>a new virus from theb.¡±


    Wellinges Pharma had <b>ess </b>to the country¡¯s <btest </b>information. This virus hadn¡¯t even been publicly disclosed yet. If Yunice¡¯s draft leaked, it could threaten Wellinges Pharma¡¯s <b>research</b>.


    Chapter 368 Hidden Moves


    + Pearls


    But the risk was low


    Yunice added quickly, ¡°I won¡¯t let anyb information leak out again.¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it. Even if someone picked it up, they wouldn¡¯t have Wellinges Pharma¡¯s technology¡±


    It wasn¡¯t arrogance ¨C it was fact.


    To ease Yunice¡¯s mind, Wyatt asked, ¡°Did you call Carl here?¡±


    If Carl hadn¡¯t shown up to hold the line, Yunice might have been dragged out of the room before anyone noticed.


    Yunice said, ¡°Owen called him. He was too clever for his own good.¡±


    ¡°I think he wanted Carl to see him caring about me, to fix his image in Carl¡¯s eyes. But then Elsie acted stupidly and ended up getting Owen in trouble.¡±


    Of course, Yunice benefited too, since it made Carlpletely give up on Owen.


    Yunice¡¯s pen doodled absentmindedly over her manuscript.


    She was thinking


    Elsie getting stabbed probably wasn¡¯t that simple. It Wyatt¡¯s people didn¡¯t do it¡­.


    Yunice remembered Carl¡¯s strange behavior. He had said he would punish Owen but then let him go.


    And not even twenty minutester, Elsie was stabbed.


    Could it have been Cart!


    If so, he was scarily good at covering his tracks, leaving no evidence behind.


    Wyatt, on the other hand, was the one getting med


    Maybe this was a warning for Wyatt.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t sure if her act with Joe could really fool Carl, but she wouldn¡¯t rule out the possibility that Carl had seen through everything.


    That evening, Joe came in to deliver Yunice¡¯s medicine and exchanged a few words with Wyatt.


    Then Wyatt left the room.


    Yunice called Joe over, ¡°Dr. Joe, has there been any news about Elsie?¡±


    Joe smiled slyly. ¡°Nothing escapes Madam¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°How is she?¡±


    Joe answered concisely, ¡°Didn¡¯t die.¡±


    Yunice snorted. ¡°She hasn¡¯t yet paid for all the evil she¡¯s done. If she died now, it¡¯d be too easy on her.¡±


    <b>Send Gifts </b>

 Daghter 369

    hapter 369 Blood for Blood


    Joe gave Yunice a thumbs¨Cup. She and Wyatt were truly on the same wavelength.


    +8 Pearls


    While Wyatt was gone, Joe took the chance to chat with Yunice. ¡°You learned your lesson this time. Next time Mr. Wyatt¡¯s in a bad mood, stay far, far away.¡±


    He nced over his shoulder to make sure no one was around, then cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered, ¡°If you ever feel like you can¡¯t take it anymore and want to run, let me know. I can help you escape.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yunice looked at him, stunned. Where did he get that idea?


    Joe said, ¡°That¡¯s how it goes in all the novels. When life gets too hard, the girl runs away oven.¡±


    He patted his chest. ¡°As a professional doctor, I can give you a hand.¡±


    sometimes even with a bun in the


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°Dr. Joe, your top priority right now should be uninstalling Tomato Novel.¡±


    Meanwhile, Wyatt had silently made his way to Elsie¡¯s hospital room.


    Owen had gone to take care of Elsie¡¯s admission paperwork. The room was empty.


    Wyatt walked in and stood at the foot of Elsie¡¯s bed, looking down at her from above.


    Elsie was just waking up from the anesthesia. Feeling a shadow looming over her, she thought it was Owen.


    She called out weakly, ¡°Owen¡­ am


    I


    dying?<b>¡± </b>


    When there was no response for a long time, Elsie opened her eyes in confusion.


    She froze for a second. Then she immediately tried to sit up. ¡°Wy¡­ Wyatt, what¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Owen! Owen!¡±


    Elsie panicked and looked toward the door, but no one <b>was </bing.


    She shrank back. ¡°Wyatt, I¡¯m


    <i>a </i>


    woman. You can¡¯t bully <i>a </i>woman!¡±


    Seeing that Wyatt didn¡¯t react, Elsie desperately cried out, ¡°Yunice¡¯s no good! Don¡¯t be fooled by her! She¡¯s used goods! What¡¯s so special about her that you have to make such a fuss<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    But before she could finish, Wyatt pressed his finger down hard on her fresh surgical wound.


    A sharp, ragged scream tore from Elsie¡¯s throat, but it quickly died out.


    The pain drained every ounce <b>of </b>strength from her body, leaving her trembling and soaked in cold sweat, unable to form a single word.


    For the first time, Elsie truly understood the kind of pain Yunice had suffered.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t lift his hand, even as Elsie passed out from the pain.


    A loud crash suddenly sounded behind him ¨C Owen had returned.


    The basin in Owen¡¯s hand hit the floor and shattered. He rushed forward, trying to pull Wyatt <b>away</b>. ¡°What are you doing<b>? </b>What the hell <b>are </b>you doing?!¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn¡¯t move Wyatt at all.


    Wyatt <b>was </b>no longer the cripple who used to be knocked over with a shove. He <b>was </b>strong enough now to protect Yunice.


    Seeing the blood soaking through Elsie¡¯s nket, Owen finally broke down. He fell to his knees, begging, ¡°Wyatt, if you have a grudge<b>, </b>take it out on me. Don¡¯t hurt her. I¡¯m the one who hurt Yunice. If you want <b>revenge</b>,e at me!¡±


    <b>7:31 </b>


    Chapter 369 Blood for Blood


    O


    0


    O


    He grabbed the fruit knife from the table. ¡°Stab me! Just don¡¯t hurt Elsie anymore!¡±


    Wyatt let out a cold snort.


    +8 Pearls


    Owen nced at the unconscious Elsie, then at the knife in his hand. As if making a decision, he suddenly turned the <b>de </b>toward himself and prepared to stab.


    Wyatt kicked the knife out of his hand with brutal precision.


    The impact sent Owen stumbling backward. When he looked up, he caught sight of Yunice standing silently at the door.


    Yunice just stood there, watching.


    Watching him sacrifice himself for Elsie. Watching him be willing to give up everything for Elsie <b>¨C </b>even his life.


    He seemed to havepletely forgotten he was the Saunders family¡¯s heir, forgotten he still had his father¡¯s hospital under his name.


    The moment Elsie suffered, he forgot it all.


    But what about Yunice? When she suffered like Elsie did, Owen had dragged her, tied her up, and tried to throw her into a mental institution.


    Their eyes met


    ¨C


    and that look said more than a thousand words.


    Owen was so good to Elsie. How could he not owe Yunice anything?


    Unable to hold her gaze, Owen looked away.


    Theplicated emotions twisting his face made his features look almost distorted.


    Finally, Wyatt lifted his hand from Elsie¡¯s body, ending her torture.


    He kicked the fallen fruit knife aside, then looked up and stared coldly at Owen. ¡°Do you feel what I¡¯m feeling right now?¡±


    Owen stood frozen, staring at Wyatt in a daze<b>. </b>


    Wyatt said, ¡°When I saw Yunice bleeding because of you, this is exactly how I felt.¡±


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t Owen, I would¡¯ve already killed you.¡± Wyatt turned away, walked to the door, and gently pulled Yunice into his arms. Together, they left.


    Send <b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 370

    Chapter 370 An Unwanted Distance


    Owen <b>sat </b>on the ground in a <b>daze </b>for a long moment, as if he finally understood what Wyatt meant.


    But soon he remembered Elsie¡¯s injuries. He scrambled up and pressed the call button, trying to <b>get </b>help for her.


    <b>He </b>had already lost one sister. He couldn¡¯t lose another.


    +8 Pearls


    Wyatt asked Yunice, ¡°Why did you run over there? Does it <b>feel </b>good to watch someone who will never love you no matter what?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice looked up at him and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you lick your own lips and see if you get poisoned?¡±


    He was too sharp¨Ctongued, always rubbing salt in her wounds.


    After suffering two harsh lessons in a row, neither Owen nor Elsie dared to bother Yunice again.


    A week of peace passed, and Y¨²nice was discharged from the hospital.


    She had missed a lot of coursework during that week, and she could already imagine the cold face Laurie would give her once she got back to theb.


    Yunice pressed the elevator button and rushed in. She moved so quickly that by the time she looked up, it was already toote.


    As the elevator rose, Yunice found herself face¨Cto¨Cface with Paul, dressed in a sharp business suit.


    Paul rarely wore formal clothes, and right now he did look a bit like a polished professional.


    But Yunice knew it was all just surface¨Clevel polish.


    ¡ª


    After a few days apart, Paul had changed mostly, he had be gloomier.


    Understandable, considering he had discovered that the woman he thought was his true love had cheated on him.


    Neither of them spoke first. <i>Afte </i>


    locking eyes briefly, they each looked away as if they were strangers.


    Yunice¡¯s floor was the top floor, so Paul got off first.


    After he stepped out, Yunice moved to stand farther away from the door.


    Paul stood outside the elevator without leaving. Just as the doors were about to close, he suddenly turned back and looked at


    Yunice.


    He asked, ¡°If one day I have money and power, would you still be with me?¡±


    Before Yunice could respond, the elevator doors shut.


    She just wanted to roll her eyes. Even now, Paul still thought she left him because he wasn¡¯t <b>sessful </b>enough?


    She despised his stupidity, but since Paul had now joined Zhou Group, she figured they would inevitably run into each other from time to time.


    Yunice arrived at theb, changed into her protective <b>gear</b>, and immediately plunged into her intense study schedule.


    Pharmaceutical research required extreme <b>focus</b>. The slightest distraction could cause major problems. The only sounds in theb <b>were </b>the faint clinks of tools being moved no one spoke..


    Not until they wrapped up <b>today¡¯s </b>project did Laurie <b>leave </b>theb to change clothes.


    She pulled off her protective <b>cap </b>and took a deep breath of fresh <b>air</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice followed behind her. <b>¡°</b><b>Ms. </b>Laurie<b>, </b>why didn¡¯t Mr. Wyatte today?¡±


    Chapter 370 An Unwanted Distance


    ¡°He has a high fever, about forty degrees. He took sick leave and went home,¡± Laurie said casually.


    ¡°That serious¡­¡± Yunice said, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on him after work.¡±


    Laurie nced at her, hesitating.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, she decided to tell her.


    +8 Pearls


    She stepped closer and said quietly, ¡°We suspect Mr. Wyatt might have been infected with a virus. He¡¯s under strict medical surveince now. You won¡¯t be able to see him.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face changed. ¡°You mean it might be contagious?¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t rule it out.¡± Laurie casually peeled off her protective suit and added, ¡°This hasn¡¯t been reported to Mr. Wyatt yet, but I¡¯m guessing he won¡¯t let you continue working in theb.¡±


    When Yunice opened her mouth to argue, Laurie immediately cut her off. ¡°If you get infected, Mr. Wyatt will get infected too. If that happens, the entire Wellinges Pharma system could copse. Is that what you want?¡±


    Laurie¡¯s words left Yunice speechless. Laurie¡®


    Half an hourter, Yunice did indeed get a call from Wyatt. He forbade her from participating in any moreb projects and asked her toe to his office.


    Laurie shrugged, as if bragging, <i>See</i>? <i>I </i><i>told </i><i>you </i><i>so</i><i>. </i>


    Feeling frustrated, Yunice headed to Wyatt¡¯s office. She had something to say.


    She sat across from his desk, speaking earnestly. ¡°I still want to participate in this research. If you¡¯re worried about safety, I can stay sealed in theb for the entire experimental phase and onlye out after it¡¯s over.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t look pleased. He tapped twice on his phone and showed Yunice a video.


    The footage was shaky, showing someone walking, the camera facing forward.


    Now and then a few passersby appeared, and it was clear from their skin tones they weren¡¯t locals.


    For miles around, there wasn¡¯t a single building in sight ¨C only a few white tents scattered across the barrennd.


    <b>Send Gifts </b>


    <b>? </b>

 Daghter 371

    Chapter 371 Sealed Off


    +8 Pearls


    The person filming ducked into the tent, and when the camera tilted up again, Yunice jolted backward, the legs of her chair scraping lightly against the floor.


    The shock hit her too hard.


    Inside the tent were a few makeshift hospital beds, each with a simple IV stand. Some patientsy on the beds, while others, with no beds avable, slumped weakly on the ground.


    They all shared the same traits ¨C barely moving, their stomachs shriveled and sunken, each inhale shallow, each exhale long.


    Their eyes were vacant and lifeless. They looked like they were already half¨Cdead.


    Wyatt took his phone back from Yunice¡¯s hand and turned off the video. ¡°These are the current test subjects from theb. Mortality rate, one hundred percent. If you still insist on going to theb, I¡¯ll shut the whole operation down and send everyone home.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Yunice almost shouted.


    Based on what she had just seen, Wellinges Pharma was undoubtedly the firstpany to secure these resources and prepare


    for the threat,


    They had toe up with a solution as quickly as possible. When the virus inevitably reached the country, not only could they minimize the national damage, but they could also maximize Wellinges Pharma¡¯s credibility.


    Theb couldn¡¯t shut down. This research had to go on.


    Wyatt used the entire research project as leverage, and Yunice had no choice but to back down.


    Still, she was clearly unhappy. Her sour mood showed all over her face as she slumped into a chair, refusing to even look at Wyatt.


    But sulking was pointless. Wyatt had no intention of letting her anywhere near theb. ¡°From this moment on, the top¨Cfloor passage is sealed. Laurie and the otherb members will stay inside full¨Ctime. Supplies will be airlifted onto the rooftop by helicopter until the project ends.¡±


    He nced sideways at Yunice, his tone final. ¡°Even if you wanted to <i>go </i>up now, you couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    No wonder he had called her to his office ¨C it was all to get her out of the way so he could seal theb.


    The frustration burning inside her grew even worse.


    Wyatt shifted his posture, resting his elbows on the desk, holding a pen in his hand like he was ready to have a serious talk.


    Anyone familiar with him would know he rarely had this much patience.


    ¨C


    Normally, if someone gave him attitude, he would either ignore them or throw them out of the room, chair and all.


    But when it came to Yunice, he always forced himself to stay calm, no matter how irritable he was.


    He said, ¡°I¡¯m short a personal assistant. Interested?¡±


    Yunice answered, ¡°No.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t cut out to <i>be </i>someone¡¯s servant.


    She had alreadypleted her enrollment at the medical university ¨C she only needed to attend required sses and take exams. She didn¡¯t have to be on campus all the time.


    Since she couldn¡¯t work at theb anymore, she said, ¡°Biting off more than I can chew doesn¡¯t help anyone. I¡¯d rather focus on running my small clinic.¡±


    7:31 PM


    Chapter 371 Sealed Off


    Wyatt drew in a long, slow breath, clearly displeased with her decision.


    +8 Pearls


    But remembering the disaster of theirst fight, he forced himself not to argue. He leaned back in his chair. ¡°Suit yourself.¡±


    Yunice saw the emotion written all over his face. She leaned forward, cing her hands lightly on his desk, and said, ¡°I have one more condition.¡±


    Wyatt was speechless.


    ¨C


    Most people would be trying to calm him down at a time like this. But not her shepletely ignored his mood and even dared to make demands.


    Treating his irritation like it didn¡¯t exist, Yunice said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay out of theb, but Laurie has to send me daily research reports


    Even if she wasn¡¯t inside theb, maybe she could still contribute ideas.


    When Wyatt didn¡¯t respond, Yunice stared straight at him. ¡°Are you agreeing or not?¡±


    As if she was certain he wouldn¡¯t lose his temper.


    After three seconds of silent staring, Wyatt gave up. What could he do?


    Yunice might look well¨Cbehaved on the surface, but when she got stubborn, she was worse than he was. After all, she had once shot him, fully confident he would still pamper her afterward.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Wyatt muttered gruffly. But when he caught a glimpse of Yunice smiling at him from across the desk, he thought maybe this wasn¡¯t so bad after all.


    The next day, Yunice reopened her clinic.


    The deli next door, run by Gill, was doing booming business. Gill was outgoing and warm, and she made sure to introduce every customer to Yunice¡¯s clinic, even making up all kinds of wild and exaggerated stories to draw people in.


    Whenever there were patients, Yunice treated them and prescribed medicine. When there weren¡¯t, she sat outside the clinic, working on reports.


    Every now and then, she also checked in on Melina.


    But she always sent things through someone else and never went herself. In Melina¡¯s mind, Lauren was supposed to be working overseas now, so it wouldn¡¯t make sense for her to visit too often.


    Lies always had a way of unraveling sooner orter. Yunice just hoped that time would slowly dull Melina¡¯s attachment so that when the truth finally came out, it would hurt a little less.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 372

    apter 372 Fighting Back


    Another week passed, and Yunice received a familiar client.


    It was Taylor.


    She looked even thinner than before, with a few traces of exhaustion on her face.


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    An imperfect marriage drained a person¡¯s spirit, and the Powell family was a vipers¡® nest to begin with. Taylor was being worn down by endless petty troubles.


    Seeing her like this made Yunice¡¯s heart ache. She wrote a prescription to boost Taylor¡¯s energy and simmered it in a y pot.


    Taylor sat beside her and exined why she hade. She said her father was sick feeling weak, and having aching joints.


    It sounded like a case of wind chill.


    But Mr. Gerardo was busy with work and had flown overseas recently, so he couldn¡¯te in for an appointment himself.


    Taylor hoped Yunice could prescribe some medicine she could have an assistant deliver to him.


    Yunice said, ¡°Symptoms described over the phone might not be urate. Does Mr. Gerardo have time for a video call? I¡¯d like to see his face.¡±


    Taylor tried calling, but because of the time difference, Mr. Gerardo didn¡¯t answer.


    Not wanting her trip to be wasted, Yunice prescribed some medicine to ease the symptoms for now. If it didn¡¯t work, they would think of another n.


    Taylor took the medicine but didn¡¯t leave right away. She looked like she wanted to say something but then stood speaking.


    She quickly left the clinic and got into her car.


    up


    without


    In the driver¡¯s seat, n turned and said, ¡°Miss.¡±


    Taylor frowned deeply, her face full of frustration.


    Her father¡¯s minor cold hadn¡¯t really warranted her rushing all the way here. She actually had another reason foring.


    She had been married to Paul for several months now, and both Jensen and Linda had been probing her about her marital rtionship with him.


    Normally, Taylor would have ignored them, but Linda had gone too far. Last time, while Paul was home, Linda had secretly drugged Taylor¡¯s water, trying to force her to seduce Paul.


    If n hadn¡¯t noticed something was wrong and rushed her to the hospital, things could have ended very badly. Even afterward, Paul had humiliated her over it, and the old man of the family had taken the opportunity to make trouble for n.


    Taylor had married into the Powell family to build her career, not to get trapped in a brutal house fight.


    She wanted to be the strong, independent woman ¨C but those parasites were determined to drag her down and bleed her dry.


    It infuriated her. Just now, she had wanted to confide in Dr. Rylie and see if there was any way she could stay alert and immune to the drugs they tried to use against her.


    But when the words were on her lips, she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to say them.


    Just as Taylor was about to wave n forward and leave, a hand covered in ckce gloves reached for her car door. ¡°Ms. Taylor, please wait.¡±


    O


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    Chapter 372 Fighting Back


    Taylor lowered the window, puzzled, and looked at Dr. Rylie.


    Beneath her baseball cap, Yunice¡¯s gaze locked steadily on her. ¡°Ms. Taylor, your body¡¯s been drained a lottely.¡±


    It took Taylor a couple of seconds to catch the meaning behind her words. Her cheeks flushed red.


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    Yunice handed her a small bottle of water. ¡°Whatever they did to you, do it back to them. The ingredients in this <b>are </b>safe and undetectable.¡±


    Taylor understood immediately ¨C Dr. Rylie had seen through everything. The embarrassment and frustration she had tried to hide werepletely exposed.


    She no longer pretended. ¡°Dr. Rylie, do you have an antidote for the stuff they used?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°You can¡¯t spend your whole life guarding against thieves. Besides, medicine still damages the body.¡±


    Taylor gripped the bottle tightly, her eyes darkening. ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t just defend. I have to fight back.¡±


    Yunice added casually, ¡°The medicine I gave you today shouldn¡¯t be taken with seafood.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s gaze sharpened ¨C she understood the hidden meaning in that warning.


    After Taylor¡¯s car drove off, Yunice returned to her clinic <b>as </b>if nothing had happened.


    But she had barely sat down when a new patient arrived.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the doctor? Who¡¯s the doctor here?<b>¡± </b>someone shouted, half¨Ccarrying another man inside.


    Yunice turned around and saw two men in business suits. The one carrying the other looked more like a construction supervisor, while the one being carried had one leg lifted awkwardly, with blood dripping down his pants.


    Yunice hurried over. ¡°I¡¯m the doctor.¡±


    Just as she spoke, the injured man abruptly lifted his head to look at her.


    Paul seemed to recognize Yunice¡¯s voice, which she hadn¡¯t disguised.


    He was staring at her, scrutinizing.


    But Yunice quickly collected herself and walked over without hesitation, rolling up Paul¡¯s pant leg as she asked, ¡°How did this happen?¡±


    Send Gifts


    Yunice froze for a moment

 Daghter 373

    F


    Chapter 373 A Brewing Storm


    The supervisor quickly exined, ¡°He <b>was </b>hit by falling rocks at the construction site.¡±


    After Paul got involved with the Northvale project, he would asionally visit the site.


    The Northvale project <b>was </b>close to Yunice¡¯s clinic, so whenever workers had minor injuries, they were often brought to her for first aid.


    Paul lowered his eyes, silently observing her every move. Yunice¡¯s sleeves weren¡¯t very long, and as she reached out, the fabric slid back halfway, revealing a section of her arm covered in burn scars. The sight was unsightly, almost sickening.


    Paul¡¯s lingering doubts finally started to fade.


    Yunice pulled her hand back. ¡°The bone¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just a surface wound. I can take care of it here.¡±


    She stood up and walked toward her toolkit. ¡°I don¡¯t have imaging equipment here, so I can¡¯t guarantee there¡¯s no hairline fracture. I¡¯ll stop the bleeding and stitch the wound, but you should still go to a big hospital afterward to get checked out. Just to be safe.¡±


    The man holding Paul quickly nodded. ¡°Stopping the bleeding is the priority.¡±


    Yunice returned with a needle and thread. Paul stared at the needle, frowning deeply. ¡°That thick?¡±


    ¡°The muscles in your leg are tight. A finer needle won¡¯t hold,¡± Yunice said as she threaded it.


    Paul grumbled, ¡°Then give me anesthesia!¡±


    The gash was long. Stitching it without anesthesia would be unbearable.


    Yunice gave him an injection, and Paul finally rxed enough for her to start stitching. But halfway through, Paul suddenly stiffened all over, gripping the chair¡¯s armrests with white knuckles. ¡°Why does it hurt so much? What kind of anesthesia is this? It wore off already!¡±


    Yunice answered calmly, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the anesthesia. You¡¯re probably just resistant to it¡­ stop moving. You want the stitches or not?¡±


    Paul was in so much pain he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He kicked Yunice¡¯s hand away. ¡°It hurts like hell! Forget it!¡±


    Yunice instinctively stepped back. As she did, the needle and thread in her hand yanked tight, pulling harshly on the fresh stitches in Paul¡¯s leg.


    A guttural scream tore from Paul¡¯s throat as his whole body convulsed, cold sweat soaking through his dress shirt.


    Paul clutched his wounded leg and red at Yunice, fury burning in his eyes. He suspected she had done it on purpose ¨C but he had no proof.


    The supervisor, seeing all this, quickly snapped, ¡°What kind of doctor are you, sewing someone up like that? Don¡¯t even think about charging us!¡±


    He immediately helped Paul up. ¡°Mr. Paul, let¡¯s go to a real hospital!¡±


    Paul limped out of the clinic, his gaze locked tightly onto Yunice.


    Something about all this didn¡¯t sit right with him.


    As Paul left the church and was about to get into the car, he noticed the bustling deli next door.


    There was a long line of customers, and a tall woman was busy behind the counter.


    Paul frowned.


    <i>Gill</i><i>? </i><b><i>Wasn¡¯t </i></b><b><i>she </i></b><i>Yunice¡¯s </ickey? <b><i>What </i></b><b><i>was </i></b><i>she </i><b><i>doing </i></b>running a deli <i>here</i><i>? </i>


    Chapter 373 A Brewing Storm


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    Gill suddenly noticed Paul¡¯s stare. She froze for a second. The moment their eyes met, she ducked her head in panic, almost trying to hide behind a <b>tray </b>of food.


    Paul let out a cold snort and got into the car.


    The moment he drove off, Gill hurried to shut down her stall, telling the crowd that everything was sold out.


    Once the people dispersed, she rushed straight into the church.


    ¡°Miss, why <b>was </b>Paul here? What if he finds out who you are?¡±


    But Yunice stayed calm. ¡°Even if he does, what can he do?¡±


    Running a clinic wasn¡¯t <b>a </b>crime.


    Wyatt knew about the church clinic too. If Paul tried to cause trouble here, it would only backfire on him.


    Yunice didn¡¯t bother worrying about Paul. She just figured he had bad luck and getting hit by falling rocks was karma.


    ¨C


    Meanwhile, back at the Powell family estate, Taylor had just returned when she heard the news about Paul¡¯s injury.


    Linda, speaking in her usual passive¨Caggressive tone, kept hinting that Taylor should go visit Paul and ¡°build their rtionship.¡±


    Taylor absentmindedly picked at her food, not nning to respond at all. But suddenly, she raised her eyebrows and stood up. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go check on him and bring him some food.¡±


    With that, she grabbed a half¨Ceaten fish off the dining table and walked out with it.


    Not long after Taylor left, Linda fanned herself lightly around her long neck. The weather today suddenly felt unusually hot¡­


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    Chapter 374 Fire Beneath the Surface


    0


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    At the Powell family estate, meals were usually taken in a family gathering unless there was a special reason otherwise.


    Linda felt hot, unbearably so, and her seductive eyes swept over the old man and Jensen as she shifted restlessly in her seat.


    It was so <i>hot</i>¡­


    The old man sat there, face nk, showing no reaction.


    Jensen, however, kept sneaking nces at the curve of Linda¡¯s exposed neck, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing heavily.


    Just then, the old man stood up with the help of his cane, his voice low and strained. ¡°Linda,e help me back to my room.¡±


    As the daughter¨Cinw, Linda often helped the old man at public events or escorted him back to his courtyard.


    He epted her service as a matter of course, but this time, Linda didn¡¯t move.


    She twisted coyly in her seat. ¡°old man, have Spring help you today. I¡¯m¡­ not feeling well.¡±


    As she spoke, she cast a deliberate nce at Jensen.


    Jensen seemed to pick up on the hint, his Adam¡¯s apple moving even more visibly.


    The old man, with his lifetime of experience, saw through the little drama instantly.


    He said nothing, just waved for Spring toe assist him back to his quarters.


    Once the old man left, Linda immediately got up, didn¡¯t even bother going back to her own room, and straddled Jensen¡¯sp, rubbing herself against him.


    Breathing heavily, she gasped, ¡°Jensen, I¡¯m so hot¡­¡±


    Jensen gripped her waist, panting as well. ¡°I feel it too¡­ don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? I think Dad was reacting too¡­¡±


    Had they been drugged?


    Linda¡¯s mind grew increasingly clouded. She reached between them, fumbling for Jensen¡¯s body with desperate need. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore. I just need to solve this now¡­¡±


    Her movements grew faster, but after a full minute of trying, Linda became frustrated ¨C Jensen showed no reaction at all.


    Her lust quickly turned to rage. Normally she might have brushed it off, but now, in the heat of the moment, it was unbearable. ¡°Jensen, are you even a man anymore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m touching you like this and you don¡¯t feel a thing!¡±


    Jensen¡¯s face turned red. He tried to stall her, coaxing, ¡°Just give me a little more time. I swear, this time I can do it¡­¡±


    But Linda yanked herself off hisp in disgust, snarling, ¡°You¡¯re wasting your breath. You¡¯re hopeless.¡±


    She stormed off, leaving Jensen alone in the dining room.


    The truth was, Jensen deeply wanted her. But ever since Wyatt had tied him up and terrorized him with a chainsaw, Jensen¡¯s function had been wrecked.


    Before, their married life had been passable ¨C barely. Linda had even worked hard to spare his pride.


    But this time, with her pent¨Cup frustration exploding, she ripped off the pretensepletely.


    It shattered Jensen¡¯s fragile self¨Cesteem.


    He tried to hold it together, but finally he snapped. He lunged at Linda, grabbed the back of her shirt, and mmed her to the ground.


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    Chapter 374 Fire Beneath the Surface


    ?


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    Linda¡¯s face went pale with fear. She hurriedly begged, ¡°Jensen, don¡¯t do this! I was just teasing you! I¡¯m sorry, okay? Ah!¡±


    With a vicious rip, Jensen tore the clothes right off her.


    Linda felt a rush of cold air against her skin, helplessly pinned to the dining room floor while Jensen vented his violent rage¡­


    Meanwhile, Taylor carried a food box to Paul¡¯s courtyard.


    Paul¡¯s leg was wrapped in thick bandages. When he saw hering, he couldn¡¯t even be bothered to greet her.


    Taylor mmed the food box down on the table like she was feeding a dog. ¡°Eat it or don¡¯t. I don¡¯t care.¡±


    Paul immediately cursed her out and mmed the door in her face without even letting her inside.


    After Taylor was thrown out, Paul even ordered the servants to toss the food into the trash.


    Taylor just sneered. She turned to the servants outside the courtyard and said, ¡°Since Paul has no appetite, don¡¯t bother sending him food today. No point wasting good food.¡±


    ¨C


    Even though she was at the Powell family estate, everyone knew Taylor was fierce and her family, the Kendall family, held ¡®serious power. If they didn¡¯t obey her, she would make their lives miserable.


    C


    Inside, Paul overheard her words and was so furious he hopped out on one leg. ¡°If you want to throw your weight around, go back to your Kendall family! This is the Powell family you don¡¯t get to act like a queen here!¡±


    The servants in the courtyard watched this hateful couple bicker and wisely kept their mouths shut.


    Just then, n rushed over and whispered something to Taylor with a grave look.


    Without a word, Taylor spun around and hurried off.


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 Daghter 375

    hapter 375 Scandals and Secrets


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    Paul leaned forward, frowning, frustrated that he couldn¡¯t catch what was happening. His curiosity gnawed at him.


    Just as he was about to send someone to investigate, a servant came running toward him in a panic. ¡°Sir, something¡¯s happened!¡±


    Paul asked sharply, ¡°What happened?¡±


    The servant hesitated, looking extremely awkward, then leaned in and whispered a few words in his ear.


    Paul¡¯s expression instantly turned sour, like he had swallowed a te of flies.


    Thinking about Taylor rushing off earlier, Paul quickly grabbed his cane and hurried toward the dining room.


    But no matter how fast he moved, he couldn¡¯t catch up to Taylor¡¯s pace.


    Taylor reached the dining room first and could already hear Linda¡¯s desperate screams from inside..


    Jn asked, ¡°Ms. Taylor, how do you want to handle this?¡±


    Jensen was already half a ruined man. Even under the influence of drugs, it was like trying to revive a eunuch


    real threat.


    But with his pride shattered, Jensen would naturally vent his rage on Linda in other ways.


    ¨C


    there was no


    Taylor said coldly, ¡°Originally, I thought about throwing the doors open and letting everyone see. But then I figured¡­ why make things harder for another woman?¡±


    After all, in situations like this, it was always the woman¡¯s reputation that was ruined, while men somehow got a free pass.


    Even though Taylor despised Linda for drugging her, as a woman, she refused to humiliate her that way.


    Standing at the door, Taylor ordered, ¡°Just say the father¨Cinw and daughter¨Cinw are fighting in the dining room. Don¡¯t let the servants interfere.¡±


    Linda just needed to learn a lesson. There was no need to make it uglier than it already was.


    n nodded and hurried off to keep the curious servants at bay.


    But just as things were settling down, Paul came hobbling up furiously on his cane. When n tried to block him, Paul didn¡¯t even ask questions he simply shoved n aside. ¡°Get out of the way!¡±


    Paul stormed over to Taylor, yelling, ¡°You¡¯re really something! Just standing here while the father¨Cinw and daughter¨Cinw fight!¡±


    Taylor gave him a look like he was an idiot and was about to say something, but Paul didn¡¯t even give her a chance. He barged forward and threw open the dining room door.


    Taylor lifted her hand halfway to stop him, then let it fall.


    Forget it. If he wanted to dig his own grave, that wasn¡¯t her problem.


    The moment Paul shoved open the door, a panicked voice cried out from inside ¨C Linda, shrieking, ¡°Don¡¯te in!¡±


    But it was toote. Paul pushed the door wide open.


    Linda let out a piercing scream.


    Paul froze in the doorway like he had turned to stone.


    The dining room was a wreck. Shredded clothes were scattered everywhere.


    Jensen, shirtless, had his back to Paul, while Linda desperately buried her upper body against his chest in a hopeless attempt


    7.32


    Chapter 375 Scandals and Secrets


    O


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    to hide.


    But her long, exposed legs left no doubt about what they had been doing on the floor.


    Seeing Paul standing there gaping, Jensen, who had finally regained some sense, roared, ¡°What are you looking at?! Get out!¡±


    Paul, shaken and furious, quickly mmed the door shut behind him, trying to pretend nothing had happened.


    But when he turned around, the pallor of his face betrayed his shock and embarrassment.


    He looked up only to meet Taylor¡¯s mocking gaze.


    Paul had well and truly humiliated himself this time. His face twisted in anger as he stomped up to Taylor and snarled, ¡°If you dare breathe a word about today, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re ruined in the city!¡±


    Taylor smiled sweetly. ¡°I never wanted to see it in the first ce. You were the one who couldn¡¯t control your curiosity.¡±


    She had thought the situation with Jensen and Linda was already ridiculous. But it wasn¡¯t over yet.


    The servants who had been sent away earlier came running back in a panic, only to be stopped by n before they could rush into the dining room.


    ??


    Paul nced at Taylor and, for once, thought she had done something right.


    The fewer people who knew about the Powell family¡¯s scandals, the better. This couldn¡¯t be allowed to spread.


    But the servant, unable to get closer, shouted from a dista

 Daghter 376

    Chapter 376 Falling Pieces


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    ¡°What?¡± Paul nced back at the dining room. Inside, the sounds of rustling and movement were finally dying down.


    He frowned slightly and then looked <i>at </i>Taylor, warning her, ¡°Stay here and keep watch. If any rumors spread, you¡¯ll be the first one I deal with!¡±


    Taylor lowered her gaze slightly, clearly annoyed by his tone. ¡°Who do you think you are?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t care less about the Powell family¡¯s reputation ¨C and now he was even trying to threaten her?


    Taylor turned and headed toward the old man¡¯s courtyard. Paul, unwilling to fall behind, quickly hobbled after her, ignoring the chaos back at the dining room.


    The two of them arrived at the courtyard to find the old man lying copsed in the living room, half¨Cunconscious.


    Spring was crying beside him, biting down on her sleeve in panic.


    Paul rushed in and checked for breathing. Thankfully, it was steady ¨C the old man was just knocked out.


    The emergency call had already been made, but Paul couldn¡¯t hold back his anger. He snapped at Spring, ¡°How were you taking care of him? How does someone just fall while walking?!¡±


    Spring, face full of sorrow, hadn¡¯t even opened her mouth yet when another servant blurted out, ¡°Spring pushed him! I saw


    it!¡±


    Spring immediately protested, ¡°That¡¯s because he tried to touch me! He tried to assault me! I panicked and pushed him away!¡±


    The moment Paul heard her usation, he exploded. ¡°Injuring him and now making excuses? He¡¯s an old man wrong with you? You think he¡¯d try to touch you? Stop dreaming!¡±


    ¨C


    what¡¯s


    Paul barked out orders. ¡®Men! Fire Spring immediately! And press charges against her too!¡±


    One headache after another ¨C Paul hadpletely lost patience, and his words were cutting.


    Spring, hearing that she was being fired, shouted back in fury, ¡°Fine, fire me! But if you want to sue me, I¡¯ll sue you too! He did try to touch me! Just because he¡¯s old, that doesn¡¯t mean he gets a free pass! As long as men are alive, none of them are innocent, especially Powell men! From old to young, not a single one is decent!¡±


    Paul¡¯s face turned ashen with rage. The servant who had tattled earlier jumped in, yelling, ¡°You¡¯re just being dramatic! So what if he touched you? Look at who you are and who he is! If he touched you, it was looking up to you! You think you¡¯re something special now? You think getting touched means you¡¯ve climbed up in the world? Do you all forget how young Mr. Wyatt and his mother grew up? A bunch of idiots!¡±


    Spring shook off the butler trying to block her and stormed out of the courtyard..


    Taylor watched quietly from the side, thinking Spring was impressive ¨C clear¨Cheaded and courageous.


    She exchanged a nce with n, silently telling him: I want her.


    n nodded and followed after Spring.


    Paul tried to lift the old man up, but his own injured leg made it impossible.


    Looking at Taylor standing there like a statue, he barked, ¡°What are you standing there for? Come help!¡±


    Taylor didn¡¯t want to be used of standing by while someone was hurt, so she stepped forward and helped move the old man. Together, they rushed him to the hospital.


    The old man was getting on in years. No one could be sure whether a fall like this might be the end.


    Taylor crossed her arms, pacing slowly outside the emergency room.


    Chapter 376 Falling Pieces


    Paul sat stiffly on a bench, eyes full of anxiety. Dark thoughts raced through his mind.


    The old man might have been tough once, but now, at his age, even drinking water or eating could be fatal.


    If the old man died, then the Powell family¡­.


    Paul sank into deep panic.


    Just then, footsteps echoed down the hallway.


    The sound of leather shoes striking the floor made Paul tense immediately.


    He was so on edge about Wyatttely that he could recognize him by footsteps alone.


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    Paul jumped up, like preparing for battle. He hadn¡¯t informed Wyatt about his grandfather¡¯s hospitalization on purpose.


    But Wyatt still found out.


    Not only Wyatt came


    ¨C


    Yunice was with him.


    As they approached, Paul red warily. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Wyan answered, ¡°You cane, but I can¡¯t? Or are you afraid if I show up, the old man will die?¡±


    His mocking tone made Paul¡¯s lips press into a thin, tight line..


    Wyatt leaned casually against the wall, then gestured for Yunice to take the bench opposite Paul.


    Which meant that every time Yunice lifted her eyes, she¡¯d see Paul directly across from her.


    Wyatt looked around deliberately. ¡°Where¡¯s my brother? Didn¡¯t hee?¡±


    His smiling, almost teasing gaze fell on Paul.


    ¨C


    Just one look, and Paul knew nothing happening inside the Powell family escaped Wyatt¡¯s eyes.


    Thinking about it now, Paul suddenly realized a lot of things didn¡¯t add up.


    Jensen, while useless most of the time, had always been obsessed with putting on the image of a sessful man.


    ¨C


    Paul couldn¡¯t understand why would a man like that suddenly act so recklessly, fooling around with Linda right there in the dining room without a care in the world?


    And the old man assault Spring?


    ¨C


    already in his seventies ¨C why would he suddenly lose control like <i>that</i>, even to the point of trying to


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    Chapter 377 Brewing Revenge


    Looking at everything together, Paul couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was off ¨C very off.


    It felt like¡­ like someone had been drugged.


    With that thought, Paul shot a suspicious nce at Wyatt, wondering if he had been the one behind it.


    Right in front of Wyatt, Paul called the butler and ordered blood tests for several people immediately.


    ¡°If we find out someone poisoned us, Grandpa won¡¯t let them off,¡± Paul said, ring at Wyatt.


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    Wyatt looked utterly disdainful. Meanwhile, Taylor, standing nearby, looked guilty. After staying by the emergency room door for a few moments, she quietly walked


    Wyatt noticed the reaction, thoughtful.


    away.


    Just then, the emergency room light went off, and the doctors came out to report that Jackson had woken up.


    Wyatt stood up, casually throwing out, ¡°Guess it¡¯s true what they say ¨C bad people live forever.¡±


    ¡°You¡ª!¡± Paul gritted his teeth but didn¡¯t daresh out.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t bother with him. He led Yunice away. After all, Wyatt hadn¡¯te to visit Jackson; he had juste to see if he would die. Since he hadn¡¯t, there was no point staying.


    Paul didn¡¯t care about Wyatt anymore. He quickly rushed into the operating room to see his grandfather.


    Just as he was about to speak, Jackson grabbed his hand with surprising strength and rasped, ¡°Is there any food left from lunch?¡±


    Paul immediately picked up the hidden meaning and asked urgently, ¡°Grandpa, are you suspecting you were poisoned?¡±


    Jackson gave him a confused look, surprised at how quickly Paul caught on.


    What Jackson didn¡¯t know was that while he was losing consciousness, his beloved son and daughter¨Cinw had already caused a full¨Cblown scandal in the dining room.


    Paul said, ¡°The leftovers are probably gone, but I¡¯ve already ordered Dad and Linda to have blood tests. If there was poison involved, it¡¯ll show up.¡°,


    Jackson clenched his fists, grinding his teeth. ¡°I want to see which rat dared to use such despicable tricks to destroy my reputation at the end of my life!¡±


    Suddenly, Jackson¡¯s mind clicked into gear. Jensen and Linda had both been affected ¨C but then¡­


    ¡°What about Taylor? She ate with us too.¡±


    ¡°Taylor?¡± Paul frowned. ¡°She¡¯s fine¡­¡±


    Suddenly, he jumped to his feet. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s wrong!¡±


    Taylor, when summoned, was just outside theb area, wandering around.


    Seeing her there only confirmed Paul¡¯s growing suspicions.


    The moment Taylor entered Jackson¡¯s hospital room, Paul started firing usations. ¡°You poisoned the family and didn¡¯t even bother hiding it properly! We all ate at the same table, and the other three were poisoned, but somehow you¡¯re fine! Taylor, how do you exin that?¡±


    Taylor asked back calmly, ¡°What poisoning? Who got poisoned?¡±


    Paul pointed at her, roaring, ¡°Grandpa was drugged with an aphrodisiac<b>!</b>¡±


    7:32 PM


    Chapter 377 Brewing Revenge


    +8 Pearls


    Taylor froze for a second, then barely held back augh. ¡°And why are you using me? You didn¡¯t get poisoned either, did you?¡±


    Paul snapped, ¡°I wasn¡¯t eating with Grandpa


    Taylor countered, ¡°The blood tests aren¡¯t even back yet. How do you know for sure it was the food? Or maybe you¡¯re the one who did it is that why you¡¯re so sure?¡±


    Thrown off and furious, Paul red at Taylor but had noeback.


    At that moment, Jackson, who had been silent until now, spoke coldly. ¡°Taylor, if you admit to it now, I¡¯ll be lenient.¡±


    Taylor refused firmly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±


    Jackson continued, ¡°I know you still hold a grudge because of what Linda did to you before. You can¡¯t fool me. This has your fingerprints all over it. Go kneel in the ancestral hall


    Taylor thought bitterly, <i>How </i>generous of you. Who do you think you are, testing my loyalty like this?


    She let out a coldugh and turned to leave.


    Paul shouted, ¡°Men, stop her!¡±


    Taylor frowned and turned back.


    Paul stood up, scolding, ¡°Do you even know how to be a wife? How to respect your elders? Where¡¯s the upbringing your parents gave you?¡±


    Back when Linda drugged Taylor, Taylor had also been desperate and humiliated. Paul had mocked her cruelly then, using her of being shameless and saying she was willing to do anything to get pregnant with a Powell child.


    Now Taylor walked up to him. her eyes burning with suppressed fury. ¡°Oh your parents were well¨Craised, all right- sneaking around in broad daylight, your seventy¨Cyear¨Cold grandfather sexually assaulting maids, and you, a shameless yboy. What a wonderful family tradition.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s eyes darkened dangerously. He had long lost all patience with Taylor¡¯s defiance


    Paul also snapped, shouting. ¡°Bring in two men! Hold her down! And keep n outside ¨C I want him to hear her screams!¡±


    He had been swallowing his rage for too long. Now he had to vent it.


    Two strong bodyguards burst in. Ignoring Taylor¡¯s struggles, they seized her arms and pinned her down to the floor.


    Taylor red up at Paul, her voice like ice. ¡°Try it. I dare you.¡±


    Paul pulled off his belt with a sneer. ¡°Since no one taught you at home, I¡¯ll show you myself what it means to respect your husband.¡±

 Daghter 378

    hapter 378 Whips and Retribution


    Just as Paul was about to strike, Jackson grabbed his arm.


    0


    0


    <b>0:98 </b>


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    It wasn¡¯t that Jackson cared about Taylor ¨C he just knew that if the beating left visible marks and word got out, the Kendall family would be a nightmare to deal with.


    If Paul just wanted to vent, Jackson knew plenty of ways to beat someone without leaving a trace.


    But Paul didn¡¯t want to bother with anything thatplicated. He wrapped the belt around his hand and sneered, ¡°Her family won¡¯t be powerful much longer. So what if I beat her?¡±


    Taylor frowned, puzzled. <i>The </i><i>Kendall </i><i>family </i>is <i>stronger </i><i>than </i>ever under my father¡¯s leadership. How <i>could they </i><i>be </i><i>weakening</i><i>? </i>


    Still, Paul had always been arrogant. Taylor didn¡¯t waste energy over his bluster.


    Instead, she just stared at the belt in his hand. Her frown deepened, but her eyes were fearless.


    She knew she wasn¡¯t getting out of this beating. But as long as Paul didn¡¯t kill her, she would make sure she repaid everysh Jtenfold next time.


    Paul¡¯s face was ice cold. The beltshed down!


    With a loud crack, the leather struck Taylor¡¯s back.


    A real leather belt wasn¡¯t much different from a whip. Taylor let out a muffled grunt of pain, cold sweat already beading on her forehead.


    She raised her head, her sweat¨Cstreaked eyes burning with hatred as she red at Paul.


    The look sent a sick thrill through him. There was nothing more satisfying than breaking a wild horse.


    Paul sneered, ¡°Don¡¯t bother ring at me. You¡¯ll get used to this sooner orter. This is just the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Now, tell me


    ¨C


    are you going to the ancestral hall to kneel?¡±


    Thinking she could be broken so easily, Paul leaned closer.


    Taylor lifted her chin stubbornly. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes narrowed suspiciously. What was she nning?


    Taylor snorted, ¡°Coward. I¡¯m pinned down by two men, I can¡¯t even move, and you¡¯re still scared toe closer?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. He took two steps forward. ¡°If you confess now, maybe I¡¯ll spare you a fewshes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one more time. Did you poison the food?¡±


    Taylor said coldly, ¡°Come a little closer, and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Paul hesitated, then stepped forward again.


    What <i>can </i><i>she </i><i>do</i>? he thought. <i>She¡¯s </i><ipletely </i><i>restrained</i>.


    He had just stepped within reach when Taylor suddenly flung herself backward ¨C then mmed her forehead forward with all her strength.


    Bam!


    Paul took a brutal hit straight to the crotch. He clutched himself, doubled over, his legs squeezing together as he sank to the floor.


    His face turned beet red from the pain, twisted in an ugly grimace.


    Chapter 378 Whips and Retribution


    O


    +8 Pearls


    Taylorughed, her voice clear and mocking. You idiot. If you hadn¡¯t been born into the Powell family, you¡¯d have been eaten alive a long time ago.¡±


    Paul¡¯s humiliation turned to blind rage. He raised the belt again. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death today! See if you can still run your


    mouth


    Taylor struggled, but she was still held down.


    She red at Paul, hatred burning in her chest. This so¨Ccalled noble family is nothing but a den of vipers


    Paul raised the belt high, aiming straight for Taylor¡¯s face.


    But just as he swung down, there was a sharp crack¨Cand Paul screamed in pain!


    He stumbled forward from the force of the strike.


    Taylor, stunned, whipped her head around toward the door- and saw Yunice standing there, holding a long, gleaming whip.


    She wasn¡¯t very skilled ¡ª her strike hadn¡¯t even drawn blood


    ¨C


    but it was enough to stop Paul in his tracks.


    Taylor stared at her, still trying to process it. She she came back for me?


    Paul, clutching his back, turned around and gawked. ¡°Yunice?!¡±


    Yunice stood in the middle of the room, whip in hand. her presence fierce andmanding.


    She red at the two bodyguards holding Taylor down. ¡°Unless you want a taste of this too, let her go.¡±


    The bodyguards hesitated, ncing at Paul for direction.


    Yunice snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t you know who my husband is? Wyatt!¡±


    The color drained from their faces. Reluctantly, they let go of Taylor.


    Taylor shrugged them off and immediately sprang to her feet, standing shoulder to shoulder with Yunice, facing off against


    the others.


    But from the corner of her eye, Taylor couldn¡¯t help stealing a nce at Yunice


    ¨C


    and for a moment, she was filled with envy.


    Envy that Yunice could call out her husband¡¯s name with pride. Envy that she had someone she could rely on.


    And me? she thought bitterly. All I have is this pathetic excuse <i>for </i><i>a </i>husband.


    But she shoved the thought aside quickly. She still <i>had </i>herself.


    She gave Yunice a slight scowl. ¡°Your whip technique is terrible. No strength at all.¡±


    Yunice muttered back, ¡°I grabbed it from Wyatt¡¯s carst minute. I¡¯ve never used one before. I didn¡¯t hit you, so I¡¯m already doing pretty well.¡±


    Taylor reached out her hand. ¡°Give it to me. Let me show you what a real whipping looks like.¡±


    Yunice handed it over without hesitation.


    Taylor took the whip, slowly wrapping it around her wrist with the same deliberate motion Paul had used earlier with his belt.


    Paul¡¯s face turned a sickly white.


    Yunice darted back to the door and mmed it shut.


    Locking the door ¨C because when you beat a dog, you shut the door first.


    7:32

 Daghter 379

    Chapter 379 Evidence in Hand


    Facing Paul, Taylor yanked the whip in her hands. With a loud snap, it cracked in the air!


    Paul jolted. ¡°Taylor, how dare you!¡±


    And why wouldn¡¯t she dare?


    Paul shot up from the bed. ¡°Taylor, don¡¯t forget your ce!¡±


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°My ce? The one where I¡¯m supposed to let you beat me into the ground?¡± Taylor snapped the whip again, leaving a white mark on the floor.


    Paul shuddered again, his horrified gaze fixed on the tip of Taylor¡¯s whip.


    The next moment, the whip tipshed out again, circling once in the air before snapping across Paul¡¯s face!


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± he screamed miserably.


    Taylorughed brightly. ¡°Scream louder, or the people outside won¡¯t hear you.¡±


    Hearing that, Paul gritted his teeth and refused to make another sound.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to just stand there and take it. He lunged forward, trying to snatch the whip from Taylor. When he couldn¡¯t get it, he moved to stand next to Yunice, knowing Taylor would hesitate for fear of hitting her.


    At that moment, there was loud banging on the door from outside, followed by Jensen¡¯s furious voice. ¡°Open the door! Open it! Who allowed you to lock it?¡±


    No one inside responded. Paul red at Taylor, triumphant.


    Outside, there were already sounds of someone trying to break the lock. Yunice quickly moved to stand beside Taylor.


    Taylor seized the opening andshed the whip again!


    Just as Paul was about to open the door, the whip struck him squarely on the back!


    He arched backward in pain, baring his teeth in a grimace.


    At the same time, Jensen burst into the room with his men.


    He roared, ¡°Taylor, are you rebelling?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already informed the Kendall family. I want my parents to see what kind of wonderful daughter they raised ¨C would drug the whole family with an aphrodisiac!¡±


    one who


    Taylor said calmly, ¡°Let theme. I¡¯d like to ask my parents too


    ¨C


    is it right for a husband to beat his wife?¡±


    ¡°You-!¡± Seeing Taylorpletely unafraid, Jensen was momentarily at a loss.


    Everyone loved their own children. Without evidence, the Kendall family would never side with the Powell family!


    Jensen barked, ¡°Where¡¯s the blood test result? Don¡¯t think you can do something wrong and get away with it. I want to catch you red¨Chanded!¡±


    At that moment, the butler arrived with the results. He hesitated, wanting to say something, but Jensen snatched the report from him and waved it high. ¡°Here¡¯s the proof! Let¡¯s see what your mother says when she gets here!¡±


    Taylor clenched her fists tightly.


    Footsteps echoed down the hallway.


    Hearing the sound of high heels, Taylor took a step forward, her eyes turning red as she called out, ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    7:32 PM


    Chapter 379 Evidence in Hand


    O


    K stepped into the room and immediately saw her daughter¡¯s disheveled state.


    She froze for a moment, then nced briefly at Jensen, treating him as air, and walked straight to her daughter.


    She grabbed Taylor¡¯s arms with both hands, checking her over. ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    But the moment she touched her, Taylor winced in pain, her eyebrows twitching.


    +8 Pearls


    K immediately sensed something was wrong. She quickly checked the back of Taylor¡¯s cor and saw a wide red welt running from her shoulder down to her waist.


    How painful that must be!


    K¡¯s eyes instantly reddened with anger. She turned, her gaze sharp as a wolf¡¯s, and red at the Powell family. ¡°Who hit my daughter?¡±


    Yunice stood quietly in the corner.


    She looked at each person in the room like an outsider.


    The


    The Powell family was circling Paul protectively, while K ¨C just a woman was fiercely standing up for her daughter.


    Indeed, those who are loved always act fearlessly.


    ¡ª


    Because they have the support of their families, they dare to do anything, regardless of the consequences.


    Thinking of her own parents and brother, Yunice pulled the corners of her mouth into a bitter smile.


    K had always been gentle, but even the gentlest mother would explode when her child was hurt.


    Jensen had never taken K seriously, but seeing her so agitated now only made him more righteous. ¡°You raised a filthy daughter like this. Paul hitting her was well deserved! If you can¡¯t teach your kid right, someone else will!¡±


    Taylor frowned slightly. She said in a deep voice, ¡°Dad ¨C no, a person like you isn¡¯t worthy of being called that. My mother is just your inw, not someone you can boss around. What right do you have to shout at her?¡±


    What puzzled her more was how the Powell family suddenly seemed topletely disregard the Kendall family¡¯s influence. Even if her father wasn¡¯t present today, bullying her mother would eventually reach her father¡¯s ears. Weren¡¯t they afraid he would get angry and withdraw his investment?


    Facing K¡¯s furious gaze, Jensen threw the blood test report onto her. ¡°See for yourself what your precious daughter has done!¡±


    K and Taylor both watched as the report pped against K¡¯s body and then dropped to the floor.


    The act was tantly insulting.


    But K kept herposure. She bent down to pick up the report and unfolded it.


    The Powell family¡¯s butler looked anxious and called out, ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    Jensen shot him a re, telling him to stay quiet.

 Daghter 380

    Chapter 380 The Tide Turns


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    Taylor leaned in to look at the blood test report. She wasn¡¯t entirely sure inside would the medicine Dr. Rylie gave them really not show up in a test?


    But K simply looked at the report and gave a coldugh. ¡°Filthy old things. No shame at all, even at your age.¡±


    K had always been gentle, so when she suddenly cursed like that, everyone in the room turned to her in shock, thinking she had been driven mad.


    Taylor also caught sight of something on the report and let out a mockingugh.


    The Powell family members looked at the two of them in confusion.


    Jensen roared, ¡°Seeing your own evidence, you don¡¯t even bother pretending anymore?¡±


    But K, in the same manner, flung the report straight back at Jensen¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯re the ones not even pretending. Living such pathetic lives, making the whole family drink deer blood wine and then ming my daughter. From old to young, absolutely shameless!¡±


    <i>Deer </i>blood <i>wine</i><i>? </i>


    Jensen hastily unfolded the report ¨C it showed no traces of stimnts, only a note that deer blood wine could exin, their symptoms.


    Yunice lifted the corners of her lips, standing silently at the back, watching it all unfold.


    Having spent eighteen years with the Powell family, Yunice knew their habits better than anyone.


    Jensen and Jackson both had a habit of drinking deer blood wine to maintain their masculine energy, but they usually paid careful attention to dosage.


    All Yunice had done was increase the dosage slightly, using Taylor¡¯s hand to deliver it.


    As for Linda, who had never drunk deer blood wine before, she had no tolerance, so even a small amount made her react.


    Taylor, although seated at the same table, hadn¡¯t eaten the fish. Yunice had deliberately kept her away from it.


    Because the deer blood wine had been mixed into the fish stew Jensen liked. The wine was hidden so well that no one noticed.


    ¨C


    a dish heavy with strong fishy sauces that Jackson and


    Later, Taylor had brought the half¨Cfinished te of fish to see Paul. Paul had someone throw away the food she brought ¨C unintentionally destroying the evidence. No one would be able to trace anything now.


    At this moment, Jensen stood there speechless, the old man¡¯s face turned bright red, and Paul¡¯s face alternated between pale and furious.


    Meanwhile, K pointed at the three men and began cursing them without restraint, every word sharper than thest. ¡°You two rotten old scumbags, and you ¨C you worthless piece of trash. You bring your own filth and rot to the table, can¡¯t control yourselves, and then try to dump the me on my daughter? You even dare toy a hand on her! What do you think this is ¨C the Qing dynasty? You think marrying into your family makes my daughter your maid?¡±


    Taylor stared at her mother in disbelief, as if she didn¡¯t recognize her.


    She could curse like this?


    K wasn¡¯t done. She continued, ¡°Don¡¯t think today¡¯s matter is over. If you¡¯re not finished, I¡¯m even less finished! Youid a hand on my daughter today, then the Powell family and the Kendall family are finished. We¡¯re pulling all our investment!¡±


    ¡°Pulling investment?¡± The old man¡¯s brows lowered, using that same overbearing posture. ¡°You¡¯re just a woman. You don¡¯t have the authority to make that decision.¡±


    Kughed wildly.


    ¦¯


    ?


    Chapter 380 The Tide Turns


    +8 Pearls


    When Taylor married into the Powell family, she brought a hundred billion as a dowry. If the Kendall family pulled their investment, could the Powell family not panic?


    But in the Powell family¡¯s eyes, the real power in the Kendall family was held by Mr. Kendall. K, as a mere housewife, wasn¡¯t seen as having any say over the group¡¯s investments.


    They were dead wrong.


    K said, ¡°Before I had my daughter, I was the head of Kendall Group. I hold the majority shares. Even the shareholders¡® meetings had to get my approval. Tell me ¨C do I have the authority to pull the investment?¡±


    ¨C


    She had yed the gentle wife and loving mother role for over twenty years had they really forgotten she had once been a queen of the business world?


    If she wanted to pull out the investment, she didn¡¯t even need her husband¡¯s permission!


    And moreover ¡ª


    You think pulling the investment is the end? When my husband gets back, you¡¯ll see what real consequences look like!¡± K¡¯s words rang out powerfully.


    The daughter she had raised with such care and love was not someone for the Powell family to bully!


    Under the Powell family¡¯s stunned stares, K protected Taylor and strode out proudly.


    As she passed Paul, Taylor gave him a cold snort: <i>Who¡¯s </i><i>the </i>winner now?


    Paul¡¯s face turned dark, his gaze shifting from Taylor to Yunice.


    Earlier, Yunice had been doing her best to blend into the background. Now, as she followed behind the Kendall family, ready to leave too, Paul suddenly reached out to block her.


    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave,¡± Paul said.


    Yunice lifted her gaze and met his eyes.


    Paul said coldly, ¡°Who gave you permission to meddle in the Powell family¡¯s affairs?¡±


    The Kendall family could leave ¨C but Yunice couldn¡¯t!


    Taylor and K hadn¡¯t gone far yet. Taylor turned around, her steps halting, and stared warningly <i>at </i>Paul.


    K also turned back and looked at Yunice. She said, ¡°Youngdy, conte with us.¡±


    But it was no use. Paul, seeing that things were already torn apart anyway, ignored K¡¯s words.


    He refused to let Yunice go. ¡°Mind your own Kendall family business. Powell family matters are none of your concern!¡±


    K¡¯s face darkened. But Paul wasn¡¯t wrong ¨C they were on his territory now, and she and Taylor were just two women. If they tried to force Yunice away, they would be at a disadvantage.


    But neither of them left. They stood there guarding Yunice.

 Daghter 381

    Chapter 381 A Hidden Storm


    Facing Paul¡¯s attempt to block her, Yunice swung her hand and knocked his hand away.


    14


    But she hadn¡¯t expected Paul to vent all his anger on her. He grabbed Yunice¡¯s hand, twisted it behind her back, and forced her down.


    Yunice let out a muffled grunt. At that moment, Jensen suddenly saw something and cried out in shock, ¡°Paul, let go of her!¡±


    But it was toote. There was a sharp whistle through the air, and Paul, stunned, lifted his head¡ª


    With a loud crack, Paul was knocked backward two steps.


    For a moment, his mind went nk. He didn¡¯t even feel pain ¡ª just a numbness spreading across his head and face, followed by a warm sensation.


    Barely managing to steady himself, he reached up to touch his face and saw blood on his hand.


    The old man stared at Paul in shock. A long, thin sh stretched across Paul¡¯s face


    They were really trying to beat him to death!


    L


    nearly to the bone!


    Looking toward the door, the old man saw Wyatt standing there, whip in hand. His lungs almost exploded from rage. ¡°You unfilial brat! What are you trying to do to the Powell family¡¯s only heir!¡±


    Yunice turned and saw Wyatt standing at the door like a guardian god. She immediately gathered her strength and pped Paul hard across his uninjured cheek.


    That¡¯s for <i>bullying </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    After pping him, Yunice slipped away like a slippery fish, quickly hiding behind Wyatt, leaving Paul fuming with rage.


    K and Taylor exchanged nces they nearly burst outughing. <i>This </i><i>Yunice</i><b><i>, </i></b>who <i>looked </i>so <i>well</i><i>¨C</i><i>behaved</i><i>, </i><i>clearly </i><i>had </i><i>her </i>own <i>cunning </i><i>side</i>. <i>When </i><i>it </i><i>came </i>to <i>taking </i><i>advantage </i><i>of </i><i>power, </i><i>she </i><i>yed </i><i>it </i><i>beautifully</i><i>. </i>


    With Wyatt holding the whip, none of the Powell family members dared to make a sound.


    Whoever dared move would get a beating.


    It wasn¡¯t until Wyatt, holding Yunice¡¯s hand like it was nothing, arrogantly led her out that noise finally returned to the room -Jensen¡¯s furious voice<b>. </b>


    He kicked over <b>a </b>stool. ¡°Fucking pathetic!¡±


    i


    The old man gave him a heavy look. <i>Who </i><i>was </i><i>he </i><i>cursing </i><i>at</i><i>? </i>


    <b>Jensen </b>instantly shrank back, standing stiffly without daring to lift his head.


    But the anger festering in his chest only deepened because he couldn¡¯t even vent it.


    The old man¡¯s <b>face </b><b>was </b>dark as he plotted how to salvage the situation. Finally, he said, ¡°Paul, you need to <b>go </b>to the Kendall family and apologize immediately. Let them hit you or curse you if they want, Whatever it takes, you must <b>coax </b>Taylor back.¡±


    Paul <b>was </b>stunned. ¡°Grandfather, they beat me up like this, and you still want me to bow and scrape to them?¡±


    The old man said coldly, <b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b>time you learned to swallow your pride. You¡¯ve never learned from how Wyatt used to bide his time in the Powell family.¡±


    Paul hated beingpared to Wyatt the most. <b>He </b>sneered, ¡°The Kendall family¡¯s glory days are numbered, K <b>hasn¡¯t </b>touched business in over twenty <b>years</b>. She <b>can¡¯t </b>make any waves<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Paul looked at the old man, his <b>voice </b>low. ¡°A married daughter belongs to her husband¡¯s family. Taylor ¨C and the entire Kendall family <b>will </b>eventually belong <b>to </b>the Powell family.¡±


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    <b>12:11 </b>PM


    Chapter 381 A Hidden Storm


    The old man¡¯s gaze deepened. What <i>did </i><i>he </i><i>mean </i><i>by </i><i>that</i>?


    But then he seemed to understand. And he didn¡¯t stop Paul.


    +8 Pearls


    Instead, he even smirked slightly, thinking that at longst, the Powell family had produced someone more ruthless than Jensen.


    Outside the hospital, Taylor turned to Yunice and said, ¡°Thank you for helping me today ¨C andst time too. I owe you two favors. If you ever need anything, you can ask me.¡±


    Then she nced at Wyatt and added, ¡°But just so you know, our alliances haven¡¯t changed.¡±


    At least, not until she officially left the Powell family.


    Yunice replied, ¡°You don¡¯t like Paul. I don¡¯t like Paul. On that front, we¡¯re aligned. As for other conflicts ¨C I can¡¯t make any promises.¡±


    Taylor thought Yunice was refreshingly straightforward. She then got into the car with her mother and left first.


    Yunice turned around and found Wyatt staring at her.


    Wyatt asked, ¡°You don¡¯t like Paul anymore? Weren¡¯t you the one who liked him most?¡±


    Seeing his puzzled expression, Yunice was even more confused. ¡°He broke off the engagement and cheated on me. What do you take me for? Some pathetic idiot who would still like him?¡±


    Wyatt was stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected Yunice to admit it so bluntly.


    But he fell silent, lost in some thought.


    Yunice didn¡¯t press him. She lifted her skirt and stepped down the stairs, getting into the car.


    When Wyatt climbed in after her, Yunice finally voiced her growing suspicion. ¡°I think Paul was acting really off today.¡±


    Based on her understanding, Paul had always been impulsive, but he wasn¡¯t stupid like Owen.


    Owen was dumb enough to show his hand. Paul was sneakier, more calcting.


    No matter how much he disliked Taylor, he would never openly give the Kendall family something to use against him. If he wanted to punish Taylor, he would do it discreetly ¡ª never dragging himself into it.


    ¨C


    But today, Paul acted as if he didn¡¯t care about the consequences.


    Almost like¡­ he wasn¡¯t afraid of the Kendall family¡¯s retaliation at all.


    Yunice bit her knuckle, thinking hard.


    Wyatt saw her gnawing and grabbed her hand, rubbing his rough thumb over the tiny bite marks on her knuckles.


    Yunice was so caught up brainstorming that she didn¡¯t even notice. She turned her head and asked Wyatt, ¡°If Taylor¡¯s parents were gone, wouldn¡¯t the Powell family be able to swallow everythingpletely?¡±


    <b>Send </b>Gifts

 Daghter 382

    Chapter 382 Seeds of Deception


    You can never be too careful<i>. </i>Wyatt said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone warn the Kendall family.¡±


    Taylor had returned to her family¡¯s home. Paul grew increasingly uneasy the more he thought about it.


    He was sure Taylor had poisoned them- he just hadn¡¯t caught her red¨Chanded yet.


    Now that Taylor wasn¡¯t home, it was the perfect time to search.


    +8 Pearls


    He and Taylor had been sleeping in separate rooms. So he sneaked into Taylor¡¯s bedroom, rummaging through her private belongings.


    Taylor was very cautious. The room had nothing unusual.


    But Paul found an empty medicine packet in the trash bin.


    ¡°Church¡­¡± Paul immediately thought of that suspicious clinic.


    There was a deli next to the clinic run by Gill, and that mysterious clinic owner ¨C everything about the ce felt off.


    What Paul couldn¡¯t understand was when Taylor and Yunice had gotten so close,


    If Yunice hadn¡¯t intervened earlier, maybe he could¡¯vended a few more hits on Taylor.


    Paul got up and called Elsie.


    Ever since Elsie had been stabbedst time, she had been hospitalized. Owen, feeling guilty, insisted she stay the full hundred days to recuperate, though honestly her wound had long since healed.


    On the call, Paul told Elsie that he and Taylor had fallen out and were about to divorce. This gave Elsie huge confidence.


    Paul went on to say he wanted Elsie to nourish her health. Once she bore his child, the Lu family would have no reason to reject her anymore.


    ¨C


    Elsie believed him. She thought he truly wanted to marry her evening up with a n like this- and she happily agreed.


    Paul then rmended Church clinic to Elsie, telling her to start treatment there immediately.


    So Elsie made up a story, asking Owen to apany her to the clinic, saying it had excellent doctors who could help her recover her vitality. Owen agreed and went with her,


    to check


    Outside the clinic, Owen noticed a bustling deli next door, but didn¡¯t care to check who the owner was.


    Inside Jishantang, there was only a doctor veiled in ck gauze. Seeing her strange outfit, Qwen finally remembered¨Che had been here once before.


    Elsie sat down and exined her request to Yunice.


    Yunice gave a soft response, methodically taking Elsie¡¯s pulse, without revealing her identity.


    At this moment, Elsie said, ¡°Owen, I¡¯m a little hungry. There¡¯s a deli next door. Could you buy me something?¡±


    Owen agreed, and Yunice¡¯s gaze shifted slightly behind the ck gauze, watching Owen¡¯s back as he left.


    Since Elsie had taken a knife for him, Owen had be utterly devoted to her.


    Yunice noticed Elsie staring at her- those unsettling eyes seemingly trying to see through the veil to her true appearance,


    After a while, seeing nothing unusual, Elsie whispered, ¡°Doctor, do you think I can still get pregnant?¡±


    Back when she first got together with Paul, Yunice hadn¡¯t broken the engagement yet, so Elsie had used contraception for a while.


    +8 Pearls


    12/12 PM d


    Chapter 382 Seeds of Deception


    Later, for more than a year, she hadn¡¯t used any protection, had been with Paul many times, yet never conceived.


    She was worried her body could no longer bear a child.


    Yunice almostughed inside. The one who couldn¡¯t bear children <i>wasn¡¯t </i>Elsie


    it was Paul.


    If no seeds are nted, how could any fruit grow?


    Yunice said, ¡°Your body is very suitable for pregnancy. There¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Elsie said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I¡¯ve gone so long without conceiving.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Who said you haven¡¯t? You just conceived recently.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elsie stared in disbelief, suspecting Yunice was a quack.


    She had just returned from the hospital, undergone countless examinations because of her injuries. If she were pregnant, there¡¯s no way it wouldn¡¯t have,been discovered.


    She was about to press further when Owen returned, and Elsie quickly squeezed Yunice¡¯s hand, signaling her not to say anything reckless.


    When Owen had bought the deli food, he hadn¡¯t encountered Gill because Yunice had warned Gill ahead of time when they entered.


    It was only a deli worker who had served Owen.


    Yunice didn¡¯t prescribe Elsie any medicine. Owen frowned, puzzled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you prescribe anything?¡±


    Because if I give <i>you </i>medicine, you¡¯ll turn <i>around </i>and use me <iter</i>. Yunice thought.


    She said calmly, ¡°Ms. Saunders¡¯s body has recovered very well. No additional treatment is necessary.¡±


    Owen frowned harder, pulling Elsie up. ¡°I think she¡¯s just an unskilled doctor who didn¡¯t dare prescribe anything. Yourplexion still isn¡¯t good. We¡¯ll go to a more reputable hospital.¡±


    But Elsie¡¯s mind was still stuck on what Yunice had said earlier


    about her having just conceived. <i>What </i><i>did </i><i>that </i><i>mean</i><i>? </i>


    Elsie didn¡¯t want to leave. At that moment, a young man walked into the clinic he looked educated and refined.


    It seemed to be his first visit, as he nced briefly at both Elsie and Owen.


    Then his eyes fell on Elsie, and he smiled, asking, ¡°Have you just had surgery?¡±


    Owen grew tense. ¡°Does she really look that sick?¡±


    Otherwise, how could a random passerby spot it at a nce?

 Daghter 383

    You can never be too careful<i>. </i>Wyatt said, ¡°I¡¯ll have someone warn the Kendall family.¡±


    Taylor had returned to her family¡¯s home. Paul grew increasingly uneasy the more he thought about it.


    He was sure Taylor had poisoned them- he just hadn¡¯t caught her red¨Chanded yet.


    Now that Taylor wasn¡¯t home, it was the perfect time to search.


    +8 Pearls


    He and Taylor had been sleeping in separate rooms. So he sneaked into Taylor¡¯s bedroom, rummaging through her private belongings.


    Taylor was very cautious. The room had nothing unusual.


    But Paul found an empty medicine packet in the trash bin.


    ¡°Church¡­¡± Paul immediately thought of that suspicious clinic.


    There was a deli next to the clinic run by Gill, and that mysterious clinic owner ¨C everything about the ce felt off.


    What Paul couldn¡¯t understand was when Taylor and Yunice had gotten so close,


    If Yunice hadn¡¯t intervened earlier, maybe he could¡¯vended a few more hits on Taylor.


    Paul got up and called Elsie.


    Ever since Elsie had been stabbedst time, she had been hospitalized. Owen, feeling guilty, insisted she stay the full hundred days to recuperate, though honestly her wound had long since healed.


    On the call, Paul told Elsie that he and Taylor had fallen out and were about to divorce. This gave Elsie huge confidence.


    Paul went on to say he wanted Elsie to nourish her health. Once she bore his child, the Lu family would have no reason to reject her anymore.


    ¨C


    Elsie believed him. She thought he truly wanted to marry her evening up with a n like this- and she happily agreed.


    Paul then rmended Church clinic to Elsie, telling her to start treatment there immediately.


    So Elsie made up a story, asking Owen to apany her to the clinic, saying it had excellent doctors who could help her recover her vitality. Owen agreed and went with her,


    to check


    Outside the clinic, Owen noticed a bustling deli next door, but didn¡¯t care to check who the owner was.


    Inside Jishantang, there was only a doctor veiled in ck gauze. Seeing her strange outfit, Qwen finally remembered¨Che had been here once before.


    Elsie sat down and exined her request to Yunice.


    Yunice gave a soft response, methodically taking Elsie¡¯s pulse, without revealing her identity.


    At this moment, Elsie said, ¡°Owen, I¡¯m a little hungry. There¡¯s a deli next door. Could you buy me something?¡±


    Owen agreed, and Yunice¡¯s gaze shifted slightly behind the ck gauze, watching Owen¡¯s back as he left.


    Since Elsie had taken a knife for him, Owen had be utterly devoted to her.


    Yunice noticed Elsie staring at her- those unsettling eyes seemingly trying to see through the veil to her true appearance,


    After a while, seeing nothing unusual, Elsie whispered, ¡°Doctor, do you think I can still get pregnant?¡±


    Back when she first got together with Paul, Yunice hadn¡¯t broken the engagement yet, so Elsie had used contraception for a while.


    +8 Pearls


    12/12 PM d


    Chapter 382 Seeds of Deception


    Later, for more than a year, she hadn¡¯t used any protection, had been with Paul many times, yet never conceived.


    She was worried her body could no longer bear a child.


    Yunice almostughed inside. The one who couldn¡¯t bear children <i>wasn¡¯t </i>Elsie


    it was Paul.


    If no seeds are nted, how could any fruit grow?


    Yunice said, ¡°Your body is very suitable for pregnancy. There¡¯s no problem.¡±


    Elsie said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. I¡¯ve gone so long without conceiving.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Who said you haven¡¯t? You just conceived recently.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Elsie stared in disbelief, suspecting Yunice was a quack.


    She had just returned from the hospital, undergone countless examinations because of her injuries. If she were pregnant, there¡¯s no way it wouldn¡¯t have,been discovered.


    She was about to press further when Owen returned, and Elsie quickly squeezed Yunice¡¯s hand, signaling her not to say anything reckless.


    When Owen had bought the deli food, he hadn¡¯t encountered Gill because Yunice had warned Gill ahead of time when they entered.


    It was only a deli worker who had served Owen.


    Yunice didn¡¯t prescribe Elsie any medicine. Owen frowned, puzzled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you prescribe anything?¡±


    Because if I give <i>you </i>medicine, you¡¯ll turn <i>around </i>and use me <iter</i>. Yunice thought.


    She said calmly, ¡°Ms. Saunders¡¯s body has recovered very well. No additional treatment is necessary.¡±


    Owen frowned harder, pulling Elsie up. ¡°I think she¡¯s just an unskilled doctor who didn¡¯t dare prescribe anything. Yourplexion still isn¡¯t good. We¡¯ll go to a more reputable hospital.¡±


    But Elsie¡¯s mind was still stuck on what Yunice had said earlier


    about her having just conceived. <i>What </i><i>did </i><i>that </i><i>mean</i><i>? </i>


    Elsie didn¡¯t want to leave. At that moment, a young man walked into the clinic he looked educated and refined.


    It seemed to be his first visit, as he nced briefly at both Elsie and Owen.


    Then his eyes fell on Elsie, and he smiled, asking, ¡°Have you just had surgery?¡±


    Owen grew tense. ¡°Does she really look that sick?¡±


    Otherwise, how could a random passerby spot it at a nce?

 Daghter 384

    Chapter 384 A Dangerous Game


    Tommy said, ¡°I¡¯ll expose you, to clear up the misleading impression my earlier words gave the public.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°I never denied that I have connections behind me.¡±


    Tommy: ¡°You-!¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice said, ¡°It¡¯s true my background wasn¡¯t good before. But who said a poor background means you can¡¯t have money? Or that you can¡¯t have someone powerful help you?¡±


    Tommy was speechless.


    Yunice said, ¡°Whether I¡¯m good at medicine has nothing to do with my SAT scores. And how can you be so sure I¡¯m bad ar medicine?¡±


    ¡°Tommy, maybe you should reflect on whether you¡¯re too narrow in your judgments about people and things. Also, your emotional intelligence is too low. Do you only study and never bother to deal with people?¡±


    Tommy was speechless.


    ¡°Whether I cheated on my SATs will be proven in court in the future. Your reputation won¡¯t be affected by your defense of me. Take care of your own affairs and stop making random judgments ¡ª that¡¯s my advice to you.¡°Yunice started packing up, ready to close the shop.


    She was worried Elsie mighte back to bother her again.


    Tommy couldn¡¯t stay any longer and left.


    Owen took Elsie to the pregnant.


    ¡ª


    Phospital. After a full round of tests, they all concluded there were no signs she had ever been


    Owen sneered, ¡°Told you those two were quacks.¡±


    The two returned to the Saunders house, only to find Lily packing her suitcase.


    Owen asked suspiciously, ¡°Mom, are you going somewhere?


    Lily answered awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m nning to go on a trip¡­¡±


    In reality, she had received another court summons, ordering her to attend a hearing.


    Lily didn¡¯t want to go, so she was nning to flee abroad.


    ¨C


    But as soon as Owen heard that, he got upset. ¡°Mom, I told you don¡¯t about this trip beforehand?¡±


    go far away on your own! And why didn¡¯t you tell me


    Lily had been trafficked once before ¨C gone for fifteen years <b>¨C </b>so Owen was extremely sensitive about her traveling alone.


    Even when she traveled for fun, Owen had insisted that he or Elsie apany her.


    Seeing Lily¡¯s strained expression, Elsie stepped in to smooth things over, ¡°Owen, you can¡¯t be afraid forever. Mom¡¯s old enough to have her own independence. Besides, we¡¯re so busy, we don¡¯t even have time to travel with her.¡±


    But Owen still didn¡¯t agree. He confiscated Lily¡¯s passport and forbade her from traveling alone.


    Lily¡¯s eyes turned red and dry, but she said nothing. Elsie gave her a sympathetic look, then went upstairs with Owen.


    On the staircase, Elsie casually fished Lily¡¯s passport out of Owen¡¯s pocket and ced it on the stair railing.


    She looked back ¨C Lily stared at her in shock.


    Once the two had entered the study, Lily quickly grabbed her passport and rushed off to the airport.


    12:12 PM


    Chapter 384 A Dangerous Game


    Owen remainedpletely unaware.


    By the time he realized, he couldn¡¯t reach Lily at all.


    §ã


    Elsieforted him a little, saying she would stay in touch with Mom, and Owen finally let it go.


    Later, Elsie couldn¡¯t stop obsessing over the idea that she had lost a child.


    So she dragged Paul with her to Church.


    But Church had been closed for several consecutive days


    ¨D


    they found nothing.


    +8 Pearls


    Paul sneered, growing more convinced there was something shady about Church.


    What he didn¡¯t know was, Yunice had very strong risk awareness. Sensing that Church might be exposed, she simply shut the ce down.


    During those days, she loitered around Wellinges Pharma, blending in.


    She even tried sneaking into the researchb ¨C once almost slipping onto the supply helicopter Wyatt yanked her back down by the cor.


    After that, Wyatt stuck to her like glue, practically bing her personal life secretary.


    ¨C


    but right before takeoff,


    While Wyatt scolded department heads in the main conference room, Yunice idly brewed tea in the pantry.


    Across the lobby was the seating area in front of Human Resources.


    All the chairs were filled with job applicants waiting for interviews.


    Wellinges Pharma nevercked applicants, but to actually get hired there, your r¨¦sum¨¦ had to be wless.


    Competition was so fierce, it was truly one in ten thousand.


    The people sitting there had already passed three rounds of interviews ¨C they were the best of the best.


    Even so, out of a hundred people, only one might be chosen.


    ¡ª


    Bored, Yunice leaned against the ss wall, looking at the applicants, secretly betting in her mind on who might make it.


    Scanning the rows of faces suddenly, she spotted a familiar one.


    ¡ª


    <i>Tommy</i><i>. </i>


    Tommy¡¯s hair was neatlybed, and he wore a sharp suit. He looked rxed but still carried a trace of nervousness.


    After a moment, he stood up, pacing a few rounds in the waiting area then left the lounge.


    This odd behavior immediately caught Yunice¡¯s attention.


    ¨C

 Daghter 385

    Chapter 385 A World Apart


    Yunice stared at him through the ss.


    The ss was one¨Cway, she could see outside, but those outside couldn¡¯t see in.


    +8 Pearls


    Tommy went into the restroom. Yunice was about to look away when she caught sight of a mop being swung up high inside


    clearly chasing someone away.


    ¡ª


    Tommy raised both hands to shield his face, stumbling backward in embarrassment.


    The other job applicants all turned to look, but none stepped forward to intervene.


    This was Wellinges Pharma ¨C causing a disturbance here would immediately disqualify you from the interview process.


    More importantly, no one knew what had caused the conflict.


    Seeing no one step in, Tommy grabbed the janitor¡¯s mop and said coldly, ¡°Is this how yourpany treats people?¡±


    The janitor snorted, ¡°Whether you can even stay here is one thing. Who cares how you think thepany treats people? Talking like you even have a shot!¡±


    Someone tugged Tommy¡¯s sleeve, trying to calm things down. ¡°Bro, don¡¯t make trouble¡­¡±


    P


    Tommy turned his head angrily. ¡°Do you even know what happened? She tried to charge me for using the restroom! Did she charge you guys?¡±


    Yunice frowned in confusion. <i>When </i><i>did </i><i>that </i>be a <i>rule</i><i>? </i>


    Seeing the others stay silent, Tommy swept his gaze across them in disbelief. ¡°Sixty dors just to use the restroom paid?¡±


    ¨C


    you all


    The guy who pulled him aside gave an awkward smile. ¡°Just going along with local customs, man. If you¡¯re short on cash, I can spot you. Otherwise just drink less water and you won¡¯t have to go.¡±


    Tommy¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is this about money? Wellinges Pharma clearly looks down on us! Are we so filthy we need to pay a cleaning fee?¡±


    Seeing he couldn¡¯t be persuaded, the others simply gave up.


    Tommy stood there alone, fuming. After a minute, he turned and left Wellinges Pharma ¨C probably giving up on the


    interview.


    Yunice shifted her gaze to the janitor standing with hands on hips at the door.


    After the supervisor finished getting chewed out and came out sweating bullets, Yunice entered the office and asked Wyatt about the restroom charges.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Wellinges Pharma has no such rule.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°So the janitor is skimming off the top?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°More likely, it¡¯s a <b>test </b>set up by the interviewers.¡±


    That exnation made sense. Unexpected situations could better reveal a candidate¡¯s problem<b>¨C</b>solving skills ¨C giving a more direct measure of their strengths and weaknesses.


    Yunice hesitated. ¡°Then tell me if <b>a </b>candidate gets outraged by injustice, argues, and then walks away would they still be


    hired?¡±


    This question was almost pointless. Nopany needed someone so inflexible.


    ¨C


    Daring to point out problems and facing them head¨Con was a plus ¨C but the ability to solve problems <b>was </b>what truly mattered.


    12:12 PM


    Chapter 385 A World Apart


    O


    O


    +8 Pearls


    Tommy clearlycked that ability.


    Wyatt nced at Yunice. ¡°You had a friend here today?¡±


    Yunice said. ¡°Just curious.¡±


    Even though Tommy had once defended her publicly, if she interfered in the recruitment process, it would be unfair to the


    others.


    Yunice didn¡¯t mention Tommy¡¯s name.


    After work. Wyatt had a business dinner to attend, so he had Jordan drive Yunice back to Pavilion Hall.


    As they passed through the parking garage, Yunice was just about to get into the car when she was startled.


    A man was slumped against her car, sitting dispiritedly on the ground.


    Startled, Yunice froze. The man quickly stood up, looking apologetic ¨C and then he too froze.


    Yunice stared back ¨C meeting Tommy¡¯s gaze.


    Tommy noticed Yunice¡¯s hand resting on the car door handle. It was a limited¨Cedition Rolls¨CRoyce ¡ª worth tens of millions.


    Tommy¡¯s expression changed slightly, a sh of sham¨¦ crossing his face.


    Just the car alone was something he could never afford in his entire life.


    And yet, not long ago, he had naively spoken up for Yunice, thinking himself some righteous savior. Now, standing face¨Cto- face with her, he finally felt the crushing, insurmountable wall of reality.


    Yunice instantly picked up on his thoughts. ¡°This car isn¡¯t mine.¡± she said.


    But she had the right to ride in it.


    Seeing Tommy¡¯s dejected posture, Yunice felt an ufortable tangle of emotions inside,/


    She had once lived at the bottom too. She understood exactly where that sense of helplessness and inferiority came from.


    But <i>fate </i>had different ns. Not everyone could have the opportunities she¡¯d had.


    Jordan rolled down the driver¡¯s window, ncing questioningly at Xumice, them sweeping a quick look over Tommy.


    Tommy backed <i>away </i>two steps. His loosened tie and slouched posture made him look even more defeated.


    Yunice got into the car. Jordan turned the wheel ¡ª Tommy¡¯s figure growing smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.


    Yet in Yunice¡¯s mind, Tommy¡¯s expression just now kept reying


    That expression made her feel as if her own good fortune had been stolen.


    Tommy ¨C the legendary top scorer from Med University ¨C even someone like him was being treated like worthless cannon fodder by big corporations.


    And she


    someone who hadn¡¯t even graduated college, whose SAT scores were still under suspicion ¨C was now living a life far beyond his reach.


    For someone who had worked hard studying their whole life- it must be agonizing. It must fitel incredibly wayfare


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>

 Daghter 386

    Chapter 386 Blocked at the Door


    If it were just a stranger, Yunice wouldn¡¯t have been so conflicted. But Tommy had helped her once doubted her, he had stood up and spoken on her behalf.


    Whether she should repay that kindness, and how, weighed on her mind.


    But before she could think it through, she received a call from the Saunders family hospital.


    ¡ª


    when everyone else


    It was the emergency room calling: ¡°Hello, Dr. Rylie. Are you acquainted with Thomas?¡±


    Yunice hesitated for a moment, then recalled that Thomas was Taylor¡¯s father¡¯s nickname.


    Because she had treated him before, he must have had her number stored in his phone.


    The emergency room nurse spoke anxiously, ¡°He¡¯s been sent to the Saunders family hospital with a persistent high fever. Thest number his phone was on was yours. Pleasee quickly toplete the treatment paperwork.¡±


    Yunice found it strange. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have an assistant with him?¡±


    The nurse said, ¡°His assistant is already unconscious barely conscious. Pleasee quickly.¡±


    ¡ª


    undergoing emergency resuscitation. And Mr. Thomas himself is


    With lives at stake, Yunice didn¡¯t waste time questioning the call¡¯s authenticity. She immediately phoned Taylor.


    She told Taylor to contact Gerado ¨C a Taylor instantly grew anxious.


    and sure enough, a nurse answered. The nurse exined the situation with Gerado, and


    But Taylor was tied up with work and couldn¡¯t make it back immediately.


    Yunice nced at the road sign outside the car window. ¡°I¡¯m nearby. I¡¯ll go check things out first.¡±


    Hearing this, Taylor hesitated ¨C probably thinking that she and Yunice weren¡¯t close enough for Yunice to rush around for her like this.


    But how could she know? Yunice


    ¨C


    was also Dr. Rylie and in Yunice¡¯s heart, Taylor was already considered one of her own.


    Without wasting any more words, Yunice had Jordan drive her straight to the Saunders family hospital.


    Yunice knew the Saunders family hospital very well. She had just rushed to the emergency room entrance when she saw Elsie walking out.


    Elsie¡¯s long ck hair hung loose. She wasn¡¯t wearing a mask or goggles and pale green like spring onions.


    ¨C


    not even gloves ¨C her manicured fingernails shiny


    She paused with her hand on the door handle. When she saw Yunice, she couldn¡¯t hide the disgust on her face. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t hold back either. ¡°I¡¯m here for the same reason you are.¡±


    Elsie snorted. ¡°I¡¯m here to <b>save </b>lives. You?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice gave her a mocking nce up and down. ¡°With what qualifications?¡±


    ¡°You think the Health Bureau belongs to your family?¡± Yunice smiled.


    Elsie sneered at her, ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. I¡¯m not even a hospital employee. Even if you report me, you¡¯ll need evidence. Otherwise it¡¯s nder.¡±


    This hospital was under Owen¡¯s control ¨C Yunice could forget about getting any evidence against Elsie here.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t interested in arguing. She needed to check on Thomas urgently.


    So she asked a nearby nurse for protective clothing and professional gloves.


    <b>12:12 </b>PM


    Chapter 386 Blocked at the Door


    C


    ÕZ


    +8 Pearls


    As a doctor, basic self¨Cprotection was essential. Based on the phone call, Thomas had a persistent high fever, and his assistant¡¯s condition was worse already unconscious.


    ¨C


    Which made it reasonable <i>to </i>suspect the illness was infectious.


    But Elsie stretched out an arm to block her. ¡°By what right are you entering? Why should you use our protective gear?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no family member of yours in there. You¡¯re not a doctor here. You have no right to enter.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°I¡¯m the patient¡¯s designated representative. If you dy me and cause consequences, you¡¯ll be held responsible¡±


    After saying that, Yunice directly dialed Taylor¡¯s number and clearly stated that it was Elsie blocking her.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Taylor and Elsie were longtime enemies. Over the phone, Taylor cursed out fiercely ¡ª saying if Elsie dared dy her father¡¯s treatment today, she wouldn¡¯t spare the entire Saunders family!


    But even after the call ended, Elsie still refused to move, She sneered at Yunice, ¡°Paul¡¯s about to divorce Taylor anyway. The Kendall family¡¯s days are numbered ¨C you¡¯re backing the wrong person.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t bother with her. She simply reached out to snatch the protective gear from the nurse¡¯s hands.


    Elsie immediately blocked her again. ¡°I said you can¡¯t go in. Are you deaf?¡±


    Yunice stepped forward and stared directly at her. ¡°I know exactly why you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°You know Gerado is admitted <i>at </i>the Saunders family hospital. You¡¯re nning to use your position to let Gerado¡¯s condition deteriorate that way, Taylor will lose herst backup, and Paul can take advantage.¡±


    ¨C


    A flicker of guilt shed across Elsie¡¯s eyes ¨C but she quickly put on a righteous face. ¡°Stop with your conspiracy theories. I¡¯m just following hospital rules. If we let any random person into the ER, how could the hospital even function?¡±


    Just then, Elsie¡¯s gaze shifted behind Yunice ¨C and her tone immediately changed. ¡°Owen, you¡¯re finally here! I don¡¯t know why Yunice is so insistent on barging into the ER. I tried to stop her, but she even tried to hit me¡­¡±


    <b>Send Gifts </b>

 Daghter 387

    Chapter 387 Contamination


    +8 Pearls


    The moment Yunice heard Elsie¡¯s shrill voice, she knew Owen would definitely pick a fight for Elsie¡¯s sake again. She had no time to waste bickering with them.


    Taking advantage of Elsieining to Owen, Yunice quickly snatched the protective gear and rushed into the emergency


    room.


    She moved swiftly, putting on the protective suit, mask, goggles, and just finishing with the gloves when Owen and Elsie ¨C wearing no protective gear at all barged in after her.


    ¡°Yunice, what nonsense are you trying to pull again! This is a hospital, not your yground!¡± Owen barked.


    Yunice ignored him. Instead, she quickly locked onto Gerado¡¯s hospital bed.


    She strode over and flipped open Gerado¡¯s eyelids to check his pupils. Behind the protective goggles, her eyebrows immediately furrowed sharply.


    She then looked at Gerado¡¯s arm ¨C bound with a blood pressure monitor ¨C and saw blotchy patches of bruising under the skin. She immediately turned and shouted at Owen. ¡°Stay back! I suspect he¡¯s carrying an infectious disease!¡±


    Owen froze two meters away.


    Just as Yunice was about to continue the examination, Elsie suddenly darted out from behind Owen and yanked off Yunice¡¯s protective goggles.


    She shrieked, ¡°I told you already ¨C you¡¯re not allowed in here! Are you deaf!¡±


    At that exact moment, Gerado


    ¨C


    ¨C his face dark and blue


    ¨C


    suddenly convulsed.


    He violently arched his back and, without warning, vomited.


    Elsie was standing in the wrong spot


    ¨C


    and got sprayed head¨Cto¨Ctoe!


    She wasn¡¯t wearing any protective clothing ¨C no shielding at all ¨C and now she was covered in foul¨Csmelling vomit.


    Frozen in ce, Elsie felt filthier than she ever had in her life.


    Yunice spared her only a nce ¨C then noticed blood streaked through the vomit on her body.


    Meanwhile, Gerado continued to seize, his face turning purple, clearly choking on his own vomit.


    Without hesitating, Yunice turned Gerado¡¯s head sideways, clearing his airway to prevent suffocation.


    Owen pulled Elsie aside, frowning deeply at the mess covering her.


    Yunice, even while busy, nced at him and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯d better take her for decontamination immediately. Until Gerado¡¯s test results are back, no one here should have contact with outsiders.¡±


    Owen hated Yunice¡¯s self¨Cimportant attitude. The moment she opened her mouth, he was ready to argue<b>. </b>


    ¡°Just because you¡¯ve been at Wellinges Pharma a few days, you think you¡¯re some big shot!


    I¡¯m the hospital director ¨C 1 know better than you how things should be done! And this is the Saunders family hospital out immediately!¡±


    Yunice ignored him.


    ¨C


    Furious, Owen moved forward to drag her away but Elsie clung to his arm pitifully, whining, ¡°Owen, don¡¯t mind her anymore¡­ My wound really hurts I think my old injury is acting up¡­ please find someone to check on me¡­¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    After saying that, she shot Yunice a vicious look. Gerado¡¯s condition was deteriorating rapidly dangerously fast.


    ¨C


    get


    If Yunice didn¡¯t interfere, Gerado dying at the Saunders family hospital could be med on ¡°an act of God.¡± But if Yunice did


    0


    O


    Chapter 387 Contamination


    ¨C


    interfere everything that happened afterward could be pinned on her.<ul><li>¨C</li></ul>


    Because Yunice wasn¡¯t officially hospital staff she wasn¡¯t qualified to treat patients against her.


    +8 Pearls


    ¨C


    any fatal oues could be used


    If Gerado died, the Kendall family¡¯s inheritance would fall to Paul, and Taylor and Yunice would be enemies.


    A double win for Elsie.


    Elsie was delighted with this


    ¨C


    of course she couldn¡¯t let Owen stay and ruin it.


    And Owen, hearing Elsie say she felt unwell, immediately dropped everything and took her to change clothes.


    Before leaving, he ordered the other medical staff to pull Yunice away ¨C forbidding her from touching the patient.


    soon she was forcibly removed from the emergency room.


    Yunice couldn¡¯t fight off everyone


    ¨C


    But Yunice didn¡¯t try to barge back in.


    Instead, with a heavy heart, she locked herself inside the empty medical waste disposal room.


    She bolted the door, slumped against the wall, and slid to the ground.


    Taking deep breaths to steady herself, she sent all the medical details she had just recorded about Gerado to Laurice.


    Three minutester, Laurice called.


    Laurice was notoriously hard to deal with


    ¡ª


    especially under pressure usually answering Yunice¡¯s questions with grumpy voice messages, if she even bothered to reply at all.


    ¨C


    But this time, Laurice personally interrupted her research and made a direct call.


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank to the bottom.


    She knew


    ¨C


    this situation must be worse than she imagined.


    Sure enough ¨C the moment the call connected, Laurice barked furiously:


    ¨C


    get yourself isted immediately! Do not


    ¨C


    I repeat, do not


    ¨C


    ¡°Wherever you are


    Yunice nced around the tiny, grimy space she was in and answered in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ve already done that¡­

 Daghter 388

    Chapter 388 Coteral Damage


    O


    §à


    +8 Pearls


    Laurie was pacing on the other end of the call, clearly agitated, but her voice held only concern. ¡°Did you take all the proper precautions?¡±


    Yunice closed her eyes, running through the symptoms again¨Ceverything Mr. Gerardo was exhibiting matched a rare and fatal condition reported abroad.


    ¡°We did everything we could,¡± she answered calmly. ¡°But someone yanked off my goggles during the chaos, so I can¡¯t say for sure if I¡¯m in the clear.¡±


    Laurie took a moment to suppress her emotions before replying. ¡°Don¡¯t panic. The hypothesis you gave us earlier was spot on. Even if you did get exposed, we¡¯ve already made progress in theb¨Cenough to buy you time, maybe even save you. So stay calm, okay?¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yunice replied steadily.


    There was a brief silence.


    ¡°Did you call Mr. Wyatt?¡± Laurie asked suddenly.


    ¡°¡­Not yet.¡±


    Laurie didn¡¯t respond to that. She let it hang for a beat, then said, ¡°This incident is going to hit the CDC¡¯s desk soon. Not many people know you had contact with Mr. Gerardo. If you get Wyatt to pick you up now, you can still avoid getting caught in the.


    ¡°Wellinges Pharma has the best medical resources in the country. With Wyatt by your side, people will move mountains to help you. But if you end up sealed inside Saunders Hospital, you¡¯ll be thrown to the wolves.¡±


    Laurie was nothing if not rigid and by¨Cthe¨Cbook¨Cyet she was trying to break protocol for her. Yunice felt a quiet rush of gratitude.


    She smiled faintly. ¡°This virus¡­ it came on fast and hard. I don¡¯t want to drag more people into it. Once the CDC sends the alert, everyone who¡¯s been in contact will be put under surveince. Thest thing I want is for Wellinges Pharma to get gged for obstruction.¡±


    Laurie went quiet again.


    Yunice nced at the time. ¡°I don¡¯t have much battery left. I still want to make a few more calls¡ªso I¡¯m gonna go.¡±


    Right before she hung up, her voice softened. ¡°Thanks for thinking of me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t hang up yet!¡± Laurie¡¯s voice snapped through. ¡°Even if you did get exposed, you better hold it together. When this is over, I¡¯ll take you on as my student.¡±


    Yuniceughed. ¡°Deal.¡±


    Once the call ended, she dialed Taylor.


    Taylor picked up quickly¨Cbut Yunice didn¡¯t speak to her.


    ¡°Put n on,¡± she said.


    Confused, n took the phone. ¡°Ms. Saunders?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Listen to me carefully,¡± Yunice said. ¡°No matter what it takes, do not let Taylor go near Saunders Hospital. Don¡¯t let her talk to anyone from there. Best if she stays indoors for the next few days.¡±


    Taylor grabbed the phone <b>back </b>in a panic. ¡°What are you talking about? Where¡¯s my dad? I want to talk to my dad!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice was grim. ¡°Mr. Gerardo is unconscious. He can¡¯t answer the phone.¡±


    She exined everything, from the sudden onset of symptoms to the failed resuscitation of Mr. Gerardo¡¯s assistant, who had


    12:12 PM


    Chapter 388 Coteral Damage


    been dered dead twenty minutes earlier.


    Taylor¡¯s knees buckled.


    C


    C


    C


    That assistant had been with her father for two decades¨Che¡¯d watched her grow up from a young age.


    Gone. Just like that<i>. </i>


    She clutched n¡¯s arm like it was a lifeline, her voice trembling. ¡°We¡ªwe have to go to the hospital!¡±


    +8 Pearls


    ¡°Taylor,¡± Yunice said gently, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this because I trust your mind. The hospital isn¡¯t your battlefield¨Cyour home is. Your family is. Your father¡¯s condition is critical. If you go rushing in there and get infected, then what happens to the Kendall family? What happens to thepany? Your mom? Do you really think the Powells won¡¯t take advantage of that?¡±


    n stepped forward and grabbed Taylor¡¯s shoulders, his voice shaking. ¡°She¡¯s right, Miss Taylor!¡±


    Taylor copsed into his arms, sobbing. Logic and grief tore her apart from both sides.


    She knew Yunice was right. She was terrified. She was horrified at the thought that she might actually lose her father the way he lost his assistant. She was terrified that she might not even have the chance to be there at her father¡¯s final moments too.


    n gritted his teeth. ¡°You have to stay strong. Ms. Saunders is in worse shape than we are. She¡¯s stuck in there¨Calone¨Cand she might be infected too!¡±


    Taylor froze.


    That¡¯s right.


    Yunice might be just as exposed as her father. She had people who loved her too. People who were probably worried sick.


    And she was locked in there¨Calone, scared, and facing death.


    And still, she was the oneforting others?


    Taylor¡¯s heart twisted with guilt and shame.


    She wiped her tears, steadied her breath, and asked, ¡°What do you need me to do?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t hesitate. She told her: this wasn¡¯t random. She suspected foul y, and warned Taylor to watch her back¡ª especially with Paul lurking like a vulture.


    As for herself¡­ Wyatt would figure something out.


    When the call ended, Yunice looked down at her phone.


    3% battery left.


    Wyatt¡¯s face shed in her mind again and again.


    Her fingers hovered over the screen.


    She hesitated.


    Should she call him?

 Daghter 389

    Chapter 389 A Voice Before Silence


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t the type to calm down easily.


    Yunice knew if she called too early, he¡¯d break every rule toe get her.


    She couldn¡¯t let that happen¨Cif he barged into the hospital, he¡¯d be exposed too.


    But if she waited too long¡­


    +8 Pearls


    The CDC had likely already received her report. It was only a matter of time before Saunders Hospital was fully locked down. And once the lockdown started, they¡¯d jam all signals to contain the news and prevent public panic.


    After that, even making a phone call would be impossible.


    If she really was infected¡­.


    If she died before the treatment protocol came through¡­


    Then this would be herst call to Wyatt.


    Should she call?


    Would he me her if she didn¡¯t?


    Probably not. She was just a stand¨Cin, after all. There were countless people in the world who looked like her. If he ever missed her, he could always find someone else who looked like that woman.


    Her battery dropped from 3% to 2%. Her heart skipped a beat.


    She pressed call.


    The phone rang. Each tone felt like a high heel driving straight into her heart¨Csharp and suffocating.


    She didn¡¯t know if Wyatt had finished his meeting. She didn¡¯t even know if he¡¯d see the call.


    Then, on the third ring¨Chis voice came through.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost home.¡±


    He still thought she was at Pavilion Hall.


    Yunice¡¯s throat tightened. She meant to tell him everything. But when the words reached her lips, they changed.


    ¡°Wyatt¡­ there¡¯s an old woman named Melina at the Jamerson Center<b>. </b>She¡¯s my best friend¡¯s grandmother. Could you have someone send her food and clothes now and then? Make sure no one bullies her.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t sense anything wrong. He just thought she was being sentimental.


    ¡°Sure,¡± he said easily.


    It was nothing to him¨Cone call, and it¡¯d be done.


    Yunice added, ¡°And Gill¡¯s deli¡­ she¡¯s had people messing with hertely, jealous of her business. They even tried trashing her stall.¡±


    Wyatt chuckled. ¡°Her shop¡¯s near the Northvale site, right? I¡¯ll tell the crew to start buying lunch from her. Sound good?¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Then she fell silent.


    She went over everything in her head. There was no one else she needed to ask about. No loose ends.


    <b>12:12 </b>PM


    Chapter 389 A Voice Before Silence


    Carl would be fine¨Chis position was untouchable.


    Her brother¡­ he was in healthcare. He¡¯d understand.


    Her phone dropped to 1%.


    O


    0


    Wyatt finally noticed something was off. He eased off the gas and frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯re at Pavilion Hall, right?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer the question.


    ¡°My phone¡¯s about to die,¡± she said softly. ¡°It might shut off any second now.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice deepened. ¡°You¡¯re not at Pavilion Hall?¡±


    He immediately tapped the car¡¯s built¨Cin dialer.


    Jordan picked up on the second ring, confused as ever.


    Madam went to see Mr. Gerardo at the hospital, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    He didn¡¯t yet know Mr. Gerardo was about to be the country¡¯s first confirmed case.


    He spun the wheel, turned the car around, and said only: ¡°I¡¯m going to the hospital.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s phone was counting down its final seconds.


    Her voice came through, quiet and clear: ¡°Drive safe, okay? Don¡¯t rush.¡±


    Then¨Cclick.


    The line went dead.


    Wyatt tried to call her back. The robotic voice came on. <i>The </i><i>number </i><i>you¡¯ve </i><i>dialed </i><i>is </i><i>currently </i><i>unavable</i><i>¡­ </i>


    He floored it.


    But halfway there, Yunice¡¯s voice echoed in his mind-<i>¡°</i>Don¡¯t rush<i>.</i>¡±


    Heughed bitterly, and let off the gas.


    Near the hospital, traffic came to a dead stop.


    He waited five minutes. Nothing moved.


    +8 Pearls


    He didn¡¯t hesitate¨Cdrove into the emergencyne<b>, </b>parked, grabbed the charger from the console, and took off on foot.


    But the closer he got, the stranger things became.


    The sidewalks were empty.


    Saunders Hospital¡¯s gate was shut tight.


    Cars were being let in¨Cbut none were leaving.


    Each vehicle was stopped, checked, and rerouted.


    He watched men in full hazmat suits exit one of the ambnces.


    His chest went cold.


    He remembered the way Yunice sounded on the phone. The strange requests. The sudden concern.


    12:12 PM


    Chapter 389 A Voice Before Silence


    <i>Something </i>was <i>wrong</i>. <i>Very </i>wrong.


    0


    O


    O


    He didn¡¯t rush the gates. He backed off and started making calls.


    +8 Pearls


    Through a private channel, Wyatt confirmed the truth. Saunders Hospital had just reported the first case of an unknown, highly infectious disease.


    The entire facility¨Cdoctors, nurses, patients, even visitors¡ªwas now sealed inside.


    Signal jammers were already in ce.


    No calls in. No calls out. Only old¨Cschool pagers would work now.


    Wyatt knew if he didn¡¯t get Yunice out now<i>, </i>it might be impossibleter.


    He didn¡¯t waste time.


    He called the emergency task force directly.


    ¡°I¡¯ll donate ten billion in medical supplies,¡± he said tly. ¡°In exchange, I want <i>one </i>person out of Saunders Hospital. I¡¯ll also dispatch a private medical team for safe containment and transport. There won¡¯t be any risk of exposure.¡±


    This¡­ did not follow protocol.


    But ten billion was too much to ignore.

 Daghter 390

    O


    Q


    +8 Pearls


    The situation was urgent. An incident of this scale, with such serious societal implications, clearly couldn¡¯t happen without immense financial backing.


    <i>Ten </i><i>billion </i><i>for </i><i>one </i><i>person</i>¡­ that¡¯s <i>a </i><i>good </i><i>deal</i>.


    <i>If </i><i>safety </i><i>could </i><i>be </i><i>guaranteed</i><i>, </i><i>it </i><i>was </i><i>feasible</i><i>. </i>


    And the Cooper family had ess to the most advanced medical facilities and teams. Even if the person being exchanged ended up infected, they¡¯d be the first to receive treatment and be a valuable case for pushing the current nk te of treatment research forward.


    Given the extraordinary circumstances, exceptions had to be made. Multiple departments convened immediately and finally decided¨Cunder strict supervision from both sides¨Cto transfer the person Wyatt requested out of Saunders Hospital.


    Inside Saunders Hospital, chaos had already broken out.


    The regr civilians were especially frantic, locked up in the main hall, crying and screaming to be let home.


    They had smashed the ss doors and windows with benches, leaving them in ruins, but the situation was quickly subdued by the police stationed outside.


    Yunice stepped out of the medical waste disposal room.


    Right now, everyone was looking out for themselves. No one had the capacity to care for anyone else. The moment Yunice emerged, a panicked Owen grabbed her wrist.


    Looking deeply concerned, Owen said, ¡°Come with me!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t know what was going on, but she was pulled by Owen all the way to the director¡¯s office.


    At that moment, there were only three people in the room¨Cher, Owen, and Elsie.


    Elsie had already changed into a freshb coat. The clothes that Mr. Gerardo had dirtied were now in the trash can, which stili hadn¡¯t been emptied.


    After locking the door, Owen looked at the two of them, clearly anxious. ¡°I got word that the hospital discovered an unidentified pathogen. It¡¯s highly risky. Everyone in the hospital is now under lockdown.¡±


    His frown deepened as he continued, ¡°This is really bad. Anyone who¡¯se into contact with the pathogen will be quarantined and investigated. No one will be able to intervene. So neither of you should go anywhere. When the inspection teames, just stick to one story: you¡¯ve both been in my office the entire time and haven¡¯t had any contact with patients. Once the observation period is over, they should let us go.¡±


    Elsie sat still and nced at Yunice.


    It seemed like she was thinking: I can¡¯t believe Owen called her here too.


    Yunice felt a strange tug in her heart. Owen actually had enough of a conscience to think of bringing her too.


    But this kind of scheming was clearly being used in the wrong ce.


    She didn¡¯t argue with him. She walked quietly to the window.


    The view from Owen¡¯s office was excellent. There were no buildings obstructing the front, and she could see the road outside the hospital at a nce.


    She saw people in full hazmat suits and various inspection teams standing ready below.


    She also saw the long line of vehicles on the road turning around.


    They were clearing out the entire area around Saunders Hospital.


    12:12 PM


    Chapter 390 The Trade


    At the hospital entrance, a line of cars had stopped, surrounded by a restless crowd.


    Yunice wished she had a pair of binocrs¨Cthen she could see more clearly what was going on outside.


    Binocrs?


    That thought triggered something. She turned around and started looking for Owen¡¯s phone charger.


    +8 Pearls


    Seeing her still thinking about charging her phone at a time like this, Owen said irritably, ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. The hospital¡¯s signal has already beenpletely blocked. You can¡¯t reach Wyatt. He¡¯s not powerful enough toe save you either.¡±


    Yunice shot him a nce but said nothing. She just watched her phone battery slowly climb.


    Once it had enough power to stay on, she walked back to the window with her phone, opened the camera app, and aimed it at the line of cars outside the hospital gate.


    She zoomed in, and then zoomed in again, and again¡­.


    On her screen, the license tes and even faces outside the hospital gate were now clearly visible.


    Owen came up beside her and¨Cshockingly¨Csaw Wyatt on her phone screen.


    G


    Her phone was locked onto Wyatt¡¯s every move. He appeared to be calmly making preparations outside, showing no signs of panic or desperation.


    Owen said grimly, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not that important to him after all. Look¨Ceveryone else¡¯s families are fighting their way in, arguing and pushing to get through.¡±


    Yunice asked in return, ¡°And would it help if he did?¡±


    Owen was momentarily speechless.


    ¡°Love isn¡¯t supposed to be calcted in terms of value. He¡¯s just being a coward who doesn¡¯t want trouble.¡±


    Owen said firmly, ¡°Only your closest family would risk everything for you. Just like I am, for you and Elsie.¡±


    He felt this crisis was the perfect opportunity for Yunice to finally see who truly cared about her.


    Yunice replied dryly, ¡°Not necessarily.¡±


    Owen had no words.


    He couldn¡¯tmunicate with Yunice, so after standing awkwardly for a bit he turned his attention back toforting Elsie.


    Yunice kept observing the scene outside through her phone.


    Then she noticed something¨CWyatt was looking in her direction.


    And he was holding a pair of binocrs.


    Realizing he might actually be able to see her, Yunice immediately began signaling through the window with her hands.


    She repeated the gestures several times. If Wyatt was watching, those high¨Cpowered binocrs would definitely pick up her signs.


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    Chapter 391 No Way Out


    0


    Wyatt spotted Yunice. He could even understand the signnguage she was using. I¡¯m <i>safe</i><i>. </i>


    In response, Wyatt signed back: <i>Like </i><i>hell </i><i>you </i><i>are</i><i>! </i><i>Sit </i><i>tight </i><i>and </i><i>wait </i><i>for </i><i>someone </i><i>to </i><ie </i><i>get </i><i>you</i><i>! </i>


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice¡¯s phone camera didn¡¯t have the resolution of Wyatt¡¯s binocrs. She could tell he was gesturing, but couldn¡¯t make out the details. Naturally, she had no idea what he was saying.


    Still, since he hadn¡¯t shed with anyone, she felt relieved.


    The hospital was in chaos, and tension was running high. Elsie sat restlessly, unable to stay still.


    She had tried messaging Paul multiple times, hoping he could figure out a way to get her out, but none of the messages went through.


    Her voice trembled. ¡°Owen, how long are we going to be locked up here? There¡¯s a pathogen in the hospital. If we stay trapped in here any longer, we¡¯ll catch it even if we¡¯re not infected now.¡±


    Owen rubbed his forehead, equally agitated.


    Why his hospital, of all ces? Who discovered the pathogen and bypassed him¨Cthe hospital director¨Cto report it directly to the disease control center?


    If the report


    hadn¡¯t gone over his head, he would¡¯ve had time to react. As director, he wouldn¡¯t be in such a passive position.


    Yunice, of course, wasn¡¯t about to admit she was the one who reported it.


    She knew Owen¡¯s methods too well. If she¡¯d let him know about the pathogen first, the very first thing he¡¯d do would be to sneak Elsie out, then have the infected patient transferred¨Cshoving this hot potato onto someone else.


    And right now, Owen didn¡¯t even realize that the carrier was Mr. Gerardo. All three of them had been in close contact with him.


    Once the inspection team arrived, all three of them would be taken away.


    Elsie was frightened. ¡°Who even <i>is </i>the carrier? When the inspection team gets here, shouldn¡¯t we try to stay out of their way?¡±


    Hospitals were fluid environments¨Cno one could be sure if the person speaking to you now hade into contact with a patient just moments earlier. So even those who had only indirect contact weren¡¯t necessarily safe.


    Just then, there was a knock at the door¨Ctwo solid thumps.


    Owen and Elsie both felt their hearts sink. They knew the inspection team had arrived.


    Neither of them moved, so Yunice walked over and put her hand on the doorknob.`


    ¡°Yunice!¡± Owen hesitated. He wasn¡¯t sure if they should open the door.


    Yunice looked back at him. ¡°Even if we don¡¯t open it, they¡¯ll break it down. You really think you can hide?¡±


    Owen said nothing. He stepped in front of Elsie, shielding her, and muttered, ¡°You don¡¯t hold any official position here. No matter what they ask you, stick to this: you came to see me, and you haven¡¯t spoken to or touched anyone else.<b>¡± </b>


    Elsie nodded in fear, clutching Owen¡¯s wrist tightly.


    Yunice opened the door alone. Standing just outside was a fully suited inspector,pletely wrapped in protective gear. The figure looked into the office and asked, ¡°Just the three of you?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°The three of us were in close contact with the carrier. We¡¯re voluntarily cooperating with quarantine and testing.¡±


    Her words stunned everyone¨Cthose inside the room and those outside it alike.


    Chapter 391 No Way Out


    Owen stood up instinctively,pletely dumbfounded. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡±


    Yunice turned to him. ¡°Haven¡¯t you figured it out yet? Mr. Gerardo is the carrier.¡±


    The disease had hit him like a freight train. His assistant had died within thirty¨Csix hours of showing symptoms.


    +8 Pearls


    Such a deadly and aggressive fever wasn¡¯t normal. It was Owen¡¯s negligence andck of professionalism that had dragged so many others into this mess.


    Seeing Yunice¡¯s expression, Owen was left speechless, like he was finally starting to understand.


    Elsie jumped to her feet and blurted, ¡°You reported it, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t deny it.


    She just watched as Owen¡¯s gaze slowly shifted¨Cfrom confusion to resentment<b>. </b>


    But ming her now wouldn¡¯t help. No one in this room was getting out


    Yunice turned to the inspector. ¡°The carrier received treatment in the emergency room. Many medical staff weren¡¯t able to put on protective gear in time. The three of us were even hit by some of his bodily fluids.¡±


    ¡°Yunice!¡± Owen¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as he cut her off,


    Everyone else had been desperately trying to stay uninvolved. No one wanted any part of this. But not her¨Cshe was dragging them all down with her.


    If the three of them ended up quarantined in the hospital, it would turn the ce into a dead zone. The psychological and physical toll would be enormous. Had she even considered than?


    Yunice knew exactly what he was thinking. She said, ¡°You¡¯re the hospital director. Thank you for setting an example and promptly reporting the pathogen. It¡¯s the only reason we were able to keep this outbreak from spreading further.¡±


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    Chapter 392 A Name That Burns


    +8 Pearls


    Owen stood frozen. To the doctor, Yunice¡¯s words might have sounded like praise¨Cbut to Owen, they dripped with sarcasm.


    Because it was Yunice who had the presence of mind to act. Owen, the hospital director, had only thought of escape.


    As morality shed with selfishness, Owen said nothing more.


    The hazmat¨Csuited doctor entered the room and began spraying disinfectant. A registrar followed, preparing to assign each of them to a quarantine zone based on their level of exposure.


    Elsie clung to Owen¡¯s arm, sobbing. ¡°Owen, I don¡¯t want to be locked up in here! I don¡¯t want to die. That guy died in three days! I just got out of the hospital, I¡¯m still recovering, my immune system¡¯s shot. If I¡¯m infected, I won¡¯t survive long enough for them toe up with a treatment¡­¡±


    ¡°Owen, are we all going to die?¡±


    Owen¡¯s heart was pounding. His eyes flicked to the registrar¡¯s pen. Once this list wasplete, Elsie really wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.


    He even nced toward the window. For a moment, he considered smashing it open and helping Elsie escape.


    But the thought onlysted a second before he gave up on it.


    There was no escape. The building was crawling with people. There was no way out.


    And if they tried to flee now and got caught, it would be a criminal case.


    Owen pressed a hand to his forehead. He had no choice but to ept it. This time, he¡¯d let Elsie down.


    ¡°Is there a Yunice here?¡± The radio at the doctor¡¯s waist crackled to life.


    All three of them looked up.


    Why were they asking for Yunice?


    Elsie clenched her fists, her eyes darting.


    Out of the three of them, she was the most desperate to leave. Any opportunity, no matter how slim, was one she had to


    seize.


    She had tried to contact Paul earlier, hoping he could get her out, but hadn¡¯t reached him.


    But Yunice had contacted Wyatt. And Wyatt had power. Maybe he was trying to open a back door for her.


    The doctor spoke into the radio briefly, then looked at the two women. ¡°Which one of you is Yunice<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice opened her mouth to respond, but Elsie suddenly jumped in. ¡°Hello, sir. I¡¯m Yunice. May I ask what this <b>is </b>about?¡±


    Owen looked up at her. He didn¡¯t quite understand why she was doing this, but ording to hospital records, Elsie was Yunice.


    So technically, it wasn¡¯t wrong for her to stand up.


    Yunice, however, shot her a calm nce and said evenly, ¡°I¡¯m Yunice.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± The doctor stared at them, speechless. How could there be two Yunices in the same room?


    He turned to the only one in the room with official authority. ¡°You¡¯re the hospital director, right? Which of them is Yunice?¡±


    Owen¡¯s confused gaze bounced between the two women. In a way¡­ they were <i>both </i>Yunice.


    So he sidestepped the question. ¡°Why do you need her?¡±


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    Chapter 392 A Name That Burns


    O


    He wanted to know whether this was good news or bad news.


    The doctor didn¡¯t take the bait. ¡°That¡¯s not your concern.¡±


    O


    ?


    +8 Pearls


    When Owen wouldn¡¯t give a straight answer, the doctor turned back to the women. ¡°Do either of you have proof of identity?¡±


    Yunice frowned slightly. Her ID was in her bag, which had gotten lost in the chaos earlier.


    Elsie, on the other hand, sprang into action. She didn¡¯t have her ID on her, but she knew Owen kept her personnel file¨Cwith a photocopy of her ID¨Cin his office drawer.


    She opened the drawer and pulled out the documents.


    Just as she was about to hand them over, Owen mmed a hand down on hers and muttered, ¡°Yunice is the one who reported the incident. She was the first point of contact. This isn¡¯t a good thing¨Cyou don¡¯t want to be her right now.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s expression froze. Even though Owen had seen right through her, she couldn¡¯t let go of the chance to get out.


    She quickly said, ¡°Owen, didn¡¯t you say we¡¯re family? Families are supposed to help each other. If Yunice¡¯s situation is that bad, then I should step up for her.¡±


    And before Owen could stop her again, she handed the documents over.


    The doctor nced at the photocopy,paring the picture and name. He nodded. ¡°Got it. You¡¯re Yunice.¡±


    Then he pointed to a bag of protective gear on the nearby cart. ¡°Change into that ande with us.¡±


    Elsie beamed with joy, relieved her bluff had worked.


    But as soon as she heard she was leaving, a sliver of anxiety crept in. ¡°Sir, may I ask where I¡¯m going? If you don¡¯t exin, Owen will worry about me.¡±


    The doctor was tight¨Clipped. ¡°That¡¯s ssified. Get moving.¡±


    That answer made her even more nervous.


    She had assumed Wyatt might be trying to get Yunice out¡­ but what if that wasn¡¯t the case?


    What if they weren¡¯t here to release Yunice¨Cbut to send her, as the first point of contact, into Mr. Gerardo¡¯s treatment unit?


    If that was what was happening, then iming her name might have just sealed her own fate.


    <b>Send </b><b>Gifts </b>


    228


    <b>¡£ </b>

 Daghter 393

    Chapter 393 A Switch in the Shadows


    Elsie hesitated at the doorway, torn between going and staying. She kept pestering the doctor, pleading for answers.


    ¡°Please, I promise I won¡¯t tell anyone. I just¡­ I don¡¯t want Owen to worry, that¡¯s all¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she felt a tug at the back of her cor. Whipping around, she saw Yunice gripping her shirt, pulling her back before stepping forward and handing her phone to the doctor.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying,¡± Yunice said calmly. ¡°My name is Yunice too.¡±


    Though she¡¯d lost her physical ID, Yunice had a scanned copy on her phone. She hadn¡¯t shown it earlier¨Cshe¡¯d been waiting to see how far Elsie would go, and what she could fish out of the situation.


    Once it became clear that nothing useful could be gleaned, she stepped forward to verify her identity.


    The most ironic part? While Yunice had changed her ID number, she hadn¡¯t changed her name.


    The doctor nced between the two women, baffled all over again.


    Then he stepped outside to contact someone via radio.


    Meanwhile, Owen was deep in thought, analyzing everything.


    Why did they need Yunice?


    She was the first point of contact, yes¨Cbut she didn¡¯t have a medical license, nor was she an official hospital employee. A specialized response team wouldn¡¯t go out of their way to involve her in treatment.


    And if the doctors were so tight¨Clipped about where they were taking her, then it had to be something secretive.


    But what kind of situation required secrecy?


    Something they didn¡¯t want the public to know about.


    Owen¡¯s palm curled into a tight fist. His mind wandered to Wyatt, who¡¯d been lingering outside the hospital this entire time.


    Why was he just waiting there¨Cnoting in, but not leaving either?


    Could he really be nning to get Yunice out of this quarantine zone<b>? </b>


    What kind of sleight of hand would Wyatt use to pull that off?


    Owen¡¯s eyes flicked toward the unopened bag of protective gear¡­


    <b>Just </b>then<b>, </b>the doctor returned and pointed directly at Yunice. ¡°Put on the gear. You¡¯reing with us.¡±


    <b>Panic </b>surged through Elsie. ¡°I¡¯m Yunice<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    The doctor ignored her<b>. </b>


    Watching the <b>exchange</b>, Owen <b>grew </b>more convinced that something was going on behind the scenes.


    Otherwise, how could these


    <b>people </b><b>be </b><b>so </b><b>sure </b>which one of them <b>was </b>the Yunice <b>they </b>wanted?


    The fact <b>that </b>they still wouldn


    <b>say </b>where <b>she </b><b>was </b>going¨Cit <b>had </b>to mean Yunice was leaving this <b>sealed </b>facility.


    The fewer people who knew<b>, </b><b>the </b>better. <b>If </b>word got out <b>that </b>someone <b>had </b>been allowed to leave while others remained imprisoned, the bacsh would be immense<b>. </b>


    And this was the primary infection zone. No one could <b>even </b><b>say </b>how many people would survive by the end. Who would be left to report that someone <b>had </b>slipped through the cracks<b>? </b>


    This world <b>was </b>so unfair.


    +8 P€


    Owen was tense all over. His gaze lingered on the doctors who had moved on to the neighboring offices, busy verifying everyone¡¯s identities and enforcing lockdown procedures.


    They didn¡¯t bother watching Yunice change. Once she was gone, Owen and Elsie would be sealed in the office too.


    Pointing toward the break room, Owen said to Yunice, ¡°There¡¯s a lounge in there. You can change.¡±


    Yunice picked up the gear, hesitant. She didn¡¯t know what awaited her.


    She suspected this was Wyatt¡¯s doing¨Cthat he¡¯d found a way to smuggle her out of Saunders Hospital.


    Originally, she had nned to stay and fight alongside the others. But she decided not to act on her own. It was better to ti Wyatt¡¯s n.


    If she wasn¡¯t infected, great. If she <i>was </i>infected, she could at least serve as a live research subject for Wellinges Pharma¨Cfa: better than dying here like a headless chicken.


    She made her decision. She¡¯d change into the gear and go with them.


    As Yunice stepped into the lounge with the protective suit, Elsie watched with wide, despairing eyes.


    JAS


    It felt like someone had stolen her only chance at survival.


    She looked pitifully at Owen, voice trembling. ¡°Owen¡­¡±


    Owen¡¯s fists clenched and unclenched. He wanted to say he was sorry.


    But seeing her pale, terrified face, something inside him cracked.


    Elsie was his youngest sister. He couldn¡¯t just stand there and watch her die.


    She was so young, so obedient, so full of potential¡­ She hadn¡¯t even had a chance to shine. How could she die here for no reason?


    Inside the lounge, Yunice locked the door and began changing.


    That¡¯s when she heard the unmistakable sound of a key turning in the lock.


    She turned¨Cand saw Owen step inside, eyes heavy with guilt.


    The look in his eyes made her heart skip a beat.

 Daghter 394

    hapter 394 Borrowed Name, Stolen Life


    Yunice knew that look on Owen¡¯s face all too well.


    +8 Pearls


    He always wore that same fake, sorrowful expression whenever he¡¯d made up his mind to sacrifice her¨Clike he was being forced into a painful, noble decision.


    Her eyes shifted to Elsie behind him. The sudden chill that crept up her spine sharpened her voice with warning. ¡°Owen, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re trying to steal my protective gear. They asked for me. You think you can pull a fast one?¡±


    Owen replied, ¡°Yunice, I didn¡¯t want it toe to this. But you went over my head and reported the outbreak. If you hadn¡¯t done that, we all could¡¯ve gotten out of here. You forced my hand-¡±


    And there it was. Once again, he was trying to paint her as the one at fault.


    Yunice sneered. ¡°Owen, after all these years, you really think I don¡¯t know who you are? If you¡¯re going to stab me, just do it. Why waste time justifying it? Or do you think spinning excuses makes it easier for you to go through with it?¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice softened. ¡°Yunice¡­ Elsie took a knife for me. She just had surgery¨Cshe¡¯s in no shape to handle this.¡±


    ¡°And what, I¡¯m supposed to be the sacrificialmb?¡± she shot back. ¡°I just got out of the hospital too.¡±


    Owen went silent. Then finally said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    There it was again.


    That same, useless phrase.


    What was his ¡°sorry¡± worth? A magic cure? A life¨Csaving drug?


    Did ¡°sorry¡± buy her a second chance at life?


    Yunice turned toward the door, ready to yell for the doctors outside and expose Owen¡¯s scheme.


    But before she could get a word out, Owen shoved a drug¨Csoaked towel over her mouth and nose.


    Her limbs buckled almost immediately.


    Eyes zing with fury, she red at him and rasped, ¡°Even if you get her out¡­ Wyatt will know. Elsie won¡¯t get far.¡±


    Owen¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have the luxury to care.¡±


    Dead is dead¡ªat least if Elsie got out, she had a shot.


    {


    Seeing Elsie still standing there, frozen, Owen lifted Yunice into his arms and hissed, ¡°Hurry up! Put on her gear! The suit¡¯spletely sealed¨Cthey won¡¯t see your face. Just keep quiet, and no one will know the difference.¡±


    Yunice shot Elsie a furious re as the girl pulled the protective suit off her limp body and slipped into it. Layer uponyer- goggles, mask, full hood. It was impossible to see who was underneath.


    Owen wasn¡¯t wrong. Without a name written on the back, there was no way to tell.


    Once dressed, Elsie looked back at Owen. Her voice was low and heavy. ¡°Owen¡­ I¡¯m leaving now¡­¡±


    His eyes reddened. After a few seconds, he managed a hoarse ¡°Mm.¡± Elsie¡¯s throat tightened.


    Truthfully, when Owen handed her Yunice¡¯s gear, she had been stunned.


    She hadn¡¯t <b>expected </b>him to care this much¨Cto <b>give </b>her his one hope of survival.


    Too bad¡­ someone this good would probably never make it out of the hospital.


    Tears rolled down <b>Elsie¡¯s </b>cheeks <b>as </b>she ran out of the office<b>. </b>


    12:15 PM <b>d </b>


    Chapter 394 Borrowed Name, Stolen Life


    The doctors next door saw she was ready and immediately sent someone to escort her out.


    +8 Pearl


    Then another person came to verify the remaining upants. Noticing one person missing, they asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the third


    one?¡±


    Owen said, ¡°She¡¯s in the lounge¨Cjust feeling emotional.¡±


    The doctor poked his head in and saw the back of a woman slumped over the table.


    He didn¡¯t look closely. The headcount matched, so he locked the office door.


    No one realized the switch had already happened.


    Owen slumped into a chair, heart racing. He looked at Yunice, whoy there groggy but conscious.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m staying here with you. Even if we die, I¡¯ll go before you do.¡±


    Still clinging to his delusions of nobility.


    Yunice¡¯s voice was like ice. ¡°If you want to die, do it yourself. Don¡¯t drag me down with you.¡±


    The sedative still had her limbs weak and useless.


    Meanwhile, Elsie, hidden beneathyers of protective gear, rode out with the supply vehicle and passed straight through Saunders Hospital¡¯s final checkpoint.


    When the gates of the Saunderspound came into view, she felt like she¡¯d been reborn.


    Tears streamed down her face. She had gambled¨Cand won.


    So what if Yunice married well?


    ¡°In the end, I¡¯m the lucky one. No matter how good your fortune is, you still have to hand it over to me.¡±


    She turned back briefly, gazing toward the hospital¡¯s offices.


    ¡°I¡¯ll live well for the both of you,¡± she said under her breath. ¡°Yunice¡­ you can keep Owenpany in death. He was good to me. I don¡¯t want him to be alone.¡±


    With that, Elsie¡¯s eyes glinted with a mix of grief and cold resolve¨Cthen she never looked back.

 Daghter 396

    Chapter 396 Trapped on Both Sides


    Elsie slumped into her seat, drenched in cold sweat.


    O


    O


    +8 Pearls


    She¡¯d fought her way out¨Conly to discover she wasn¡¯t free at all. Worse, she¡¯d gone from having Owen¡¯s protection to beingpletely alone.


    As the medical truck rolled away, Wyatt seethed with rage. Hands on his hips, he kicked the vehicle¡¯s tire.


    ¡°Damn it! They couldn¡¯t even get this one thing right!¡±


    Saunders Hospital was sealed off for good. There was no going back in.


    Wyatt raked a hand through his hair and snapped at Jordan, ¡°Bring me the supervisor. Now.¡±


    The man arrived with a miserable expression, immediatelyunching into excuses¨Ceverything boiled down to one line: <i>We </i><i>can¡¯t </i><i>bend </i><i>the rules</i>.


    Wyatt said coldly, ¡°Fine. Let¡¯spromise. I won¡¯t ask for anyone else¡ªbut I want to send in a two¨Cway radio.¡±


    A radio was the only device that could transmit signals inside themunication ckout zone.


    The supervisor hesitated. ¡°The higher¨Cups ordered total lockdown. Mr. Wyatt, that goes against protocol¡­¡±


    Wyatt raised a hand. ¡°Jordan. Get ourwyer. Have him draft a confidentiality agreement.¡±


    The man¡¯s face twisted in panic. He looked like he was ready to drop to his knees. ¡°It¡¯s not possible! Mr. Wyatt, you¡¯re rich and powerful, but even you can¡¯t pay the price for this!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s brow creased, his patience running dry. His voice dropped. ¡°Remember¨Cyou¡¯ve got a wife and kids too.¡±


    The shift in the supervisor¡¯s face was instant¨Cbitter, tense<b>, </b>stricken. He got the message loud and clear.


    Ever since Wyatt¡¯spany had gone public, he¡¯d started cultivating a cleaner image¨Crespectable, phnthropic, CEO material.


    But no one should forget how he built his empire. When pushed, there was nothing he wouldn¡¯t do. And the Cooper family¡¯s PR and legal teams could sweep away whatever mess he left behind.


    Wyatt took a drag from his cigarette, the red ember shrinking¨Clike a progress bar, counting down his remaining patience.


    The supervisor was sweating bullets. In the end, he couldn¡¯t take the pressure. He muttered, ¡°Fine.¡±


    Wyatt bit down on the cigarette, the paper tearing between his teeth. No one saw the breath of relief he let out.


    Yunice stirred.


    Her fingers twitched as the effects of the sedative faded. Slowly, sensation returned to her limbs.


    The office door remained locked from the outside.


    Owen stood at the window, using his phone¡¯s zoom like Yunice had earlier. He was trying to check on Elsie¡¯s condition.


    All he saw was the truck leaving¨Cand Wyatt climbing aboard to inspect it¨Cbefore it rolled away. Beyond that, he knew nothing.


    He turned back to Yunice. Seeing her cold expression, <b>he </b>spoke gently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid. If Wyatt really cares about you, he¡¯ll find another way to help you<b>¨C</b>even if you¡¯re stuck in here.¡±


    That was why he¡¯d chosen to swap Yunice out.


    Elsie had no one. But Yunice<b>, </b>even if she stayed behind, would still have protection.


    Yunice snapped, ¡°<b>A </b>stranger is doing everything he <b>can </b>to <b>save </b>me, while my own brother is scheming to kill me. Aren¡¯t you


    12:15 PM


    Chapter 396 Trapped on Both Sides


    +8 Pearls


    ashamed?¡±


    Owen replied, ¡°We all do what we can with the resources we have. I could only save one. You think I <i>wanted </i>to leave you behind? I¡¯m still here too, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°As if you had any way to get out yourself.¡±


    With the sedative wearing off, she slowly got to her feet.


    Owen couldn¡¯t be trusted. If she had to die, she¡¯d rather do it treating Mr. Gerardo than be locked in a room with him.


    She staggered to the door and jiggled the handle, trying to attract attention.


    But the corridors were deserted. The entire facility was under tight control. No one wasing.


    When that failed, she stormed into Owen¡¯s private office and began rummaging through his drawers.


    She remembered he kept various test kits and medications on hand¨Cespecially to help Elsie practice. There had to be anesthetics and othermon drugs.


    She nced at Owen. He probably thought neither of them was leaving, so he hadn¡¯t bothered to guard anything.


    Yunice tucked a small inhble anesthetic into her clothes.


    She¡¯d already fallen for his trick once. It wouldn¡¯t happen again.


    And so, one person in the lounge, the other in the oflice¨Cthey remained like that from morning to nightfall.


    No phones. No people. Just silence..


    Time slowed to a crawl, dragging itself forward in thin, fraying threads¨Ca kind of psychological torture.


    Yunice busied herself nning treatment protocols in her head, focusing on Mr. Gerardo¡¯s case to distract herself.


    Owen, weighed down by guilt, paced the room nonstop. Every few minutes, he tried to start a conversation.


    But Yunice refused to respond. As far as she was concerned, he didn¡¯t exist.

 Daghter 397

    Chapter 397 The Voice Behind the Wall


    By ten o¡¯clock that night, the chaos within Saunders Hospital finally gave way to a new development.


    Dinner was delivered.


    It was the only window for any sort of contact with the outside world.


    Not that it mattered¨Cno one knew anything about what was going on out there. No answers could be found.


    +8 Pe


    Yunice and Owen took their trays and were about to return when one of the doctors stopped Yunice and handed her a two- way radio.


    This time, there was no confusion. The device was handed directly to her, without mistake.


    Yunice instantly understood¨Cthis had to be from Wyatt.


    Owen realized it too. So the moment the door was locked again from the outside, he reached toward her, trying to get a closer look at the device.


    But Yunice spun around and pointed an anesthetic injector straight at him.


    Owen recoiled. ¡°What the hell are you doing?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°You trying to take it from me?¡± Yunice snapped.


    Owen frowned. ¡°I just want to ask about Elsie. Do you have to be so selfish?¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡±


    Still, Owen followed her, step for step. He knew Wyatt would try to contact her. That two¨Cway radio was now their only link tc the outside.


    He had to know how Elsie was doing¡­ and their mother too¨Cstill abroad, unaware of any of this.


    Back at the desk, Yunice powered on the device. Static buzzed, followed by silence.


    Then Wyatt¡¯s voice came through, cold and direct. ¡°Talk.¡±


    ¡°This is Yunice,¡± she replied.


    He didn¡¯t answer her immediately. ¡°Who¡¯s with you?¡±


    Yunice looked up at Owen, her voice t. ¡°Owen.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s tone dropped,ced with menace. ¡°Let him take the call.¡±


    Irritated, Yunice still handed the radio over.


    Owen¡¯s palms were sweating as he took it, but he wasted no time. ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    Yunice sneered. First time calling him ¡°Wyatt¡°-guess it took desperation to finally acknowledge a brother¨Cin<b>¨C</b><bw</b>.


    The moment she received the radio, Owen knew Wyatt had already figured out the switch<b>. </b>


    All he could hope for now was that Wyatt wouldn¡¯t take it out on Elsie¨Cthat for Yunice¡¯s sake, he¡¯d let it go.


    Yunice was trapped inside. Owen was <b>all </b>she had for protection. Wyatt would understand that¡­ right?


    Even if <b>he </b><b>was </b>furious, he wouldn¡¯t risk Yunice¡¯s safety just to punish someone.


    ¡°I¡¯m begging you,¡± Owen said, voice shaking. ¡°<b>Please</b>¡­ take care of my sister Elsie, I <b>swear </b>I¡¯ll watch over Yunice in here. I won¡¯t let anything happen to her!¡±


    Chapter 397 The Voice Behind the Wall


    What a joke. The audacity to beg with such shamelessness.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was slow, cold. ¡°I don¡¯t take care of people. But I do have a million ways to ruin someone.¡±


    Owen faltered, softening his tone. ¡°Wyatt, you can¡¯t get in now. At least for Yunice¡¯s sake¡­ cut me some ck¡­¡±


    ¡°Rely on <i>you</i><i>?</i>¡± Wyatt scoffed. ¡°All you do is hurt her. What the hell are you good for?¡±


    Then his voice darkened like a de drawn in shadow.


    +8 PE


    ¡°If you so much as look at Yunice the wrong way, I¡¯ll find a few men to take turns with Elsie¨Cshoot a couple of films just fc you. What do you think?¡±


    Owen froze, eyes wide. He hadn¡¯t expected Wyatt to say something <i>that </i>disgusting, not right in front of Yunice.


    But on second thought¡­ why was he surprised?


    Wyatt had always been a vicious bastard. His history was infamous. This was exactly the kind of thing he¡¯d do.


    Yunice¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change as she watched Owen¡¯s face go pale.


    He¡¯d tried using her to guilt Wyatt¨Cbut he hadn¡¯t counted on Wyatt being even crueler than he was.


    As she moved to take the radio back, Owen panicked. ¡°Wyatt, I swear! No matter what happens, I¡¯ll protect Yunice with my life. Just don¡¯t hurt Elsie!¡±


    Those words made Yunice¡¯s heart twist.


    All her life, she¡¯d longed to hear something like that from her brother. But now, hearing it only because he wanted to protect Elsie¨Cshe was nothing more than a bargaining chip.


    That kind of ¡°protection¡± hurt more than any betrayal.


    Without a word, Yunice left him and returned to the lounge, shutting the door behind her.


    She raised the radio. ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    The moment she spoke, Wyatt responded with biting sarcasm. ¡°Should I apologize? I almost ruined your shot at bing a hero.¡±


    Yunice rubbed her forehead. ¡°Can you speak like a normal person? I¡¯m having trouble understanding you.¡±

 Daghter 398

    Chapter 398 One Hundred Billion Regrets


    +8 Pearls


    Wyatt¡¯s voice came through the radio, heavy with frustration. ¡°When you made that final call, why didn¡¯t you tell me what was really going on? I spent ten billion trying to get you out, and you stayed inside?!¡±


    ¡°Ten billion?!¡± Yunice¡¯s voice cracked with disbelief.


    Wyatt gave a sharpugh. ¡°You could spend your whole life treating patients and never earn ten billion.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t see it as generosity. All she could feel was the gut¨Cwrenching waste. The sheer stupidity of it all.


    ¡°Are you insane? Got money burning a hole in your pocket? What a waste on Elsie¨Cten billion down the drain!¡±


    Her voice brimmed with heartbreak¨Cover the money, not the man who spent it trying to save her.


    The more she thought about it, the more it gnawed at her. She asked, cautiously, ¡°Since I didn¡¯t make it out¡­ can you get that money back? I mean¡­ ten billion¨CI really can¡¯t pay that back¡­¡±


    Wyatt took a slow, audible breath. ¡°You think this is about the money? The problem is, even with that money, I still couldn¡¯t get you out. So tell me, what should I have done instead? You teach me.¡±


    Yunice huffed. ¡°I wanted to leave. Owen drugged me¨Che knocked me out with anesthesia!¡±


    Wyatt cut her off, furious. ¡°And before that? You contacted Laurie. You contacted Taylor. You said your goodbyes to every irrelevant person in your life. But you never once told me the truth.¡±


    ¡°If you had told me what was really going on from the start, do you think things would¡¯ve escted like this?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice fell silent for a long time before finally saying, ¡°There¡¯s still no treatment n for this outbreak. Mr. Gerardo¡¯s assistant was young and strong, and he died within 36 hours. Mr. Gerardo himself isn¡¯t doing much better.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds, then added, ¡°I didn¡¯t want anyone else to risk getting infected. Especially you.¡±


    ¡°But when you sent someone to pick me up¡­ I really did want to go. I thought, if I got infected, at least Wellinges Pharma could use my case for research. It¡¯d mean something.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond immediately. Neither did Yunice.


    But they both understood.


    When death was a possibility, money and power couldn¡¯t guarantee anything. Even if Wyatt had pulled her out, if she¡¯d already been infected and no cure was ready¡­ she¡¯d still die.


    After nearly a minute of silence, Wyatt finally spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ll give the radio to Laurie. You two work together and find a treatment. Fast.¡±


    Yunice smiled¨Can honest, involuntary smile.


    Wyatt heard it, and his tone immediately darkened. ¡°You¡¯reughing? You think this is funny?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yunice said, still smiling. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ suddenly, you seem kind of admirable.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t get it. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You know what makes a man most attractive?¡± she asked.


    Wyatt waited,


    ¡°It¡¯s his ability to solve problems,¡± she said without hesitation.


    Wyatt fell quiet again, then muttered, ¡°Save thepliments for when you make it out alive<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Just before he ended the call, he added, ¡°And don¡¯t forget¨Cyou still


    Owe me <b>ten </b>billion.¡±


    Chapter 398 One Hundred Billion Regrets


    +8 Pearls


    Ugh


    The mention of money made Yunice¡¯s face copse again. She was dead broke¨Cstill in debt to Quinton for another billion. Now with this new ten¨Cbillion tab, she didn¡¯t even dare die anymore.


    After hanging up<b>, </b>she stepped out of the lounge.


    Owen was waiting by the door. The moment he saw her, he rushed to ask. ¡°Did you tell Wyam to contact our morn? She¡¯s traveling abroad¨Cif she can¡¯t reach us, she¡¯s going to panic!¡±


    Lily was overseas. If she came home and couldn¡¯t get in touch with Owen or Elsie, she¡¯d be terrified


    Yunice¡¯s e


    eyes


    flickered. She hadn¡¯t given a second thought to anyone in the Saunders family. Not in a long time.


    She¡¯d remembered to consider Melina¡¯s safety¨Cbut not once had Lily crossed her mind.


    Owen grew angry. ¡°That¡¯s your mother!¡±


    Yunice shot back, unbothered. ¡°And if the roles were reversed¨Cif she were the one who knew danger wasing¨Cdo you think she¡¯d warn me


    ¡°You¡¯re paranoid! You always think the worst of people, like everyone¡¯s out to get you!¡± Owen fumed. ¡°I got stuck in here because of you¨Chave I said a single word about it?¡±


    0


    Yunice turned slowly to face him. Owen fell quiet immediately.


    She gave him a cold, sweeping nce and said, with crystal rity. ¡°If you want your sister to stay safe/out there, don¡¯t push


    me¡±


    She rattled the radio in her hand, her meaning unmistakable.


    Owen¡¯s face darkened. Remembering Wyatt¡¯s earlier threat, his stomach turned


    ¡°It¡¯s all Wyatt¡¯s fault¨Cyou¡¯ve be just as vicious,¡± he said bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re both monsters/How could you as a woman, be okay with what he threatened to do to Elsie?¡±


    Send Gifts

 Daghter 399

    Chapter 399 The Volunteer Gamble


    +8 Pearls


    Yunice wagged her finger at Owen, smirking proudly. ¡°When did I ever say I wasn¡¯t vicious? I am vicious. And I want Elsie to get exactly what she deserves. What? You got a problem with that?¡±


    Owen was so angry he couldn¡¯t speak¨Cbut he didn¡¯t dare try to take the radio from her.


    He knew the moment Wyatt lost contact with Yunice, the one to suffer would be Elsie.


    Once someone has a weakness, it bes the easiest thing to exploit.


    With Owen handled, Yunice began focusing on how to get out.


    She needed ess to the pathogen¡¯s firsthand data¨Conly then could she help guide the researchb toward a viable treatment. Maybe there was still hope for Mr. Gerardo.


    She didn¡¯t have to wait long.


    A new infection case had just appeared.


    Saunders Hospital had been a mess from the start. Even before Yunice came into contact with Mr. Gerardo, multiple staff members had already treated his assistant¨Cand then helped with Mr. Gerardo himself.


    Without proper precautions in ce, many had been exposed.


    Now, with the hospital sealed and medical staff running dangerously low, administrators were forced to start recruiting internal volunteers to keep things running.


    Volunteers were asked to step forward from among the remaining hospital personnel¨Cespecially those with medical experience.


    Eventually, the search reached the director¡¯s office.


    A man in full protective gear was at the door exining the situation to Owen.


    ording to policy, male volunteers were prioritized.


    Owen hesitated. ¡°I¡­ I have a sister to take care of¡­¡±


    The doctor outside replied, ¡°Volunteers are strictly voluntary. No one will be forced.¡±


    In the break room, Yunice heard the man¡¯s voice¨Cit sounded familiar, but she couldn¡¯t quite ce it.


    Then she heard Owen using her as an excuse to stay out of it, and she stepped out, saying firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll volunteer on behalf of my brother.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯vepeted in medical contests and even won awards. I have basic emergency care knowledge.¡±


    As soon as she spoke, the man outside gave her a once¨Cover and eximed, ¡°It¡¯s you?¡±


    Yunice blinked. That voice¡­


    ¡°Tommy?¡±


    He nodded, grinning. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to <b>see </b>you here!¡±


    Realizing how awkward that sounded, he added quickly, ¡°Well¨CI mean, it¡¯s unfortunate, obviously.¡±


    He <b>wasn¡¯t </b>alone<b>¨C</b>two other doctors were with him. When they <b>saw </b>Yunice, delicate and petite<b>, </b>they looked uneasy<b>. </b>


    Volunteer work was grueling and thankless. People were scared, angry, and often took it out on the volunteers.


    Yunice didn¡¯t look like someone who could handle it.


    12:10 PM


    D


    D


    D


    Chapter 399 The Volunteer Gamble


    But she stood her ground. ¡°I can do this. Please give me a chance!¡±


    +8 Pearls


    Owen yanked her behind him. ¡°What can you do? You don¡¯t know anything. You¡¯re not strong. What good are you? This isn¡¯t a game¨Cit¡¯s not for you to mess around with!¡±


    ¡°Stay inside!¡± he barked, eyes signaling wildly for her to back off.


    Now was the time to stay alive¨Cnot y the hero.


    Yunice ignored him. ¡°I can help.¡±


    Tommy paused, then turned to his colleagues. ¡°She¡¯s my junior. Med school. I can vouch for her medical background.¡±


    Very few people were willing to step up. Most tried to stay as far away as possible. Someone like Yunice¨Cvolunteering on her own¡ªwas a rarity.


    So they made an exception. She was issued protective gear and epted into the volunteer team.


    Owen¡¯s expression darkened as Yunice prepared to leave.


    Then he blurted, ¡°I want to volunteer too! I want to be with my sister!¡±


    ¡°I want to protect her!¡± he dered firmly.


    Yunice turned back, her face calm¨Cbut her eyes carried a flicker of cold sarcasm.


    Protect her?


    No. He was still trying to protect Elsie.


    But at this point, there wasn¡¯t time to argue. Once they left this office, it would be every man for himself.


    Survival would depend on skill¨Cnot loyalty.


    The volunteers were quickly grouped into pairs.


    They tried assigning Owen and Yunice together.


    Yunice spoke up immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll partner with Tommy.¡±


    Owen shot her a flurry of pleading nces.


    Tommy nced between them, noting the strange tension, then said, ¡°I¡¯m happy to partner with Yunice.¡±


    A willing pair was better than a forced one. With that, the groupings were finalized.


    Owen was left fuming¨Cbut powerless¨Cas he was assigned to a different partner..

 Daghter 400

    Chapter 400 Buried Intentions


    As Yunice and Tommy made their way toward the patient wards, Tommy nced at her with confusion. ¡°Why¡¯d you insist of being paired with me? Your brother seemed pretty worried about you.¡±


    ¡°I had a few questions to ask,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°Didn¡¯t want to bring them up earlier with so many people around.¡±


    Now that it was just the two of them, the timing was perfect.


    She looked at him directly. ¡°Why did you vouch for me?¡±


    Yes, she was technically a med student¡ªbut she had never attended a single ss. Tommy had every reason to doubt her skills.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious about what you¡¯re actually capable of,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°So I figured I¡¯d see for myself.¡±


    Yunice raised another eyebrow. ¡°And what are <i>you </i>doing here as a volunteer?¡±


    She hadn¡¯t expected to run into anyone familiar in a ce like this.


    Tommy let out a sigh. ¡°You think I wanted this? Bad luck. After I got turned down at the Cooper family, I came here to interview at Saunders Hospital. The ce got sealed off the same day¨Ctrapped me inside.¡±


    ¡°Interview?¡± Yunice echoed, genuinely surprised.


    Saunders Hospital was barely staying afloat, while the Cooper family was one of Silverburgh¡¯s top medical employers-paring the two was likeparing the sky to the dirt. Most people would aim for a second¨Ctier institution after a rejection¨Cnot a forgotten little hospital like Saunders.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough rejections,¡± Tommy admitted. ¡°Thought I¡¯d take a breather somewhere smaller. And who says small hospitals can¡¯t be good? Saunders Hospital has a deep history¨Cused to be pretty prestigious.¡±


    ¡°They specialized in rare andplex diseases,¡± he went on. ¡°They only declined because of mismanagement. If I can help restore that reputation¡­ it¡¯d be something to be proud of.¡±


    Yunice gave him a few seconds of silent appraisal. ¡°You¡¯ve got some ambition.¡±


    Then she shifted the topic. ¡°How long have you been volunteering? Do you know anything about the infection? Any deaths?<b>¡± </b>Tommy shook his head. ¡°No deaths <b>so </b>far. And the patient¡­ his family¡¯s got deep pockets. I heard they¡¯ve funneled a huge amount of money into the hospital. They said no matter the cost, he <b><i>has </i></b>to be saved.¡±


    Yunice silently thought, <i>Taylor¡¯s </i><i>probably </i><i>losing </i><i>her </i><i>mind </i><i>out </i><i>there</i><i>. </i>


    And indeed¨CTaylor was not doing well.


    Her father¡¯s condition was critical. His assistant was dead. The Kendall family had been gutted of its core leadership. Her mother had returned to thepany, trying to steady the ship while publicly denying that anything was wrong with Mr. Gerardo.


    Taylor, meanwhile, was scrambling to coordinate resources, looking for ways to support her father¡¯s treatment. She¡¯d even reached out to Wyatt¨Cthey were on the same side now, both with loved ones trapped inside.


    In stark contrast<b>, </b>the Powell family was perfectly calm.


    In fact, they¡¯d chosen this exact moment to summon both Wyatt and Taylor to the Powell estate,


    Paul loungedfortably with other Powell elders<b>, </b>exuding detachment. Wyatt and Taylor, sitting stiffly across from them. were clearly the outsiders in the room.


    Noticing Taylor¡¯s pale <b>face</b><b>, </b>Paul smiled with feigned concern. ¡°Didn¡¯t you run crying back to Daddy, demanding he back you up? Funny¡­ it¡¯s been so long<b>, </b>and yet here you are, all alone. What¡¯s wrong? Daddy not showing up to protect his little girl?¡±


    ¡°Or maybe,¡± he added, ¡°he¡¯s so embarrassed by you that he¡¯s hiding.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s fists clenched so hard her nails dug into her palms.


    She wanted to lunge at him¨Cbut she couldn¡¯t.


    The Kendall family was already on the brink. Her mother was barely holding thepany together. She couldn¡¯t afford to make another enemy¨Cnot now.


    She had to endure. At least until her father stabilized.


    Across from her, Wyatt lifted his gaze and looked directly at Paul. ¡°Do you know where Mr. Gerardo is?¡±


    Paul, caught in the crosshairs of that piercing stare, stiffened slightly¨Cjust enough to betray his nerves. Wyatt leaned backzily in his chair, the corners of his mouth twitching into a cold smile.


    Paul hated that look on him¡ªso calm, so controlled, like everything was already in his hands. Wyatt didn¡¯t blink. His stare zeroed in on the flickers in Paul¡¯s expression, reading every detail. ¡°You do know where he is.¡± Wyatt said tly.


    Taylor turned sharply toward him.


    They had kept Mr. Gerardo¡¯s condition a tightly guarded secret. Why was Wyatt saying this now?


    Then came the real usation.


    ¡°Mr. Gerardo¡¯s infection was part of your n, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Taylor turned to Paul in shock.


    She had always known Paul was up to no good¨Cbut she¡¯d never dared imagine this.


    Wyatt continued, voice sharp and deliberate. The original outbreak was in the remote north. Mr. Gerardo was working in the south. So how did he be the first infected?¡±


    <b>S </b>s

 Daghter 401

    Chapter 401 The Fuse and the Fire


    Taylor shot to her feet, her face pale with shock. ¡°You mean to say¡­ my father was deliberately infected?¡±


    Her eyes locked onto Paul, brimming with rage.


    Paul scoffed, exasperated. ¡°Why are you looking at like


    something, you


    believe it? Where¡¯s his proof? Whe


    I¡¯ve even heard of it.¡±


    Then, as if trying to steer attention away,


    he shifted


    Just because he <b>says </b>


    15 <b>Free </b>Coins


    on? What virus? This <b>is </b>the <b>first </b>


    between Taylor and Wyatt. ¡°By the way, since Bears¨Chis tone smug.


    His gaze danced


    are you two so close? What happened?


    Done ying house with your bodyguard and now onto Wyatt?¡±


    He clicked his tongue. ¡°Does Yunice know?¡±


    He nced around dramatically, like the idea had just urred to him. ¡°Speaking of¡­ where is Yunice?¡±


    No one answered


    Taylor¡¯s jaw tightened as she stared Paul down with frozen contempt.


    Wyatt, meanwhile, sat still, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the arm of his chair. Not once did he bite the bait Paul dangled, not once did his focus falter.


    The room fell into eerie silence.


    Only the tap, tap, tap of Wyatt¡¯s fingers filled the air¨Cslow, measured, like a countdown.


    Paul¡¯s smirk began to falter. Then fade.


    He was starting to realize that mouthing off in front of Wyatt¡­ was absolutely useless.


    If Wyatt believed he was guilty, then no defense would matter. He didn¡¯t need proof. He If Wyatt believed he was guilty, then no defe didn¡¯t need to confront. He would simply destroy him¨Cclean, quiet, and without a trace.


    Paul¡¯s mind shed to how his father once ended up at Wyatt¡¯s mercy.


    His skin crawled,


    What had tipped Wyatt off?


    Paul had staged the whole thing with perfection. Mr. Gerardo¡¯s <b>infection </b><b>had </b><b>seemed </bpletely random. No holes<b>. </b>No witnesses.


    Chapter 401 The Fuse and the Fire


    But he didn¡¯t know that his downfall had started long ago.


    When he¡¯d whipped Taylor so brutally in public, it had already put both Yunice and <b>Wyatt </b><b>on </b>high alert.


    And now, with Mr. Gerardo falling mysteriously ill, Wyatt had only needed to push <b>once- </b>and Paul¡¯s guilty conscience had done the rest.


    But none of that mattered anymore.


    Even if Paul were torn limb from limb right now, it wouldn¡¯t save Yunice or Mr. Gerardo.


    Just as Wyatt¡¯s fingers tapped one final time on the armrest, the Powell family patriarch finally spoke.


    ¡°You two¨Cuncle and niece¨Cinw¨Chave grown far too close<i>. </i>Rumors are spreading. Starting today, Taylor, you will remain at the Powell estate. No more meetings with Wyatt.¡±


    They weren¡¯t just enforcing ¡°decorum¡°-they were trying to iste her, silence her<b>, </b>keep her under control.


    But Taylor had had enough.


    Especially after hearing the infection might¡¯ve been deliberate¨Cpossibly Paul¡¯s


    ing.


    She rose. ¡°No need to keep up the act. I¡¯ll be cutting ties with the Powell family very soon.¡±


    Paul¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You nning to get divorced? Don¡¯t forget the agreement you signed when we got married. Unless one of usmits a major offense, whoever files for divorce forfeits half their assets.¡±


    And no, flirting, ambiguity, or even abuse didn¡¯t count.


    In other words, even if Paul¡¯s sins were stacked high, as long as there was no love child, Taylor had no grounds <i>to </i>walk away.


    Especially not now¨Cwhile the Kendall family was in shambles.


    Taylor nced at Paul¡¯s smug, mocking face.


    She said nothing.


    She simply turned and walked out.


    She couldn¡¯t divorce him but she could make him a widower.


    Outside the Powell <b>estate</b><b>, </b>n rushed up to <b>meet </b><b>her</b><b>. </b>


    Chapter 401 The Fuse and the Fire


    Taylor stood there, stunned and ssy¨Ceyed, her tears silently falling.


    n immediately approached. ¡°Ms. Taylor¡­¡±


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    Her voice was raw. ¡°n¡­ I got my father into this. If I hadn¡¯t been so sure I could handle the Powell family¨Cif I hadn¡¯t leaned on them instead of building things myself¨Cthey wouldn¡¯t have gone after him. He wouldn¡¯t be infected.¡±


    ¡°Why did I have to be so greedy?¡± she choked. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I just¡­ fight my own battles?¡±


    n answered firmly, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. The Powell family ruins everyone. Anyone who walks through their doors gets stripped to the bone.¡±


    Taylor shook her head, eyes hardening. ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t let this go.¡±


    ¡°I want Paul to pay.¡±


    She turned to n, voice trembling with fury. ¡°Help me kill him. I want Paul dead.¡±


    Back inside the Powell estate, Wyatt hadn¡¯t left yet.


    Paul nced over, nervous and stiff. What was Wyatt still doing here?


    Even if he had infected Mr. Gerardo, what did that have to do with Wyatt?


    Why defend Taylor?


    What Paul didn¡¯t realize was that this wasn¡¯t just about Mr. Gerardo anymore.


    Because Gerardo¡¯s infection had also trapped Yunice in the hospital. She was now in danger because of him.


    And Wyatt¡­ was looking for someone to me.


    Paul had just made himself the perfect target.


    Finally, after that long and suffocating silence, Wyatt stood up and left.


    But no one in the room mistook that as a retreat.

 Daghter 402

    <b>3/3 </b>


    Chapter 402 Warning Signs


    Chapter 402 Warning Signs


    Paul let out a long, shuddering breath and unclenched his fists. Only then did <b>he </b><b>notice </b><b>his </b>palms were drenched in sweat.


    The panic was over¨Cbut in its ce came a surge of bitter resentment.


    He turned to the Powell patriarch. ¡°Grandfather, I can¡¯t wait any longer. Mr. Gerardo¡¯s already been taken care of¨Cthere¡¯s no reason to keep Taylor around. Divorce <b>is </b><b>messy</b>. Widowhood is cleaner.¡±


    Losing her husband and her father in one stroke¨CTaylor would be left powerless. When that time came, the Kendall Group would be theirs for the taking.


    The old man simply nodded, eyes closed, as if this was all part of the natural order.


    And so, within just two days, disaster struck on both sides.


    Paul was in a car crash.


    Taylor nearly died when a piece of construction debris came crashing down from a high¨Crise above herpany¡¯s building.


    n shoved her out of the way at thest second and took the brunt of it¨Chis arm fractured, his neck in a brace¨Cbut he never left Taylor¡¯s side.


    Paul didn¡¯t escape unscathed either. In a moment of panic, he yanked the steering wheel, and his driver died in his ce.


    Now both Paul and Taylor were on full alert¨Ceach trying to kill the other, each bracing for the next blow.


    As the blood feud escted, Wyatt had no time to meddle in their war.


    Because theb had just delivered news¨Cand whether it was good or bad was still up in the air.


    Four days after being extracted from Saunders Hospital, Elsie had developed a low¨Cgrade fever.


    Ordinarily, this wouldn¡¯t raise rms. But under these circumstances<b>, </b>the entire <b>research </b>team was on edge.


    Low fever was one of the earliest symptoms of the new infection.


    If Elsie was infected, it would mean Yunice and Owen¨C<b>still </b>inside<b>¨C</b><b>were </b><b>likely </b><b>exposed </b><b>as </b>


    <b>III </b>


    O


    Chapter 402 Warning Signs.


    well.


    Inside the hospital, Yunice had spent the past few days eating and sleeping with <b>the </b><b>other </b>volunteers. Her protective suit felt fused to her skin¨Cshe hadn¡¯t taken it off <b>once </b><b>unless </b>absolutely necessary.


    Every second counted. Conditions were harsh. That truth had be physical, <b>visceral</b>.


    Everyone was so exhausted they could fall asleep standing up.


    Owen had lost weight, dark circles hollowing out his face. He sat slumped against <b>a </b>wall, dozing lightly.


    Around him, other volunteers were just as worn down. Though only four days had <b>passed</b>, it felt like a lifetime. Between physical exhaustion and mental strain, everyone was nearing their breaking point.


    More infections. A new death.


    Nobody knew who the next patient would be.


    And honestly, if you got a hospital bed, you were one of the lucky ones.


    Owen wasn¡¯t just exhausted¨Che was tormented by worry.


    The body he¡¯d helped carry today belonged to a nurse who had treated Mr. Ge


    0,


    She was dead.


    Owen didn¡¯t know how Elsie was doing. He was terrified she¡¯d end up like that nurse.


    She was too weak. If she got sick, she wouldn¡¯t survive it.


    He kept reying the moment in his mind, ming himself again and again. He shouldn¡¯t have pushed her to study medicine. Shouldn¡¯t have brought her to this hospital to practice. She wouldn¡¯t have been exposed.


    <i>Smack</i>.


    He pped himself across the face.


    The sound was muted by the protective suit, but still audible.


    Yunice nced back at him with a look like he was a lunatic<b>. </b>He¡¯d <b>been </b>doing <b>this </b><b>a </b><b>lot </b><btely </b>


    She didn¡¯t say anything. She got up and headed to the restroom.


    13:31 Fri, <b>6 </b>Jun


    <b>1,6 </b>Jun WeG.


    Chapter 402 Warning Signs


    s


    These protective suits were almost impossible to take <i>off</i>. To minimize risk, everyone limited bathroom breaks as much as possible.


    Inside, she locked the door, peeled off her gear, and dumped it into the medical waste bin. Then, from beneath her clothing, she pulled out the walkie¨Ctalkie.


    Contact opportunities were few and tightly timed. She had to make them count.


    ¡°Lily?¡± she said softly into the device. D


    The reply came almost immediately¨Cbut it wasn¡¯t Laurie.


    It was Wyatt.


    ¡°You okay?¡± His voice was tight, clipped.


    Yunice¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re at theb?¡±


    It was sealed. He¡¯d given the walkie¨Ctalkie to Laurie¨Creiming it would¡¯ve been risky.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he said.


    She sank to the floor, resting against the cool tile. Through the small venttion window, <i>the </i>stars outside blinked faintly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try that ¡®no bad news¡® routine on me,¡± Wyatt growled.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± she said again, softly.


    But she was tired. So, so tired.


    This work was grueling. Even the men were barely hanging on¨Chow was she supposed to manage?


    -Still¡­ something wasn¡¯t adding up.


    If she was fine, why had Wyatt suddenly broken protocol to contact her?


    She paused, mind catching up. ¡°Elsie. How is she?¡±

 Daghter 403

    Chapter <i>403 </i>The Tipping Point


    45 Free Coins


    The day Mr. Gerardo was admitted, Elsie had been sprayed head to toe with bodily <b>fluids- </b>without a shred of protection. Her risk of infection was rmingly high.


    And now, one of the nurses present that same day had just died.


    Wyatt paused for a long moment before telling Yunice, ¡°Elsie has a low¨Cgrade fever.¡±


    Though Yunice had braced herself for it, her heart still sank.


    When the people beside you start to fall, fear bes impossible to ignore.


    Her thoughts immediately turned to Owen. He hadn¡¯t worn protective gear that day either.


    ¡°We check our temperature every day,¡± Yunice reassured him softly. ¡°If <b>it¡¯s </b>abnormal, <b>we </b>stop working. I¡¯m really okay. I wore full protection when I saw Mr. Gerardo.¡±


    Except for when Elsie snatched her goggles.


    Just then, someone knocked on the bathroom door.


    ¡°Yunice, you ready? I¡¯ve got to start my rounds,¡± Tommy called.


    Yunice answered, ¡°Go on ahead.¡±


    She stood quickly. She couldn¡¯t talk to Wyatt any longer.


    ¡°Anything else you need to tell me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Get back to work,¡± Wyatt replied, voice steady.


    Then the walkie¨Ctalkie went silent.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze lingered on it, narrowing slightly.


    That man¡¯s voice¡­ the one talking to Yunice. Who was he?


    His thoughts were interrupted by a call from Laurie.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt,¡± Laurie said, her fone grim. ¡°Elsie¡¯s temperature is rising.¡±


    That was the first sign the infection was progressing.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°Treat her. At all costs. <b>I </b>want to <b>see </b>if this <b>disease </b><b>can </b><b>be </b><b>cracked</b>.


    Chapter 403 The Tipping Point


    Elsie was in his hands now¨Clet her earn her keep.


    No Free Coms


    If Yunice was infected, he¡¯d use Elsic to test the drugs first. Whether she survived or <b>not </b><b>was </b>irrelevant.


    Yunice and Tommy were hauling another patient.


    By the time the illness reached its midpoint, patients lost all ability to care for themselves. Turning them over to prevent bedsores or adjust treatment became a massive task.


    Some patients, disoriented by high fevers,shed out. One had wed off a volunteer¡¯s mask two days ago. The man had cried on the spot and never returned.


    The pressure on volunteers was overwhelming. There were fewer and fewer of them every day.


    Even Tommy, usually cheerful, had fallen silent.


    As a man, he naturally shouldered the heavier tasks¨Cbut Yunice knew he¡¯d been going out of his way to take on more so she wouldn¡¯t have to.


    If he¡¯d been paired with anyone else, he might have had it easier.


    Yunice felt guilty.


    Just as they finished repositioning the patient, someone called her name.


    She turned to the door and saw someone in full protective gearbeled ¡°Owen.¡±


    They hadn¡¯t seen much of each other these past few days¨Ceveryone was too busy.


    ¡°What is it?¡± she asked tly.


    The tone stung more than Owen expected. In this living tomb of a hospital, he¡¯d thought he and Yunice would be each other¡¯s greatestfort.


    But Yunice kept her distance.


    After a long pause, Owen said, ¡°We¡¯ve been locked in here for seven days. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening outside¡­¡±


    He hesitated. ¡°Could I¡­ borrow your walkie¨Ctalkie? Just for a moment. I want to <b>talk </b>to <b>Elsie</b>, make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±


    He licked his cracked lips, His voice was hoarse. ¡°Everyone who helped with <b>Mr. </b><b>Gerardo </b>they¡¯re all down now. Three have died. I¡¯m worried about her.¡±


    <b>13:31 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>6 </b><b>Jun </b>WG


    Chapter 403 The Tipping Point


    Yunice¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be ming yourself? You¡¯re the hospital <b>director</b><b>. </b>If you¡¯d done your job, maybe fewer people would be dead. If you hadn¡¯t let Elsie roam into the ER, she wouldn¡¯t be caught up in this.¡±


    ¡°What good does ming me do now?¡± Owen snapped. ¡°If you want someone to me, me Mr. Gerardo. Why¡¯d hee here and drag everyone down with him?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice¡¯s re sharpened. ¡°Hospitals exist to save lives. We don¡¯t get to pick and choose who


    we treat.¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice dropped again. ¡°I¡¯m not as noble as you. I just want my family to be okay. <b>I </b>want Elsie to be okay. I want <i>you </i>to be okay.¡±


    Yunice looked away.


    Even now, she noticed, he still listed her namest.


    When she stayed silent, Owen added quietly, ¡°That <i>day</i>¡­ I wasn¡¯t wearing protection either. I helped clean Elsie up.¡±


    He looked up, eyes ringed with fatigue behind the fogged stic of his goggles.


    ¡°Did it ever ur <i>to </i>you¡­ I might be infected too?¡± he whispered, his voice trembling. ¡°I might not make <i>it</i>.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer. Not right away.


    Because in this ce<i>, </i>surrounded <i>by </i>death, uncertainty, and regret¨Csometimes silence was louder than any words.


    apter 404 Final Moments


    Chapter 404 Final Moments

 Daghter 404

    Chapter 404 Final Moments


    Yunice looked at Owen with a heavy heart.


    5 Free Cains


    The virus was still undefeated. Mr. Gerardo, though kept alive by machines, was all but gone. Any doctor could see it¨Chis internal organs had already failed.


    There was no saving him.


    Other patients were faring even worse¨Cdying alone without seeing their loved ones onest time. Their bodies were collectively processed, and families were never even given a chance to grieve.


    Owen said, ¡°Yunice, we¡¯re running out of time. Lives are counting down. Are we really going to keep tearing ourselves apart? Don¡¯t you miss anyone? Don¡¯t you want to know how they¡¯re doing? Hear their voices?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face shed across Yunice¡¯s mind.


    When she didn¡¯t answer, Owen¡¯s voice turned desperate. ¡°Yunice, just let me talk to Elsie, to Mom, <i>to </i>Oscar¨Cjust onest time. If not for old times¡® sake, then <i>at </i><i>least </i>for Dad¡¯s sake. Just help me, please.¡±


    His eyes were red, tears soaking through his mask.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one who can help me now¡­¡± he said hoarsely.


    But Yunice shook her head. ¡°I can¡¯t. You¡¯re not the only one here who can¡¯t contact their family. If I help you, I¡¯d have to help everyone else too.¡±


    ¡°Excuses! Those are just excuses!¡± Owen shouted, voice cracking. ¡°You¡¯re still mad at me! You just want revenge! You¡¯re really going to be this cold? You won¡¯t budge, not even a little?¡±


    She still didn¡¯t change her mind.


    Owen red at her, full of resentment, then turned and stormed away.


    Yunice¡¯s refusal to let him use the inte wasn¡¯t out of spite.


    She knew Elsie had already fallen ill¨Cshe¡¯d been rushed to theb for emergency treatment multiple times.


    Owen cared deeply for her. If he found out Elsie¡¯s condition was critical, he would lose <i>his </i>mind and try to reach her at all costs.


    That would put not just the hospital, but the outside world at <i>risk</i>.


    13


    Chapter 404 Final Moments


    Yunice wouldn¡¯t let that happen. She wouldn¡¯t let others carry that burden¨Cno <b>matter </b><b>the </b>price, even if Elsie died. Even if Owen never got to see her onest time. Even if he <b>hated </b><b>her </b>for it for the rest of his life.


    That night, the volunteer teams took turns eating dinner.


    Yunice sat across from Qi Xingchen, quietly eating her meal, when someone nearby whispered, ¡°The ICU patient¨Cthe source case¨Cis almost gone. There¡¯s no point in trying to resuscitate anymore.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s hand froze mid¨Cbite. She immediately thought of Taylor.


    Back when she¡¯d first been detained, Wyatt had given her a two¨Cway radio. Taylor had cried through it a few times, begging Yunice to look after her father.


    Maybe Wyatt had worried that Taylor would emotionally sway Yunice, because after that, he¡¯d cut off all contact between them.


    Now that Mr. Gerardo was beyond saving, a storm of emotions swirled in Yunice¡¯s chest.


    She¡¯d lost a father too¨Cshe understood what he meant to Taylor.


    Not getting to say goodbye would be Taylor¡¯s lifelong regret.


    After dinner, Yunice still went to the ICU.


    Critical care rooms had to be monitored around the clock, but people avoided them whenever they could.


    Mr. Gerardoy on his bed,pletely sealed off behindyers of stic sheeting.


    The stic was there <i>to </i>prevent any bodily fluids from sshing and spreading infection.


    Yunice <i>stood </i>in the doorway and pulled out her phone. She began recording a video for -Taylor.


    It wasn¡¯t against the rules¨Cbut to Taylor, this would be a memory she could hold on to forever.


    Five seconds into the video, Mr. Gerardo suddenly stirred. He sat up and, as if sensing something, turned toward the door.


    ¡°Dr. Rylie¡­ is that you, Dr. Rylie?¡± he rasped.


    Yunice frowned slightly. He¡¯d been in a daze for days. If he was lucid now, it could <b>only </b><b>mean </b>one thing¨Chis final rity before death.


    Chapter 404 Final Moments


    She stepped inside. ¡°Mr. Gerardo, you still recognize me?¡±


    52%8


    s


    He was sitting upright, and slowly¨Cpainfully¨Cswung his legs off the bed. He stared at her, voice trembling with emotion.


    ¡°I want to go home¡­ Doctor, I want to <i>see </i>my daughter. I¡¯m dying. I¡­ I want to <i>see </i>my family onest time. I just want to hold my daughter again¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s nose stung. Her brows knit tightly together.


    She knew¨Cif he were fully lucid, he would never make such an impossible request.


    But he was dying. His brain could no longer weigh risks and consequences. He was <i>only </i>following the most basic human instinct.


    He just wanted <i>to </i><i>see </i>his daughter again. To hold her onest time.


    He didn¡¯t want to die alone. On a cold hospital bed.

 Daghter 405

    Chapter 405 One Last Embrace.


    As a doctor, Yunice had witnessed countless moments like this. She held up her phone toward Mr. Gerardo and said, ¡°Mr. Gerardo, stay seated. If there¡¯s anything you want <b>to </b><b>say</b>, say it now. I¡¯ll pass it along to Taylor.¡±


    But it was like he couldn¡¯t hear her. His eyes were vacant, his body rigid <b>as </b>he stepped forward, reaching toward her with both hands.


    ¡°Taylor¡­ sweetheart¡­ where are you¡­ why won¡¯t youe take me home¡­. Taylor, is that you? Take me home¡­ I miss your mom¡­ let me go home, I haven¡¯t cooked for her <b>in </b><b>so </b>long¡­¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore. <i>Why </i><i>is </i>it <i>that good </i><i>people </i><i>never </i><i>seem </i>to get good <b><i>endings</i></b><b>? </b><b>The </b>better the family, the more they were marked for suffering and separation.


    Her own father¡­ he had been just like that. So kind, and yet¡­ gone too soon.


    But beyond the sorrow, another thought quickly snapped her back


    to the present.


    Mr. Gerardo¨Ccaught in a moment of lucidity before death¨Cwas walking out of the containment zone!


    That couldn¡¯t happen. Once a patient lost the ability to think clearly, they posed a severe exposure risk to medical staff.


    Yunice quickly set her phone down and tried to coax him back toward the bed.


    But Mr. Gerardo couldn¡¯t process her words anymore. His mind was already gone.


    Panicking, Yunice nced around. With no other choice, she tore down the stic sheeting from the bed and threw it over him.


    Wrapped in the stic, Mr. Gerardo began to thrash violently. ¡°Home¡­ I want to go


    home!¡±


    ¡°Taylor! Help your dad! Taylor!¡±


    He was tall, and though illness had withered his frame, the sudden surge of strength from his final re of life made him almost impossible to control.


    <i>What </i><i>a </i><i>terrifying </i><i>thing </i>it <i>is</i><i>¨C</i><i>dying </i><i>with </i><i>unfinished </i><i>love</i>.


    Yunice gritted her teeth, trying <i>to </i>hold him back, but she couldn¡¯t.


    His iling arms nearly tore through her protective gear more than <b>once</b>.


    Chapter 405 One Last Embrace


    Just as she reached a breaking point, someone suddenly rushed in <b>from </b><b>behind </b><b>her</b><b>, </b><b>grabbed </b>another sheet of stic, and looped it around Mr. Gerardo¡¯s arms, enclosing <b>him </b><bpletely</b>.


    He was restrained¨Ctrapped in the cocoon of stic.


    Mr. Gerardo struggled for a moment more, then stopped. He stared straight ahead<b>¨C</b>then copsed backward, eyes wide


    open.


    Yunice stood frozen, staring at the person who was still holding Mr. Gerardo <b>tightly</b><b>¨C</b><b>Owen</b>.


    He had used every ounce of strength, his forehead veins bulging.


    Corpses were heavy, and a man couldn¡¯t carry one alone.


    But Owen gritted his teeth, lifting and dragging Mr. Gerardo back to the bed, wrapping <b>him </b>securely in the stic sheeting.


    Then he turned and looked at Yunice, eyes scanning her protective suit.


    ¡°Did you get exposed?¡± he asked, voice tense with worry.


    Yunice looked at the body on the bed¨Cat Mr. Gerardo¡¯s lifeless eyes fixed on the doorway- and quietly shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    Mr. Gerardo was gone.


    From the start of the outbreak until now, not a single patient had recovered.


    Their worst fear had happened.


    Yunice¡¯s energy drained. Watching strangers die was one thing. Watching someone you knew die¨Csomeone whose story you¡¯d heard, whose loved ones you¡¯d met¨Chit differently.


    Owen looked at the still body, then turned to Yunice. ¡°You need to report this. And we¡¯ve got -to start disinfecting¨Cnow.¡±


    Yunice nodded. For the first time, she didn¡¯t argue with Owen.


    Because she didn¡¯t have the strength to speak.


    Mr. Gerardo was ced in a <i>body </i>bag and taken away¨Cfor mass cremation.


    Just like everyone else, his family would receive nothing. No letter. <b>No </b><b>memento</b><b>. </b>


    Nothing¨Cexcept a short, blurry video on Yunice¡¯s phone.


    ???


    Chapter 405 One Last Embrace


    One she wouldn¡¯t dare watch again.


    *5 Free Comme


    Because she had been in direct contact with the infected, Yunice was pulled from volunteer duties.


    She and Owen were ced in temporary quarantine for observation.


    Tommy dropped off meals through the door. Seeing Yunice visibly shaken, he tried tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You kept Mr. Gerardo from breaching containment. That alone was a huge contribution.¡±


    After closing the door, Yunice ced the meal in front of Owen, then walked to the corner of


    the room.


    There, she picked up a two¨Cway radio.


    The food sat untouched. She had no appetite.


    On the other end was Laurie. Yunice calmly reported thetest death, then¨Cfor the first time -asked, ¡°What¡¯s Wyatt doing right now?¡±


    npossible to get¡­ Laurie sighed. ¡°Medical <i>resources </i>are stretched thin. <i>A </i>lot of checkpoints are holding up supplies<i>. </i>Some critical items, especially protective suits, are nea


    Then she added in a quieter voice, ¡°Some of those people are disgusting. They know Mr. Wyatt is keeping a close eye on Saunders Hospital, so they¡¯re deliberately making trouble. Thankfully, Mr. Wyatt has the resources and influence. Whatever other hospitals run short on, the Saunders family nevercks.¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s all <i>because</i><i>¡­ </i><i>you¡¯re </i>here.¡±

 Daghter 406

    <b>Chapter </b>406 <b>An </b>Unwee Visit


    Chapter 406 An Unwee Visit


    Yunice sat curled on the floor, chin resting on her knees, and muttered, ¡°If you get a <b>chance</b>, pass the radio to Wyatt. I¡¯ve got nothing but time now¡ªI could talk to him all <b>day</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Laurie heard the weariness in her voice and quickly ryed the message to Wyatt.


    On the other end, Wyatt must¡¯ve rushed over¨Chis breath was heavy when he answered. After taking a moment to steady it, he spoke into the radio. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°I saw Mr. Gerardo today.¡±


    Wyatt gave a soft ¡°Mm,¡± letting her know he was listening.


    ¡°¡­He died,¡± she said, holding back a sob.


    Wyatt fell silent.


    ¡°I recorded a video of his final moments. Should I give it to Taylor?¡±


    If Taylor and K didn¡¯t witness Mr. Gerardo¡¯s suffering, they might not grieve as deeply. Once this was all over, just telling them the oue might be enough. After <i>all</i>, this was something none of them could control. They¡¯d all tried their best.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± Wyatt said.


    Yunice gave a quiet, tired ¡°Okay.¡±


    Then Wyatt asked, ¡°Where are you being held?¡±


    Yunice looked up. ¡°Third floor of the outpatient building. Preventive medicine ward- pharmacy.¡±


    She then asked, ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Carl?¡±


    ¡°They think you¡¯re still studying at the medical university,¡± Wyatt said.


    That was for the best. No need to make them worry.


    ¡°But Lily dide looking for me,¡± Wyatt added.


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t get through to Owen or Elsie. After returning to the country, she went straight to Mr. Carl. Nearly blew my cover.¡±


    The mention of Lily made Yunice¡¯s expression harden. She had long stopped caring about her.


    Chapter <b>406 </b><b>An </b>Unwee Visit


    The two of them chatted idly about what was happening outside, the dangers in the hospital near¨Cmisses and ongoing chaos. Yunice soon noticed background voices <bing </b><b>from </b>Wyatt¡¯s side of the radio.


    They didn¡¯t sound like they were indoors.


    Realizing he was still busy, she said softly, ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯m tired?


    ¡°Alright,¡± Wyatt replied, and ended the call.


    Yunice looked down at her now¨Ccold meal, inhaled deeply.


    Your <i>body is </i>your <i>only </i><i>asset</i>¨Cno <i>appetite</i><i>? </i><i>Too </i><i>bad</i>.


    She wolfed down the tasteless food, then cleaned up and went to check on Owen.


    He was sitting by the window, staring silently out at the world beyond.


    His untouched food sat next to him.


    He¡¯d been doing this often¨Cgazing out the window, day after day. The people he cared about were outside, so he kept looking, as if he could will them into view.


    Yunice didn¡¯t interrupt. She turned back to her research.


    From the patients she¡¯d seen recently and the findings Laurie had shared, Yunice <i>had </i>a new direction in mind. She and Laurie had tested one form on Elsie¨Cit hadn¡¯t worked well, but it had kept her alive. And given Elsie¡¯s poor physical condition, that alone was a win.


    It was time to revise the approach.


    Owen didn¡¯t leave his room for the rest of the afternoon.


    Yunice was used <i>to </i>it by now<i>. </i>Owen was ruled by emotion. He spent all his time drowning in guilt and sentimentality, and it was that same softness that had run his father¡¯s hospital into the ground.


    That evening, Tommy came <i>to </i>deliver dinner¨Cand secretly passed Yunice a roasted sweet potato.


    A rare treat in times like these.


    ¡°Something sweet helps the mood,¡± he whispered.


    He figured Yunice must be going stir¨Ccrazy in istion.


    Wearing her mask, Yunice¡¯s eyes crinkled in a smile. ¡°Thanks, Tommy.¡±


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 406 An Unwee Visit


    15 Free Coins


    Tommy and the rest of the delivery team lined up to leave. As they headed down the hallway, Tommy noticed someonegging behind and called out, ¡°Move quickly, don¡¯t waste time¡±


    Still, Tommy was gentle by nature¨Ceven as volunteer leader, he never demanded people stick to rigid formality.


    After his warning, he walked away with the rest of the team, unaware that he¡¯d overlooked someone who didn¡¯t belong.


    Back in the room, Yunice was carrying both her and Owen¡¯s dinners, holding the steaming sweet potato in one hand. Her hands were full, so she leaned over and used her elbow to push the door closed.


    Just then, a gloved hand slipped through the gap and grabbed the doorframe.


    Startled, Yunice turned and nced at the name tag on the suit.


    It wasn¡¯t anyone she recognized¨Cnot someone from the hospital.


    Suspicious, she asked, ¡°Can I help you?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, trying to get a better look through the visitor¡¯s goggles¨Cjust <i>as </i><i>the </i>person outside said, ¡°Is the sweet potato good?¡±


    The moment she heard that voice<i>, </i>Yunice¡¯s heart dropped. Her hand nearly fumbled the food container.


    The person stepped inside, silently closed the door behind him with one hand hidden behind his back.


    Yunice craned her neck to see. There was no one else outside.


    Panic seized her. ¡°Are you out of your mind?!¡± she hissed.

 Daghter 407

    Chapter 407 A Moment of Breath


    Chapter 407 A Moment of Breath


    Wyatt pulled off his protective suit and wrapped Yunice in a tight embrace,


    Startled, she murmured, ¡°I haven¡¯t cleared my observation period yet¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± Wyatt said in a low, firm voice.


    Yunice fell silent.


    He held her for a long time before finally letting go.


    ¡°How did you even get in here?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I knocked out the driver and took his suit.¡±


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t trained in medical protocol¨Cposing as a doctor would¡¯ve been too risky. So he¡¯de in pretending to be a driver.


    Yunice sighed, already knowing he¡¯d use some reckless method like this.


    Still, she scolded, ¡°Why would youe here at all?¡±


    The Cooper family couldn¡¯t go a day without him. Coming here like this was reckless, dangerous, and irrational.


    ¡°I¡¯m already here. Don¡¯t waste time nagging,¡± Wyatt said, draping an arm over her shoulder as they walked toward the desk.


    Yunice brushed his arm off with a tired frown. ¡°Keep your protective gear on.¡±


    She put her mask back on, then stood across from him behind the desk. The distance between them felt more clinical than affectionate.


    ¡°Not very weing,¡± Wyatt muttered.


    In his imagination, she should¡¯ve flown into his arms the second she saw him.


    Yunice just stared at him¨Cat the ttened hair under his cap, the casual expression on his face, the dark circles under his eyes. ¡°You haven¡¯t been sleeping.¡±


    Wyatt shot back, ¡°Have you?


    ssic Wyatt. If he didn¡¯t want to answer, he always replied with another question.


    Looking around the room, Wyatt asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Owen?¡±


    Chapter 407 A Moment of Breath


    <b>+5 </b>Free <b>Coins </b>


    Just hearing that name made his expression tighten. If not for Owen, Yunice would¡¯ve <b>been </b>cleared to leave already.


    Now she was on the internal list¨Ctrying to get her out again could tarnish her reputation permanently.


    Yunice lifted her chin toward the inner room. ¡°He¡¯s in there.¡±


    Neither of them had spoken since being quarantined together. Each kept their distance.


    Wyatt looked back at her. ¡°Let me hold you again.¡±


    ¡°..What?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving soon.¡±


    Yunice hesitated.


    Wyatt reached out a hand. After a moment, she sighed, ced her hand in his, and let him guide her around the desk and onto hisp.


    Looking at him eye to eye, she reminded, ¡°Make sure you disinfect when you leave, okay?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to say anything else? I finally came all this way,¡± Wyatt murmured, one arm around her waist.


    She¡¯d gotten even skinnier.


    ¡°Seeing me¡­ feeling any better?¡± he asked.


    Her eyes welled up. She nodded.


    Not just better¨Csteadier.


    Mr. Gerardo¡¯s death had left her in a deep emotional fog. She hadn¡¯t expected Wyatt toe in person, just to lift her spirits.


    From the radio clipped to Wyatt¡¯s belt came a stated voice: ¡°Team assembly. Repeat: Team assembly.¡±


    Yunice lifted her gaze. Their eyes met.


    Time was up.


    She leaned forward and pressed a kiss¨Cmask to mask¨Con his cheek.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened, arms tightening around her. ¡°Come with me?¡±


    Chapter 407 A Moment of Breath


    16 hee Cam


    He didn¡¯t care about reputation or gossip. He had the means to wipe away any stain on her


    record.


    All she had to do was say yes.


    Conflicted emotion flickered in Yunice¡¯s eyes. She could run¨Cshe had the privilege to choose that.


    But just then, the door handle turned.


    Owen stood at the threshold.


    The moment he saw Wyatt, his face lit up. He stepped forward instinctively. ¡°Mr. Wyatt- Elsie, is she¡­¡±


    Yunice leapt off Wyatt¡¯sp and stood between them. ¡°Go,¡± she whispered to Wyatt.


    If Owentched on, things would get messy fast.


    ¡°He¡¯s not stable. He¡¯s been obsessing over Elsie. Just go,¡± she muttered, pushing Wyatt toward the door.


    But Owen, finally seeing someone who might have answers, wasn¡¯t letting go that <i>easily</i>. He rushed after them.


    ¡°Wait¨CMr. Wyatt! How¡¯s Elsie? Has she shown symptoms? Is she still alive?!¡±


    The radio at Wyatt¡¯s side crackled again, urgently calling for him to rejoin the team.


    Yunice blocked Owen, then turned to Wyatt. ¡°Get your suit back on.¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t stop me! I just want to ask him a few questions! Elsie- did she get sick? What¡¯s happening to her? Is she still alive?¡±


    ¡°I <i>keep </i>dreaming she¡¯s dead. I see my mom crying¡­¡±


    His words tumbled out, wild and frantic.


    ¡°I dreamed you and Wyatt were ming me¡­ saying I ruined everything¡­ even my dad came to take me away¡­¡±


    His mind was unraveling¨Cand seeing Wyatt had be hisst lifeline.

 Daghter 408

    Chapter 408 The Tipping Point


    Chapter 408 The Tipping Point


    Wyatt quickly pulled his protective suit back on.


    Owen shoved Yunice aside with all his strength and rushed to him. ¡°Is Elsic still <b>alive</b><b>?!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice stumbled back. In that moment, a sh of something on Owen¡¯s arm caught her <b>eye</b>.


    Small red dots.


    Her expression changed instantly.


    She spun around to see Owen reaching for Wyatt. Wyatt frowned, ready to push him back, but Yunice leapt between them, throwing herself in the way.


    ¡°Owen, <i>Elsie </i><i>is </i><i>alive</i><i>!</i>¡± she shouted. ¡°But if you keep this up, don¡¯t me us for taking it out on her!¡±


    Owen froze, just enough hesitation to stop him in his tracks.


    Yunice turned to Wyatt, frowning. ¡°I told you I¡¯m not leaving, and I won¡¯t. You can¡¯t keep doing this and making things harder for me.¡±


    Wyatt knew this was how it would end. He gave her onest look, then turned and left without another word.


    He carried his own burdens¨Che didn¡¯t have the luxury of being reckless.


    As soon as she saw him disappear through the door, Yunice mmed it shut and grabbed Owen. ¡°Come with me.¡±


    Outside, Wyatt paused and looked back at the tightly closed door, brows furrowed.


    His radio continued crackling, calling for reassembly. He turned and rejoined the team, leaving the hospital behind.


    At the extraction point, Jordan looked him over. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring her?¡±


    If Yunice had given the word, Wyatt would¡¯ve arranged a swap and gotten her out.


    But knowing her, he¡¯d suspected she wouldn¡¯t go.


    Wyatt¡¯s radio buzzed again¨Cit was Yunice.


    ¡°Are you out?¡± she asked.


    <b>173 </b>


    Chapter <b>408 </b>The Tipping Point


    He nced back toward the hospital. ¡°I¡¯m outside.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t skip decontamination,¡± she warned. ¡°You better not.¡±


    Back inside, Yunice was already pulling Owen toward a chair, pressing <b>a </b>thermometer to his forehead.


    37.5¡ãC.


    Low¨Cgrade <i>fever</i>. And <i>those </i><i>red </i><i>spots</i>¡­


    Her heart sank.


    Still in denial, she grabbed a mercury thermometer and tucked it under his arm.


    Owen blinked, slowlying to his senses. He saw the pallor in Yunice¡¯s face, the tightness <b>in </b>her eyes.


    Then he looked at the digital thermometer sitting on the table. The numbers stared back at him like a sentence.


    He pulled up his sleeve.


    More red dots.


    His stomach dropped. The blood drained from his face.


    He stared at Yunice, legs shaking.


    Yunice looked right back, just as shaken. She, so usually clear¨Cheaded and decisive, had no n this time.


    Because there <i>was </i>no n.


    This illness couldn¡¯t be cured.


    Before she could speak, Owen shot to his feet. Panic written all over him, he scrambled to pull on gloves,yered masks over his face, and backed away from her.


    ¡°I¡¯m infected,¡± he said hoarsely.


    ¡°You have to get out! Now!¡± he shouted, when she didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Snapping out of her daze, Yunice grabbed her unfinished case notes, turned, and walked out.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 408 The Tipping Point


    <b>Bang</b>. The door mmed shut behind her.


    Inside, silence fell.


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Owen stood frozen, chest heaving. Secondster, his knees buckled, and he sank to the ground.


    2


    Outside, Yunice stood still, eyes shut tightly. Then she pulled up the hospital¡¯s internal line and called Tommy.


    ¡°Tommy¡­ Owen is a suspected case. Report it.¡±


    A few minutester, two med staff in full suits escorted Owen out.


    His arms were held, and as he passed Yunice, he looked at her with desperation and pleading in his eyes.


    ¡°Yunice¡­ the Saunders family is counting on you¡­¡®


    Right now, a diagnosis meant a death sentence.


    99


    Yunice lowered her eyes. She didn¡¯t respond. She wasn¡¯t even sure she¡¯d make it out herself.


    As he was pulled further away, Owen shouted, ¡°Yunice! Owen¡¯s leaving now!¡±


    It sounded like a farewell.


    Like a final goodbye.


    He was taken toward the istion ward.


    Yunice didn¡¯t move.


    Tommy ced a hand on her shoulder¨Ca silent gesture offort.


    But right now, any words would sound hollow. Until a cure was found, survival was just a matter of luck.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes turned red with/helpless sorrow.


    In just a few short weeks, everyone around her had fallen¨Cone by one.


    And now, it was someone from her own side.

 Daghter 409

    hapter 409 The Truth Behind the Paper


    Chapter 409 The Truth Behind the Paper


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one from Mr. Gerardo¡¯s first¨Ccontact list who hasn¡¯t been infected. Maybe you¡¯re just lucky¨Ca special case,¡± Tommy said, trying to stay hopeful.


    It wasn¡¯t impossible.


    ¡°If you¡¯re still worried, you can apply to join Owen¡¯s treatment study,¡± he added.


    ¡°I¡¯m in,¡± Yunice said immediately.


    Wellinges Pharma¡¯s targeted treatment had shown promise¨Cat least, it had prolonged Elsie¡¯s critical period by five days. That was enough reason for Yunice <i>to </i><b>act</b>.


    She decided to join the special task team and use Owen as the clinical subject to apply. Wellinges Pharma¡¯s research in practice.


    When the task team surrounded Owen¡¯s bed, the moment he saw Yunice, he looked stunned. ¡°What are you doing here? Get out!¡±


    He was afraid she might get infected too. If the Saunders family had to lose someone, better it not be all of them¨Cnot all in their own hospital.


    ¡°She proposed the experimental treatment,¡± the attending doctor said. ¡°It¡¯s showing promise, so we¡¯re allowing her to participate in the trial.¡±


    ¡°Treatment?¡± Owen¡¯s hollow, sunken eyes red with a sliver of life. He sat up abruptly. ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous. She doesn¡¯t know the first thing about medicine-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m backed <i>by </i>Wellinges Pharma. Got <i>it</i>?¡± Yunice cut him off, impatient.


    Owen froze, and then finally understood what she meant,


    Yunice didn¡¯t have the credentials¨Cbut Wellinges Pharma could hand her the patents<i>, </i>the credit. They were giving her a golden badge to wear. A chance to shine, even if it was symbolic.


    After the data was collected, Owen called her over privately.


    He stared at her and said, ¡°I finally understand why you didn¡¯t run.¡±


    Yunice was preparing an injection, flicking the air bubbles out of the syringe, not even looking up.


    ¡°You¡¯re not doing this <i>to </i>be a hero<i>. </i>You¡¯re doing <i>it </i>for the glory,¡± he said. ¡°So that when this is all over, you¡¯ll walk out covered in des. Wyatt will pull some strings, and you¡¯ll rise <i>to </i>


    14:35 Sun, 8 Jun


    Chapter 409 The Truth Behind the Paper


    the top¨Ccutting corners with fabricated credentials. Before long, they¡¯ll hand <b>you </b><b>a </b><b>hospital </b>to run, no questions asked.¡±


    Yunice nced at him. He <i>really </i><i>has </i><i>an </i><i>imagination</i><i>. </i>But he wasn¡¯t entirely wrong.


    She sneered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t this your n for Elsie, too? You of all people should know exactly how capable she really is.¡±


    Owen defended, ¡°Elsie works hard. She just didn¡¯t have a strong foundation. With time, she¡¯ll earn her ce.¡±


    ¡°And what, I don¡¯t work hard?¡± Yunice shot back.


    ¡°Elsie worked hard, sure. But she gave up this hospital. She didn¡¯t stay to fight with you. I did. So now I¡¯m the one getting this ¡®golden opportunity.¡® And what? You regret it?¡±


    Owen flushed. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°What I mean,¡± he said, regainingposure, ¡°is that if you really wanted to seed, you¡¯d study properly¨Cnot take shortcuts and game the system.¡±


    Yunice was getting annoyed. <i>Why </i><i>was </i><i>he </i><i>always </i><i>like </i><i>this</i>? <i>Always </i>so <i>condescending</i><i>. </i>


    She finally set the syringe down and asked, ¡°You really believe I have no real ability?¡±


    Owen looked at her, stunned. His bewildered face said it all¨Che honestly thought her useless.


    That confirmed it: all his years of dismissing her hadn¡¯t been calcted malice. He simply <i>believed </i>she was nothing.


    Yunice said quietly, ¡°Remember your graduate thesis? It was rejected three times before passed. Elsie helped you with the final revision, right?¡±


    Owen stared at her through the translucent barrier, eyes slightly widening.


    you


    ¡°You¡¯re wondering how I know that, right?¡± she continued. ¡°Because it wasn¡¯t Elsie who fixed it.¡±


    Yuniceughed coldly. ¡°It was me.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit,¡± Owen muttered, voice tight. ¡°Don¡¯t make things up.¡±


    ¡°I even revised your SCI paper,¡± she said inly.


    Owen¡¯s hands curled into fists, his expression growingplicated.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 409 The Truth Behind the Paper


    s


    With his diagnosis now hanging over him like a death sentence, Yunice figured it was time toy the truth bare.


    ¡°Elsie was just the delivery girl,¡± she said. ¡°You thought she helped you. But everything she gave you, I was the one who created. She just stole it. Early on, when you started getting praise from the professors, I actually thought <i>you </i>had taken my work. I treated you like a brother. I didn¡¯t approve of what you did¨Cbut I didn¡¯t want to ruin your reputation in front of your advisors.¡±

 Daghter 410

    Chapter 410 Unmasking the Past


    <b>13 </b><b>Frees </b>


    Yunice let out a slow breath. ¡°I never thought my silence would give Elsie the chance to <b>steal </b>from me over and over. She used my work to win you over, and when I caught her, defended her. Said I was jealous. You two covered for each other so tightly¨Cafraid I¡¯d call you out.¡±


    you


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Owen said, disbelief etched into every word. ¡°You couldn¡¯t even pass your SATS without cheating-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat,¡± Yunice snapped, eyes cold. ¡°That was Lily¡¯s nder. You never got the court notice? Oh, right¨Cyou didn¡¯t. Because Lily panicked and fled the country the moment she got it. She never told you the SAT scandal was a smear campaign she started herself.¡±


    Owen¡¯s brows pulled together tightly. Yunice¡¯s words were turning his entire worldview upside down. In his mind, every word she


    as saying now had always been impossible.


    Seeing his skepticism, Yunice added, ¡°Even Paul knows the <i>Anning </i><i>Cardiotonic </i><i>Form </i>developed at Wellinges Pharma was improved by me. Yet here you are, still treating me like I¡¯m useless.¡±


    Owen was finally speechless.


    His expression became almostical¨Ca man so unsure of what was real or fake anymore.


    Yunice turned her focus to the treatment. She prepared the medication, connected the injection to his IV drip, and injected the medicine.


    ¡°This is a corticosteroid,¡± she said.


    Once it was administered, she added, ¡°Tommy will bring you a bottle of nourishing herbal liquid. Don¡¯t assume it¡¯s over. The joint task force and Wellinges Pharma have finalized a new protocol. It¡¯s working better than expected. Who knows¨Cyou might get lucky.¡±


    As she turned to leave, Owen sat up and called out, ¡°Wait¡­¡±


    Yunice paused, and he said softly, ¡°Can you stay a little longer? I¡­ I want to hear more.¡±


    He gave a self¨Cdeprecating smile. ¡°It¡¯s been so long since we talked like this.¡±


    His eyes were red¨Crimmed, his tone heavy with longing for family.


    Yunice stared back. ¡°So all the things I just said¡­ You thought I was telling you bedtime stories<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I just want to talk,¡± Owen said quietly. ¡°I¡¯ve realized I don¡¯t really know you at all. I¡¯ve


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    <b>1/3 </b>


    C


    Chapter 410 Unmasking the Past


    overlooked you all these years.¡±


    Maybe it was the fear of death¨Cmaybe just the istion¨Cbut Owen desperately needed someone to be with him, to talk about warm things from the past.


    But Yunice knew, deep down, he hadn¡¯t really heard her. Not truly. Not the pain, not the betrayal. Which meant he wasn¡¯t ashamed. Not even angry.


    She looked into his pleading, vulnerable eyes and asked calmly, ¡°If Elsie were the one in here right now, would you be telling her to stay away in case she got infected? Or would you beg her to stay and chat with you?¡±


    Owen froze. His face twisted in awkward shame.


    The difference between love and obligation was ring.


    Even he didn¡¯t realize how much he favored Elsie¨Cand how, for Yunice, he¡¯d only ever felt <i>a </i>distant need.


    She called it out inly, and Owen no longer had the face to ask her to stay.


    Yunice walked away without looking back. Owen¡¯s eyes turned red again.


    They were siblings. Twins. The closest kind of kin in the world. And yet, this was what they had be.


    3


    He was dying, and Yunice still couldn¡¯t bring herself to offer him even a word offort.


    The 13th day of the Saunders Hospital lockdown.


    Paul had just walked out of the North City project office.


    His mood was terrible. He yanked at his tie and mmed the car door behind him.


    ¡°That lunatic Taylor just won¡¯t quit¡ªand worse, she refuses to die!¡±


    He flopped back in the seat, long legs sprawled.


    His driver turned to him. ¡°Sir, we investigated. Yunice never actually enrolled in thedical university.¡±


    Paul lifted his head. ¡°Then where is she?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the strange part. We can¡¯t find her at all.¡±


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Cleery $ Unimasking the Past


    Pad wormed ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as can¡¯t find someone


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°What about the people tracking Wyatt Aside from visiting the Cardison Residence, has he been going anywhere else regrly?¡±


    *


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been to Cardison for a while, the driver answered. ¡°And no unusual activity.


    really. Exurga¡­¡±


    Except


    He hesitated


    ¡°Except what<i>?</i><i>¡® </i>Paul pressed


    ¡°He¡¯s been fancially supporting Saunders Hospital fairly often.¡±


    Paul¡¯s gate sharposed ¡°Supporting the Saunders family? That¡¯s the biggest red g of all


    It was no coincidener dan Ma Gerardo fell ill there


    In fact, Paul had onchestermed the whole thing


    <i>He </i>had his men intercept Whi Germanto¡¯s car on the way back from the airport, forcing him to change toutes and stoop in Saunders ifospital to save his assistant.


    Then he shekherally sem tiste so dy the emergency treatment


    A calcted move¨Cand one that was now menording


    14:07, sun 8 Jun-G/AJ


    Chapter 410 Unmasking the Past


    ¤Ã


    <b>Paul </b>sneered. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as ¡®can¡¯t find someone.


    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°What about the people tracking Wyatt? Aside from <b>visiting </b><b>the </b>Gardison Residence, has he been going anywhere else regrly?¡±


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t been to Gardison for a while,¡± the driver answered. ¡°And no unusual <b>activity</b><b>, </b>really. Except¡­¡±


    He hesitated.


    ¡°Except what?¡± Paul pressed.


    ¡°He¡¯s been financially supporting Saunders Hospital¡­ fairly often.


    Paul¡¯s


    gaze sharpened. ¡°Supporting the Saunders family? That¡¯s the biggest red g of <b>all</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    It was no coincidence that Mr. Gerardo fell ill there.


    In fact, Paul had orchestrated the whole thing.


    He had his men intercept Mr. Gerardo¡¯s car on the way back from the airport, forcing him to change routes and stop at Saunders Hospital to save his assistant.


    Then he deliberately sent Elsie to dy the emergency treatment.


    A calcted move¨Cand one that was now unraveling.

 Daghter 411

    <b>Chapter </b>411 <b>Bloodlines </b>and <b>Breaking </b>Points


    Chapter 411 Bloodlines and Breaking Points


    Elsie had thought Paul didn¡¯t want Mr. Gerardo to survive that he was <b>finally </b>resolute <b>about </b>divorcing Taylor¨Cso she had proudly stepped in to ¡°help.¡±


    What she didn¡¯t know was that she had been part of Paul¡¯s n all along. What she didn¡¯t know was the


    Someone who had betrayed Paul would never be allowed to live happily. That was how <b>Paul </b><b>saw </b>it.


    So when Saunders Hospital was


    waspletely sealed off, not even Elsie was spared. No one <b>got </b>


    out.


    Paul looked up with cold satisfaction. His n had always been <i>to </i>ensure that everyone he despised perished ¡°with dignity¡± inside Saunders Hospital.


    But what he couldn¡¯t figure out was: <i>Why </i><i>was </i><i>Wyatt </i>supporting <i>the </i><i>hospital </i><i>financially</i>?


    There was no one there he was especially close to. Could it be for Mr. Gerardo?


    But ording to Paul¡¯s intel, Mr. Gerardo was already dead.


    And what about Yunice? Saunders Hospital was in crisis¨Cyet she hadn¡¯t made a single move<b>? </b>


    <i>Where </i><i>had </i><i>she </i><i>gone</i><i>? </i>


    Paul never considered that Yunice might be the variable that would dismantle his n.


    Suddenly, he sprang to his feet and barked at the driver, ¡°Get me the lockdown roster for Saunders Hospital. Now!¡±


    Meanwhile, Yunice was on the radio with Wyatt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve <i>got </i>good news,¡± she said, nearly breathless. ¡°Elsie¡¯s condition has stabilized. Theb¡¯s close to developing the antigen. This battle won¡¯tst much longer.¡±


    Her heart was pounding with excitement as she paced in circles. Still, her voice remained stern. ¡°Don¡¯t getcent. <i>Especially </i>you. Stop treating the virus like it¡¯s a game¨Cstay away from the istion zone from now on!¡±


    ¡°Worried about me?¡± Wyatt sounded amused.


    Just hearing his tone, Yunice could picture himzily reclining in his chair, long legs swinging casually under his desk.


    <b>173 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b>111 Bloodlines and Breaking Points


    <b>¡°</b><b>Yes</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>she <b>said</b>, serious. ¡°You¡¯re reckless and impossible <b>to </b>trust.


    There was silence on the other end. Then Wyatt spoke again<b>, </b>voice low arid frustrated I want to tear that damn hospital down and move you all into myb.¡±


    At least <i>there</i><i>, </i>he thought, <i>everything </i><i>would </i><i>be </i><i>under </i><i>his </i><i>control</i><i>. </i>


    Whenever he wanted <i>to </i><i>see </i><i>Yunice</i><i>, </i><i>he </i><i>could</i>.


    Yuniceughed. ¡°You can¡¯t. I grew up there.¡±


    Every corner, every room¨Cher father had left his mark in the very bricks. It was her home.


    Wyatt¡¯s tone changed. He asked quietly, ¡°Is it because you and Paul were both born in that hospital?¡±


    Yunice blinked. The question came out of nowhere.


    Paul <i>was </i>born at Saunders Hospital.


    Margaret had experienced a difficultbor. Every other hospital had told her to choose between mother or child.


    Only Will had stepped up and said, ¡°I can save them both.¡±


    Margaret had taken a chance¨Cand Paul had been born there.


    That single event had brought the Saunders and Powell families closer. Under Margaret¡¯s efforts, there had even been a proposed arrangement¡­


    But why would Wyatt bring that up?


    Before she could ask, there was a pounding on her door.


    ¡°Yunice! Are you in there?¡± Tommy¡¯s voice was urgent.


    ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± she answered immediately.


    ¡°It¡¯s Owen. Something¡¯s wrong¨Cyou have toe now!¡±


    Yunice froze. She¡¯d braced herself for this moment¨Cbut hearing it out loud still made her nearly drop the radio.


    She fumbled into her protective gear, saying quickly to Wyatt, ¡°Emergency¨CI¡¯ll ct back!¡±


    ou


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    Chapter <b>411 </b>Bloodlines and Breaking Points


    Setting the radio aside, she burst out of the room.


    Tommy met her outside and held up a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t panic¨Ccheck your suit first


    Face pale, Yunice hurriedly confirmed everything was scaled tight, then followed <b>Tommy </b>toward Owen¡¯s ward.


    At the door, she saw him.


    Owen was thrashing violently on the bed. Several staff in full protective <b>gear </b>were <b>trying </b><b>to </b>hold him down, while a doctor prepared a sedative injection.


    Yunice rushed in. Owen¡¯s neck and forehead bulged with veins from the strain, <b>his </b><b>eyes </b>bloodshot¨Cand then suddenly, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    Internal hemorrhaging¨Cruptured blood vessels in the digestive tract. A knownplication of the virus.


    Everyone around him flinched. Blood sttered across suits, visors, gloves.


    Tommy grabbed Yunice and pulled her back. At this point, there was nothing she could do. Owen copsed onto the bed, strength drained. He could barely struggle anymore.


    The medical team secured his wrists and administered the sedative. Surgery would follow- to stop the bleeding.


    Head tilted, eyes red, Owen looked weakly in Yunice¡¯s direction. His blood¨Cflecked lips moved, barely whispering. ¡°<i>¡­</i>Yunice¡­¡±

 Daghter 412

    Chapter 412 The One Who Stayed


    Yunice stood in the hallway, her breathing uneven as she met Owen¡¯s <b>gaze </b><b>through </b>the <b>chaos</b>. He opened his mouth¨Cno sound came out, but she read the shape of the word clearly<b>. </b>


    The <i>Saunders </i><i>family</i>.


    He was dying. And even now, what he couldn¡¯t let go of¡­ was them.


    Elsie. Lily. That house.


    All he had begged for¨Cover and over¨Cwas just a chance to say goodbye. To leave <b>a </b><b>few </b><b>final </b>words. He had hoped Yunice would give him that, just this once.


    She¡¯d looked into his desperate, pleading eyes¡­ and then the surgical team rushed in. She was pushed out of the room.


    The door mmed shut behind her, but his look stayed with her, vivid and raw.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to fulfill his request. All she had to do was hand him the two¨Cway radio. Let him talk to Elsie for <i>a </i>few minutes.


    But she didn¡¯t want to.


    She didn¡¯t want to let it go. Not like this.


    Wasn¡¯t she allowed that much? After all the humiliation she had endured in the Saunders family for years, did Owen being on his deathbed mean she suddenly had to forgive everything?


    <i>Forgiveness </i><i>wasn¡¯t </i><i>automatic </i><i>just </i><i>because </i><i>someone </i><i>was </i><i>dying</i>.


    Why did it have to end in death?


    She had nned so carefully¨Clured Owen and Elsie into her trap, with her ultimate goal to reim the Saunders family from within, leaving Elsie with nothing.


    But she was only halfway through.


    And now, they were both dying.


    It wasn¡¯t enough. Death was too easy. She didn¡¯t want them <i>to </i>die. She wanted t¡® <i>it</i>¨Clive with it for the rest of their lives.


    1 <b>to </b><b>regret </b>


    Now, Owen really was going to die. And the Saunders family¡­ was truly on the <b>verge </b>of copsing.


    178


    14:38 Sun 8 Jun¨C0.


    Chapter <b>412 </b>The One Who Stayed


    Tommy had been watching her quietly, sensing her turmoil.


    <b>¡°</b>You really hate your brother that much?¡± he asked softly. ¡°Even now<b>, </b><b>with </b>death <b>right </b><b>in </b>front of you¡­ you still can¡¯t let go?¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t answer. She had resentment, yes. But she didn¡¯t even know who she was supposed to me anymore.


    Owen was <i>dying</i>¡­


    <i>And </i>wasn¡¯t <i>death </i><i>supposed </i><i>to </i><i>settle </i><i>all </i><i>debts</i><i>? </i>


    Suddenly, she didn¡¯t know why she¡¯d fought so hard. All the university exams, all the credentials she¡¯d wed her way toward¨Chad it all just been for this revenge?


    She¡¯d armed herself with sharp, gleaming weapons and stormed the battlefield. But by the


    else was already retreating. time she got there, everyone


    The war had ended before she could even fight.


    And now she stood alone, a fully armored soldier, watching others celebrate and return


    go herself. home¡­ but with nowhere to


    ¡°Get back to work,¡± Tommy said gently. ¡°When your hands are busy, your mind doesn¡¯t spiral.¡±


    But Yunice moved suddenly. ¡°Tommy¨CI¡¯m going back to my room first.¡±


    He looked surprised but nodded.


    Once inside, Yunice picked up the radio and called, ¡°Wyatt. Come get me.¡±


    He didn¡¯t ask why. He simply said, ¡°Wait for me.¡±


    Two hourster, a supply truck entered Saunders Hospital.


    Wyatt came with one of the suited medics¨Csomeone who would quietly take Yunice¡¯s ce.


    Once she changed into the other person¡¯s protective gear, the name on her chest was no longer hers.


    Yunice was quietly smuggled out.


    She said nothing during the entire trip.


    Chapter 412 The One Who Stayed


    45 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Only when they reached Wellinges Pharma, and she¡¯d removed her suit, gone through full decontamination, did she finally speak.


    Her voice was low, but fierce, ¡°I want the first batch of the antigen.¡±


    Her eyes were red. Determined. Shaking with barely contained emotion.


    Wyatt met her gaze. ¡°The first batch hasn¡¯t even gone through preclinical testing. We don¡¯t know how safe it is.¡±


    Typically, a drug needed years of developmentb testing, animal models, toxicity profiles -before human trials. Even in emergencies, this was rushing it.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to wait. Owen won¡¯t survive until that day.¡±


    She looked almost fevered. Obsessive.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let him die¨Cnot like this. He doesn¡¯t even know what the Saunders family did. He¡¯s never regretted any of it. Wyatt, do you understand?¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t say anything. He simply pulled her into his arms.


    She trembled faintly against him, herposure unraveling.


    He didn¡¯t point out the truth behind her desperation. He didn¡¯t say a word about the guilt and twisted justice mixed in her grief.


    He only held her and whispered, ¡°Why are you so dramatic? I never said you couldn¡¯t have it.¡±


    Resting against his chest, Yunice felt the vibration of his voice as he spoke. Deep. Steady.


    And for the first time in a long time, she felt calm.


    Like no matter how far she fell, Wyatt would catch her.


    That rare, sock¨Ctucked¨Cinto¨Cthermal¨Cunderwear kind of warmth¨Cit wrapped her up tight, and she didn¡¯t want to let go.

 Daghter 413

    Chapter 413 The Truth Beneath the Suit


    Wyatt, still holding Yunice tightly, felt her arms remain locked around him<b>. </b>Thinking <b>she </b><b>was </b>still doubtful, he gently offered, ¡°Want to go get the medicine now<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice looked up and pressed a soft kiss to his throat, just beneath his Adam¡¯s apple.


    His breath caught.


    Then he gave her back a light pat. ¡°Laurie¡¯s waiting. Go.¡±


    He knew¨Cif they dyed too long, Owen might not make it. And that would haunt Yunice<b>. </b>


    She nodded and left for theb.


    Inside Wellinges Pharma, Laurie looked Yunice over through her protective suit, her <b>relief </b>obvious. ¡°You¡¯re likely past the incubation period. You might¡¯ve avoided infection.¡±


    Yunice had always been meticulous with her protection. If anyone would survive, it made sense it¡¯d be her.


    Laurie led her through the halls of the research facility¨Cpast the machines, the white walls, the silent, humming dread.


    They stopped at a room. Inside, a single patienty in istion.


    <i>Elsie</i><i>. </i>


    Tubes threaded through her limbs, monitors beeping steadily as she <iy </i>unconscious in a bed under strict observation.


    There was no dignity left in her state. But that wasn¡¯t theb¡¯s cruelty. It was just what the disease did.


    Had Owen not traded ces with her, she wouldn¡¯t havested this long at Saunders Hospital.


    Yunice stood by the ss, unmoved. She raised her phone and took several photos.


    Laurie, puzzled, asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Psychological triggers can activate a patient¡¯s survival instinct,¡± Yunice replied calmly.


    If Owen saw Elsie like <i>this</i><i>, </i>what were the odds he¡¯d find the will to live?


    <b>1/3 </b>


    Chapter <b>413 </b>The Truth Beneath <b>the </b>Suit


    From there, Lauric brought her to another room and handed her <b>a </b>sealed medication <b>box </b>


    ¡°We already tested this antigen on Elsic. It works¨Cbut it¡¯s neurotoxic. Attacks the <b>nervous </b>system.¡±


    ¡°What kind of side effects?¡± Yunice asked, frowning.


    Laurie shook her head. ¡°We haven¡¯t had enough time. Clinical symptoms haven¡¯t even <b>fully </b>emerged yet. I can¡¯t guarantee what it¡¯ll do long term¨Cor if the damage is <b>reversible</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice took the box. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We save him now. Everything else can wait.¡±


    As she turned to go, Laurie called after her. ¡°You need to be careful. We¡¯ve skipped standard procedure. If they survive¡­ they might turn on you.¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°Turn on me? With what proof? Who can say Elsie was ever at Wellinges Pharma?¡±


    Could Owen even admit his own role in all this<b>? </b>


    She left the facility with Wyatt.


    He didn¡¯t trust the situation, so he sent one of his most loyal men to discreetly apany Yunice. The closer they got to sess, the more vignt they had to be.


    Back in the hospital, Yunice returned to Owen¡¯s room with the medicine case.


    Every patient room was under 24¨Chour surveince.


    To inject Owen unnoticed, she needed to disable that first.


    Luckily, that was one of her specialties. She quickly disrupted the signal and cked out the room¡¯s monitoring feed.


    Still, she didn¡¯t inject immediately. Owen had just undergone surgery. His body might not withstand it.


    She checked the monitor, scanning the vitals, then pulled his arm gently from beneath the stic istion drape and began to take his pulse.


    That was when she heard it¨Cslow, deliberate footsteps behind her.


    She turned sharply.


    A figure in full hazmat gear stood two meters behind her.


    Yunice didn¡¯t move, only scanned the figure from head <i>to </i>toe.


    Chapter 413 The Truth Beneath the Suit


    The name written on the suit¨Cshe didn¡¯t recognize it.


    But the eyes behind the visor¡­


    <i>They </i><i>looked </i>familiar


    The person spoke first: ¡°Knew I¡¯d find you here.¡®


    ¡°Paul?¡± Yunice instantly recognized the voice.


    15 Free Coins


    He nced around, searching. ¡°Where¡¯s Elsie? Ibed the patient and death records. She¡¯s not listed anywhere.¡±


    He had found Yunice¨Cbecause she was the only one registered from her family in the hospital.


    ¡°You came to the istion zone¡­ looking for Elsie?¡± Yunice narrowed her eyes.


    Hadn¡¯t she made Paul see through Elsie? Hadn¡¯t he figured out her lies? Why was he still this fixated?


    Paul didn¡¯t answer. His eyes didn¡¯t leave Yunice.


    ¡°Elsie¡­¡±


    And then, as if summoned by her name, Owen stirred.


    His eyes cracked open, foggy, heavy¨Clidded. ¡°Elsie¡­ is she sick¡­?¡±


    He must¡¯ve already guessed. But he still wanted Yunice to say it aloud.


    She didn¡¯t.


    Owen turned his head slowly, catching sight of the figure across the room. His eyes struggled to focus, but then widened in recognition.


    ¡°¡­Paul?¡± he rasped. He tried to sit up. ¡°Did¡­ did Elsie send you? Are you here to take me to her¡­?¡±

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    Chapter <b>414 </b><b>The </b>Needle <b>in </b>the Shadows


    Chapter 414 The Needle in the Shadows


    Neither Paul nor Yunice responded to Owen¡¯s weak, delusional pleas.


    Paul hadn¡¯t known where Elsie was.


    And Yunice? She found it almost pitiful¨Chow Owen still clung to hope that Elsie would <b>save </b>him.


    Even now¡­ he still believed she¡¯de.


    Without a word, Yunice subtly nudged the antigen kit under Owen¡¯s bed with her foot.


    Then she straightened and said to Paul, ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, let¡¯s talk outside.


    As they turned to leave, Owen struggled. ¡°Paul¨Cdon¡¯t go! I still have things to ask-!¡±


    But his body had just endured surgery, and his limbs were restrained to prevent exactly this kind of movement. He couldn¡¯t even sit up.


    Outside the room, in a blind spot from the cameras, Paul finally spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m not here for Elsie,¡± he said. ¡°I came to find <i>you</i><i>.</i><i>¡± </i>


    Yunice narrowed her eyes, her guard up.


    Paul gave her a look. ¡°Do you really think I¡¯d risking all the way into a sealed¨Coff infection zone¨Cfor what, a casual visit?¡±


    Her contempt radiated through the clear visor. Her silence told him exactly what she thought.


    Paul stepped closer. ¡°Believe it or not, when I called off our engagement, I was just mad. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d <i>actually </i>marry Wyatt. But I never let go. I still want you. I¡¯m not giving up.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression tightened. If not for the hazmat suit between them, she would¡¯ve pped him across the face.


    Instead, she sneered, ¡°You¡¯re like a toad squatting at someone¡¯s feet. Disgusting, not dangerous¨Cbut enough to make someone sick.¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You think I¡¯m weak? That Wyatt¡¯s better than me? You¡¯re wrong.¡±


    His voice dropped to a smug hush. ¡°You want to know why Mr. Gerardo got infected. Why <i>your </i>Saunders Hospital, of all ces<b>, </b>was hit?¡±


    <b>Chapter </b>414 The <b>Needle </b>in <b>the </b><b>Shadows </b>


    <b>He </b><b>didn¡¯t </b><b>even </b>hesitate to <b>expose </b>himself. After <b>all</b><b>, </b>the <b>truth </b>was <b>starting </b><b>to </b><b>leak </b><b>anyway</b>.


    Yunice¡¯s <b>gaze </b>


    darkened, her breath catching.


    Mr. Gerardo had died innocent. Taylor had lost everything. Knowing the <b>depth </b><b>of </b>it made Yunice furious.


    But she kept calm. ¡°Your definition of power is¡­ killing people for money?¡±


    Paul grinned. ¡°When I¡¯m finished with Taylor, I¡¯ming for you. I don¡¯t care what <b>you </b>want. I¡¯ll lock you in a cage if I have to. You¡¯ll be mine.¡±


    ¡°In your dreams,¡± she snapped.


    He lunged, grabbing her by the shoulder and neck. ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you now!¡±


    Before he could act, a sharp voice barked from the hall¨CTommy.


    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    Startled, Paul dropped his grip and bolted.


    Yunice exhaled, shaken.


    Tommy rushed over, eyes wide as Paul sprinted down the hallway in his disguise.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Tommy asked, breathless.


    ¡°He¡¯s a ck¨Cmarket profiteer,¡± Yunice replied, ¡°deliberately spreading the virus for personal gain. Catch him!¡±


    Tommy¡¯s face went grim. ¡°Security¡¯s already chasing him.¡°,


    He darted into Owen¡¯s room, dragging over a stepstool to inspect the busted camera.


    ¡°How the hell did the surveince go out?¡± he muttered.


    Yunice followed him inside. ¡°Probably more of his handiwork.¡±


    As Tommy focused on the camera, Yunice turned back to Owen¡¯s still form.


    He¡¯d likely passed out again after his earlier struggle.


    She nced at Tommy¡¯s back¨Che was still busy tinkering.


    If Paul was going to be her scapegoat, she¡¯d better make use of him.


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    Now was the time.


    45 Free Coins


    Yunice knelt quickly, dragging the medicine box out from under the bed. She prepped the syringe that had already been set.


    Onest nce¨CTommy¡¯s back was still turned.


    Then she leaned over Owen and injected the antigen into his IV line.


    <i>Done</i>.


    She cleaned up swiftly, stuffing everything back into the case and pushing it back beneath the bed.


    Just as she stood up, Tommy jumped off the stool. ¡°Huh¡­ no issues with the wiring¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe he used a signal jammer,¡± Yunice said casually. ¡°We should check the central system.¡±


    ¡°Good idea.¡±


    As they left, a new doctor entered <i>to </i>check on Owen¡¯s post¨Csurgery condition.


    Tommy and Yunice, as witnesses, were asked to stay behind for questioning.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who those people were,¡± Yunice said smoothly. ¡°They were already in my brother¡¯s room when I got there.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± another doctor called. He crouched beside the bed, pulling something from beneath it. ¡°We found this¨Can empty injection box and a used syringe. What is this?¡±

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    Chapter 415 <b>Poison</b>, Pretense<b>, </b><b>and </b><b>the </b>Perfect <b>Alibi </b>


    Chapter 415 Poison, Pretense, and the Perfect Alibi


    Yunice¡¯s face was the picture of shock. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ <b>I¡¯ve </b>never seen that before¡­ <b>Where </b>did the medicine go?¡±


    Her expression morphed into one of dawning horror as she turned to look at <b>Owen</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Could it be¡­ they poisoned him? They want Owen dead? He¡¯s the hospital director. He knows how the virus was brought in¨Cthey must be afraid he¡¯ll expose them!¡±


    Tears welled behind her goggles. Even through her protective gear<b>, </b>her grief looked genuine. She¡¯s his sister, after all¨Cwho would suspect her?


    The head physician immediately ordered a team to check for injection marks on Owen¡¯s body.


    ¡°And when exactly did you spot the intruder?¡± he asked.


    ¡°About seven minutes ago,¡± Yunice answered.


    ¡°Seven minutes¡­ Then the injection site would¡¯ve stopped bleeding, and any leaked blood might already be oxidized.¡±


    A medic found a suspicious puncture wound on Owen¡¯s arm, which made Yunice¡¯s heart skip <i>a </i>beat¨Cbut when she looked up, she caught someone watching her.


    <i>Tommy</i><i>. </i>


    He was standing off to the side, studying her carefully.


    The second Yunice met his eyes, he quickly pulled out a reassuring smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your brother¡¯s going to be alright.¡±


    Yunice gave a quiet, teary nod, turning her attention back to Owen, though her thoughts spun elsewhere.


    <i>Why </i><i>wasn¡¯t </i><i>Tommy </i><i>looking </i><i>at </i><i>Owen</i>? <i>Why </i><i>was </i><i>he </i><i>watching </i><i>me</i>?


    <i>Did </i><i>he </i><b><i>see </i></b><i>something</i><i>? </i>


    She didn¡¯t know yet¨Cbut she¡¯d act like she waspletely clueless for now.


    Meanwhile, the medic inspecting Owen said, ¡°There are several older injection sites here, bu it¡¯s impossible to tell which¨Cif any¨Cwas used for poison.¡±


    Yunice exhaled subtly, relieved.


    Chapter <b>415 </b><b>Poison</b><b>, </b>Pretense<b>, </b><b>and </b>the <b>Perfect </b>Alibi.


    Owen had just <be </b>out of surgery, his body riddled with <b>tubes</b><b>, </b><b>drips</b>, <b>IVs</b>. <b>A </b><b>few </b><b>puncture </b>wounds were normal¨Cno one would dig too deep too soon.


    But the real issue wasn¡¯t identifying the method¨Cit was determining whether or <b>not </b><b>Owen </b>had actually been poisoned.


    So the head physician immediately ordered blood to be drawn and sent to the <bb</b>.


    Before leaving, the doctor closed the door and addressed everyone in the room. ¡°This <b>is </b>a serious incident. I¡¯ll be reporting it to the higher¨Cups. In the meantime, no one talks about this outside.¡±


    Everyone nodded in solemn agreement.


    Yunice knew then: It <i>was </i><i>done</i><i>. </i><i>The </i><i>incident </i><b><i>was </i></b><i>now </i><i>¡°</i><i>handled</i><i>.</i><i>¡± </i>


    She wasn¡¯t the only one who had something to lose in this hospital. Paul had just gifted them the perfect scapegoat.


    <i>Idiot</i><i>, </i>she thought.


    <i>What </i><i>kind </i><i>of </i><i>moron </i><i>confesses </i><i>to </i><i>murder </i>in <i>the </i><i>middle </i><i>of </i><i>a </i><i>bio</i>¨C<i>crisis</i>? <i>Wyatt </i><i>wouldn¡¯t </i><i>even </i><b><i>take </i></b><b><i>that </i></b>risk <i>-and </i><i>Paul </i><i>just </i><i>walked </i><i>in </i><i>and </i><i>handed </i>it <i>to </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    Not that it mattered now¨CPaul had escaped.


    And sure enough, despite the chase, he was nowhere to be found.


    Three days passed.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, Owen¡¯s condition didn¡¯t worsen.


    On the third day, as he regained awareness<b>, </b>a team from the special task force came to question him about the ¡°infiltrator¡± that day.


    Owen, remembering the man in his hospital room, paled. ¡°I was poisoned?¡± he asked, horrified.


    He and Paul hadn¡¯t been on good terms recently. Not since the conflict over Elsie. In fact, they hadn¡¯t even worked together for some time.


    Three days ago, when he saw Paul appear at his bedside, he thought he was hallucinating¨Che assumed Elsie had begged Paul to save him.


    <i>He </i><i>had </i><i>never </i><i>imagined </i><i>Paul</i><i>/</i><i>came </i>to <i>kill </i><i>him</i>.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡± Owen murmured. ¡°It¡¯s not like our issues ran that deep¡­¡±


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    The investigators saw he was panicking and tried to calm him. ¡°We¡¯re not sure it was poison. So far, we haven¡¯t found any clear pharmacological markers.¡±


    Given the number of medications Owen had been on, plus surgeries and treatment cocktails, even if something had been injected, it would be difficult to iste.


    Then came the questions.


    ¡°Did you see the person¡¯s face? Do you know who they were? Any known enemies?¡±


    Owen¡¯s gaze flicked toward Yunice¨Cand immediately shifted away.


    ¡°¡­No,¡± he muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anything. I wasn¡¯t fully conscious.¡±


    Chapter 416 Buried Truths and Surface Peace

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    Chapter 416 Buried Truths and Surface Peace


    Yunice felt a sense of calm settle over her. The waters were murky now¨Cno longer clear<b>, </b>and that¡¯s exactly what she wanted.


    Pinning the me on Paul wasn¡¯t the point. Clearing herself was.


    If Paul were actually caught, things might be dragged out, and she could get pulled in. That wasn¡¯t eptable.


    She nced at Tommy again. <i>He </i><i>knows </i><i>something</i>. She could feel it.


    Once the special investigation team left, Owen called her over privately.


    ¡°Yunice, what really happened that day?¡± he asked, still shaken.


    Yunice met his question with another. ¡°Why did you cover for Paul?¡±


    Owen hesitated. ¡°Well¡­ you didn¡¯t say anything either.¡±


    say


    Yunice lifted an eyebrow. ¡°How do you know I didn¡¯t?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen froze. A flicker of panic crossed his face. <i>Was </i><i>the </i><i>task </i><i>force </i><i>baiting </i><i>him</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice chuckled inwardly. <i>He </i><i>really is </i><i>just</i><i>¡­ </i><i>average</i>.


    A man who¡¯d never suffered, who had coasted through life¨Chow could he possibly keep up with people who¡¯d learned to lie just to survive?


    As he stared at her, confused and anxious, Yunice leaned down and said softly, ¡°It was Paul who injected you with the newest antigen. He told me to keep it secret.¡±


    Owen blinked. ¡°New¡­ antigen?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°Yes. Wellinges Pharma has been developing one specifically for this virus. Paul stole a sample and used you as the test subject.¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression darkened with disbelief. He struggled to process it.


    Yunice let out a coldugh. ¡°Do you have any idea how much money this antigen could make if it works<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen looked at her with something like awe¨C<i>How </i><i>does </i><i>she </i>know so <i>much</i>?


    Standing up, she went on, ¡°This all started because of businesspetition between Powell Corporation and the Cooper family. You were just a test subject. Not because they wanted to


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    Chapter <b>416 </b>Buried Truths and Surface Peace


    hurt you¨Cbut because, ironically, they wanted to <i>save </i><b>you</b>.¡±


    She walked slowly around the room as she spoke. ¡°You¡¯re the hospital director. <b>You </b><b>should </b>know what ¡®using everyst resort¡® means. Without this, you wouldn¡¯t have lived <b>long </b><b>enough </b>to see stable treatment.¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression wasical¨Ca mix of confusion, resistance, and dawning understanding<b>. </b>


    Then Yunice added, ¡°Elsie tested positive too.¡±


    He looked up sharply, panic flickering in his eyes.


    ¡°She got sick five days before you¡­ and she¡¯s still alive. Get what I¡¯m saying?¡± she said calmly.


    Owen stared at her, then finally seemed to grasp the situation. ¡°Tell Mr. Wyatt¡­ thank you.¡±


    He looked genuinely grateful, his voice subdued with humility.


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. <i>Thank him</i>? <i>What </i><i>for</i><i>? </i>


    Wellinges Pharma only saved Elsie because she had value. If she¡¯d been an ordinary patient, she would¡¯ve been left to die.


    Owen, encouraged by Yunice¡¯s words and the good news, clearly felt their bond had strengthened. He opened his mouth, likely to say something warm and sentimental¨Cbut Yunice had already turned and walked out.


    He sat in silence for a long while, digesting everything.


    <i>Paul </i><i>stole </i><i>Wyatt¡¯s </i><i>research</i><i>. </i><i>Used </i><i>me </i><i>as </i><i>a </i><i>guinea </i><i>pig</i>.


    <i>Wyatt</i><i>, </i><i>on </i><i>the </i><i>other </i><i>hand</i><i>, </i><i>saved </i><i>Elsie</i><i>¨C</i><i>out </i><i>of </i><i>love </i><i>for </i><i>Yunice</i>.


    The bnce in his mind tipped.


    <i>Wyatt </i><i>had </i><i>done </i><i>far </i><i>more </i><i>for </i><i>them </i><i>than </i><i>Paul </i><i>ever </i><i>would</i>.


    A week passed. As the virus began to spread wider and public measures adapted, Saunders Hospital was finally unsealed.


    Yunice, as a volunteer without a medical license, wasn¡¯t obligated to stay. Once her quarantine period ended, she was free to leave.


    On their final night together, all the volunteers gathered for amemorative photo and <b>set </b>up a group chat.


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    Most of them were young¨Csome working already, some still students. Having spent nearly two months confined together, sharing beds and meals, this experience had be a badge


    of honor.


    At the end of the night, they all raised their cups.


    ¡°To surviving this disaster¨Cand the good luck thates next!¡±


    Laughter echoed as small clusters of friends filtered out, promising to help one another if future opportunities arose.


    Yunice left with Tommy.


    Outside, she called him a ride.


    As they waited for his car, they chatted idly¨Ceventually turning to the topic of Tommy¡¯s future ns.

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    Chapter 417 The One Who Brought Roasted Sweet Potatoes


    Chapter 417 The One Who Brought Roasted Sweet Potatoes


    Tommy tried to sound casual. ¡°Work, you know. Keep looking. Walk around, see what¡¯s out there.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°You don¡¯t have to aim for top¨Ctierpanies right off the bat.¡±


    As a job seeker, Tommy had one fatal w¨Chis reputation as a test¨Ctaking god.


    70


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    People like him often held themselves in high regard. But that title only worked in school. Once you left campus and entered the real world, grades stopped mattering.


    Tommy wasn¡¯t an evergreen candidate, nor did he have any connections. His only asset was his academic background.


    But in the talent pool, academic credentials were the least raremodity.


    He didn¡¯t have enough to stand out¨Cso much so that no majorpany would even consider hiring him.


    Yunice had specifically checked with the HR department about this. If Tommy wanted to move up the socialdder, he¡¯d have to start from the bottom¨Cbuild connections, prove his value, and only then would the bigpanies start paying attention.


    But if he kept thinking so highly of himself, it¡¯d be a long, hard road.


    Tommy nodded at Yunice¡¯s advice, acting like he was going to take it to heart. But Yunice knew he hadn¡¯t really heard a word she said.


    Just then, it started to rain.


    A car honked from a distance. They both looked and saw a star¨Cgray Aston Martin slowly rolling up anding to a smooth stop.


    The hotel steps were long. It was clear this car was here to pick someone up.


    Tommy froze for a moment, then asked, ¡°Here for you?¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t sure.


    It wasn¡¯t until the car door near the steps opened and a pair of red¨Csoled leather shoes hit the ground that she stepped forward.


    A silver¨Chandled umbre stretched out from the car. Yunice saw a long, well¨Cdefined hand holding the umbre¡¯s handle, while the other pushed the canopy open.


    The moment she caught a glimpse of the face under the umbre, Yunice smiled and said to Tommy, ¡°Tommy, I¡¯ve got to go.¡±


    Tommy blinked and nced back at the car.


    Last time he saw Yunice, she was riding in a Maybach. Now it was something else again.


    Yunice didn¡¯t notice what he was thinking. Her full attention was on Wyatt.


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    Chapter 417 The One Who Brought Roasted Sweet Potatoes


    Wyatt held the umbre and walked up the steps.


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    s


    The stairs were long and high. At first, all she could see was the ck top of the umbre, ck leather shoes, and suit pants.


    As he got closer, Wyatt raised the umbre, finally revealing those familiar features she hadn¡¯t seen in so long.


    Yunice jogged down a few steps. Wyatt quickly tilted the umbre forward to shield her from the rain.


    He wrapped an arm around her waist, then looked past her at Tommy and asked, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Tommy. Top scorer from med school. He¡¯s the senior who cleared things up for me in the livestream.¡± Yunice introduced him.


    Tommy stepped forward politely and offered a handshake.


    Wyatt looked down at the outstretched hand.


    Seeing him hesitate, Yunice jabbed him lightly in the waist.


    Only then did Wyatt lift the corners of his mouth, giving a very fake smile as he raised his hand and gave Tommy a brief shake.


    After that, Tommy stepped back and politely said, ¡°Well, Yunice, I¡¯ll let you head home with¡­ your friend.¡±


    He made a gesture as if putting on a mask. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡±


    Yunice nodded and tugged Wyatt down the steps.


    By the car, Wyatt held the umbre as Yunice got in first.


    On the other side, the driver rushed over, took the umbre from Wyatt, and waited until he was in the car before returning to the driver¡¯s seat and folding it up.


    Neither of them got touched by a single drop of rain.


    Just then, the car Tommy had called arrived, too.


    He nced at the Aston Martin pulling away, then frowned at the taxi pulling up to the hotel.. He held his briefcase over his head and dashed down the stairs before scrambling into the car.


    Yunice looked back and saw the scene through the window¨Cthen turned away.


    When she turned again, she saw Wyatt staring at her with a mocking look. ¡°That the guy who brought you roasted sweet potatoes?¡±


    <b><i>Roasted </i></b><i>sweet </i><i>potatoes</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice thought for a long while. ¡°What roasted sweet potatoes?¡±


    Wyatt sat up straight and didn¡¯t answer.


    Yunice kept thinking until it finally clicked. That time Wyatt visited the hospital wing, Tommy had


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    Chapter 417 The One Who Brought Roasted Sweet Potatoes


    brought her a roasted sweet potato.


    Seriously? This guy remembered <i>something </i>that <i>minor </i><i>all </i><i>this </i><i>time</i><i>? </i>


    68<b>% </b>


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    They didn¡¯t speak again until they reached Pavilion Hall. Then Yunice said on purpose, ¡°What roasted sweet potatoes? I really don¡¯t remember.¡±


    Wyatt nced at her, smirking. ¡°If you don¡¯t remember, then forget it.¡±


    Not remembering meant it wasn¡¯t important. If it wasn¡¯t important, why was he being so jealous?


    Yunice slipped her hand into Wyatt¡¯s open palm and followed him home.


    It had been nearly two months since she¡¯d been back, and the new flowers nted in the courtyard were blooming beautifully.


    Knowing it was going to rain today, the housekeepers had already set up rain covers over the flower trees, afraid the downpour would ruin the fresh blooms.


    Yunice walked into the living room in high spirits. A housekeeper immediately brought her slippers and a throw nket.


    As she changed out of her shoes, she said, ¡°I¡¯m skipping dinner with you guys. I need to quarantine myself for a while.¡±


    Wyatt frowned. ¡°Even at home you¡¯re being that strict?¡±


    Yunice muttered, ¡°They haven¡¯t got the outbreak under control yet.¡±


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    Chapter 418 Through the ss


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    Although the death rate wasn¡¯t that high anymore, the aftereffects of infection were still serious.


    Yunice had to be responsible¨Cnot just for herself, but for everyone else, <i>too</i>.


    Wyatt stood off to the side, hands on his hips, fuming on his own.


    Yunice locked herself up in the guest room and called out through the crack in the door, ¡°Could you please bring my meal to the room? Thanks.¡±


    The housekeeper looked at Wyatt with a troubled expression.


    What now?


    Wyatt took a deep breath, then flung his hand. ¡°Bring her the food.¡±


    The autumn rain came fast and left just as quickly. Yunice sat by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window. On the other side of the ss was the garden room.


    Full of blooming flowers and lush greenery, it was a sight for sore eyes after being shut away for two months.


    Yunice sat on a cushion with her meal in hand, eating as she admired the view.


    Her phone, resting on the wooden floor, buzzed twice. It was a message from the volunteer group


    chat.


    She opened it to find people sharing bits of their lives¨Cfinally out and free, everything looked fresh and full of life.


    Some shared food, some posted photos of their pets, others shared selfies with family.


    Yunice was in a good mood too and wanted to join in the fun. She thought for a moment, then picked up her phone and aimed it at the window.


    She tried out different angles to capture the garden.


    Suddenly, a shadow slipped into the frame¨Cfollowed by a pair of long, straight legs wrapped in suit pants. that made her throat tighten at the sight.


    Yunice looked up, her hand jerking the camera. The shot came out blurry, but she sent it to the


    group


    chat


    anyway.


    She nced at the message¨Cit was a photo of the flowers outside the window¡­ and a very suggestive glimpse of a trim waist.


    Since the photo was already blurry, she didn¡¯t bother deleting it.


    She set her phone down and looked out the window at Wyatt.


    He stood beneath the awning, hands in his pockets, watching her through the ss.


    Yunice remained seated, tilting her head as she looked back at him.


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    What?


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes fell on her outfit, his brows arching in disapproval.


    She¡¯d spent thest two months in the hospital, usually wearing short sleeves. The weather was hot, and theyers of protective gear nearly gave her heat rash.


    Realizing he was judging her clothes again, Yunice rested her chin on her hand and stared back at him.


    Wyatt reached to the side¨Csomewhere out of view from the window¨Cand pulled up a dress like magic.


    He held it up, gesturing for her to stand. Then he used the ss as a mirror, measuring the dress against her figure.


    Satisfied, he handed the dress to a housekeeper.


    A few minutester, someone knocked on Yunice¡¯s door.


    She opened it and found a folded dress on a tray on the floor.


    It was the same one Wyatt had just shown her.


    Yunice looked back at him through the window.


    Wyatt made a gesture, telling her to try it on.


    Yunice touched the fabric. It was cool and smooth to the touch¨Cmade from silk, one of the luxury fabrics he had picked up at an auction.


    But there was something thoughtful in the way it had been made.


    The fabric had been used inside out.


    Pure mulberry silk fabric was soft and smooth to the touch, yet still structured.


    But it had a double¨Cfaced quality: the front was usually a deeper color and smoother, while the back was slightly rougher.


    This dress had the smooth side on the inside, so it would be gentle on her skin.


    Yunice thought it was clever and went to the dressing room to change.


    Only then did she realize that the waist had been altered.


    It was clearly smaller than the waistlines of her other dresses.


    She raised an eyebrow, now even more curious who had made the dress¨Cand how they had gotten her current measurements after two months.


    Setting the question aside, Yunice stepped out of the dressing room and walked over to the ss to show it off.


    Wyatt stood with his arms crossed. Judging by his expression, it was a sess.


    III


    Chapter 418 Through the ss


    After her little spin, Yunice sat back down.


    Wyatt had a table and chairs brought out to the balcony.


    Yunice sat inside the ss window; Wyatt sat just outside.


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    s


    Yunice yed on her phone, while Wyatt stared at her through the ss like she was a prized jewel in a disy case.


    Yunice, used to his intense and ambiguous stares by now, calmly epted his gaze<i>¡­ </i>and kept ying on her phone.


    In the time it took her to change clothes, the group chat had already exploded with over 99 new messages.


    She scrolled to the beginning and saw that after she posted the photo, the group had been flooded with questions.


    Was that her house?


    She lived in Silverburgh and had such massive windows? And such a huge garden? With all those rare flowers?


    Was she a trust fund kid?


    But if she was rich, why would she work so hard volunteering? Her family must be way too chill.


    The girls in the group spammed heart and drool emojis.


    ¡°Yunice, who is that!¡±


    ¡°Your brother? How old is he? Is he single? I think I¡¯d make a great sister¨Cinw, just saying!¡±


    ¡°Got <i>a </i>Facebook link?¡±


    ¡°Yunice! Show us the whole face!¡±


    Blushing emoji: ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve met. Are you new here, Your Majesty?¡±

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    Chapter 419 Just My Husband


    Chapter 419 Just My Husband


    Yunice couldn¡¯t hold back augh.


    Just then, another message popped up on her phone.


    She switched apps and saw a voice message from Wyatt: ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    Yunice looked up and replied with a grin through the ss, sending him a voice message: ¡°My friends think you¡¯re hot.¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°You could learn a thing or two from your friends¡® taste.¡±


    Yunice instantly rolled her eyes.


    All because she neverplimented him on his looks? Now he was using her of having bad taste?


    The guys in the group chat were joking about having a get¨Ctogether at Yunice¡¯s ce now that the lockdown was lifted¨Cthey wanted a glimpse of that high¨Css lifestyle.


    The girls, meanwhile, kept pestering Yunice for more info about her ¡°brother.¡±


    Yunice hesitated for a moment, then sent a message: ¡°He¡¯s not my brother. He¡¯s my husband.¡±


    As soon as she sent it, the whole group chat exploded.


    ¡°You¡¯re married?!¡±


    ¡°Oh my god, you got married this early?¡±


    ¡°My mom told me not to get married until thirty¨Csaid girls should build a career first so we have the money and confidence to get respect from our inws. Yunice, you didn¡¯t even finish college before tying the knot?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous. Yunice, your family¡¯s well¨Coff, and you married a guy with a body like that? You¡¯re living the dream.¡±


    Tommy quoted Yunice¡¯s message-¡°He¡¯s my husband¡°-and added a shocked emoji.


    He¡¯d guessed the man was Yunice¡¯s boyfriend, but he hadn¡¯t expected they were actually married.


    The group kept buzzing about her, and Yunice finally had to step in to stop it: ¡°Once the lockdown is over, I¡¯ll invite you all over to hang out.¡±


    ¡°For real?!¡±


    ¡°Wow! I want to see that huge apartment! I want to roll around in the garden! Yunice, you probably can¡¯t even imagine¨Cmost of us who moved to Beijing don¡¯t even have real jobs yet. We¡¯re stuck living in basement apartments without a single ray of sunshine. It¡¯s so cramped, the bed practically touches the sink. Who knows when we¡¯ll be able to afford a ce with real light¡­¡±


    After that message, everyone in the group started sighing.


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    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    They were all young, with no solid family backing. Trying to make something of themselves in the big city, they were chasing opportunity but had no idea what their future would hold.


    Yunice¡¯s seemingly perfect life felt even more distant and enviable to them.


    But as Yunice read those messages, she felt somethingplicated stirring in her chest.


    All the things they envied¨Cshe had them because she was with Wyatt.


    Without Wyatt¡¯s halo, she was just like them. Just an ordinary person.


    She understood their uncertainty. And she was well aware of her own shorings.


    Then someone tagged her and asked if they could meet her husband at the get¨Ctogether.


    Yunice replied, ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask him first.¡±


    The group responded with a flood of emojis: ¡°Totally get it.¡±


    A family like his might not befortable with that kind of exposure.


    The group chat gradually quieted down.


    Outside the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window, the sun was sinking. Yunice watched the sunset glow at the horizon, then nced over at Wyatt sitting outside¨Clegs crossed, quietly looking at his tablet.


    She sent him a voice message: ¡°You nning to camp out there?¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°I¡¯m just wondering what would happen if I didn¡¯t go to the office for fourteen days.¡±


    His gaze turned yful as he looked at her.


    If they stayed locked up together for fourteen days, would they get closer?


    Yunice looked at the increasingly serious expression on his face and asked back, ¡°Aren¡¯t you scared?¡±


    She still remembered when she and the other volunteers left the hospital¨Cpeople looked at them with suspicion and fear. At restaurants, they didn¡¯t even go into private rooms; they asked the staff to bring their food to a separate container unit next door.


    Everyone treated them like carriers of the virus. They couldn¡¯t wait to get away from them.


    But Wyatt was doing the exact opposite.


    <i>Wasn¡¯t </i>he <i>scared </i>at all<i>? </i>


    Even though the death rate had gone down,plications and long¨Cterm effects were still irreversible.


    Like Elsie¨Cshe was one of the first to get sick. She was gradually recovering, but now she hadplications.


    Her nerves had been damaged, and one of her ears had be partially deaf.


    |||


    O


    ???????????<b>?? </b>


    Chapter 419 Just My Husband


    It wasn¡¯t a huge disability, but it was still a health issue.


    And everyone reacted differently. With so many unknowns, wasn¡¯t Wyatt afraid?


    Wyatt said, ¡°Open the door. Let me in.¡±


    Yunice shook her head. No.


    68<b>% </b>


    s


    Wyatt didn¡¯t push it. He just stayed there until stars appeared in the sky. Only when Yunice changed into her pajamas and went to close the curtains did he finally return to the bedroom.


    Meanwhile, Owen was still in the hospital.


    His recovery was slow. He¡¯d even coughed up blood for a few days. The virus had been suppressed, but it had caused liver damage. He would need surgery down the line.


    Now that the hospital was open again, family members coulde in to help care for patients. Owen hadn¡¯t reached Elsie, but he did get in touch with Lily.


    Lily said she had a cold and didn¡¯t want to risk passing it to Owen, so she hadn¡¯te.


    But Oscar had visited the hospital. As he looked over Owen¡¯s medical reports, his brows drew tighter and tighter.


    Owen had damage to multiple organs. Recovery would be a long road, and his health would be poor for quite a while.


    III

 Daghter 420

    Chapter 420 Face the Truth


    Chapter 420 Face the Truth


    Pasta Fra Cons


    Owen looked at Oscar with emotion. ¡°Oscar, the fact that you came to see me under these circumstances it means we¡¯re still family.¡±


    Oscar set the medical file down and said seriously, ¡°I came to see you for a reason¡±


    Owen¡® asked carnestly, ¡°What is it?¡±


    His expression made it seem like whatever Oscar was about to ask, he¡¯d do his best to fulfill it.


    Someone who had juste back from the brink of death valued a family visit deeply.


    Oscar pulled out a court summons. ¡°This came from the courthouse. It was originally sent to the Saunders family, but no one responded the first two times. So they sent it to me.¡±


    ¡°A summons?¡± Owen frowned, confused. What kind of trouble had the Saunders family gotten into now?


    When he finished reading it, his brow furrowed even deeper. Angrily, he asked, ¡°Yunice did this?¡±


    ¡°No. What would she gain from that?¡±


    Oscar¡¯s expression grew more serious as he watched Owen¡¯s reaction. ¡°You read the whole thing, and you still think Yunice did something wrong?¡±


    Owen let out a frustrated breath and folded the summons. ¡°Elsie and I just barely escaped <i>death</i>, and the whole Saunders family is in chaos. I wasn¡¯t expecting Yunice to help us, but she¡¯s making things worse<i>?</i><i>¡± </i>


    Oscar said, ¡°And you¡¯re not going to say a word about what Mom did?¡±


    Owen looked at him, confused. ¡°Wait¡­ Oscar, you don¡¯t actually believe it, do you? Mom would never nder Yunice<i>. </i>You know what Yunice is like.¡±


    Oscar¡¯s voice rose. ¡°You know what Yunice is like?¡±


    Owen froze<i>. </i>


    ¡°Yunice was ss rep starting from kindergarten. Her grades were always top¨Ctier. She entered countlesspetitions. Her room is full of trophies. You forgot? Or is it just because Elsie picked up a few of those. awards for her, that now you actually believe they belonged to Elsie?¡±


    Owen argued, ¡°That was all before high school. Plenty of students do well in tenth and eleventh grade. then crash in senior year. Her past grades don¡¯t mean much now.¡±


    ¡°Fine.<i>¡± </i>Oscar didn¡¯t argue, just continuedying out facts. ¡°Did you forget that in your freshman year of college, Yunice helped you with your homework? She even understood your first¨Cyear coursework. You think someone like that needs to cheat on the SAT? Back then, Margaret treated Yunice like her own daughter¨Cshe even hired top¨Ctier tutors to teach Yunice and Paul one¨Con¨Cone. Yunice had already finished all her high school curriculum ahead of time. Those teachers called me multiple times saying she was gifted and begged me not to waste her potential. You didn¡¯t know all that?¡±


    Owen was still trying <i>to </i>find an excuse. ¡°Even if she was smart before, didn¡¯t she waste three years in a mental hospital? She probably forgot everything she learned.¡±


    172


    11:59. <b>Mon</b>, 14 Jur


    Chapter <b>420 </b>Face the Truth


    <b>Oscar </b>shook his head in disappointment. ¡°You really think that little of Yunice?¡±


    ¡°How do I look down on her? I¡¯m just being honest,¡± Owen said, equally puzzled. (D)


    Oscar pressed on. ¡°You¡¯ve imagined every possible way she might have cheated, but not once have <b>you </b>stopped to ask if she might¡¯ve been telling the truth. But it doesn¡¯t matter whether you believe it. The court will sort it out.¡±


    He picked up the summons and turned to leave.


    Owen quickly called after him. ¡°Oscar! That¡¯s our mom. You¡¯re really going to drag her into court? No matter who wins or loses, we¡¯ll alle out worse for it!¡±


    Oscar turned back and said coldly, ¡°So deep down, you do know who¡¯s in the wrong.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Owen¡¯s expression turned awkward. He took a breath. ¡°Does it matter who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong? That¡¯s our mom. As her children, are we really going to send our own mother to court? All she did was say a few things. Some people twisted her words and blew them out of proportion. And look¨CYunice still got into college. She¡¯s even got media attention now. What¡¯s wrong with just letting this go?¡±


    Oscar snapped, ¡°Easy for you to say. You think she was just talking? How many times has Mom gone after Yunice? It¡¯s only gotten worse because you keep covering things up and ying nice.¡±


    Owen exhaled hard. ¡°Then what do you want?¡±


    Oscar replied, ¡°If we don¡¯t go to court, then Mom needs to apologize to Yunice in front <i>of </i><i>all </i>of us. In person.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened, his voice rising. ¡°She¡¯s our elder! You want a mother to bow her <i>head </i>to her? You think Yunice can handle that?¡±


    ¡°Owen!¡± Oscar growled, his hand nearly jabbing into Owen¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you! Do you <i>even </i>get that? You think Yunice is still that same girl you could push around? She¡¯s got Wyatt behind her now. Even if she wants to let this go, Wyatt won¡¯t. If this really goes to court, you think you¡¯ll be in control?¡±


    Owen froze, the color draining from his face.


    Oscar tossed the summons onto Owen¡¯sp and said coldly, ¡°Think it over.¡±


    Watching Oscar¡¯s back as he walked away, Owen¡¯s face twisted through several expressions. In the end, he called Lily.


    ¡°Mom,e <i>to </i>the hospital¡­ If you¡¯re not feeling well, get someone to bring you. I don¡¯t care how. I need <i>to </i>see <i>you </i><i>today</i>.¡°D

 Daghter 421

    <b>Chapter </b><b>421 </b>Why Her<b>? </b>


    Chapter <b>421 </b>Why Her?


    Half a monthter, the quarantine ward was finally lifted.


    Elsie woke up from a deep sleep and realized she wasn¡¯t in the coldboratory anymore¨Cshe <b>was </b><b>back </b><b>at </b>the Saunders family estate.


    Staring at the familiar ceiling, she suddenly sat up straight, thinking she had to be drearning.


    ¡°Elsie?¡±


    ¡°Elsie!¡±


    Lily and Owen¡¯s voices rang in her ears. Elsie turned toward them in fear, eyes wide.


    After a few seconds, she realized she had really escaped that hell. With a loud wail<b>, </b>she threw herself into Owen¡¯s arms. ¡°Owen, I thought I¡¯d never see you again!¡±


    Lily was so startled by the sound of her voice that her face turned pale. ¡°Elsie, your voice¡­


    Elsie¡¯s voice was hoarse and broken, like an old, decaying bellowspletely devoid of any youthful


    tone.


    C


    Elsie cried out, furious, ¡°They used me for experiments! They cut open my trachea, and that¡¯s why my voice is like this! They¡¯re monsters, Owen, Mom¨Cyou have to help me get justice!¡±


    Lily wrapped her in her arms, eyes red with rage. ¡°How could they do this to you? How could they?¡±


    Owen watched the two of them, his expression conflicted. As someone who had also experienced the illness firsthand, he knew that, horrible as Elsie¡¯s situation was, she had actually been lucky.


    He gentlyforted her, ¡°Elsie, don¡¯t cry. Everyone in our group of patients came out of this with differentplications, but we¡¯re the lucky ones. At least we survived, didn¡¯t we?¡±


    There were many others who had it far worse¨Csome would spend the rest of their lives on venttors.


    Both he and Elsie had been among the first wave of infected. Honestly, they owed a lot to Wellinges. Pharma.


    Hearing his words, Elsie quickly adjusted her tone. Realizing Owen was defending Wyatt, she choked out, ¡°What about Yunice? Did Yunice end up with anyplications?<b>¡± </b>


    She and Owen had both been infected¡ªthere was no way Yunice had gotten off clean.


    She better not be dead. Ideally, she¡¯d be disabled, disfigured, lying in a hospital bed unable to move. Only then would things feel fair!


    But Owen smiled reassuringly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yunice was luckier than us. She was the only one in our group who didn¡¯t get infected.¡±


    Elsie froze. Then her eyes filled with a deep resentment and rage. ¡°How is that possible? We all -why didn¡¯t she?!¡±


    got


    infected


    11:59 Mon: 14001


    <b>Chapter </b>421 <b>Why </b>Her?


    <b>Owen </b><b>had </b><b>never </b><b>seen </b>such a twisted, furious expression <b>on </b>Elsie¡¯s face. He hesitated, then said, ¡°She was <b>careful </b><b>with </b><b>her </b>protective gear. Maybe she didn¡¯te into contact with any <b>contaminated </b>sources. <b>Elsie</b><b>, </b><b>why </b>are you getting <b>so </b>worked up<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Rage surged in Elsie¡¯s chest. Her left ear was partially deaf, her voice destroyed, her body covered in surgical scars. She had been ravaged by the disease, left looking like <b>a </b>ghost. Why did Yunice get <b>to </b>walk away untouched?


    <b>Why</b>?!


    Owen frowned as he watched the contorted look on her face, clearly puzzled.


    Elsie was always so kind. She used to care about Yunice more than anyone. Shouldn¡¯t she be happy <i>to </i><b>hear </b>Yunice was safe?


    He reached out and touched her forehead. ¡°Elsie, have you been sick too long? Maybe the stress is getting to you?¡±


    Owen could rte. He¡¯d been irritable


    too during his recovery.


    Feeling his hand on her, Elsie snapped out of it. No¨Cshe couldn¡¯t let her hatred for Yunice show. She couldn¡¯t ruin her image.


    She still needed Owen on her side.


    She swallowed hard, adjusted her emotions, and returned to her usual obedient tone. ¡°Mom, Owen, how did I end up back at the Saunders family estate?¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t know either. Early that morning, Lily had found Elsie¡¯s bedroom door open. When she went in, Elsie was lying in her bed.


    Lify had called Owen right away, and he¡¯d arranged for early discharge so he coulde home.


    Elsie said nervously, ¡°It must¡¯ve been Wyatt. He probably didn¡¯t want anyone to find out what he did to me, so he snuck me back.¡±


    Owen pressed his lips together. ¡°Elsie, don¡¯t say that. Wyatt saved you. Yunice was the one who begged him to help us.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Yunice might act tough, but deep down, she cares about us. If it weren¡¯t for her, the two of us would be dead.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Owen, how can you defend that devil Wyatt? You¡¯ve been fooled by Yunice. Wyatt used me as a test subject. I was ab rat to him. The only reason you¡¯re alive is because of me¨Cnot Yunice!¡±


    Owen looked at her in shock, clearly disagreeing.


    In extreme situations, extreme measures were necessary. Of all people, they should understand that. If they hadn¡¯t taken the risk of experimental treatment, wouldn¡¯t Elsie be dead by now?


    <b>2/2 </b>

 Daghter 422

    <b>Chapter </b><b>422 </b>All Thanks <b>to </b>a Man<b>? </b>


    Chapter 422 All Thanks to a Man?


    Owen simply chalked up Elsie¡¯s reaction to emotional instability. He didn¡¯t take herints seriously and said, ¡°Now that you¡¯re home, just focus on recovering. Over time, maybe theplications will <b>heal </b>


    He stood up as he spoke, telling her to rest.


    Lily sat beside Elsie¡¯s bed, her expression full of mixed emotions. The pain in her eyes was real, but <b>all </b>those scars on Elsie¡¯s body made even her own mother feel ufortable.


    Lily gently suggested, ¡°Don¡¯t overthink things. Just focus on getting better. And maybe¡­ don¡¯t contact Paul for now.¡±


    Men were visual creatures. Even she, as Elsic¡¯s mother, found the wounds unsettling. A man would likely find them even more so.


    Elsie didn¡¯t have the energy to leave the house anyway, so she had no choice but to ept it.


    Wellinges Pharma had be the cep


    of public scrutiny. It was in financial reports, praised and condemned at the same time, and it was the target of countless online rants.


    Releasing an antigen tobat the virus brought both praise and criticism, but their medication was the only viable option, so their stock prices skyrocketed. Thepany made a fortune.


    Yunice had also been released from her ss quarantine room. As soon as the lockdown lifted, the volunteer group chat exploded. Everyone acted like wild cats let out of a cage, full of pent¨Cup energy.


    What they really missed, of course, was Yunice¡¯s mansion. They kept begging to see her garden¨Cand if they could get a glimpse of her slim¨Cwaisted husband, that would be perfect.


    Yunice chewed her breakfast slowly as she nced at her phone, which wouldn¡¯t stop buzzing.


    Wyatt sat across from her, ring at her phone with clear disapproval.


    What was so fascinating on that screen that it made her ignore her food?


    Feeling Wyatt¡¯s intense gaze, Yunice looked over and asked, ¡°Are you free today?¡±


    ¡°Some of my friends want toe over. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°Here?¡± Wyatt asked, his expression serious.


    Yunice nodded and hummed, then took another small bite of her sandwich, chewing calmly.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Sure. Let them have fun. If any of your friends like something, they can have it.¡±


    ¡±


    Yunice hesitated. ¡°They also said.. they want to meet you¡­¡±


    Just as she finished her sentence, a housekeeper walked over to say thepany had called¨Csomething hade up that needed Wyatt¡¯s attention.


    Yunice¡¯s face showed a flicker of disappointment. Before Wyatt could say anything, she quickly added, ¡°Go. It¡¯s just them messing around.¡±


    <b>Chapter </b><b>422 </b><b>All </b>Thanks <b>to </b>a <b>Man</b>?


    Wyatt <b>looked </b>at her for <b>a </b>moment, then stepped aside to call Jordan.


    A few minutester, he returned. But clearly, the matter at work couldn¡¯t be dyed¨Che still had to go


    While putting on his coat, Wyatt said, ¡°Have theme again next time.¡±


    Next time, he¡¯d be free.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t really expected him to stay anyway. She nced at his cor, then stepped up to fix his tie before he left.


    Wyatt looked down at her soft, delicate eyshes. He couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    When she was done, Yunice took a step back. ¡°Go on.¡±


    Wyatt stepped outside. In the morning sun, he touched the knot of his tie and got into the car, clearly in a great mood.


    Yunice sent the address to the volunteer group chat.


    At the appointed <i>time</i>, three va


    people poured out.


    pulled up outside Pavilion Hall. When the doors opened, nearly twenty


    The moment they looked up, they all let out a collective ¡°Wow.¡±


    The building was massive. Stunning.


    Yunice had been waiting at the entrance for a while. Once they got over their awe, she waved them over to the shuttle buses.


    Pavilion Hall was enormous. Outside vehicles weren¡¯t allowed in, so from the gate to the guest reception area, they had to ride in private shuttles.


    Three vans lined up in a row. A mature,posed butler stood at the front, bowed slightly, and said in a clear, formal voice, ¡°Let¡¯s begin the drive.¡±


    Everyone looked amazed, exchanging nces and whispering, ¡°This feels like a scene from a TV drama¡­¡± Just then, a quiet but sour voice mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to a man anyway¡­¡±


    Yunice nced toward the middle van but didn¡¯t bother finding out who said it. Instead, she walked to thest van and found an empty seat.


    She looked over her shoulder and greeted someone in the back row. ¡°Tommy.¡±


    Tommy nodded and said kindly, ¡°There are so many of us<i>¨C</i>your husband won¡¯t mind, will he?¡±


    Right after he spoke, the girl sitting beside Yunice chimed in, ¡°Yeah, we didn¡¯t expect someone with your background to even talk to people like us¨Clet alone invite us to your home¡­¡±


    She rubbed her hands awkwardly. ¡°This is really eye¨Copening. Land in Silverburgh is insanely expensive, and your ce is huge¨Cbigger than a shopping mall¡­¡±


    Then, as if remembering something, she leaned in and whispered, ¡°Yunice, you¡¯d better keep an eye on


    <b>2/3 </b>


    ?


    Chapter 422 All Thanks to a Man?


    Peggy. She¡¯s totally jealous of you.¡±


    +5 Free Cone

 Daghter 423

    Chapter 423 A Real Friend Doesn¡¯t Need a Title


    Chapter 423 A Real Friend Doesn¡¯t Need a Title


    $5 Free Coins


    ¡°When we came, none of us brought her. She forced her way in,¡± one of the girls whispered. ¡°She also <b>said </b>you were definitely a fake heiress and that she came to expose you.¡±


    ¡°I mean, if someone¡¯s really rich, who would spend a whole month in a hospital ward? Just for some honorary certificate?¡±


    Yunice lifted her eyes with a faint smile¨Cjust in time to meet Peggy¡¯s gaze from the front van.


    In a calm voice, Yunice said, ¡°Whether I¡¯m the real heiress or not doesn¡¯t matter. As long as everyone has fun today, that¡¯s what counts. We¡¯re friends because we enjoy each other¡¯spany, not because of anyone¡¯s background, right?¡±


    The girl reporting to her was stunned.


    Then Qi Xingchen spoke up. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re all just here to have fun. No one¡¯s trying to climb the socialdder. Yunice¡¯s background doesn¡¯t


    matter.¡±


    Yunice nced at him. He was the only one among them who had any idea about her situation.


    C


    Seeing that Yunice didn¡¯t care at all, the girl wisely dropped the topic. ¡°Then I¡¯m really gonna go wild and enjoy myself, okay?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Go ahead. If there¡¯s anything you like, feel free to take it as a souvenir.¡±


    She didn¡¯t lower her voice, so people in all three vans heard her and started cheering. But they were all well¨Cmannered. Even with Yunice¡¯s offer, no one would take anything too expensive¨Ceven though everything here was pretty high¨Cend.


    ¡°There¡¯s a pool!¡±


    ¡°Yunice, can we use the pool? The public pool at Silverburgh needs a membership, and the fees are crazy high!¡±


    Before Yunice could answer, Peggy raised her voice. ¡°Of course you can¡¯t. Just look at the water¨Cit¡¯s clearly been changed recently. If a bunch of you jump in, you¡¯ll make it all dirty.¡±


    Peggy came from the wealthiest family in the group. She looked down on the others, and they weren¡¯t about to take it lying down.


    ¡°What¡¯s it to you if the water gets dirty? Yunice hasn¡¯t said anything. Why are you being such a know¨Cit- all?¡±


    Peggy sneered. ¡°Do you even know how much it costs to refill a pool like this?¡±


    Everyone fell silent¨Cshe¡¯d hit a blind spot.


    Peggy held up three fingers. ¡°At least thirty thousand.¡±


    MUIX D


    Chapter 423 A Real Friend Doesn¡¯t Need a Title


    Everyone looked a little embarrassed. Wasting thirty grand just to y in the pool did seem kind of


    excessive.


    Yunice scanned their faces and said casily. ¡°Pools are meant to be used, not just looked at. Don¡¯t worry- have fun.¡±


    The butler driving the van chimed in, ¡°Madam is right. All the facilities here are for your enjoyment. There¡¯s no need to feel guilty.¡±


    Peggy shot Yunice a knowing look, then nced at the butler. Resting her chin on her hand, she said with <i>a </i>sly smile, ¡°Hey, Yunice, where¡¯s your husband? Why hasn¡¯t hee out to greet us? Is he looking down on us?¡±


    Yunice replied calmly, ¡°He¡¯s busy.¡±


    Peggy snorted at that, then deliberately made small talk with the butler. ¡°So, what¡¯s your rtionship with Yunice? You two kinda look alike. Are you her dad?¡±


    The butler¡¯s face darkened, and he cut her off at once. ¡°Watch your words. Madam and Lare employer and employee. Nothing more.¡±


    Everyone else thought Peggy was being too obvious about stirring up drama and started grumbling.


    ¡°Why are you always trying to stand out? Who cares what their rtionship is? We¡¯re here to have fun. If you don¡¯t want to, nobody¡¯s forcing you.¡±


    Peggy brushed it off. ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about everyone¡¯s best interests. You know how <i>fake </i>heiresses <i>are </i>trending online these days? Daughters of maids, butlers, drivers¨Cusing their parents¡® jobs to <i>fake </i>a rich- girl lifestyle.¡±


    She shot a nce at Yunice. ¡°What if Yunice is one of those? Pretending to be rich just to let you guys use these fancy facilities? If something gets damaged, guess who¡¯ll be paying for it? All of you.¡±


    ¡°Yunice¡¯s not like that! If anyone here is vain, it¡¯s you!¡± Several friends spoke up in her defense.


    Peggy rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve only known her a few days. Has she ever talked about her family? Do you really know what kind of person she is?¡±


    The group fell silent.


    Yunice listened like an outsider. Once Peggy finished, she calmly turned to the butler. ¡°Send her out. No need to worry about splitting costster.¡±


    The butler stopped the van and said to Peggy, ¡°Please step out. I¡¯ll have someone drive you out separately.¡±


    Peggy turned red but clung <i>to </i>the seat, refusing <i>to </i>budge. ¡°What, kicking me out already? Did I hit the nail on the head?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re loud. And a buzzkill.¡±


    Peggy grabbed the seat with both hands and whined, ¡°I was just guessing. I didn¡¯t say it was true. Why are you being so petty?¡±


    Everyone gave her a look of disbelief.


    Chapter 123 A Real <b>Friend </b>Doesn¡¯t Need a Inte


    <b>Yunice </b><b>didn¡¯t </b>bother <b>forcing </b>her. Instead, she asked the butler to prepare swimsuits Those whiy resur swim went to the pool. The rest followed Yunice to the garden


    The garden had swings and a gazebo, and the maids brought out tea, snacks, and fresh fruit


    C

 Daghter 424

    Chapter 424 A Card, A Cruise, and a Confrontation


    Chapter 424 A Card, A Cruise, and a Confrontation


    Someone whispered, ¡°Yunice, is your husband really noting? Is he that busy?¡±


    +5 <b>Free </b><b>Coins </b>


    Another chimed in before she could reply, ¡°Of course he¡¯s busy¡ªhe¡¯s running a huge estate, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    The crowd sighed with envy. ¡°Yunice, you¡¯re so lucky. You¡¯ve got someone supporting you. No need to worry about money at all.¡±


    Peggy, sitting nearby with a ss of juice, sneered. ¡°Is your husband actually busy, or does he just not exist?¡±


    She was baiting Yunice, hoping to provoke her into summoning her husband.


    She wanted to see for herself what he looked like.


    But the one thing Yunice hated most was proving herself. No matter how much Peggy provoked her, she didn¡¯t rise to it.


    When that failed, Peggy changed tactics. ¡°Yunice, weren¡¯t you going to broaden our horizons? I¡¯ve never seen a top¨Ctier ck card before. Do you even have one?¡±


    ¡°You mean this kind of card?¡± The butler casually pulled out a Centurion ck Card. ¡°Our Madam has plenty of these. She misces them all the time, so we usually keep them for her.¡±


    The group nearly dropped their jaws. Even Yunice was surprised, turning to look at the butler. He was really good at improvising.


    Though Yunice livedfortably in Pavilion Hall, Wyatt had never actually given her any kind of card.


    Peggy stared at the card, jealousy written all over her face. ¡°If you¡¯re that rich, why don¡¯t you buy us all tickets for a seven¨Cday cruise? Show us what you¡¯ve really got.¡±


    ¡°Peggy, don¡¯t go too far! Yunice treats us like friends¨Cyou treating her like some money machine?¡±


    ¡°Who says being rich means you have to be everyone¡¯s sugar mom? Yunice, don¡¯t listen to her. We just wanted <i>to </i>hang out after lockdown, nobody¡¯s trying to mooch.¡±


    Most of the group was decent, and they quickly jumped in to back Yunice up.


    But the butler simply smiled. ¡°Are you talking about the 50,000¨Ca¨Cticket cruise? Not a


    problem.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt said before he left that whatever makes Madam happy is what matters most.¡±


    With that, he swiped the ck card and said, ¡°I¡¯ve just purchased 27 tickets for the September 28 yacht party. Everyone will receive theirs in about twenty minutes.¡±


    Peggy snapped, ¡°There¡¯s 28 of us. Why only 27 tickets? Is it because the card doesn¡¯t have enough to cover


    card.¡± one more? Yunice, if you¡¯re gonna show off, at least don¡¯t max out your


    The butler smiled calmly. ¡°Only those who make Madam happy are eligible for a ticket. Ms. Peggy, you¡¯re too unpleasant¨Cbetter not ruin the fun for everyone else<b>.¡± </b>


    <b>1/3 </b>


    1200 Mon<b>, </b>14 <b>Jul </b>


    Chapter <b>424 </b>A Card, A Cruise, and a Confrontation


    <b>Everyone </b>burst intoughter. ¡°We¡¯re going on a yacht trip! Some people can <b>stay </b>home and sulk <b>behind </b>their screens!<b>¡± </b>


    Peggy¡¯s <b>face </b>twisted in fury.


    Just then, the butler took a call. After a few low words, he said gravely, ¡°Have them wait outside for now.¡±


    Then he walked over to Yunice and spoke quietly in her car.


    Yunice frowned. ¡°Why are they here?¡±


    The butler replied, ¡°They said they wanted to see you.¡±


    Then added, ¡°Mr. Oscar is with them.¡±


    ording to him, Owen and Lily were currently waiting outside Pavilion Hall. They hadn¡¯t been invited, so they couldn¡¯t enter.


    Yunice had no obligation to entertain Owen or Lily¨Cbut ignoring Oscar wouldn¡¯t be appropriate.


    She looked toward her friends, who were still enjoying themselves.


    Sensing her hesitation, the butler said in a low voice, ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ll take Mr. Oscar and the others to the reception room. You cane up with an excuse to step away.¡±


    That seemed reasonable to Yunice.


    The butler left to bring Oscar¡¯s group to the reception room.


    It was in a different section from the leisure area, so there was no risk of them crossing paths with the others.


    Inside the reception room, Owen once again reminded Lily, ¡°Mom, when Yunice gets here, don¡¯t make excuses. Just be sincere. This was your fault.¡±


    Lily nodded. She didn¡¯t want things to end up in court either.


    Saying a few soft words wasn¡¯t that big of a deal.


    Footsteps approached from outside, and Yunice entered.


    Oscar and Owen both stood with smiles. ¡°Yunice<b>.¡± </b>


    Lily also stepped forward with a forced smile. ¡°Yunice.¡±


    Yunice got straight to the point. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Owen quickly answered, ¡°You¡¯ve been married for a while now, and we haven¡¯t even visited you once.¡± He looked around at the surroundings, clearly making conversation. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re doing well here, I feel a lot better. Pavilion Hall is even morevish than the Powell estate. At least you¡¯re not suffering.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°It¡¯s bigger than the Saunders family¡¯s maid quarters.¡±


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    <b>2/3 </b>


    12:00 Mon, 14 JUL


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    Chapter 424 A Card, A Cruise, and a Confrontation


    The jab wasn¡¯t lost on Owen, whose face stiffened he held back from responding.


    He was here to apologize, and no matter what Yunice said, he wouldn¡¯t argue.


    82%


    45 Free Coins


    Knowing she held a grudge, Owen quickly exined their purpose. ¡°Yunice, we received the court summons. The moment it arrived, I spoke with Mom. She knows she was wrong. I scolded her already, and she¡¯s decided to apologize in person.¡±


    Yunice looked up at Lily, who now wore a humble, almost ttering expression. ¡°Yunice, it was <b>all </b>my fault. I made baseless assumptions and caused you trouble. I¡¯m truly sorry.¡±

 Daghter 425

    Chapter 425 A Family That Should¡¯ve Broken Sooner


    Chapter 425 A Family That Should¡¯ve Broken Sooner


    s


    After Lily finished speaking, she waited nervously for Yunice¡¯s response.


    Yunice was silent for a few seconds, then gave a soft ¡°mm¡°¡ªand said nothing more.


    Seeing that she didn¡¯t object, Owen lit up. ¡°I knew it! We¡¯re all family<i>¨C</i>of course Yunice wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge!¡±


    ¡°Yunice, since you¡¯ve forgiven Mom, let¡¯s put this all behind us. Today¡¯s a good day. Why don¡¯t you bring Wyatt home for dinner? We¡¯ll officially wee him into the Saunders family as our inw!¡±


    Then he quickly added, ¡°Oh, right! I was so happy I almost forgot¨Cmake sure you go withdraw thewsuit.¡±


    Yunice toyed with her fingertips and said coolly, ¡°Who said I was going to withdraw it?¡±


    Owen froze. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just ept Mom¡¯s apology?¡±


    Yunice gave a dryugh. ¡°I epted her apology. But thew doesn¡¯t. The exam proctors don¡¯t. The SAT officials don¡¯t.¡±


    Owen blinked, confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°The summons¨Cyou read it, right? The ones pressing charges aren¡¯t me. It¡¯s the exam proctors and the SAT administration. Do you think her nder only affected me? She jeopardized the integrity of the SAT. She stirred public opinion. This isn¡¯t just between her and me.¡±


    Owen¡¯s face turned pale.


    Lily looked frightened. ¡°I just said a few things. Is it really that serious?¡±


    Owen cut her off, turning to Yunice. ¡°Then what if you write a letter of clemency?¡±


    Oscar hesitated. ¡°Yunice<i>, </i>is there any way to resolve this peacefully?¡±


    Though Oscar sympathized with Yunice, he also knew this incident going public again wouldn¡¯t look good -for anyone.


    After all, a daughter retaliating against her mother never ys well.


    Yunice replied, ¡°I can write the letter. But only if she makes a public apology to correct the damage.¡±


    ¡°A public apology?¡± Lily¡¯s voice shot up an octave. To her, that was social suicide.


    If she did that, the other socialites/would never let her live it down.


    Owen hesitated and asked cautiously, ¡°So if Mom makes a public apology, she won¡¯t have to face legal cons¨¦quences?¡±


    Lily instantly realized he was wavering.


    She burst into tears and yelled, ¡°I¡¯ll never do it! That would humiliate me more than death!¡±


    Chapter 425 A Family That Should¡¯ve Broken Sooner


    +5 <b>Free Coina </b>


    Yunice snapped, ¡°Did you think about what public opinion would do to me when you spread your lies?¡±


    Lily froze in shock at her outburst.


    Owen forced himself to smile and said, ¡°Yunice, just for Oscar¡¯s sake, please let this go. Ask Wyatt to pull some strings and make it disappear.¡±


    Owen actually thought this would be easy.


    But Yunice let out a coldugh and turned to Oscar, who¡¯d been trying to y peacemaker. ¡°Oscar, there are a few things you probably don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Do you know why, even though Elsie was infected, she got transferred to Wellinges Pharma for treatment, while I,pletely uninfected, was locked in a high¨Crisk ward?¡±


    Oscar¡¯s face changed. Was there something more to it?


    Owen immediately realized what she was about to say. His expression tightened as he called her name, trying to stop her.


    But Yunice was clear and steady. ¡°It¡¯s because Wyatt donated ten billion to secure one spot. And Owen forced my spot to go to Elsie. He was willing to trade my life for hers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not how it was!¡± Owen jumped to exin. ¡°It was a carefully calcted decision! If you had left, Wyatt wouldn¡¯t have cared if Elise and I died. But if you stayed, he¡¯d have to protect all three of us. And it worked¨Cwe all survived, didn¡¯t we-¡±


    Before he could finish, he was sent flying.


    Oscar had punched him square in the face. ¡°You used Yunice¡¯s life as a bargaining chip and thought that made you clever?!¡±


    Owen ignored the pain, scrambling to exin. ¡°Elise took a stab for me. She¡¯s weak. If I hadn¡¯t saved her, I¡¯d regret it for life!¡±


    Oscar shouted, ¡°Then you pay that debt yourself! Yunice isn¡¯t yours to sacrifice! What gives you the right to use her life like it¡¯s yours to spend?!¡±


    1


    Oscar looked utterly disgusted. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I even tried to defend you¡­ I actually hoped Yunice would forgive you¡­ You people are-¡±


    ¡°Every time I try to help you, you somehow manage to stoop even lower. You make me feel like a brainless aplice!¡±


    Oscar shut his eyes, breathing hard


    After a long pause, he quietly wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m done trying. This family should¡¯ve broken a long time ago. From now on, let¡¯s all go our separate ways.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t go on.


    His mind was in chaos¨Che had wanted to save this family, but now he saw clearly that he couldn¡¯t change any of them.


    <b>12:00 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>14 </b>Jul


    Chapter 425 A Family That Should¡¯ve Broken Sooner


    All he could do was ept that it was already too far gone.

 Daghter 426

    Chapter 426 Whose House Is This, Really?


    Chapter 426 Whose House Is This, Really?


    Oscar turned to Yunice, ¡°Do whatever you need to do. I, Oscar, won¡¯t say another word.¡±


    And just like that, he left.


    With Oscar gone, Owen lost hisst bit of confidence.


    s


    Climbing to his feet, he nced uneasily at Yunice. ¡°Yunice, it¡¯s all over now. You¡¯re not still holding a grudge, are you?¡±


    ¡°Elise might¡¯ve been the one who got out, but she had it worse than us. You should see her now¡­ she¡¯s not doing well¡­¡°.


    Even now, Owen still believed Yunice was just jealous of Elise¨Cthat only seeing Elise suffer would bring her peace and make her let the family go.


    Yunice was speechless. ¡°You people tried to destroy me, ended up shooting yourselves in the foot, and now you me me for not cushioning the fall? Do you hear yourself? I don¡¯t have time for this. If you¡¯ve gotints, take them to the people who filed the suit. My letter won¡¯t change anything.¡±


    She stood to leave. Owen tried to follow, but the butler raised a hand to block him. ¡°Mr. Owen, this is Pavilion Hall. I hope you understand where you are.¡±


    And more importantly¨Cwho this ce belongs to.


    As Yunice exited the reception room, she heard a rustle from the flowerbeds.


    Someone was hiding.


    She walked straight over and yanked the person out from behind the hedge.


    Peggy iled her hands. ¡°It¡¯s me! It¡¯s just me!¡±


    Getting caught didn¡¯t faze her in the slightest. She immediately leaned in with a nosy grin. ¡°I just saw a handsome guy storm out of here. Is he your husband?¡±


    She meant Oscar.


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond, so Peggy kept going, spinning her own tale. ¡°He looked crushed when he left¨Cwas it because he found out you were spending all his money? Did he freak out? You better run after him and fix it, or your sugar daddy¡¯s gone for good¡­¡±


    Yunice snapped, ¡°Why do you care so much about my husband? nning to steal him from me?¡±


    ¡°I-¡± Peggy blushed, then crossed her arms with a huff. ¡°I just can¡¯t stand women who live off someone else¡¯s hard¨Cearned money and act like they earned it!¡±


    ¡°Even pretending takes skill. Why don¡¯t you try and show me how it¡¯s done?¡± Yunice was in no mood to indulge her today.


    Peggy¡¯s interruption gave Owen and Lily time to be escorted out by the butler.


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    Chapter 426 Whose House Is This, Really?


    As the two parties ran into each other, Peggy lit up. ¡°Hey buddy! You¡¯re here too?¡±


    +5 Free Cont


    Then she spotted the well¨Cdressed woman beside Owen. Her eyes lit up again, and she said, ¡°Wait¡­ is this mansion part of the Saunders estate?¡±


    She nced at Yunice, as if to say, <i>No </i><i>wonder </i><i>you </i><i>live </i><i>here</i>.


    But the butler shut that down fast. ¡°This property belongs solely to Madam. Mr. Owen and Ms. Lily were here to ask for a favor.¡±


    Back in the quarantine ward, Owen had already found Peggy¡¯s loud personality exhausting. Now he had nothing to say.


    But Peggy was oblivious. ¡°Asking for help? But you run an entire hospital¨Cwhat could you possibly need from someone else? Who is Yunice¡¯s husband anyway? He really that powerful?¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t walk off¨CI¡¯m not done talking¡­¡±


    Yunice turned to the butler. ¡°Don¡¯t let her in again.¡±


    Peggy tried to weasel her way back in, but the butler gave her no chance.


    In the end, she had no choice but to hitch a ride with Owen and Lily.


    In the van, Owen couldn¡¯t take the noise anymore and snapped, ¡°Why are you even here?¡±


    Back in the ward, Yunice and Peggy weren¡¯t exactly close.


    Peggy replied, ¡°It¡¯s not just me¨CYunice invited all the volunteers. You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice shot up. ¡°All of them?¡±


    Peggy blinked, puzzled by his reaction. ¡°Aren¡¯t you her brother? You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Owen¡¯s thoughts shed back to the moment he and Lily had stood awkwardly outside Pavilion Hall, waiting to be let in.


    Yunice had invited a bunch of people she barely knew, but left her own family standing out in the cold. But after a few seconds, his anger faded into resignation.


    He finally realized¨CYunice wasn¡¯t still fighting over Elise. She simply didn¡¯t care about <i>any </i>of them


    anymore.


    ¡°Buddy?¡±


    ¡°Buddy, if Yunice lives like this, your family must be loaded too! I¡¯ve decided¨CI want a tour of your house next!¡±


    Peggy rattled on excitedly, but no one answered her.


    Outside Pavilion Hall-


    Owen had driven himself, and he tly refused to give Peggy a ride.


    Chapter 426 Whose House Is This, Really?


    Left behind, she pouted and stomped her foot in frustration.


    With no other option, she had to call a ride,


    While waiting, a sleek Maybach drove past.


    The car was stunning¨Cnothing like what you¡¯d typically see on the street.


    Peggy instinctively leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse of the driver.


    But the car didn¡¯t stop.


    It passed right by her and headed straight toward Pavilion Hall.


    *

 Daghter 427

    <b>Chapter </b><b>427 </b>The Man Behind <b>the </b>Curtain


    Chapter <b>427 </b>The Man Behind the Curtain


    <b>The </b>gates <b>of </b>Pavilion Hall were equipped with an automatic recognition system. <b>As </b>the <b>Maybach </b>approached, the gates swung open on their own.


    Seeing this, Peggy immediately rushed forward, trying to slip in before the gates closed.


    But just as she reached them, they shut again¨Clocking her outside.


    She stared at the tail of the Maybach in dismay, full of regret. <i>If </i><i>I¡¯d </i><i>known </i>he <i>was </i><i>someone </i><b><i>important</i></b><b>, </b><b>I </b><i>wouldn¡¯t </i><i>have </i><i>mouthed off </i><i>to </i><i>Yunice</i><i>¡­ </i>


    Whoever drove that car had to be someone powerful. No one else could just drive into Pavilion Hall like


    that.


    ¡°Ugh! I can¡¯t see anything! It¡¯s driving me nuts!¡±


    Up ahead, Jordan was behind the wheel. ¡°Just made it in time¨Clooks like Madam¡¯s friends are still here.¡±


    ¡°Yunice, this pool is insane! It¡¯s like a private beach!¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t just sit there¨Cjump in with us! Let¡¯s have a water fight!¡±


    Tommy dove underwater and resurfaced with a ssh, head tilted back to breathe. Water trailed down his chin and neck, running over his toned chest.


    The girls all squealed in delight.


    ¡°Come on, get in! If you don¡¯t know how to swim, we¡¯ll teach you. We¡¯re all friends here¡ªwhat are you afraid of?¡± A guy swam over to the edge and reached out to one of the girls.


    She hovered at the edge, shy and uncertain. After all, the pool was full of guys¨Chow could she be the only girl in the water?


    One girl leaned over to Yunice and whispered teasingly, ¡°Nathan¡¯s trying to get close to Faye. We¡¯re all just helping him out.¡±


    Then she raised her voice, ¡°Let¡¯s get in too! It¡¯s not every day we get a free swimming lesson.¡±


    Everyone caught on and started changing into swimsuits, slowly easing themselves down the pooldder.


    Soon the pool was full of sshing andughter. Yunice was the only one left sitting by the edge.


    ¡°Yunice, are you afraid of water?¡±


    She just smiled without answering.


    Tommy noticed and threw a water ball at the guy who spoke. ¡°Shut it, single dog. She has a husband!¡± The guy caught the ball and blinked. ¡°Having a husband means she can¡¯t get in the <b>water</b>?¡± ¡°Dude, shut up already!¡± Someone mped a hand over his mouth and sshed him with <b>water</b>.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>427 </b>The <b>Man </b>Behind the Curtain


    <b>¡°</b><b>Did </b><b>you </b><b>just </b><b>ssh </b>me?!<b>¡± </b>The guy fired back, hitting someone else by ident <b>and </b>just like <b>that</b><b>, </b><b>chaos </b><b>erupted </b>in the pool as everyone joined a yful ssh war.


    <b>Yunice</b><b>, </b>watching the scene with augh, didn¡¯t notice the butler behind her bowing slightly <b>to </b><b>someone </b>then silently stepping away.


    One of the boys in the pool suddenly froze mid¨Cssh, staring behind Yunice.


    After a few seconds, he called out, ¡°Yunice, someone¡¯s behind you!¡±


    Startled by his tone and everyone¡¯s rmed expressions, Yunice instinctively turned.


    And nearly tripped over the sun umbre¨Conly to be caught easily by Wyatt, who stood just behind her.


    His gaze lifted past her,nding squarely on the pool.


    There, under the sun, were half¨Cnaked college kids¨Cbarely out of school, youthful and loud.


    Only Tommy had the kind of presence that could hold his gaze for more than a second.


    But even that didn¡¯tst.


    With just one nce from Wyatt, everyone in the pool felt suddenly exposed¨Clike kids caught misbehaving.


    Embarrassed, they quietly ducked underwater, then awkwardly swam to the edge and climbed out, scrambling to change out of their swimsuits.


    They didn¡¯t even know who he was.


    They just knew that appearing in front of someone soposed, so innately intimidating, dressed like that¨Cfelt profoundly inappropriate.


    Within minutes, all of them had vanished into the changing rooms.


    Only Yunice and Wyatt remained by the pool.


    Yunice asked, ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°If I¡¯de back anyter, would you all still be partying like this?¡±


    Yunice imagined the gathering with him present¨Ceveryone stiff, awkward, silent.


    With him sitting there like a mountain tiger, who¡¯d dare make a sound?


    Wyatt looked around. ¡°Didn¡¯t someone insist on seeing me? Where is she?¡±


    Knowing he meant Peggy, Yunice answered without hesitation, ¡°She was annoying, so I kicked her out.¡±


    Wyatt smirked. ¡°Got impatient, did you? You should¡¯ve let her see me¨Cshe¡¯ll think your husband¡¯s too embarrassing to show.¡±


    Yunice narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that why you came back early?¡±


    12:01 Mon, <b>14 </b>Jul GOEI


    Chapter 427 The Man Behind the Curtain


    Wyatt let his gaze drift back to the pool. ¡°Not entirely.¡±


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    s


    Truth was¨Che didn¡¯t like leaving his home unguarded. He wasn¡¯t about to let someone take advantage of his absence.


    ¡°Yunice.¡±


    Tommy stepped forward, followed by over twenty ssmates, now fully dressed and standing respectfully in front of them.


    No one spoke, but every eye was sneaking nces at Wyatt.


    In the changing rooms, Tommy had already exined everything¨Cthis man was Yunice¡¯s husband.


    It was one thing to be rich.


    But to be this young, this powerful, and have that kind of presence¡­ just standing near him made them feel out of ce.

 Daghter 428

    Chapter 428 The One Everyone Was Dying to Sec


    Chapter 428 The One Everyone Was Dying to See


    Just moments ago, everyone had been loudly joking about seeing Yunice¡¯s mysterious husband. <b>But </b><b>now </b>that he was standing in front of them, not one of them dared to utter a word.


    It was Wyatt who broke the silence first. ¡°Yunice, I think I scared your friends.¡±


    The others scrambled to respond, all talking over each other:


    ¡°Ah, no, not at all!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too kind!¡±


    ¡°Actually, thank you so much for having us¨Cuh, I just remembered, my grandpa¡¯s giving birth to my dad at home, gotta go check if it¡¯s a boy or a girl¡­¡±


    And with that, he turned to leave in a panic. ¡°Alright everyone, time to move out¨Clet¡¯s go!¡±


    One of his friends yanked his sleeve and grimaced. ¡°You¡¯re embarrassing us¡­¡±


    Wyatt smiled. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll have the kitchen prepare dinner for everyone.¡±


    They nced at the bright sun still hanging in the sky.


    ¡°No need! No need! We should really be heading home!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for hosting us today, Yunice.¡±


    Wyatt offered, ¡°You¡¯re wee any time.¡±


    They allughed nervously¨Cno one epted the invitation.


    With Wyatt around, who would daree back?


    Since they were determined to leave, Yunice didn¡¯t insist they stay. But she had prepared parting gifts.


    Everyone was stunned by thevish presents, and a bit embarrassed. ¡°We didn¡¯t know you when you got married, so we didn¡¯t get to send a gift, but when you have a baby, you <i>have </i>to invite us!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll tell your son or daughter all about the battles we fought together!¡±


    Yunice blinked. <i>A </i><i>baby</i><i>? </i>


    She hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead.


    Someone tugged the <i>guy </i>who spoke. ¡°You can¡¯t just go around pushing people to have kids. Shut up already¨Cyour mouth leaks like a broken faucet.¡±


    He scratched his head awkwardly, and the group quickly said their goodbyes and boarded the van.


    Yunice waved, watching the yans disappear into the distance.


    A brief gathering, now followed by everyone going their separate ways.


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    Chapter <b>428 </b>The One Everyone Was Dying to See


    Everyone had lives and work to return to¨Cit was unlikely they¡¯d ever all meet again.


    She turned to Wyatt and said usingly, ¡°Look what you did.¡±


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°What did I do?¡±


    ¡°Dinner in this house starts at three in the afternoon?¡±


    Wyatt followed behind her, tone unhurried. ¡°They chose to leave. I didn¡¯t kick them out.¡±


    As they walked past the pool, Wyatt nced at the water, which was already being drained and <b>refilled</b>. ¡°You didn¡¯t swim¨Csomething on your mind?¡±


    Was it that she couldn¡¯t swim? Or was it fear?


    Yunice¡¯s eyes flickered. Wyatt had been watching closely, and he caught the subtle change in her expression. ¡°Don¡¯t lie.¡±


    He could tell she was searching for an excuse.


    ¡°I remember¨Cyou can swim.¡±


    She could. During the week¨Clong yacht party, she¡¯d even jumped into the ocean to fetch a <b>grass </b>ring for Paul. That story had gone viral.


    Anyone who dared leap into the sea couldn¡¯t possibly not know how to swim.


    So it wasn¡¯t inability. It was fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m not scared. I just hate it,¡± Yunice said tly.


    She hated jumping into water. Hated not being able to touch the bottom. Hated not having anything to hold on to.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t reply right away. Then, without warning, he pulled her close, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s have some fun.¡± She was a little tired, but since he hade back early just to be with her, she didn¡¯t want to kill the mood.


    Besides¡­ she owed him a lot of money. Emotional support was the least she could offer in return.


    Pavilion Hall was huge¨Csorge she still hadn¡¯t explored all its hidden corners.


    Wyatt led her to another building and pressed the elevator button for the top floor.


    When the doors opened, they stepped into a circr balcony space that revealed an indoor pool.


    Yunice frowned slightly, worried he was about to coax her into the water.


    Wyatt shrugged off his coat and tossed it over the back of a lounge chair. Then he opened a closet<b>¨C</b>inside


    were swim trunks.


    Before stepping into the changing room, he gestured. ¡°There¡¯s a lounger over there,¡±


    Yunice sat where he pointed. Beside her was a small side. table already <b>stocked </b>with <b>tea </b>and <b>fruit</b><b>. </b>


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    Chapter 428 The One Everyone Was Dying to See


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    The ce was dead silent. Just the two of them. Even the sound of something dropping echoed faintly.


    It wasn¡¯t long before Wyatt emerged from the changing room. Yunice took a sip from her water cup, ncing at him unintentionally.


    He was wearing very little.


    She¡¯d seen parts of him before¨Cshirtless, in shorts¨Cbut never quite this¡­plete.


    He walked over and tested the water. ¡°You can stay up here and rx.¡±


    She was secretly relieved not to be dragged in.


    As she watched him stretch and dive gracefully into the pool, her gaze drifted down his back¨Cstrong, lean muscle tapering into a narrow waist.


    Then she noticed something near his hip, close to his groin¨Cjust the edge of what looked like a tattoo.


    She gave a small, distracted hum as he disappeared into the water.


    And now, curiosity was thoroughly piqued.Just what <i>exactly </i><i>is </i><i>tattooed </i><i>down </i><i>there</i><i>? </i>

 Daghter 429

    Chapter 429 Deep Water and Deeper Tension


    Chapter 429 Deep Water and Deeper Tension


    After Wyatt slipped into the water, he didn¡¯t resurface for a long time.


    Yunice nced around, unsure where he¡¯d gone. Seconds passed, then a minute. The surface <b>remained </b>eerily still.


    Did he <i>go </i><i>to </i>the <i>bottom</i>?


    Suddenly¨Cssh! Wyatt emerged right beside her, sending water flying.


    Startled, Yunice flinched back.


    His torso bare, hair slicked back and dripping, Wyatt grinned up at her with careless charm. ¡°Wannae in?¡±


    Yunice shook her head immediately. ¡°Nope.¡±


    He rested a hand on the pool edge and kept coaxing her. ¡°The problem isn¡¯t the water, it¡¯s people. Try it with me. Maybe you won¡¯t hate it so much after today.¡±


    He held out his hand. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll hold you.¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t falling for it. ¡°You said I didn¡¯t have to get in.¡±


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°Did I?¡±


    Of course he had¨Cbut he was the kind who never kept his word.


    They locked eyes. He didn¡¯t blink. He clearly wasn¡¯t backing down.


    She knew arguing was pointless. She stalled. ¡°I¡¯m not wearing a swimsuit.¡±


    Wyatt beckonedzily. ¡°So?¡±


    Yunice reluctantly removed her agarwood bracelet and set it on the table. She dipped a toe in, testing the


    water-


    Wyatt grabbed her ankle and yanked.


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± she shrieked as she sshed in, thrashing in rm.


    Not a word out of his mouth had been true!


    But after a few frantic moments, she realized¨Cshe wasn¡¯t underwater.


    Blinking in surprise, she looked at him. Wyatt had one arm under her, holding her upright above the surface.


    Her clothes were soaked through, clinging tight to her skin. Every movement caused the heavy fabric to shift, rubbing against her in all the wrong ways.


    Yunice swiped water from her eyes, exasperated, then turned to Wyatt.


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    Chapter 429 Deep Water and Deeper Tension


    Wet strands clung to her forehead, hershes beaded with droplets. Wyatt¡¯s gaze followed the water as it slid from her chin down her throat, tracing a path between the curves of her chest where it disappeared into the fabric like it¡¯d been swallowed whole.


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly. One hand moved under the water, skimming along her body. ¡°Didn¡¯t bring your little gun today?¡±


    Last time, his ns had been derailed by her trusty sidearm.


    Yunice knew exactly what he was thinking. Her face stayed calm, but her breathing had gone sharp and shallow.


    Wyatt gave her waist a teasing squeeze. ¡°Rx. I¡¯m kidding.¡±


    His voice softened. ¡°How¡¯s the water? Still scared?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of water. She was afraid of how close they were¨Chow every brush and ripple seemed to spark something electric.


    Perched atop Wyatt¡¯s submerged arm, she muttered, ¡°I¡¯m tired. I don¡¯t want to y. I want to go to sleep.¡±


    His intense gaze didn¡¯t waver, but a smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°Alright.¡±


    He helped her out of the pool first, then climbed out himself.


    Her entire outfit was drenched, fabric stuck to her in all the wrong ces. Her calves were still in the water, skirt floating around her legs, and her pale feet flickered beneath the ripples.


    Wyatt pulled his gaze away, went to fetch arge towel, then wrapped it around her from behind.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any clothes up here. Let¡¯s head back to the bedroom.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t argue. She returned wrapped in the towel and headed straight for the bathroom.


    She needed a shower¨Cbadly.


    When she finally emerged, Wyatt had already finished his own shower in the room next door.


    He sat at ease in a chair, wearing a bathrobe. When he saw her, he tilted his chin toward the bed. ¡°Come here. Lie down.¡±


    In his hand was a beautifully designed bottle¨Clike a piece of art. Inside was a half¨Cfilled clear liquid.


    She walked over, unsure what he was up to.


    ¡°I thought you said you were tired/Let me give you a massage,¡± he said casually.


    Her cheeks colored slightly.


    <i>So </i><i>that </i><i>bottle</i>¡­ <i>massage </i>


    <i>oil</i><i>? </i>


    Her mind raced to ces it probably shouldn¡¯t¨Cbut this time, she didn¡¯t refuse.


    Still in her silk robe, she stepped forward, one knee pressing into the mattress, then eased <b>herself </b><b>down</b><b><i>, </i></b>


    Chapter 429 Deep Water and Deeper Tension


    folding her arms under her chin.


    Wyatt¡¯s mood visibly lifted.


    He pulled up a chair and sat behind her.


    In a light tone, he asked, ¡°Ever had a massage before?¡±


    Of course she had. Most salons offered that kind of thing, and she¡¯d gone a few times to rx her shoulders and neck¨Cbut always with female staff.


    This was her first time getting a massage from a man.


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    Chapter 430 A Secret Kept Too Long


    Chapter 430 A Secret Kept Too Long


    Wyatt gently pushed up the hem of Yunice¡¯s silk nightdress, letting it gather just above the backs <b>of </b>her knees.


    It was a masterfully chosen spot¨Cnothing overtly indecent, yet enough to stir the imagination.


    He pulled his gaze away, picked up the elegant bottle, warmed some massage oil between his hands, and began working it into her calves.


    Yunice¡¯s body tensed slightly. She couldn¡¯t see what Wyatt was doing behind her¨Ccouldn¡¯t guess his next move. That vulnerability only made every sensation more intense.


    His hands moved steadily, kneading up her calves before easing back down when he felt her tighten.


    It was a calcted rhythm¨Ctesting boundaries.


    By the time she realized his hands were sliding too close under the hem of her nightdress, it was already toote. The sheets rustled as she abruptly lifted herself and pressed a hand against his wandering fingers.


    Wyatt lifted his gaze, desire simmering quietly in his eyes.


    And yet, even with everything unspoken, it never felt invasive.


    Yunice¡¯s face was flushed, warmth blooming from her cheeks down to her neck and corbones. Her breathing was uneven, shallow¨Clike she was suppressing something.


    After a few seconds of silent eye contact, her voice came out husky. <b>¡°</b>Is that real massage oil you¡¯re using?¡±


    Wyatt chuckled. ¡°You think it¡¯s not?¡±


    He held up the bottle, amused. ¡°Bought it from a legit shop. No funny business inside.¡±


    Yunice pursed her lips. ¡°You hot?¡±


    Wyatt narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. ¡°Want me to cool you down?¡±


    She gave a quiet ¡°mm,¡± expecting him to grab an ice pack or maybe a cold towel.


    Instead, he leaned over her, loosening her robe.


    ¡°My body¡¯s pretty cool,¡± he whispered as he pulled her into his arms.


    <i>Cool</i>? She could¡¯ve screamed. <i>He¡¯s </i><i>burning </i><i>up</i><i>! </i>


    And whatever was pressing into her from the waistband area¨Cit hurt.


    Still holding her close, he murmured at her ear, ¡°I¡¯m turning off the lights.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. She didn¡¯t move either.-


    Taking her silence as permission, Wyatt switched off the lights.


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    In the dark came Yunice¡¯s muffled gasp. Wyatt took his time, clearly determined to show his skill<b>¨C</b><b>and </b>make sure she felt every second of it.


    In the faint light that remained, he lifted his head and saw her biting her lip hard, both hands gripping <b>the </b>corners of the pillow in a white¨Cknuckled hold.


    He reached up to free her lip. ¡°Don¡¯t bite.¡±


    Because if she didn¡¯t bite, the sounds might be¡­ hard to ignore.


    He pulled her hands away from the pillow and wrapped them around his neck. His voice dropped. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. I want to hear you.¡±


    Her suppressed breaths broke into fragile, trembling sounds¡­


    After more than ten minutes, when he finally moved to the heart of things, Wyatt suddenly paused.


    Then he said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m turning the light on.¡±


    Yunice curled inward, tense, but she didn¡¯t stop him.


    He pulled a thin nket over her, shielding her before switching on the light.


    Shey still, eyes lowered, not looking at him, not saying a word.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression grewplicated. He lifted the nket a little.


    She shrank further into herself, but not before a soft flush of pink bloomed visibly against the white sheets.


    His first instinct was that she¡¯d started her period.


    But no¨Cthat didn¡¯t track. He¡¯d counted carefully. It wasn¡¯t the right time.


    And the moment he recalled that strange resistance earlier, realization slowly sank in.


    His expression changed¨Cshocked, confused,yered with emotion.


    Finally, he asked in a low, uncertain voice, ¡°Was that your first time?¡±


    Nobody would believe Yunice was a virgin.


    Her scandal with Paul had been tabloid fuel for months. There had been more than enough signs that their rtionship was intimate.


    How could anything still be ¡°first¡± for her?


    Yunice clutched the nket and didn¡¯t answer. Her face was unreadable. Instead, she asked, ¡°Does it matter <i>to </i>you?¡±


    If he wasn¡¯ting back, she¡¯d just go¨Cto sleep.


    Wyatt stepped closer. Whatever heat he¡¯d felt earlier was long gone¨Cdousedpletely by the <b>sight </b><b>of </b>that pink stain.


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    s


    In the dark came Yunice¡¯s muffled gasp. Wyatt took his time, clearly determined to show his skill<b>¨C</b><b>and </b>make sure she felt every second of it.


    In the faint light that remained, he lifted his head and saw her biting her lip hard, both hands gripping <b>the </b>corners of the pillow in a white¨Cknuckled hold.


    He reached up to free her lip. ¡°Don¡¯t bite.¡±


    Because if she didn¡¯t bite, the sounds might be¡­ hard to ignore.


    He pulled her hands away from the pillow and wrapped them around his neck. His voice dropped. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. I want to hear you.¡±


    Her suppressed breaths broke into fragile, trembling sounds¡­


    After more than ten minutes, when he finally moved to the heart of things, Wyatt suddenly paused.


    Then he said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m turning the light on.¡±


    Yunice curled inward, tense, but she didn¡¯t stop him.


    He pulled a thin nket over her, shielding her before switching on the light.


    Shey still, eyes lowered, not looking at him, not saying a word.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression grewplicated. He lifted the nket a little.


    She shrank further into herself, but not before a soft flush of pink bloomed visibly against the white sheets.


    His first instinct was that she¡¯d started her period.


    But no¨Cthat didn¡¯t track. He¡¯d counted carefully. It wasn¡¯t the right time.


    And the moment he recalled that strange resistance earlier, realization slowly sank in.


    His expression changed¨Cshocked, confused,yered with emotion.


    Finally, he asked in a low, uncertain voice, ¡°Was that your first time?¡±


    Nobody would believe Yunice was a virgin.


    Her scandal with Paul had been tabloid fuel for months. There had been more than enough signs that their rtionship was intimate.


    How could anything still be ¡°first¡± for her?


    Yunice clutched the nket and didn¡¯t answer. Her face was unreadable. Instead, she asked, ¡°Does it matter to you?¡±


    If he wasn¡¯ting back, she¡¯d just go to sleep.


    Wyatt stepped closer. Whatever heat he¡¯d felt earlier was long gone¨Cdousedpletely by the <b>sight </b><b>of </b>that pink stain.


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    Chapter 430 A Secret Kept Too Long


    He asked again, firmly this time, ¡°Tell me. Was it?¡±


    Her voice stayed calm. ¡°Believe it or don¡¯t. What does it change?¡±


    ¡°It matters,¡± Wyatt said through gritted teeth, his voice suddenly heavy.


    His pupils shook. He stared at her with an expression both bewildered and furious. ¡°If it was your first time, why the hell didn¡¯t you say anything?!¡±


    Yunice lifted her head atst to meet his eyes. She looked just as confused. ¡°You prefer someone with more experience?¡±


    She¡¯d heard of men like that. Men who had a thing for married women.


    Seeing his growing frustration, Yunice sat up instinctively, pulling on her robe.


    She could tell she¡¯d killed the mood. At the same time, something in her heart turned cold.


    She got out of bed. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep in the next room.¡±


    He clearly didn¡¯t want to see her anymore.

 Daghter 431

    Chapter 431 The Man He Thought She Was With


    Chapter 431 The Man He Thought She Was With


    ¡°Yunice!¡± Wyatt grabbed her from behind, pulling her into his arms. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡±


    +5 Free Coms


    His breath was tight, his voice low and rushed. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that¡­ you and Paul never happened. I thought you liked him. I thought¡­¡±


    ¡°You thought I loved him without limits¨Cthat I¡¯d do anything for him, didn¡¯t you?¡± Yunice cut him off.


    Wyatt went silent. It wasn¡¯t just him who¡¯d thought that.


    Everyone had said so. So when others believed it, he did too.


    After a long pause, he climbed out of bed, wrapped her in the nket, and reached for his coat. ¡°You rest. I need to go out.¡±


    Seeing the cold look on his face, Yunice got a bad feeling. ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°Something minor. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    And with that, he threw on his coat and left, shutting the door behind him.


    The longer Yunice sat there, the more uneasy she felt. She got out of bed and quickly dressed.


    But the movement tugged at her, and she winced in pain.


    She yanked the stained sheets from the bed and tossed them into the trash.


    <i>Wyatt</i><i>¨C</i><i>you </i><i>had </i><i>the </i><i>whole </i><i>meal </i><i>served </i><i>and </i><i>left </i><i>after </i><i>a </i><i>single </i><i>bite</i>.


    <i>What </i><i>a </i><i>waste </i><i>of </i><i>a </i><i>perfect </i><i>evening</i>.


    Muttering in frustration, she stormed out after/him¨Conly to see his car disappearing into the distance.


    The staff tried to stop her. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Wyatt told us <i>to </i>look after you. He said you shouldn¡¯t go out¡­¡±


    ¡°Move!¡± Yunice shoved past them, grabbed a car from the garage, and sped off in the direction Wyatt had taken.


    What was he nning?


    Why did he react so strongly?


    It wasn¡¯t like Wyatt had a thing about virginity. He wouldn¡¯t have touched her if he did. So why did it


    matter now?


    Didn¡¯t he just like her body?


    Wasn¡¯t she just a stand¨Cin for the woman he really loved in Nanfeng?


    Yunice¡¯s mind was a mess. She couldn¡¯t figure Wyatt out at all.


    He drove fast, and soon she lost sight of him.


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    Chapter 431 The Man He Thought She Was With


    With no other clues, she took a guess and turned toward Wellinges Pharma,


    She guessed right.


    Wyatt had gone to Wellinges Pharma.


    He didn¡¯t even turn off the engine or close the car door. He just stormed into the building.


    Employees greeted him along the way, but he didn¡¯t hear a word.


    Then Paul appeared, walking out of his office.


    Wyatt¡¯s rage only deepened. He advanced on Paul with dark, stormy eyes.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt? Mr. Wyatt?¡± Some staff sensed trouble and tried to intervene. Without turning back, Wyatt reached behind him and <i>locked </i><i>the </i><i>door</i>.


    Paul instantly grew cautious, sensing danger. ¡°What are you doing?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt didn¡¯t answer. He walked to the end of the hallway and <i>locked </i><i>the </i><i>other </i><b><i>door</i></b><b><i>, </i></b>then mmed his fists into the locks, smashing them. A chunk of the broken metal hit the ceiling camera, taking it out.


    Paul looked around. The hallway was now sealed¨Cjust him and Wyatt.


    And for the first time, he felt fear.


    ¡°Wyatt, what do you think you¡¯re doing? This is apany-!¡±


    He didn¡¯t finish.


    Wyatt grabbed him and mmed him into the wall, pinning him by the throat with brutal force. Paul¡¯s feet dangled off the floor. His neck bulged. His temples throbbed.


    He thrashed in panic, but it was useless.


    Wyatt stared at him with bloodshot eyes, like he wanted to rip him apart.


    ¡°How dare you?! How <i>dare </i>you?!¡±


    Outside the hallway, people were trying to open the doors, but the locks were wrecked¨Cnothing was budging.


    It caused such a stir that Taylor had to be called in.


    She arrived, eyes flickering when she learned Wyatt and Paul were locked in together.


    While everyone else was panicked, she was delighted.


    <i>Let </i><i>Paul </i><i>get </i><i>beaten </i><i>to </i><i>death</i>. <i>That </i><i>would </i><i>be </i><i>ideal</i>.


    Still, she had to y along. Too many people were watching.


    So she faked concern and called Yunice.


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    Yunice answered quickly, still driving. Taylor asked nosily, ¡°Yunice, is Wyatt okay? Did something happen?¡±


    Yunice instantly picked up on something in her tone. ¡°Is he at thepany? Where? I¡¯m looking <b>for </b><b>him</b>.¡±


    Taylor nced down the hallway. She didn¡¯t really want Yunice to show up so soon.


    But she hesitated too long¨Cand the anxious voices of the employees rang clearly through the phone: ¡°Mr. Wyatt, Mr. Paul! Open the door!¡±


    Yunice heard it and hung up on Taylor without another word.


    Then she mmed her foot on the gas.


    She already knew exactly what Wyatt was nning to do.

 Daghter 432

    Chapter 432 First Blood


    Chapter 432 First Blood


    15 Free Coms


    In the forcibly sealed corridor, Paul was pressed up against the wall, blood dripping from his mouth as he snarled at Wyatt, ¡°What the hell, man? You better have a reason for punching me!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. His voice came out from between clenched teeth. ¡°Yunice was a virgin.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Paul¡¯s brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing in confusion. He hadn¡¯t caught what Wyatt said.


    Virgin?


    What the hell did he mean <i>by </i><i>virgin</i><i>? </i>


    Suddenly, Paul¡¯s expression shifted. <i>Wyatt </i><i>meant</i>¡­


    Paul gritted his teeth. ¡°You slept with her?! She¡¯s my woman!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s jaw tightened. His voice dropped low. ¡°She¡¯s my wife.¡±


    Paul fell silent.


    His face twisted with a mix of guilt and jealousy as he asked, voice conflicted, ¡°Did she give herself to you willingly, or did you force her?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s lips curled in a cold sneer. ¡°Of course she gave herself to me.¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t been waiting for her to willinglye to him, he wouldn¡¯t have gone over <i>a </i>year without knowing it had finally happened.


    Paul¡¯s eyes darkened further at those words. He lost hisposure. ¡°So what? You think she was still a virgin? She was with me for ten years. You think she made it out untouched?¡±


    Heughed bitterly. ¡°She probably just patched herself up to fool you. Her first time was with me. You picked up a used, busted condom¡­ pfft!¡±


    Paul was cut off mid¨Csentence as Wyatt¡¯s punch sent him crashing to the ground. Dazed, Pauly there for a long time before his vision cleared. Something foreign was in his mouth. Reflexively, he spat it out- only to see a bloodied tooth hit the floor.


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± Paul¡¯s body trembled with rage. Anger surged, washing over his fear. He scrambled up and lunged at Wyatt.


    ¡°You can be as pissed as you want,¡± Paul bellowed, making sure everyone outside could hear. ¡°But it won¡¯t change the fact that Yunice slept with me. Seven days and seven nights on that cruise. We tried every position, every trick in the book! Hahaha! Only a desperate loser like you would treat a used¨Cup slut <b>like </b>treasure. Oh, right. And congrats on finally getting a taste. You and that bitch deserve each other. Hope you live happily ever after-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Wyatt¡¯s fist flew toward Paul again.


    Outside the corridor, staff members¨Cincluding Taylor¨Ccould hear Paul¡¯s shouting through the closed


    door.


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    They exchanged nces, stunned by the juicy drama spilling from inside.


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    Taylor¡¯s face was stone cold. ¡°No one is to repeat a word of this,¡± she snapped. ¡°Mr. Paul isn¡¯t in his right mind. Mr. Wyatt is helping him get treatment.¡±


    Inside, she was sick to her stomach. She¡¯d actually married that disgusting man¨Csomeone who would trample a woman¡¯s reputation just to win a petty fight.


    Wyatt should beat him to death.


    Taylor turned to tell everyone to leave, but the crowd seemed glued <i>to </i>the spot, pretending they were just there to help Paul, while shamelessly cavesdropping.


    They¡¯d always said rich families looked morous on the outside and rotten on the inside. Today, they were seeing it firsthand.


    An uncle¡¯s woman had been sleeping with his nephew for years, and now the two men were beating each other over her. What a mess.


    ¡°That chick must be wild in bed to make two guys fight like this¡­ bet she¡¯s a freak. Women just use that to get ahead anyway¡­ Man, if I were a woman, I¡¯d lie back, moan a little, and cash would roll right in, heh heh¡­¡±


    Taylor wrinkled her nose in disgust and marched up to the man spewing filth. ¡°If the front half of <i>a </i>man works, then the back half should too, right? That means you¡¯d make money even faster. If you¡¯re short on job prospects, I can ask Mr. Wyatt to show you the ropes.¡±


    The man shut up instantly.


    Meanwhile, Yunice stepped out of the elevator, her legs still sore. She ignored the difort and rushed to Paul¡¯s office.


    ¡°Taylor!¡± she called out as she approached. ¡°Where¡¯s Wyatt?¡±


    Her eyes scanned the area until she noticed themotion down the corridor.


    Taylor moved to block her. ¡°What are you doing here? Mr. Wyatt can handle it.¡±


    With all these people around, Yunice¡¯s presence would only fuel the gossip.


    But Yunice just patted her shoulder. She¡¯d heard worse gossip in her life. She didn¡¯t care anymore.


    She looked toward the corridor¡¯s busted lock.


    Striding up to the door, she tried to yank it open. When that failed, she started banging on it. ¡°Wyatt? ¡°Wyatt, open the door!¡±


    People around her stared, wondering who she was to be calling Wyatt by name like that.


    Just then, Jordan burst out of the elevator, coat half on¨Cclearly summoned from home in a rush.


    Without breaking stride, he gave the gawkers a cold re. ¡°Are you all done working? If not, get the hell out!¡±

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    Chapter 433 The Truth Beneath the Lies


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    Taylor¡¯s face twisted in disgust as the crowd quickly dispersed. In thispany, it still took a powerful man to make people listen.


    She didn¡¯t leave, and Jordan didn¡¯t ask her to. Instead, he walked over to Yunice and said quietly, ¡°Ms. Yunice, you should go rest. Wyatt knows what he¡¯s doing.¡±


    Yunice snapped, ¡°He thinks beating someone to death will solve anything?¡±


    Jordan frowned. ¡°If you try to stop him like this, Wyatt¡¯s going to think you¡¯re worried about Paul getting hurt.¡±


    Yunice ignored himpletely, still tugging at the door. ¡°So beating him matters more to you than I do, Wyatt?¡±


    ¡°You left me behind the very first time. That was the worst experience of my life¨Cand it was with you!¡±


    She kicked the door hard, breathing heavily with rage.


    Jordan and Taylor stood frozen, both wishing they could stab out their own eardrums. These two always looked so polished in public¨Cwho knew they could say such wild things in private?


    When the door wouldn¡¯t budge, Yunice gave it onest nce, then turned to walk away<i>. </i>


    She¡¯d brought this humiliation on herself. She wasn¡¯t anyone important. What made her think Wyatt woulde just because she called?


    Because he spent ten billion to get her back?


    ¡°Yunice.¡± Wyatt¡¯s voice called from behind her.


    Her eyes stung as she turned around.


    He had opened the door.


    Her


    gaze


    flicked over him andnded on the hand he¡¯d kept behind the door.


    She rushed forward and grabbed his sleeve.


    His hand, injured from breaking the lock, was bleeding.


    Yunice froze, her eyes rising from his hand to the figure behind him¨CPaul, slowly climbing off the floor, his face a swollen, bloodied mess.


    He could barely move now. Kneeling, he looked up at Yunice with a face full of blood.


    Seeing her icy stare, Paul grinned wickedly. ¡°Yunice, remember how sweet things used to b Be honest¨Cwhen you were in bed with him, weren¡¯t you really thinking of me?¡±


    ¡°tween us?


    Wyatt¡¯s fury red again¨Cwhy hadn¡¯t he just beaten him to death?


    But Yunice reached out and grabbed his bloody wrist, the slickness unclear if it was his blood or Paul¡¯s.


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    Chapter 433 The Truth Beneath the Lies


    She held him tight, not giving him a chance tosh out again.


    s


    She just looked at Paul coldly and said, one word at a time, ¡°He really likes the mole between my legs<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Paul froze.


    Jordan and Taylor simultaneously pped their hands over their eyes. Dear God, why were they cursed with ears?


    Looking at Yunice¡¯s mocking smile, Paul¡¯s face turned purple and red¨Cthough it was hard to tell with how swollen he was.


    He forced a sneer, trying to sound calm. ¡°What a coincidence. I liked that mole too. But too bad¨Cno matter how much he likes it, I had it first. Just thinking about it makes me feel dirty. Don¡¯t you agree. Yunice?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, ring daggers at Paul. His arm tensed against Yunice¡¯s grip, both of their armis shaking slightly from the silent tug¨Cof¨Cwar.


    He looked at Yunice with pain. Why wouldn¡¯t she let go? Why let Paul humiliate her like this?


    Was she really going to let him drag her name through the mud like that? Had she no dignity left?


    Then what had Wyatt been protecting all this time?


    But just as he looked at her, Yunice suddenly burst into augh.


    A strange, eerieugh that sent chills down everyone¡¯s spines. All eyes turned to her.


    When she finally stoppedughing, she cocked an eyebrow and said with cutting sarcasm, ¡°Paul, have you even seen if there¡¯s a mole there?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes widened. He stared at her in stunned silence.


    Even he hadn¡¯t looked that closely. He wasn¡¯t even sure if she really had one.


    But when he looked at Paul¨Cwho looked even more confused than him¨Cit all clicked.


    Paul had made the whole thing up, hoping to trap Yunice in a lie.


    Female anatomy varied. Some bled, some didn¡¯t. A hymen could break from more than just sex¨Ceven injury or ident.


    And even if someone was a virgin, they could be used of getting surgery to fake it.


    No one walked around with an ultrasound machine on their shoulder. Who could say definitively what someone had or hadn¡¯t done?


    People would believe the rumor, but no one could ever prove their innocence.


    Even if Yunice brought in a medical report, they¡¯d say her family owned a hospital and forged the results. Even if her hymen was intact, they¡¯d say it was surgically repaired¨Cand maybe her ¡°older brother¡± was the one who did it.


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    14:05 Wed, <b>16 </b>Jul G.


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    Chapter 433 The Truth Beneath the Lies


    They¡¯d say she¡¯d been with Paul for years¨Chow could she possibly still be untouched?


    s


    They¡¯d say the hickey on Paul¡¯s neck was hers, that she¡¯d been corrupt since she was young and seduced younger boys.


    They¡¯d say on that cruise, she and Paul had done unspeakable things.


    And when the gossip flew, Paul never denied it. He leaned into it¨Cboasting about her obedience, her initiative, how she¡¯d fawned over him. He painted every youthful mistake of hers in vivid, sleazy detail.

 Daghter 434

    105 <b>wed </b>to Ju


    Chapter 434 No Mercy Left


    Chapter 434 No Mercy Left


    How was Yunice supposed to defend herself? Strip off her dress and let each of them take a <b>turn </b><b>prove </b>to them one by one that she hadn¡¯t been vited?


    <i>Ha</i><i>. </i><i>What </i><i>a </i><i>joke </i><i>this </i><i>world </i><i>had </i><i>be</i>.


    She tried to press charges, but the Powell family crushed it, bluntly telling her that if she dared <i>to </i>sue<b>, </b><b>not </b>a singlewyer would take her case.


    She tried to speak up, but the Saunders family condemned her, beat her, punished her, scolded her for disgracing the family name. Did she really want to drag Elsie into public humiliation too?


    She carried a tainted name, was nearly assaulted multiple times¨Cand Paul would always swoop in under the guise of ¡°protection.¡± What a sick joke.


    Wasn¡¯t her entire downfall born from his mouth?


    Yuniceughed like she¡¯d snapped, leaning heavily against Wyatt¡¯s arm. She stared Paul down, teeth clenched. ¡°I know you remember the seven¨Cday cruise.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s brows pinched tight, his heart twisting with every word. It physically hurt to listen.


    Paul stared coldly back at her, not an ounce of remorse in his expression.


    Resting in Wyatt¡¯s arms, Yunice looked almost serenely deranged. ¡°Seven days at sea, that cruise never docked once. It was just you and your little gang. You tricked me aboard so you could force yourself on me -make your liese true.


    When I refused, you changed tactics. You tossed a grass ring into the ocean in front of everyone and said if I dared to dive in after it, you¡¯d keep your word and leave me alone.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s re burned with hatred. He looked like he might rip Paul apart.


    Even Taylor and Jordan were clenching their fists now, wishing they could pound Paul¡¯s face into the floor again.


    Paul let out a coldugh, kneeling on the ground without a shred of guilt. ¡°And whose fault was that? You were my fianc¨¦e. We were engaged. Plenty of women throw themselves at me, and I still pick and choose. But you? Always ying coy, acting high and mighty, not letting me touch you at all. You think I could just let that go?¡±


    He scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re just making all this up to convince Wyatt you¡¯re still pure. Hah! Seven days at <b>sea</b>, seven days! You think a group of us couldn¡¯t handle one stuck¨Cup girl like you? Whether we drugged you or held you down, you really believe you made it off that ship untouched?¡±


    Yunice scoffed back, calm and cutting. ¡°Three of your buddies on that cruise were alread arried, right? Strange how none of them have had kids.¡±


    Paul frowned, confused. What was she getting at?


    They were all still young¨Cmaybe they just weren¡¯t ready to settle down and have kids <b>yet</b>.


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    <b>14:06 </b><b>Wed </b>16 J¨¹l ? oC.


    Chapter 434 No Mercy Left


    What <b>was </b><b>so </b>strange about that?


    Yunice could see how clueless he was and went on. ¡°Forget them¨Clet¡¯s talk about you. <b>You </b>know how many women you¡¯ve slept with. You also know how many tried to trap you with a baby.


    I remember one year, a woman came to me, all smug, iming she was pregnant with your <b>child</b><b>. </b><b>Told </b><b>me </b>to step aside, said carrying a Powell heir made her better than me.


    You were so pissed you even thought about faking an ident to make her miscarry. I <b>was </b>the one who told you to get a DNA test. You were thrilled when it turned out the baby wasn¡¯t yours.<b>¡± </b>


    Paul¡¯s expression darkened. He was starting


    realize something, but he couldn¡¯t quite piece <b>it </b><b>together</b>.


    Yunice suddenly let out a chillingugh. ¡°Because I¡¯ve always known¨Cyou were never going to <b>have </b><b>kids</b><b>. </b>Not directly. Not indirectly. You¡¯ll never have any.¡±


    ¡°None of you who went on that cruise will ever have children.¡±


    She said it inly, not caring who was around to hear.


    Because she knew Wyatt would handle everything. She had nothing to fear.


    All these yearster, <i>even </i>


    Merlin couldn¡¯t se


    gone forever.


    what had been done. Paul¡¯s ability to reproduce <b>was </b>


    People like him didn¡¯t deserve to pass down their filth.


    Paul finally understood. His mind went nk, shocked. ¡°What did you do¡­ How could you¡­. <i>all </i>of us¡­?¡±


    All of them? Infertile?


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. ¡°You thought you could overpower a weak woman like me, that I was alone and helpless<b>¨C</b>so you could restrain me, control me, use me however you pleased¡­


    But I¡¯m a doctor. I know exactly what drugs to slip into your drinks to knock you all out. I know exactly which acupoints to hit with a silver needle to make you sterile. I had a thousand chances to kill you. But I didn¡¯t. I kept you alive so you could live in fear. So you could suffer. Because one day, I want to hear you confess everything you did with your own mouth.


    -I¡¯m dragging you all to hell with


    Her voice cracked with hysteria, eve ble raw like it had been soaked in blood.


    Wyatt clutched her arm tightly, his voice hoarse. ¡°Yunice!¡±

 Daghter 435

    Chapter 435 A ce She Belongs


    Chapter 435 A ce She Belongs


    <i>Don¡¯t </i><i>say </i><i>that</i><i>¡­ </i>


    <i>Let </i><i>anyone </i><i>else </i>go <i>to </i><i>hell</i>¨Cbut <i>not </i><i>her</i><i>. </i>


    She hadn¡¯t <i>done </i><i>anything </i>wrong.


    Wyatt burned with rage¨Crage at Paul¡¯s lies, at himself for believing them, and most of all, for not taking Yunice with him when he had the chance, leaving her to face those animals alone.


    Yunice gave a short, bitterugh, then looked at Paul with icy calm. ¡°Your punishment is only just beginning. Just wait.¡±


    Evil never goes unpunished. And she wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted Paul dead.


    ¡°Wyatt, let¡¯s go.¡± Yunice took his still¨Cbleeding hand and led him out of thepany.


    Watching them leave, Taylor turned her re on Paul, who was still kneeling in the middle of the hallway.


    No one wasing to help him now.


    As high heels clicked toward him, Paul looked up with a sneer. ¡°What, you gonna kill me? Do it, and the Kendall family¡¯s finished.¡±


    Thinking of herte father, and his loyal assistant, Taylor clenched her jaw so hard it ached.


    ¡°Paul, you¡¯re like a toad squatting on someone¡¯s foot¨Ccan¡¯t bite, just disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Yunice was right. Killing someone like you would only dirty our hands. It¡¯s a long road ahead¨Clet¡¯s see how far you get.¡±


    She didn¡¯t bother with him anymore and walked into the elevator alone.


    Paul was left there, groaning in pain. His whole body ached as he tried to stand, but it was too much.


    He reached for his phone to call someone from the Powell family¨Conly to realize Wyatt had smashed it.


    Ten minutes passed. No one came to help.


    He couldn¡¯t wait until dark when thepany closed. He had to get out.


    Gritting his teeth, he dragged himself up and limped into the elevator, pressing the button for the


    basement.


    His car was parked there.


    Barely able to stay upright, Paul leaned against the elevator wall, vision spinning. He w numbers drop one by one.


    d the floor


    When the doors finally opened, he pushed himself to walk¨Conly to be greeted by the sound of cheering.


    As soon as he stepped out, the cheering stopped cold.


    O


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    <b>14:06 </b><b>Wed</b>, <b>16 </b><b>Julo </b><b>G </b>


    Chapter 435 A ce She Belongs


    <b>He </b>froze, stunned to see a crowd of employees holding glow sticks staring straight at him.


    Most of thepany staff were here.


    It took them a moment, but someone finally recognized him by the badge on his bloodied chest.


    ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Paul?<b>¡± </b>


    The crowd tried to hold back theirughter, but some couldn¡¯t help letting out stifled snorts.


    Paul¡¯s face went pale. He realized his humiliation at Huaxin Pharmaceuticals was nowplete.


    This had to be staged¨Csomeone had gathered all these people here to watch him make a fool of himself.


    But there were too many people who hated him to figure out who.


    Someone even pretended to offer help, but Paul shoved them away and stumbled into his car, fleeing the


    scene.


    Meanwhile, Yunice and Wyatt never made it back to West Court.


    In the executive lounge, Yunice was bandaging Wyatt¡¯s injured hand.


    She kept her head down, focused on her task. Wyatt, however, never looked away from the top of her head.


    He stared at her, unwilling to blink, as though he was afraid she¡¯d vanish.


    Yunice looked


    up


    and saw the redness in his


    eyes<b>. </b>


    ¡°¡­What¡¯s with that look?¡± she muttered, ufortable.


    He¡¯d been looking at her like that the whole way here, filled with remorse.


    Yunice knew her past might move people to pity¨Cbut wasn¡¯t Wyatt overreacting?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Wyatt choked out.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t sure what he was apologizing for. Anyone else could say sorry¨Cbut not Wyatt. He never had.


    Wyatt reached out and pulled her into his arms. Feeling her chin settle on his shoulder only made the pain in his chest worse.


    He wished he could kill Paul. It was all his fault¨Cbecause of him, Wyatt had made so many wrong choices.


    If only he had known¡­ If only he¡¯d known Yunice never loved Paul, then he never would have<b>¡­ </b>


    Wyatt shut his eyes tightly and hugged her even harder, as if trying to absorb her int body.


    ¡°I¡¯m never letting go again,¡± he said, voice hoarse.


    Yunice¡¯s heartbeat slowly calmed. She looked at him, not quite understanding, but for the first time<b>, </b><b>she </b>felt truly¡­ needed.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    14:06 Wed, <b>16 </b><b>Jul </b>G.


    Chapter 435 A ce She Belongs


    She tilted her head, resting her hair against his cheek.


    She never thought she¡¯d be believed again.


    #°ü<b>49</b>%


    s


    When it came to her purity, she could never defend herself. Even if it had been her first time, she¡¯d never expected anyone to believe her.


    Wyatt had surprised her.


    She never imagined he¡¯d sense the truth¨Clet alone fight Paul over it.


    But in the end, did it even matter?


    She¡¯d been ndered for so many years. She¡¯d heard every cruel thing that could be said.


    Some even mocked her, saying if she really wanted to prove she was clean, why not let them sleep with her once and find out?


    The othersughed. When she stayed silent, they called her guilty¨Ctoo afraid to answer.

 Daghter 436

    Chapter 436 Just the Two of Us.


    Chapter 436 Just the Two of Us


    There were times Yunice had nearly given up. She¡¯d thought about throwing it all away, finding <b>a </b><b>titan </b><b>to </b>sleep with, just to make the rumors true¨Cmaybe then it wouldn¡¯t hurt so much.


    But every time that thought crossed her mind and she tried to pick someone, she¡¯d feel sick<b>. </b>Every man seemed filthy to her. Just imagining being touched by them made her want to vomit.


    And so, the years passed.


    Yunice didn¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t hate Wyatt. Maybe it was the air of authority he carried that suppressed the usual filth of men. Maybe it made her believe he had too many options to even nce her way.


    Or maybe he had desire¨Cbut he didn¡¯t leer. He never used those degrading words to put her down.


    He never asked if she was a virgin. Never cared if she wasn¡¯t. It felt like he liked her¨Cher body, <b>as </b>it was- without letting anything else cloud his judgment.


    Wyatt¡¯s hand gently moved to her lower back, massaging her waist. ¡°Does it hurt? I heard the first time usually does.¡±


    The tearing of the hymen could cause a moment of sharp pain, and initial pration often brought difort.


    Usually, if the man knew what he was doing, the pain would be fleeting¨Cquickly overtaken by other sensations.


    But Wyatt had left at the worst possible moment.


    Yunice¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    But it hadn¡¯t been enjoyable either.


    Today had dragged up far too many memories she wanted to forget.


    Yunice lifted her eyes toward the full¨Clength window in the lounge. The sky outside had already turned ck, scattered with stars.


    Noticing Wyatt¡¯s injured hand, she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    When he didn¡¯t respond, she turned her head¨Conly for him to kiss her.


    She was caught off guard, her neck tipping back as Wyatt¡¯s lips moved lower¡­


    Realizing what he was trying to do, Yunice murmured, ¡°Your hand¡¯s still hurt¡­¡±


    And he was probably injured elsewhere too.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was low, firm. ¡°Don¡¯t push me away.¡±


    The hem of her clothes was pushed up. Yunice found herselfid back on the bed.


    This time, Wyatt didn¡¯t turn off the lights.


    178


    Chapter 436 Just the Two of Us


    He wanted to see her clearly. And he wanted her to see him<i>¨C</i>wanted her to know <b>it </b><b>was </b>him.


    Under the intensity of his gaze, Yunice felt awkward. She reached for the light switch, only for her wrist to¡ª be caught.


    ¡°Let¡¯s forget everything else,¡± Wyatt said quietly. ¡°Tonight, it¡¯s just us.¡±


    Her fingers twitched, her eyes flickering with emotion. Could physical pleasure really make up for emotional emptiness?


    Could a flood of dopamine work better than any drug?


    Even with all the mental preparation in the world, when Wyatt finally touched her, Yunice couldn¡¯t help but press her knee to his chest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s turn the lights off¡­¡±


    She still couldn¡¯t fully let go.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t push her. He understood her past might make her tense, even fearful. He couldn¡¯t rush her.


    He turned off the lights.


    Outside, the sky was a soft, shadowy gray, faint starlight seeping through the windows.


    Wyatt could still see her.


    He kissed her again¡ªthis woman, atst,pletely his.


    Yunice clutched the silk sheets, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, not from pain, but from her body¡¯s instinctive reaction.


    Afterward, he supported her by the waist, sitting her up on hisp. Her voice trembled with soft sobs.


    But she never told him to stop.


    When her legs began to shake, Wyatt held back, whispering against her ear, ¡°Can I finish inside?¡±


    Yunice tensed, then gave a faint nod. Wyatt finally let go.


    Yunice didn¡¯t have much stamina. She didn¡¯t want to move at all afterward, curling up on her side like a little shrimp.


    Worried she¡¯d catch cold, Wyatt fetched warm water and carefully cleaned her


    She fell asleep before he could even finish.


    Wyatt sat there holding the towel.


    ¡± <ol><li>up. </li></ol>


    Nights like this were supposed to end with two people curled up together, talking about their <b>past </b>and


    their future.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t seem to care for that sort of sentiment.


    <b>49</b><b>% </b>


    Chapter 436 Just the Two of Us


    s


    With a long breath, Wyatt tossed the towel in the basin, did a quick rinse, and climbed into bed. He pulled her into his arms, letting her head rest against his chest.


    He couldn¡¯t sleep.


    His thoughts wouldn¡¯t stop¨Cabout the past, the future.


    About everything Yunice had endured.


    The pain in his heart tightened again. He reached for a cigarette, biting it between his lips. But when he looked down at the small, fragile woman curled in his arms-


    So light. So narrow¨Cboned. Like she weighed nothing at all.


    His fingers brushed her waist, and his brows drew together once more.


    He didn¡¯t light the cigarette¨Cafraid the smoke would wake her.


    But even thinking about Paul made his hands itch. He couldn¡¯t just let him go.


    Now that he knew everything Yunice had suffered, there was no <i>way </i>Wyatt could pretend to let it slide.


    He crushed the unlit cigarette into the ashtray and stayed awake all night.


    Yunice, on the other hand, slept deeply. When morning came, her body ached everywhere.


    She rolled over, unwilling to get up. Her eyes were still puffy.


    As she shifted again, her nose brushed against Wyatt¡¯s chest.

 Daghter 437

    Chapter 437 Consequences and Fever


    Chapter 437 Consequences and Fever


    Yunice nced up. ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡±


    Wyatt looked down at her, gaze sharp. ¡°I¡¯m not some bastard who runs off after gettingid.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Yunice didn¡¯t catch the sarcasm.


    She shifted a bit under the covers. When her arm slipped out, she realized there was nothing on her under the nket¨Cand decided she really didn¡¯t want to get up.


    Seeing her fidget, Wyatt asked, ¡°Still not feeling well?¡±


    ¡°My whole body aches,¡± Yunice muttered, clearly annoyed.


    Wyatt perked up, turning toward her. ¡°Want me to give you a massage?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said firmly.


    She knew how insatiable men could get once they¡¯d tasted intimacy. Her body was too delicate to go another round so soon¨Cshe didn¡¯t want to be broken in half.


    Too tired to move, Yunice stayed curled up in the nket and made small talk. ¡°You don¡¯t move <b>like </b>someone inexperienced.¡±


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°Was that apliment?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t deny <i>it</i>¨Che really had been skilled.


    After years working in hospitals, she¡¯d seen plenty of peoplecking even basic sexual understanding. Most just charged in blindly. Some couldn¡¯t even find the right ce, leaving their partners miserable.


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Read enough theory and you¡¯ll be fine. The hardest part¡¯s just self¨Ccontrol.¡±


    And it had been <i>very </i>hard to hold back.


    Propping himself up, Wyatt looked down into her eyes and reminded her, ¡°We didn¡¯t use protectionst night. Might be a baby in there.¡±


    Under the nket, his hand rested gently over her stomach, his eyes lit with hope.


    He was twenty¨Ceight, married now, and he wanted a child.


    Neither he nor Yunice hade from loving homes, but he believed they could build something better- a real family.


    Before Yunice could respond, a knock came from the office outside.


    Wyatt nced toward the sound. ¡°I¡¯ll go check.¡±


    He lifted a corner of the nket and sat on the edge of the bed to get dressed. Yunice caught another glimpse of the tattoo on his waist, partially hidden. What did the full design look like?


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    <b>14:06 </b><b>Wed</b><b>, </b><b>16 </b><b>Jul </b><b>& </b><b>G </b>


    Chapter 437 Consequences and Fever


    Wyatt pulled on his shirt and left the lounge.


    Yunice slowly sat up, slipping on some clothes in his absence.


    She had nned to shower, but as soon as she sat upright, her vision darkened and a wave of dizziness <b>hit </b>her.


    When Wyatt came back in, he found her sitting still, eyes closed, pressing her fingers to her temples.


    ¡°Headache?¡± He set down what he¡¯d brought and sat beside her.


    cing a hand over hers, he felt something off. Then he leaned in and gently pressed his forehead to hers.


    As he suspected¨Cwarm.


    Leaning back against the pillows, Yunice murmured, her voice soft and slow, ¡°I think I¡¯ve got a fever. No wonder everything hurts.¡±


    Wyatt frowned. He¡¯d been careful¨Chow had she still gotten sick?


    Worried, he reached for his phone to call Dr. Du Zhongying, but Yunice stopped him. ¡°Don¡¯t trouble him. I¡¯ll do some moxibustionter. It¡¯ll pass.¡±


    Still, to be safe, she asked Wyatt to get her an antigen rapid test. Thankfully, it showed no sign of infection -just a regr cold.


    Wyatt had gone out earlier to get breakfast. Knowing she hadn¡¯t eaten the night before, <i>he </i>brought back <i>a </i>bowl of congee and fed her by hand. ¡°No point in moving around. Stay here and rest. I¡¯lle get you after work.¡±


    Yunice nodded softly, too weak to argue.


    Wyatt worked just outside the lounge. When needed, he handled business with staff in the outer office. As soon as they left, he¡¯de back in with tea or water for her.


    Yunice slept fitfully through the day. Her fever eased, but she was still too drained to do much.


    Her sudden illness also dyed any ns Wyatt had for Paul.


    But the Powell family? They were already in full¨Cblown chaos.


    ¡°That ungrateful bastard! He really tried to beat Boyu to death over some woman?!¡±


    Jackson had already smashed half the study.


    Paul had passed out the moment he got home. After an exam, they discovered three broken ribs, a fractured nose, and a rib that had nearly punctured an organ.


    He¡¯d been in aa for three days and had only just regained consciousness.


    Jackson called Wyatt and demanded he drag Yunice home at once.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t give a damn. He answered calls when he felt like it¨Cotherwise, he ignored them.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    14.00


    Chapter 437 Consequences and Fever


    Fuming, Jackson tried sending Jensen, but even Jensen didn¡¯t dare face Wyatt now.


    In the end, Jackson hauled his old bones over in person, cane in hand, all the way to Wyatt¡¯s office.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt isn¡¯t in,¡± Jordan said, blocking him at the door.


    Jackson mmed his cane down with a loud crack and red. ¡°Kid, go ask your grandfather if he ever dared get in my way!¡±


    Jordan¡¯s face tightened.


    The old man then barked past him, ¡°Wyatt! What, you only know how to hide from me like <i>a </i>coward?!¡± Inside the lounge, Wyatt was calmly changing the sheets.


    <b>3/3 </b>

 Daghter 438

    Chapter 438 No Room for Mercy


    Chapter 438 No Room for Mercy


    45 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Last night had been too intense. The bandages Yunice had carefully wrapped around Wyatt¡¯s hand had split open, staining the sheets with blood.


    He had just changed into fresh linens and tucked her back in bed when Jackson¡¯s furious shouting echoed from outside.


    Yunice looked at him, concerned. Wyatt gave her hand a reassuring pat, then stepped out.


    Jackson stood fuming just beyond the office door. In contrast, Wyatt came outzily draped in a coat, shirt unbuttoned at the cor, tie sloppily loosened.


    The old man scanned him from head to toe, voice seething. ¡°Where¡¯s that whore?¡±


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who¡¯s the whore?¡±


    ¡°That wh-¡± Jackson froze, catching himself, then red at Wyatt¡¯s smug expression.


    Wyatt strolled out of the office like he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. Jordan followed behind and quietly shut the door.


    With his hands in his pockets, Wyatt looked down at the old man from above.


    Jackson¡¯s gaze shifted from the bandage on Wyatt¡¯s hand to his <b>face</b><b>, </b>cold as <b>ice</b><b>. </b>¡°You brawled with your own family over some woman. Where the hell is your head?¡±


    Wyatt scoffed. ¡°Who said it was about a woman? I just don¡¯t like Paul. I wanted to beat him up¨Cis that a crime?¡±


    Jackson looked like he might snap his cane in half. ¡°She¡¯s nothing but a tramp used by a thousand men, and the more you treasure her, the more miserable she¡¯ll end up.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes narrowed. Heughed coldly. ¡°Then let me return that sentiment to you¨Cword for word.¡±


    Jackson¡¯s face twitched. He let out a cold grunt and turned to leave.,


    Only after the old man vanished down the hallway did Jordan say anxiously, ¡°Wyatt¡­ you think he¡¯ll try something against the missus?¡±


    ¡°He definitely will,¡± Wyatt replied tly. ¡°So it¡¯s a matter of who strikes first.¡±


    The Saunders Family


    Wellinges Pharma had narrowly avoided copse after its istion ward was repurposed by the government, earning them arge subsidy. As director, Owen had received considerablepensation- enough to breathe new life into the hospital.


    2


    Right now, he was in his study, speaking impatiently on the phone with Peggy


    As <b>expected</b>, Peggy had called him first. Ever since they¡¯d run into each other <b>at </b><b>West </b><b>Court</b><b>, </b><b>she¡¯d </b><b>been </b>


    <b>13 </b>


    <b>14:06 </b>Wed, <b>16 </b><b>Jul </b>G


    Chapter 438 No Room for Mercy:


    pestering him every few days, pushing him to visit the Saunders estate.


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    Owen had no interest in dealing with that bunch of immature, power¨Chungry fools. He¡¯d blocked several of Peggy¡¯s numbers already¨Cbut she kept changing them and calling again.


    She even hired a private investigator to stalk him.


    ¡°What the hell do you want from me?!¡± Owen snapped.


    Peggy giggled on the other end. ¡°Owen, do you want a wife?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he barked.


    ¡°Already in love with someone?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Owen lied through his teeth.


    Sheughed again. ¡°Then how about breaking up with her and dating me instead?¡±


    ¡°You shameless-!¡± Owen roared and hung up.


    ¡°Owen?¡± came a weak voice from the doorway.


    He turned and saw Elsie standing there.


    His expression softened a bit. ¡°Elsie, what are you doing up?¡±


    ¡°I was tired of lying in bed. Needed to move around.¡±


    She sat down across from him and asked, ¡°Has Sis still refused toe home?¡°.


    Yunice was still staying with Wyatt. The farther she was, the harder it was to keep tabs on her¨Clet alone make a move.


    1


    Owen grunted, then added coldly, ¡°Forget her.¡±


    If she no longer wanted to be part of the Saunders family, then fine. Let them go their separate ways. ¡°Owen! Owen!¡± Lily¡¯s panicked voice rang from the stairs.


    1


    Startled, Owen and Elsie rushed out of the study just in time to see Lily stumbling up the stairs, with two officers shing badges behind her.


    Lily ducked behind them as the police stepped forward and said, ¡°We¡¯re enforcing a court ruling. Ms. Lily has been sentenced to one year in prison.¡±


    ¡°Pleasee with us.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to jail! I didn¡¯t do anything! Just said a few words¨Cwhy should I go to prison?!<b>¡± </b>


    Owen hadn¡¯t expected this to escte so quickly. He tried to bribe the officers. ¡°<b>Please</b><b>, </b><b>officers</b><b>, </b><b>can¡¯t </b><b>we </b>talk about this-¡±


    wed, ?<b>? </b>


    Chapter 438 No Room for Mercy


    <b>49</b><b>% </b>


    s


    One of them cut him off. ¡°The prosecution already offered a chance for Ms. Lily to make amends. You refused to issue a public apology.¡±


    They hadn¡¯t thought the court would actually follow through with sentencing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll apologize now, okay? Right now!¡± Lily shrieked.


    But the officers gave her no chance to cause a scene. They firmly restrained her and hauled her away.


    Lily screamed, ¡°Owen! Elsie! Help me! Please, help Mommy!¡±


    Both Owen and Elsie stood frozen, their faces pale with shock.


    Only after the police car drove off did Elsie clutch Owen¡¯s arm, voice hoarse with panic. ¡°Owen, do something¡­¡±


    Owen stood there, stunned. He had nothing. No n. No way out.

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    Chapter 439 A Brother¡¯s Convenience


    Chapter 439 A Brother¡¯s Convenience


    $5 Free Coins


    Back when the family faced troubles, things had never gotten out of hand¨Cat least not while Elsie was <b>still </b>dating Paul. If anything went wrong, a few sweet words from her would have Paul bending over backwards to solve it.


    But now, freshly recovered from illness, Elsie didn¡¯t dare face Paul. With her out of the picture, all the family burdens¨Cbig and small¨Cfell squarely on Owen.


    And Owen, proud as ever, wasn¡¯t the kind to bow his head and beg anyone.


    Elsie sobbed, ¡°Then go find Oscar! Mom¡¯s not just <i>our </i>mom¨Ceveryone needs to help!¡±


    Right. Lily wasn¡¯t just their mother. Oscar and Yunice should take responsibility too.


    With that thought, Owen headed to Oscar¡¯s office, hoping to persuade him to talk Yunice into asking Wyatt for help.


    If Wyatt pulled some strings, Lily¡¯s sentence could be lessened¨Cor even wiped away entirely.


    Still wearing hisb coat, Oscar didn¡¯t even pause from his work. His tone was frosty. ¡°I already told you- I¡¯m done getting involved in your mess<b>.¡± </b>


    Owen snapped, ¡°Mom¡¯s not just my mom! You¡¯re the eldest! She raised you the longest¨Chow can you just abandon her?¡±


    ¡°I gave you advice,¡± Oscar said tly. ¡°You refused to take it.¡±


    If they¡¯d apologized when they had the chance, this wouldn¡¯t have escted into jail time.


    Owen trailed behind him, raising his voice. ¡°So now you¡¯re ying the wise man after the fact? It¡¯s already happening¨Cshouldn¡¯t solving the problem be the priority now?!¡±


    Oscar swirled a test tube, unfazed. ¡°If you think the court was wrong, file an appeal. If you think it¡¯s unfair, go protest. But don¡¯t shout at me¨CI¡¯m not a judge or a billionaire. I can¡¯t help you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Owen avoided the test tube Oscar was carelessly waving and insisted, ¡°Fine. I¡¯m not asking you to do much. Just call Yunice. Maybe she¡¯s changed her mind.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already tried. Can¡¯t get through.¡±


    Oscar red at him for half a minute/realizing that if he didn¡¯t cooperate, Owen would wreck hisb just to make a point.


    With a sigh, Oscar shook off Owen¡¯s grip and dialed.


    Owen leaned in eagerly to listen./


    The line rang a few times before someone picked up.


    Oscar cut straight to the chase. ¡°Yunice, Owen insists on talking to you. Want to take the call?¡±


    Without waiting, Owen grabbed the phone from him and blurted out, ¡°Yunice! Mom¡¯s <b>been </b><b>taken </b><b>by </b><b>the </b>


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    police. They say she¡¯s been sentenced to a year in prison!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re her daughter too. You know Dad loved her the most when he was alive. If he could see how cold you¡¯re being to your own mother, how disappointed do you think he¡¯d be-¡±


    A cold chuckle interrupted him from the other end¨CWyatt¡¯s voice. ¡°Funny how she¡¯s ¡®your mom¡® when it¡¯s convenient. The moment something goes wrong, suddenly she¡¯s just her mom. Real clever.¡±


    Owen froze the moment he heard Wyatt. His voice stiffened. ¡°I was trying to reach Yunice.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s busy,¡± Wyatt said coolly. ¡°You can talk to me.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Busy? Too busy to pick up a phone? Or is she just ignoring me and using you as a shield?¡±


    Leaning against the wall, Wyatt¡¯s smile was cold. ¡°You really are full of yourself.¡±


    Owen stiffened. ¡°I¡¯m her brother. Don¡¯t I have the right to call her?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°So it¡¯s all about rights for you? You get the benefits, but you skip out on the obligations. Is that it?¡±


    Owen¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯ve tried to bring Yunice home and take care of her. She refused. Is that somehow my fault now?¡±


    ¡°Fake support is giving someone a meal,¡± Wyatt said. ¡°Real support is understanding their pain¨Cand helping them out of it. Have you ever done that?¡±


    Owen felt even more baffled. ¡°What hardship hasn¡¯t she ovee? Yunice¡¯s life has always been smooth. She¡¯s had it better than any of us! Even I have to bow and scrape to her now¨Cwhat struggle could she possibly have?!¡± 1


    Wyatt¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°Paul abused her for ten years. Did you know that?¡±


    Oscar¡¯s gaze shot to Owen.


    Owen frowned and went silent for a moment. He recalled some of Yunice and Paul¡¯s past, but finally said, ¡°Paul never abused her. They were young. Maybe they crossed some lines, but it was mutual. You can¡¯t call that abuse.¡±


    Wyatt asked sharply, ¡°So you do know Paul touched her?¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Everyone in the capital knows. You mean you didn¡¯t?¡±


    Wyatt pressed further. ¡°Then when Yunice asked you for help, what did you do?¡±


    Owen stared back. ¡°When did she ever ask me for help?¡±


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    ¡°Did she ever tell you that she never slept with Paul? That it was all just Paul spreading rumors?¡±


    Owen sneered at the question, letting out a cold chuckle before firing back at Wyatt, ¡°She told you that too<i>, </i>didn¡¯t she? That¡¯s Yunice for you¨Calways saying one thing and doing another. Even if she¡¯s done it, she¡¯ll swear she hasn¡¯t. She just loves ying the victim. I¡¯ve seen her do it too many times¡­¡±


    Oscar immediately sensed something was off. He snatched the phone from Owen and spoke directly to Wyatt. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, what exactly are you saying? Is there more to the story? Did you find something?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was sharp and cold. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you <i>brothers </i>know best if there was more to the story?<i>¡± </i>


    Oscar¡¯s voice darkened. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, I mean it¨CI <i>want </i>to know. Please tell me.¡±


    Wyatt answered tly, ¡°If you want the truth, ask the man himself. You¡¯re all so close, right? If you can get a straight answer out of him, maybe we can talk about Lily¡¯s case.¡±


    Before either of them could respond, Wyatt ended the call.


    Then he turned toward the exam room door.


    A momentter, Joe stepped out. ¡°Sir.¡±


    Wyatt motioned for him to step aside so they could speak in private. They walked to the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows.


    Joe nced back toward the exam room and spoke quietly. ¡°Ms. Yunice is fine. She¡¯s just been through long¨Cterm injury and recovery cycles. Her vitality is weak¨Cwhen she¡¯s overworked, her body reacts.¡±


    Wyatt lit a cigarette, brows knotted with irritation. ¡°So sex is off¨Climits too?¡±


    Joe hesitated. ¡°Notpletely. Just¡­ the first time can be more intense.¡±


    The cigarette burned halfway down. Wyatt exhaled heavily. ¡°She¡¯s turning into a porcin doll.¡±


    He gave Joe a sidelong look. ¡°Can she have children?¡±


    Joe winced. From Wyatt¡¯s expression, he could tell this wasn¡¯t just curiosity¨CWyatt <i>wanted </i>Yunice to bear his child.


    Which made the answer harder to say.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze darkened. ¡°She <i>can¡¯t</i>, can she?¡±


    Joe struggled to respond before finally blurting out, ¡°It¡¯s not that she can¡¯t¨Cit¡¯s just riskier for her <b>than </b>for others<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°And¡­ with your build, sir, and her narrow pelvis, she¡¯s not suited to carry arge child. It <b>increases </b><b>the </b>chances of¡­plications.¡°.


    Wyatt¡¯s lips pressed into a tight line, his expression unreadable. ¡°So basically, <b>we¡¯re </b>notpatible<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>14.07 </b>wed, Tou


    Chapter 440 Truth Behind the Lies


    Joe wiped sweat from his forehead.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t speak again. He drew the cigarette to the filter, then crushed it against the smooth stone <b>rim </b>of the trash bin.


    ¡°So what if she can¡¯t? With modern science, you think I¡¯m worried about having kids?¡±


    Joe wisely chose silence.


    Just then, Yunice stepped out of the exam room. After doing moxibustion, her fever had broken. Wyatt had insisted on the checkup just to be safe.


    Seeing here out, Wyatt walked straight to her and handed her the phone.


    Back at Oscar¡¯sb, Owen was still pacing with frustration, not daring to call Yunice again for fear that Wyatt might answer.


    Oscar eyed him coldly. ¡°Wyatt just gave you a second chance. And you¡¯re still wasting it?¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°I already burned bridges with Paul! How am I supposed to ask <i>him </i>about Yunice?¡±


    He turned on Oscar with irritation. ¡°Easy for you to talk. You don¡¯t know how many times the Powell family has humiliated our family with Yunice¡¯s reputation!¡±


    ¡°Her reputation was ruined by her own doing. Why do you think only the Johnson family was willing to take her in? No decent family wanted her!¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so brave, you go ask him! You¡¯ll see for yourself.¡±


    Oscar didn¡¯t flinch. Tossing off his white coat, he said coldly, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go. I don¡¯t believe Wyatt would¡¯ve said all that for no reason.¡±


    Seeing him actually leave, Owen hesitated¨Cthen quickly followed.


    To his surprise, Oscar received an address from Wyatt. Paul¡¯s current location.


    And when the two arrived, the guards simply let them in without question.


    Owen¡¯s heart sank. If Wyatt already had this much control, did the Powell family even stand a chance against him?


    Insid¨¦, Pauly in bed, encased in ster, his face bandaged.


    When he saw Oscar and Owen enter, he struggled upright, eyes filled with suspicion and hostility.


    Owen stared in shock, barely recognizing the man under all those injuries. <i>How </i><i>did </i><i>he </i>end up like <b><i>this</i></b><b><i>? </i></b>


    Paul¡¯s voice was hoarse with fury ¡°Who let


    you


    in?<b>¡± </b>


    This was supposed to be his private recovery location. He hadn¡¯t told anyone¨Cno one should¡¯ve known.


    Except, of course, Wyatt.


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    The moment Paul realized Wyatt had already told the Saunders family about Yunice, his gut reaction was that Oscar and Owen were here for revenge.


    But his aggressive tone immediately rubbed Owen the wrong way. ¡°You¡¯ve wronged both of my sisters, and I haven¡¯t even held you ountable yet. You got the nerve to act like a victim?¡±


    Paul froze for a second, then suddenly shouted toward the hallway behind them. ¡°Someone! Get in here!¡±


    He even reached for the call button with his bandaged hand, mming it as hard as he could.


    Oscar and Owen nced back reflexively, tension on their faces¨Cbut nothing happened.


    No one came.


    Owen rolled his eyes. ¡°What are you screaming for? Lost your mind?¡±


    Oscar, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes and studied Paul. ¡°What¡¯s with the panic? Guilty of something?¡±


    ¡°Did Wyatt do this to you?¡±


    In all of Silverburgh, Wyatt was probably the only person who could¨Cand would¨Cput Paul in a hospital this way.


    And considering why Wyatt had sent them here, Oscar was beginning to see his intention.


    Owen, more straightforward, blurted, ¡°Wyatt called us and said to ask you about Yunice. What the h happened between you two?¡±


    Oscar shot Owen a look, annoyed by his bluntness.


    Did he really think Paul would just blurt out something that could incriminate him?


    As expected, Paul sneered, ¡°What <i>could </i>have happened? We were engaged once, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Oscar cut in before Owen could speak again. ¡°Then why did Wyatt beat you like this?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face twitched. After a pause, he grinned smugly. ¡°Because he¡¯s jealous. His wife gave it up to the guy he hates the most. Who could swallow that?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen¡¯s face flushed red. He shot to his feet in shame and rage, storming toward the door.


    Oscar followed quickly and grabbed his arm. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving!¡± Owen snapped, humiliated. ¡°Can¡¯t you see what Wyatt¡¯s doing? He¡¯s <b>disgusted </b>that he married Yunice, so now he¡¯s using us to make her look worse¨Ctrying to humiliate us along with <b>her</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Oscar¡¯s voice turned sharp. ¡°Humiliate who? No one¡¯s humiliating you. If you feel humiliated, it¡¯s <b>because </b>you¡¯re guilty!¡±


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    Chapter 441 Confession Under the de


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    Oscar¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Yunice¡¯s not the only one Paul slept with. Your precious other sister did too. <b>Isn¡¯t </b>that more of a disgrace?¡±


    Owen went silent.


    After a long pause, he finally grumbled, ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about Yunice. I meant Wyatt¡¯s using Mom¡¯s sentence to corner us¨Cturn us into weapons to get back at Paul.¡±


    Oscar let out a cold snort. ¡°You think too highly of yourself. And you clearly underestimate Wyatt.¡±


    If all Wyatt wanted was revenge, there were better ways. Petty humiliation wasn¡¯t his style.


    Oscar was more convinced than ever that there was something buried in the past¨Csomething important. He gave Owen a long look and said, ¡°You can¡¯t leave. You want to save Mom, right?¡±


    Wyatt had specifically told <i>Owen </i>to ask Paul. If he walked out now, Lily was going to jail for sure.


    Oscar let him go and stood back, letting Owen decide for himself.


    Owen gritted his teeth, then turned back into the room<b>, </b>dreading what came next.


    He stared at Paul. ¡°What exactly did you do to Yunice? If you don¡¯t give us an answer that satisfies Wyatt, we¡¯re not leaving.¡±


    Paulughed nastily. ¡°So now you¡¯re clinging to Wyatt¡¯s coattails? Is that how you survive now? Always pawning off your sisters to build your safety?¡±


    First Elsie with the Powell family, now Yunice with Wyatt.


    Owen¡¯s face flushed again, but as he started to stand, Oscar pushed him back down, his voi you do realize no one¡¯sing to help you. We can do whatever we want to you right now.


    Id. ¡°Paul,


    ¡°You can keep spouting lies. But we¡¯ll do anything to protect our family¨Cand Wyatt¡¯s backing us up.¡± Oscar slowly pulled a surgical scalpel from his pocket, twirling it between his fingers like it was nothing.


    Paul¡¯s eyes locked on the de, visibly unnerved.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to admit that all these years, he¡¯d been lying about Yunice.


    They were her brothers. If they found out the truth, they might really kill him.


    Owen noticed Paul¡¯s bravado shrinking. His heart began to race. Could there really be more to this than they thought?


    He suddenly found himself hoping¨C<i>please</i><i>, </i>no<i>, </i><i>don¡¯t </i><i>let </i><i>it </i><i>be </i><i>what </i><i>I </i>think it <i>is</i><i>. </i>


    Sensing the fear, Oscar stepped closer, raising the de to eye level, close enough that Paul could <b>see </b><b>his </b>reflection in the polished metal


    Paul, born into privilege, was exactly the kind of man who couldn¡¯t bear to lose <b>face</b><b>. </b>And <b>he </b><b>certainly </b>wasn¡¯t about to risk his life..


    In a final act of desperation<b>, </b><b>he </b>snapped, ¡°I never touched Yunice!¡±


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    Owen snapped, ¡°I told you to tell the truth!¡±


    He thought Paul was spouting nonsense again.


    s


    ¡°Damn it, I said I never touched Yunice! Are you her real brother or something? You can¡¯t sleep at night if I don¡¯t screw your sister, is that it?¡± Paul shot back, enraged.


    Owen fired back, ¡°Bullshit. Everyone in Silverburgh knows what happened between you and Yunice. And now you¡¯re denying it?¡±


    Paul sneered. ¡°Are you that stupid? You treat my words like gospel, but why don¡¯t you ask your sister what she has to say?¡±


    Owen was speechless.


    Oscar held a scalpel in his hand and frowned at Owen. ¡°Did¨CYunice ever talk to you about this?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face turned pale. He seemed to realize there was more to the story, but he tried to justify himself. ¡°I thought Yunice was just scared of getting yelled at, so she denied it¡­ Besides, how could they not have slept together? They were so close¡­¡±


    Oscar snapped, ¡°Everything¡¯s just what <i>you </i>think. You think this, you think that. Do your thoughts count <i>as </i>evidence now? This is serious¨Cshouldn¡¯t the first thing you do if Yunice was assaulted be calling the cops?¡±


    ¡°Oscar, it¡¯s easy for you to talk¨Cyou¡¯re not the one whose reputation is on the line!¡± Owen sneered. ¡°Now I get it. I¡¯m the one who did the most for this family, but in the end, I¡¯m the one everyone mes.¡±


    Oscar lost it. ¡°So you only care about your reputation? Do you have any idea how badly, ple talk about Yunice? You know exactly why no decent guy wants to marry her!¡±


    Owen jumped to his feet. ¡°Then what do you want me to do?! She¡¯s a woman, I¡¯m a man¨Cwhat can I do to prove anything for her? Who has the power to clear someone¡¯s name when the rumors are <i>that </i>filthy? Elsie slept with Paul too, and did I throw a fit? I treated them the same, didn¡¯t I?!¡±


    Then he red at Paul,shing out at everyone now. ¡°What the hell are we supposed to believe from you? One second you say you did, the next you say you didn¡¯t. Are we just a bunch of idiots to you?¡±


    ¡°And Wyatt? That lunatic? He knew Yunice wasn¡¯t a virgin when he married her. So what¡¯s he trying to pull now? Just to save face, he wants to go public and say she was never touched? That he married a ¡®pure¡® woman?


    It¡¯sughable! He really thinks people won¡¯t mock him behind his back? Say he¡¯s ovepensating, putting on an act? The more someonecks something, the harder they try to fake it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like getting mud in your pants¨Cpeople will say it¡¯s shit whether it is or not,¡± Owen said. ¡°If you don¡¯t bring it up, no one cares. But you all insist on humiliating yourselves just to look ¡®righteous.¡±


    With that, Owen stormed out.


    Paul sat on the hospital bed and let out a dryugh. Then he looked up at Oscar. ¡°Now do you see what kind of person Owen really is?¡±


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    ¡°The one you should be ming isn¡¯t me. It¡¯s Owen¡ªhe¡¯s the one who wanted to sweep everything under the rug. If he hadn¡¯t let it slide over and over again, who would¡¯ve dared to treat Yunice like trash?¡±


    Oscar¡¯s hand tightened around the scalpel. He already knew Owen was a bastard.


    But that didn¡¯t mean Paul should get off easy.


    Fury surged inside him. Without a word, Oscar raised the scalpel and shed Paul¡¯s face again and again.


    He moved fast, with barely any pause between cuts. The de was razor sharp, so the pain didn¡¯t register right away.


    It wasn¡¯t until Oscar was done and pulled back that Paul felt the searing, throbbing agony. His eyes widened as he raised his bandaged hand toward his face. Even before he touched it, he let out a strangled


    scream.


    Blood dripped steadily onto the pristine white sheets, like rain.


    Paul was terrified and in shock, unable to react.


    Oscar gave him onest cold nce before turning and walking out.


    He knew why Wyatt had summoned them today¨Cit was a test of loyalty.


    If Paul made it through the meeting unscathed, it would mean they had failed.


    But no matter how brutal their actions were today, Wyatt would have their backs.


    around. After Oscar left, the guards outside Paul¡¯s room returned to their posts, looking serious and alert. But their ears were deaf to Paul¡¯s cries and thuds¨Cno one responded to the sounds of him stum


    Paul kept screaming as he fell off the bed, dragging his crippled legs. He couldn¡¯t bear to imagine what his face looked like now.


    There was no mirror in the room, so he fumbled his way to the bathroom, clinging to the wall.


    When he finally saw his reflection, his face was drenched in blood. Two bloody characters were carved into his cheeks¨Cone on each side.


    One said ¡°bastard.¡± The other, ¡°scum.¡±


    Each character was etched deep, blood oozing along the strokes in grotesque trails.


    Paul copsed <i>to </i>the ground, ghostly pale. His hand scrambled for his phone, and in a daze, he called Jackson¡­


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    Oscar didn¡¯t catch up to Owen. He could only watch as Owen¡¯s car shot out of the vi¡¯s driveway like a loose cannon.


    That was just how Owen was¨Cthrowing tantrums the moment things didn¡¯t go


    his


    way.


    Oscar stood there frowning, deep in thought. What exactly was Wyatt trying to do?


    There was no way Wyatt brought them here just to hash out the truth.


    He was never one for peaceful resolutions. Wyatt had always believed in fighting fire with fire, an eye for an eye. If this was truly about standing up for Yunice, could it really be handled with a few words?


    Just then, Oscar noticed another car leaving the estate¨Cheading in apletely different direction.


    His expression darkened.


    Everything that happened here today would make its way to Wyatt¡¯s ears, word for word.


    And if this was a test, had he and Owen passed?


    Had the viins really paid the price?


    Oscar nced again in the direction Owen had gone.


    He had a gut feeling that Wyatt was supporting Yunice behind the scenes. And as the eldest in the family, if he continued to y dumb, then Wyatt would step in himself.


    No. He couldn¡¯t let things spiral any further.


    Oscar made up his mind and jumped in his car, heading the same way Owen had go


    Pavilion Hall.


    Wyatt was in the kitchen, ting food with the phone wedged between his shoulder and ear as someone reported to him.


    He let out a cold snort. ¡°So there¡¯s still someone in the Saunders family with half a brain.¡±


    ¡°Let him go. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°If the old man asks, just say I did it.¡±


    He hung up, took the ted food, and carried it to the dining room.


    Just as he sat down and was about to call Yunice for dinner, his phone rang again.


    Yunice happened to be stepping out of her room, and Wyatt had the call on speaker. She <b>heard </b><b>a </b>male voice crackle through:


    ¡°How long do you n on keeping her locked away? What¡¯s the matter<b>¨C</b>worried <b>she¡¯ll </b>fall <b>for </b><b>me </b><b>the </b>second sheys eyes on me?¡±


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    Yunice didn¡¯t recognize the voice, but from the tone, it was clear the guy was close to Wyatt.


    No one else would dare joke around with him like that.


    Wyatt, back turned, was arranging tes. ¡°Worried you¡¯re too ugly. Don¡¯t want you scaring my <b>wife</b><b>. </b>


    The voice on the other end clicked his tongue. ¡°Silverline Bay Club. Youing or not? If not, I¡¯m bringing everyone over to your ce!¡±


    Before Wyatt could respond, Yunice stepped into his line of sight and nced at his phone.


    Wyatt hung up and asked, ¡°You heard that?¡±


    Yunice yed along. ¡°Want me to block the door?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t, they¡¯ll be inside the house in no time.¡±


    Seeing her joking like this, Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°You¡¯re not bothered?¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°Are you ashamed of your ugly wife?¡±


    Only a man who thought his wife was ugly would refuse to take her out.


    They¡¯d been married for over a year, and she¡¯d never really seen his circle of friends.


    Wyatt was silent for a beat, then said, ¡°Go change¨Cwe¡¯re eating out.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s closet always seemed to have a few new dresses here and there. She picked the one that suited her best.


    After all, this was her first time meeting his people. She needed to uphold his reputation.


    Before leaving, she even put on a bit of makeup.


    But her style leaned cool and understated, so the makeup was light¨Cnothing that drew too much attention.


    Wyatt¡¯s reflection appeared behind her in the vanity mirror. <i>¡°</i>You look amazing. Putting this much effort in for them is already more than they deserve.¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t wearing any jewelry, so Wyatt picked out a ne from her jewelry box and stepped behind her to help her put it on.


    She realized then how much he liked dressing her up¨Clike she was some kind of collectible figure. ¡°Are they your friends?¡± Yunice asked as she probed about the people they were meeting.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Wyatt replied. ¡°Guys I met back when I was still building my career¨Cbasically a bunch <b>of </b>troublemakers.¡±


    Once the ne was in ce<b>, </b>he added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. Just show <b>up </b>and <b>eat</b><b>. </b>


    On the way there, Wyatt gave her a quick rundown of who would be present <b>and </b><b>what </b><b>their </b><b>backgrounds</b>.


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    Yunice looked at the photos on Wyatt¡¯s phone and quickly pieced together their rtionships.


    All in all, this was Wyatt¡¯s inner circle.


    Each of them had met him during his struggle to rise and had formed strong bonds with him.


    If she had topare, they were like her own circle: Kingsley, Mr. Carl, Gill, Freya.


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    The difference was that her people didn¡¯t know each other¨Cthey all revolved around her individually.


    Wyatt¡¯s circle, on the other hand, functioned as a unit that orbited around him¨Cand viewed her as an outsider.


    Breaking into a group like that wouldn¡¯t be easy.


    Yunice understood that perfectly. But she wasn¡¯t the type to avoid a necessary meeting.


    When they got out of the car, she looked up at the club entrance.


    Most of the rooms in the club were lit up¨Cbut there was one room in particr where a silhouette stood in full view at the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling window.


    Not long after, more shadows gathered around that person¨Clooking down, as if watching them arrive.


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    Chapter 444 The Test


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    Yunice silently counted the number of floors corresponding to that window, then stepped into the elevator.


    Sure enough, the waiter pressed the floor number Yunice had just calcted.


    <i>So </i><i>they </i><i>really </i><i>are </i><i>that </i><i>interested </i>in me, she thought.


    Outside the private room, Wyatt had just raised his hand when the door flung open from the inside.


    In an instant, a group of people crowded the doorway like starving wolves, staring directly and unabashedly at Yunice.


    They had already looked her up and seen her photos, but what they really wanted was topare her in person¨Csee how much she matched up to the pictures.


    After several seconds, a woman in the groupughed and said to the others, ¡°She¡¯s crush¨Ctier.


    Yunice scanned the group. Men and women alike, all about Wyatt¡¯s age¨Cmatching the brief introductions he¡¯d given her earlier.


    The woman who¡¯d spoken stuck out her hand with confident ease. ¡°Wee.¡±


    <i>Wee</i><i>? </i>


    It sounded friendly at first, but on second thought, that word only gets used on outsiders.


    No one would say that to Wyatt.


    Yunice shook her hand with calm poise. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡±


    With cliques like this, it was important to strike a bnce¨Cneither too eager to please nor too cold.


    It was a subtle, high¨Cpressure social game where neither side had crossed paths before. Suspicion and scrutiny hung in the air, and unless Yunice couldmand genuine respect, she would never truly be epted.


    As soon as the handshake ended, the others piled in.


    ¡°Can¡¯t y favorites. You shook her hand¨Cyou¡¯ve got to shake ours too.¡±


    Yunice obliged, smiling gently at each one.


    Once the greetings were done, the wo


    named Maine threw an arm around Yunice¡¯s shoulders and pulled her into the room like they were old friends. ¡°We¡¯re all Wyatt¡¯s close friends. And of course, I am too!¡±


    ¡°If you ever need anything, just say the word¨Cwe¡¯ve got your back!¡±


    Yunice smiled faintly. The words sounded nice, but the tone made it clear¨Cthis was <b>a </b>deration from someone in a superior position.


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    Chapter 444 The Test


    Only someone in charge would say they were ¡°covering¡± someone else.


    s


    And the casual arm around her shoulders? That was the bodynguage of someone treating her like a tagalong sidekick.


    But if Yunice pushed back, she¡¯de across as overly sensitive or


    snobbish.


    She kept her expression casy and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer, but I do know a little traditional medicine passed down through my family. If anyone has an annoying little health issue, I can probably help.¡±


    Maine grinned, loud and carefree. ¡°I know a ton of international medical experts. If you¡¯re ever looking for a mentor, just say the word¨CI¡¯ll hook you up.¡±


    <i>No </i><i>wonder </i><i>they¡¯re </i><i>Wyatt¡¯s </i><i>inner </i><i>circle</i><i>, </i>Yunice thought. <i>None </i><i>of </i><i>them </i><i>pull </i><i>their </i><i>punches</i>.


    Maine had smoothly brushed off her offer and regained control of the moment.


    Yunice followed her lead and sat down beside her, still smiling. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. Acadernician Laurie Shen¡¯s already taken me in as her final apprentice. If she hears I¡¯m trying to switch mentors, she¡¯ll probably smack me with a test tube.¡±


    Someone cut in. ¡°Laurie took you on?¡±


    Most people might not understand what that meant¨Cbut these people did.


    Laurie was one of the founding members of Wellinges Pharma. If she weren¡¯t so entric andcking in social tact, she might have already be part of this very group.


    That was why, when Laurie first met Yunice, she had no problem dragging her straight to confront Wyatt. Laurie might be rigid and sharp¨Ctongued, but agreeing to mentor Yunice mea¡­ she respected her.


    Yunice added smoothly, ¡°I helped out on the recent ward research project, so Academician Shen broke her own rule and made me herst disciple.¡±


    <i>Trantion</i><i>: </i><i>I¡¯ve </i><i>got </i><i>real </i><i>skills</i>. <i>Got </i>it?


    Maine smirked. ¡°No wonder everyone says Wyatt spoils you. He really went all out polishing your r¨¦sum¨¦. But hey, with solid credentials, no one can dig up dirt on you.¡±


    Yunice turned to her, brows slightly raised. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t quite catch that. Were you implying Wyatt faked my credentials?¡±


    She looked innocently at Wyatt. ¡°Wyatt, is that true?¡±


    The others shot each other amused nces around Yunice, exchanging looks with Maine.


    Their expressions practically said it all: <i>Yup</i><i>, </i><i>definitely </i><i>not </i><i>easy </i><i>to </i><i>deal </i>with.


    <i>Of </i><i>course </i><i>she¡¯s </i><i>smart</i>¨C<i>how </i><i>else </i><i>could </i><i>she </i><i>get </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>to </i><i>fall </i><i>for </i><i>her</i><i>? </i>


    Wyatt waited for the dust to settle before walking over to sit beside Yunice. He swept room. ¡°Anyone here got a problem with my wife?¡±


    his <b>gaze </b>


    <b>across </b>


    the


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    Chapter 444 The Test


    His teasing tone made the othersugh it off.


    ¡°We were just joking around. You gonna get all defensive now? When did you turn into such a softie?¡±


    ¡°Call her your sister inw,¡°¡± Wyatt said.


    ¡°Tch, I¡¯m older than you!¡±


    Wyatt wrapped an arm around Yunice¡¯s waist. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you have a wife?¡±

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    Chapter 445 Earning Her ce


    Across the room, someone scoffed, ¡°Listen to you¡±


    45 Free Coins


    Wyatt shot a careless look at the group. ¡°I don¡¯t care if any of you date or not, but just know<i>¨C</i>whoever brings a partner here in the future, however you treat my wife today is exactly how I¡¯ll treat yours.¡±


    He bit down on a cigarette, while Yunice leaned casually against his arm, the curve of her smile cool andposed¨Clike a queen holding court.


    Maine let out a loudugh. ¡°Alright, alright, we¡¯ll stop teasing. You make it sound like we¡¯ve been bullying your wife.¡±


    Then she turned to Yunice. ¡°He was the first of us lonely singles to betray the cause. We just wanted to see for ourselves¨Cwhat kind of charm does it take to make someone like him settle down?¡±


    People at their level rarely went out of their way to pick on others for no reason.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°I used to be all for staying single, too. But Wyatt had something special that made me change my mind. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here, meeting all of you.¡±


    Maine froze, genuinely caught off guard.


    A few secondster, the rest of the group caught on to the sarcasm buried in Yunice¡¯s words.


    To these ¡°chosen few,¡± it had always seemed obvious that Yunice came from a lower tier¨C<i>that </i>someone like her must have used tricks or luck to snag a man like Wyatt.


    But from Yunice¡¯s point of view, their rtionship was between equals. Why couldn¡¯t it have <i>been </i>Wyatt who won her over?


    Was someone like her not worth chasing?


    Besides¡­ Yunice knew the truth. Wyatt had used tricks to get her to marry him.


    Maine forced a smile, brushing it off and moving the conversation forward.


    But Yunice¡¯s quiet pushback did its job: the group backed off from using social rank to suppress her.


    She understood perfectly¨CWyatt could defend her all he wanted, but that kind of protection would only breed resentment.


    Reputation wasn¡¯t given. It had to be earned. Only when she stood firm would people stop looking down. on her.


    As the awkward silence settled, one of Wyatt¡¯s buddies called out, ¡°What are we all just sitting around for? Come on, help me pick out some drinks.¡±


    He tugged on Wyatt. ¡°C¡¯mon, man. Stop clinging to your wife¨Cit¡¯s embarrassing! You think she¡¯s gonna vanish if you let go for five minutes?¡±


    Maine stood too. ¡°I¡¯ll <i>go </i>with you. It¡¯s been ages since we all hung out. Gotta toast properly tonight for Yunice¡¯s sake!


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    Calling Yunice by name, casually and directly, was her way of signaling that Yunice was now one of them- at least on the surface.


    Naturally, Wyatt couldn¡¯t hover by Yunice¡¯s side all evening.


    A few left to get drinks, while others stayed behind to chat with her.


    But because of how sharp Yunice hade across carlier, no one dared tease her again.


    Outside the private room, Wyatt and his buddies headed toward the bar.


    One of them nudged him. ¡°So, how was that massage oil I gave youst time?¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Mediocre.¡±


    ¡°Mediocre?¡± The man raised his voice in disbelief, then quickly lowered it. ¡°No way. Your wife didn¡¯t react?¡±


    Wyatt gave him a cold stare. ¡°Was that stuff even legit?¡±


    ¡°Of course it was. Your wife¡¯s the one who¡¯s not letting you sleep with her, right? That stuff guarantees she won¡¯t be able to resist. And if she <i>can </i>resist, then something¡¯s wrong with her.¡±


    Wyatt stopped in his tracks. ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how I know. Point is¨Cif a couple¡¯s not sleeping together, something¡¯s off. If she won¡¯t sleep with you, she¡¯s just not that into you.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What the hell do <i>you </i>know?¡±


    None of them understood Yunice¨Cwhat she¡¯d been through or what she was still carrying.


    She had her own demons when it came to intimacy, especially with the rumors and history involving Paul. Those scars didn¡¯t just vanish.


    The fact that she had started to ept him, however slowly, already meant she was letting him in.


    Wyatt had promised he wouldn¡¯t rush her. It didn¡¯t matter if she didn¡¯t feel anything now¨Che would draw her in, one step at a time.


    The man said, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone teaching me how to have sex,¡± Wyatt snapped. ¡°You trying to run my bedroom now, too?¡±


    With that, he turned and stormed off.


    The man let out an awkward sigh.


    Just then, Maine appeared, frowning as her gaze moved between Wyatt and the other guy. ¡°Wait¡­ what did you just say? Yunice won¡¯t sleep with him?¡±


    The man raised his hands in a shrug, voice low and dramatic. ¡°They pulled guns on each other over it.¡±


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    ¡°They¡¯ve been married for over a year. If it wasn¡¯t for that bottle of oil I gave him, who knows if he¡¯d have gotten anywhere. And now <i>I¡¯m </i>the bad guy? Fine. I¡¯ll just keep my mouth shut next time.¡±


    Maine watched him walk away, thoughtful.


    She returned to the private room with the drinks¨Cand froze at the doorway.


    Inside, Yunice wasughing and chatting with the others like she¡¯d always belonged there.

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    The same group that had seemed so aloof carlier now crowded around Yunice, arms outstretched.


    ¡°Check me first! Cramer, stop pushing! You¡¯re the one who admitted to feeling weak earlier. What¡¯s the point if your pulse is gone?¡±


    ¡°My left wrist feels weak¨Cwhat if the right one doesn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°What are you, half¨Cparalyzed? One side works and the other doesn¡¯t?¡±


    Just then, Maine walked in and saw Yunice taking pulses. She frowned. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡±


    Someone looked back and answered, ¡°Maine, Yunice is taking our pulses. And she¡¯s good. She even figured out what I ate two days ago!¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you alwaysin about cramps? Make room for Maine¨Chers are the worst, let her go first.¡±


    With a flurry of movement, the crowd parted. ¡°Ladies first! Maine, your turn!¡±


    Maine frowned and gave Yunice a tight look, then turned to the group. ¡°She¡¯s still young. It¡¯s fine to mess around, but don¡¯t go taking her prescriptions seriously.¡±


    She grabbed the slip of paper Cramer was holding and ripped it in half.


    Then she turned to the person who¡¯d been impressed with Yunice earlier. ¡°You post like 800 updates <i>a </i>day. Anyone who pays attention knows everything about you, right down to how often you go to the bathroom. Figuring out what you ate isn¡¯t exactly rocket science.¡±


    ¡°Maine, don¡¯t be a killjoy,¡± someone muttered. ¡°We¡¯re just here to have fun. Y married a while¨Cwhy act like she¡¯s still a stranger?¡±


    e and Wyatt have been


    ¡°I¡¯m not throwing a fit,¡± Maine said, setting her drink down. ¡°Just saying¨Cdon¡¯t go popping random pills.¡±


    Yunice looked at her politely and asked, ¡°You don¡¯t really post much online, do you?¡±


    Maine nced up at her, wary.


    Yunice said calmly, ¡°Yourplexion¡¯s dull with a slight greenish tint. Puffiness under the eyes. ssic signs of liver stagnation and dampness in the spleen.¡±


    Maine¡¯s expression turned openly hostile¡ªYunice made it sound like she was some kind of monster.


    But deep down, Maine knew every word was true. Her makeup routine was long and heavy, just to cover up her tired appearance. Years of nonstop work had drained her, and she¡¯d always med the stress for making her look worse.


    Yunice continued, ¡°You probably get breast tenderness before your period, sticky mouth in the morning, and fatigue throughout the day


    ¡°You¡¯re dealing with both blood deficiencypounded by internal dampness. You should take astragalus. and amomum. No cold drinks. Tap the galldder meridian in the morning, soak in tuckahoe and cinnamon twig tea at night¡±


    15:15 Thu, 17 Jul GOO


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    Chapter 446 The Queen¡¯s Gambit


    ¡°Bnce your liver, and your skin will clear up. You might even earn yourself an extra thirty minutes of sleep in the morning.¡±


    No more struggling with heavy concealer.


    Maine stared at her. Even though Yunice had hit every nail on the head, she snapped. ¡°That¡¯s all wrong


    ¡°My skin¡¯s fine. No need to lie through your teeth.¡±


    Seeing that she was getting defensive, the group quickly jumped in to smooth things over. <i>¡°</i>Alright, alright With medicine, it¡¯s all about belief¨Cif you believe in it, it works. If not, that¡¯s fine too. It¡¯s just for fun.¡±


    ¡°Now that the drinks are here, let¡¯s y truth or dare!¡±


    Yunice smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m not ying. You all know each other too well¨Cnone of your secrets <b>will </b>matter. So clearly the game¡¯s just a trick to dig up <i>my </i>secrets, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Everyone burst outughing. ¡°But if you¡¯ve got good luck, you won¡¯t have to do anything


    ¡°y a few rounds, get to know us better. Eventually, you¡¯ll learn our dirt too.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s blunt honesty actually made it harder for anyone to target her openly.


    Once Wyatt and the others returned, the game officially began.


    Rules were simple: whoever lost spun the bottle. Whoever the bottle pointed to <i>had </i>toplete a dare or answer a truth.


    To decide who would spin first, they drew cards¨Chighest card wins.


    Everyone flipped their cards, and as luck would have it, Yunice¡¯s was the lowest.


    The ¡°chosen one.¡±


    She stood and gave the bottle a calcted flick.


    All eyes followed its spin. Slowly, it came <i>to </i>a stop¨Cpointing directly at Maine.


    Yunice now had the power to assign her punishment. She thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go with a dare.¡±


    Maine visibly rxed. Truths were much harder to navigate.


    For someone like her, dares were a piece of cake¨Ceven something extreme like kissing someone next to her wouldn¡¯t faze her.


    But if Yunice¡¯s request was too outrageous, Maine could just spin it like she was being the mature one. Yunice¡¯s eyes sparkled with sly amusement. After a few seconds, she announced sweetly, ¡°Your dare is¡­ spill some juicy dirt on Wyatt. How many women, besides me, has he almost gotten involved with?¡±

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    Maine instinctively nced at Wyatt when she heard Yunice¡¯s question, but quickly shifted her <b>gaze </b><b>and </b>fired back at Yunice instead. ¡°Everyone has a past. Haven¡¯t you?¡±


    Digging into someone¡¯s history like this¨Cespecially in front of a crowd¨Cwas, in her eyes, petty.


    Besides, everyone knew Yunice had been engaged to someone else for over a decade. What right did she have to question anyone¡¯s past?


    The room went silent for a few seconds before Wyatt finally said, ¡°One.¡±


    The ripple was immediate. It was as if a stone had been dropped into still water<i>¨C</i>silent, but deep.


    Their expressions flickered briefly before everyone quickly yed it cool and changed the topic.


    ¡°Maine, challenge failed. Bottoms up!¡± someone called.


    It was an obvious attempt to defuse the situation and offer Maine an out.


    Maine didn¡¯t argue. She downed her drink and let the moment pass.


    Now it was her turn to spin the bottle.


    She tried her best to aim it at Yunice, but luck¨Cor fate¨Cwasn¡¯t on her side. The bottle turned just past Yunice and stopped squarely in front of Wyatt.


    Maine clenched her fingers for a moment, then, despite herself, asked the question that had been wing at her: ¡°Truth or dare¨Cdo you have any regrets so far?¡±


    Yunice subtly watched the expressions of those around her as she casually 1..


    Wyatt¡¯s voice answered calmly, ¡°No.¡±


    The light in Maine¡¯s eyes seemed to flicker out.


    She forced a smile. ¡°So you¡¯repletely satisfied with the way things are.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s fingers lightly tapped the side of her ss.


    A her ss of juice.


    Everyone thought she couldn¡¯t read between the lines of this close¨Cknit group¡¯s coded conversations¡ªbut in truth, she understood everything perfectly.


    She knew exactly what Maine meant by ¡°regret.¡± It was about the woman Wyatt kept hidden away at the Gardison Residence¨Chis old me.


    So now that he was married to Yunice, did he regret not being with her?


    Wyatt said he didn¡¯t.


    It was a jarring question.


    And <b>a </b>sobering answer<b>. </b>


    Chapter 447 The Ghost Between Them


    Yunice didn¡¯t know whether he and his former lover had truly broken up, but judging by how often <b>he </b><b>still </b>visited her, she clearly still had a ce in his heart.


    Yunice could also guess that this ex had once been a part of this very circle¨Cand had likely been well- liked.


    So to them, Yunice must¡¯ve seemed like a thief of someone else¡¯s happiness.


    <i>Or </i>worse¨Ca homewrecker.


    She felt an unexpected hollowness.


    They all saw each other as rivals, as threats. But from where she stood, she hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    No one had ever told her the truth¨Cso what gave them the right to judge her?


    For the rest of the game, the bottle never once pointed to Yunice. It was as if <i>it </i>deliberately avoided her every time.


    But she knew better.


    Back in the mental institution, Kingsley had taught her that luck wasn¡¯t random¨Cit was manipted.


    Games that pretended to rely on chance were always prearranged.


    If someone wanted the bottle to miss her, it would.


    And in this group, only Wyatt would go out of his way to ensure that.


    Eventually, the fun wore off, and the game was called off early.


    Wyatt had the server put everything on his tab.


    Yunice noticed Maine get up to go to the restroom and followed after, grabbing her bag on the way.


    By the time she entered, Maine was already inside a stall.


    Yunice took the one next to hers.


    -The walls weren¡¯t soundproof. Yunice clearly heard Maine¡¯s voice, low and tight: ¡°Can you bring me a pad?


    Yeah¡­ it started.¡±


    A few minutester, the sound of heels approached, followed by another woman¡¯s voice:


    ¡°Not to be rude, but why are you always so hard on Yunice?¡±


    Yunice recognized her¨Canother woman from the private room.


    There was the rustle of movement, then Maine¡¯s voice. ¡°I just can¡¯t stand the <b>way </b>Wyatt <b>tossed </b><b>Nora </b><b>aside </b>like that.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ve got a problem with Wyatt, go after him. What did Yunice do? When <b>she </b><b>came </b><b>into </b><b>the </b><b>picture </b>Nora was already in aa.¡±


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    ¡°She¡¯s not a homewrecker. And we all agreed <i>to </i>keep Nora a secret¨Cso how is she anything but innocent?¡±


    Maine said nothing for a long moment. Then came the sound of the stall door opening.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t stand that smug look on her face. If Nora hadn¡¯t fallen into aa, she wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to climb her way up.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t expect her to just take a beating and smile. If someone ps her, of course she¡¯s going to hit back,¡± the other woman replied. ¡°And if Wyatt had married someone who just sat there and took it, wouldn¡¯t you have a problem with that too?¡±


    They moved to the sinks, washing their hands as the woman added, ¡°You¡¯re not mad <i>at </i>Yunice¨Cyou¡¯re grieving for Nora. But what¡¯s the point? Nora¡¯s been unconscious for three years. Every top medical expert has said there¡¯s no chance she¡¯ll ever wake up.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt¡¯s still young. <i>You </i>expect him to waste the rest of his life on someone who¡¯s essentially already gone? Even if he hadn¡¯t chosen Yunice, he¡¯d have chosen someone else. The onlyfort is, Yunice and Nora look kind of alike. Maybe that¡¯s his way of not letting <i>go</i><i>.</i>¡±


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    Chapter 448 Ghosts of the Past


    Maine clutched a tissue in her trembling hand, her voice choked. ¡°¡­Nora was such a fool. <b>Gave </b>her life for a man. So stupid¡­¡±


    What followed was a muffled sob.


    Yunice stood silently in the neighboring stall, listening.


    She didn¡¯t emerge until she heard the retreating footsteps of the two women.


    At the sink, she washed her hands slowly, Maine¡¯s words echoing in her mind.


    <i>So </i><i>the </i><i>woman </i><i>she </i><i>resembled</i><i>¨C</i><i>her </i><i>predecessor</i><i>¨C</i><b><i>was </i></b>named <i>Nora</i>. And most likely, her tragedy had everything <b>to </b><b><i>do </i></b>with <i>Wyatt</i>.


    And now that Nora couldn¡¯t be saved, Wyatt, in his loneliness, had designed a recement who looked <b>like </b>her: Yunice.


    Yunice had seen this


    <i>Ory </i>before. Many times, in fact, during her years at the hospital.


    <i>So </i><i>many </i><i>marriages</i>, so <i>many </i>vows <i>of </i><i>eternal </i><i>love</i><i>¡­ </i><i>yet </i><i>when </i><i>death </i><i>or </i><b><i>illness </i></b><i>came</i><i>, </i>how fast people <b><i>changed</i></b>.


    She had watched men seek new partners while their wives were still clinging to life. Some remarried just weeks after the funeral.


    People condemned it with their mouths, but epted it with their silence. After all, the dead couldn¡¯t protest.


    No one could definitively say those men were wrong¨Cthey were, after all, just trying to keep on living. But it was undeniably cold.


    To someone like Maine, Wyatt <b><i>was </i></b>that kind of man. She might resent him, but she couldn¡¯t stop him. So all that anger was redirected at Yunice¨Cas if by ming her, she could paint Wyatt as a man lured away by an outsider.


    Now it made sense why Song Xiaoxiao and Jiang Yuyang had treated her so harshly. They were probably close to Nora too¨Cso in their eyes, Yunice was the woman who had taken Nora¡¯s ce.


    Yunice shut off the faucet and looked into the mirror.


    By the time she returned to the private room, most of the guests had already left.


    Wyatt reached out, took her hand, and stood up.


    On the ride home, he didn¡¯t offer a single exnation.


    And someone as smart as him¨Cthere was no way he didn¡¯t know that Yunice had figured out the truth about his ex.


    But clearly, he didn¡¯t care to exin. Maybe he didn¡¯t think it was worth addressing at all.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t the only one drinking tonight.


    C


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    Elsewhere, Owen sat slouched at a bar, downing drink after drink. His cheeks were flushed red from <b>the </b>alcohol, and he was hugging a bottle to his chest, muttering in a haze.


    ¡°Lies¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all lies<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°There¡¯s no way they¡¯re not connected¨Cthis has to be fake¡­¡±


    The bartender had been silently polishing sses but had been ncing at him for a while. Finally, curiosity got the better of him.


    ¡°What¡¯s fake?¡±


    Owen lifted his head, eyes ssy. But slowly, they sharpened into something dangerous.


    Then, all of a sudden, he lunged.


    He grabbed the bartender by the neck, squeezing viciously. ¡°Why did you lie?! What¡¯s real, huh?! I don¡¯t believe you! I don¡¯t believe you didn¡¯t touch Yunice! You¡¯re just saying that to get back at me!¡±


    Straddling the bar, he choked the man with both hands, his strength wild and erratic.


    The bartender¡¯s eyes rolled back as he wed at Owen¡¯s arms, desperate for air.


    People in the bar started noticing. They stared.


    Then someone pushed through the crowd, shouting, ¡°Excuse me¨Clet me through!¡±


    Shoving her way forward, a woman finally reached the scene.


    She took one look at the chaos and immediately jumped onto the bar, prying at Owen¡¯s arms. ¡°Let go! Let go of him!¡±


    Owen, drunk and off¨Cbnce, had burned through his strength. With thebined effort of the bartender and the woman, he finally let go.


    The woman helped drag him down from the bar while the bartender, red¨Cfaced and gasping, cursed through clenched teeth. ¡°Is he insane?! What the hell is his problem?!¡±


    Owen, still in a daze, looked at the woman supporting him and slurred, ¡°Who the hell are you?! I¡¯m calli the cops! You¡¯re all under arrest!¡±


    He jabbed at the red marks on his neck. ¡°This is assault!¡±


    The woman¨CPeggy¨Clooped his arm around her neck. Up close, she could smell the sharp tang of liquor on his breath. Her throat moved subtly as she swallowed hard.


    Then she nced impatiently at the bartender. ¡°You just want money, right? Fine. I¡¯ll pay.¡±


    She pulled out a thick stack of cash from her wallet and tossed it across the counter with <b>a </b><b>flick </b>of <b>her </b>wrist. ¡°Here. Take it.¡±


    <b>Bills </b>fluttered through the air, falling like confetti, briefly silencing the <b>bar¡¯s </b><b>noise</b>.


    11:14 Fri, <b>18 </b><b>Jul </b>G


    Chapter 448 Ghosts of the Past


    Peggy dragged Owen through the stunned crowd and took him upstairs to get a room.


    <b>+5 </b><b>Free </b><b>Coins </b>


    From the back of the room, Oscar watched it all unfold in silence. When the door upstairs finally clicked shut, he turned and left¨Chis face grim.


    Inside the room, Owen still had a shred of awareness left.


    When Peggy pushed him onto the bed, he panted heavily and cracked his eyes open.


    Through the haze of alcohol, he could barely make out her silhouette.


    He raised a hand to stop her, voice hoarse. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡±

 Daghter 449

    Chapter 449 The Trap


    Chapter 449 The Trap


    +5 <b>Free </b>Coine


    Peggy¡¯s heart skipped a beat when her hand was grabbed, but she quickly realized Owen had no ability to recognize anything right now.


    Her eyes shifted, and she said, ¡°I¡¯m your sister Yunice. You threw up on your clothes, they¡¯re dirty. Take them off and I¡¯ll help you wash them.¡±


    ¡°Yunice?¡± Owen turned over in difort, then choked out, ¡°Yunice¡­ I feel terrible¡­ I want your remedy¡­ You haven¡¯t made remedy for me in so long¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright. As long as you take your clothes off obediently, I¡¯ll go make you some sobering soup, okay?¡± Peggy couldn¡¯t hide her excitement.


    Owen, eyes closed, didn¡¯t refuse. He took off his shirt and pulled the nket over himself. While waiting, he fell asleep.


    He slept with no memory of anything afterward.


    The next morning, Owen woke up from his hangover with a pounding headache.


    His whole body ached as he sat up and shook his heavy head, then looked around the unfamiliar surroundings in confusion.


    ¡°How did I end up here?¡±


    As soon as he said it, he suddenly felt something and looked down in shock.


    Under the same nkety a woman.


    From the touch beneath the nket and the way it clung to them, he could tell she waspletely naked.


    What¡¯s more, the woman was holding onto him, her hand reaching toward his lower abdomen.


    Owen¡¯s entire body went numb, goosebumps rising. In the next second, he jumped off the bed. ¡°Who the hell are you?!¡±


    As soon as his feet hit the floor, he realized something¨Cthere was a cool breeze. He looked down and saw, with a pale face, that he waspletely naked.


    Peggy, disturbed by his voice, sat up groggily. As she moved, the nket slipped, revealing her naked body


    as well.


    Seeing herpletely exposed, Owen felt a deep sense of disgust.


    Peggy looked at him, and Owen quickly grabbed a shirt to cover his private parts, then with a dark expression, reached for his pants.


    But his pants were underneath Peggy, and she didn¡¯t move¨Che couldn¡¯t pull them free.


    Peggy raised an eyebrow, grabbing one pant leg and engaging in a tug¨Cof¨Cwar. ¡°Director Yun, you <b>were </b><b>so </b>


    |||


    O


    Chapter 449 The Trap


    wild with mest night, so passionate, and now you want to put on your pants and leave?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face alternated between pale and flushed. His voice came out hoarse: ¡°What?¡±


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    Peggy shifted to what she thought was a more ttering pose and said, ¡°I said we¡¯ve already had a real night as husband and wife. You didn¡¯t feel it?¡±


    Feel what¨COwen didn¡¯t know a single thing.


    His head throbbed with pain, and every nerve screamed that he was in serious trouble.


    He yanked his pants free with force, flipping Peggy over in the process.


    Peggy rolled, and with the nket twisting, a patch of blood was exposed on the sheets.


    She cooed, ¡°Owen, you hypocrite. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nning to deny it after sleeping with me?¡±


    Owen froze mid¨Cmotion as he stared at the bloodstain on the bed.


    That was clearly the trace only a first time would leave.


    <i>Peggy¡¯s </i>first <i>time</i><i>? </i>


    Who <i>cares </i>if it <i>was </i><i>her </i>first <i>time</i><i>! </i>


    Owen¡¯s thoughts were in chaos. <i>Either </i><i>way</i><i>, </i><i>there¡¯s </i><i>no </i><i>way </i>I¡¯m <i>getting </i><i>involved </i>with this nuisance!


    Seeing that Owen had put on his clothes and still intended to leave, Peggy shrieked angrily, ¡°Owen! Don¡¯t think you can just sleep with me and walk away like nothing happened!¡±


    ¡°I filmed everythingst night! If you dare deny it, I¡¯ll y the video on a loop outside your hospital! I¡¯ll let everyone see you for who you really are!¡±


    Owen broke into a cold sweat. ¡°You filmedst night?¡±


    Peggy snorted. ¡°Now it looks like my decisionst night was absolutely right. You really are an irresponsible man!¡±


    Owen no longer dared to walk out, but he didn¡¯t want to get entangled with Peggy either.


    The harassment over this period had already made it clear to Owen how annoying Peggy truly was.


    There was no way he¡¯d let himself get involved with her.


    Owen¡¯s tone turned icy: ¡°How much do you want to end this?¡±


    Peggy¡¯s face fell. She raised her voice: ¡°Owen, you¡¯re insulting me. I¡¯m not for sale!¡±


    Owen said in disgust, ¡°You took advantage of me when I wasn¡¯t sober. If you¡¯re not for sale, you¡¯re still no good!¡±


    Peggy wasn¡¯t embarrassed at all. She smirked proudly, ¡°If you¡¯re so upset, go ahead and report me. Say I raped you. How about that?¡±


    Chapter 449 The Trap


    Owen¡¯s expression cracked, bit by bit.


    He was a grown man¨Cusing a woman of rape? Who would believe him?


    Even if he won or lost, he¡¯d lose face either way!


    ??


    s


    And if Peggy really had video ofst night, he had no memory of anything while drunk. If her ¡°evidence¡± made it look like he was the one who initiated things, once it got out, his reputation would be utterly destroyed.


    At that thought, the first people who came to mind were Elsie and Lily.


    If a scandal like this broke out, wouldn¡¯t he drag down both his mother and sister with him?

 Daghter 450

    Chapter 450 Walk of Shame


    Chapter 450 Walk of Shame


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    Realizing brute force wouldn¡¯t work, Owen rxed a little and said, ¡°Put your clothes on first. Then we¡¯ll


    talk.¡±


    Peggy took her time getting dressed, throwing him flirtatious nces and deliberately swaying her hips as if performing.


    But flirting with a cunuch was pointless. Owen¡¯s scowl was so severe it could¡¯ve crushed a fly between his brows.


    For Peggy, this felt like a triumphant victory. For Owen, every second was torture.


    He lowered his eyes to hisp, silently cursing the heavens for sparing that sinful part of his body during the gue.


    He nced at Peggy again and felt nothing but regret.


    Once dressed, she sat across from him with one shoulder exposed and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Owen kept his voice calm. ¡°Whatever your demands are, just say them. We can work something out.¡±


    Peggy beamed. ¡°My demands aren¡¯t hard at all. You know I¡¯ve always had a thing for you. And I think you like me too.¡±


    Owen forced down his anger. ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    Peggy pouted. ¡°If you didn¡¯t like me, why did you keeping back for morest night? My back¡¯s still aching¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Owen¡¯s face turned pale as he cut her off. ¡°Just tell me what it¡¯ll take to shut you up!¡±


    Peggy leaned over the table, chin in her hands, shing a mischievous smile. ¡°You slept with me, so now you have to take responsibility. I want to marry you and be Mrs. Saunders.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Owen shot to his feet. ¡°If I brought a woman like you home¨Csomeone with no sense of boundaries¨Cmy family would never know peace again!¡±


    Peggy blinked innocently. ¡°Why would you say that? You don¡¯t even know how I¡¯d get along with your family. Besides, doesn¡¯t your sister Yunice live in Pavilion Hall? It¡¯s not like we¡¯d see each other much¡­¡±


    Owen was firm. ¡°Anything but marriage. Anything else, name it.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°Then I insist on marriage. Take it or leave it.¡±


    As the standoff dragged on, there was a knock at the door.


    Owen was already at his breaking point. Embarrassed and in no state to see anyone, he pretended no one was inside.


    But the person outside wouldn¡¯t give up. The knocking grew louder and more frantic.


    Finally, Owen snapped. ¡°Quit knocking! Go away!¡±


    <


    Chapter 450 Walk of Shame


    The noise stopped¨Cfor a moment. Then his phone started ringing.


    s


    Peggy craned her neck to peek at the screen. The second she saw the name ¡°Elsie,¡± Owen snatched the phone away like a miser guarding treasure.


    Worried Elsie might be panicking, he walked into the bathroom to take the call.


    Her voice trembled with concern. ¡°Owen, are you in there? Please open the door¨CI just want to make sure you¡¯re okay¡­¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes stung. His fingers tightened around the phone. This had to be the lowest point of his life.


    There was no way he could let her see him like this.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said.


    Elsie¡¯s voice turned urgent. ¡°Oscar told me you were really upsetst night¨Cthat you drank <i>a </i>ton. And you didn¡¯te home at all. I¡¯ve been worried sick¡­¡±


    Then, growing more frantic, she threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t open the door, I swear I¡¯ll call security to break it down!¡±


    Owen panicked. ¡°Don¡¯t!¡±


    From the bathroom door, Peggy¡¯s voice rang out with augh. ¡°Is that your family? Let her in. She and I are bound to meet eventually, right?¡±


    Owen turned, horrified. Peggy was leaning casually against the doorframe, eavesdropping like <i>it </i>was the most natural thing in the world.


    He felt his scalp tingle. Peggy was terrifying. She made his skin crawl. It was like he had no privacy around her¨Cshe didn¡¯t even bother hiding the fact she was listening in on his call.


    ¡°Owen, who¡¯s that? Why do I hear a woman¡¯s voice in your room?¡± Elsie¡¯s voice rose, followed by another round of frantic pounding.


    Peggy didn¡¯t wait for Owen to react. She strutted to the door and flung it open.


    And just to twist the knife, she tugged her cor loose as she did, revealing the telltale red marks on her -chest¨Cobvious signs ofst night¡¯s activities.


    Owen nearly screamed. ¡°No!¡±


    But the door was already open, and Peggy and Elsie stared each other down.


    Elsie froze at first, stunned to see the half¨Cdressed woman. Her eyes quickly dropped to the marks on Peggy¡¯s chest¨Cany woman who had ever experienced it would know exactly what they meant.


    Her expression twisted in rage. Who the hell are you?! Why are you in Owen¡¯s room dressed like that? Do you have no shame?!¡±


    Peggy leaned seductively against the doorframe, looking her up and down. ¡°And you are? Owen¡¯s girlfriend?¡±


    Chapter 450 Walk of Shame


    Elsie snapped, ¡°He¡¯s my Owen!¡±


    Peggy blinked, her expression shifting. ¡°You mean like¡­ your Owen?¡±


    Elsie growled, ¡°What do you think?!¡±


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins

 Daghter 451

    Chapter 451 Family Drama


    Chapter 451 Family Drama


    s


    Peggy¡¯s tone instantly turned sweet. She grabbed Elsie¡¯s hands and smiled warmly. ¡°I¡¯m your sister¨Cinw, you¡¯re my little sister¨Cwe¡¯re going to be family.¡±


    Elsie yanked her hands back in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m not family with you! F¡¯m here for my Owen!¡±


    With that, she shoved past Peggy and stormed into the room.


    The ce was a disaster. Women¡¯s underwear was scattered all over the floor. Elsie¡¯s face went pale as her gaze fell on the red marks on the bed¡­ 1


    <i>What </i>the ?!


    She stared at Owen, who looked like death, then choked out, ¡°Owen, you¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, her voice broke, tears filling her eyes. She turned and ran out of the hotel like she¡¯d just been deeply humiliated.


    ¡°Elsie!¡± Owen called out, panicked, and chased after her without a second thought.


    Peggy stood frozen, unable to stop him in time.


    Stunned, she muttered, ¡°Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be his little sister? Why¡¯d she act like I stole her man? What¡¯s wrong with these two?¡±


    Owen jammed his hands between the closing elevator doors and squeezed inside.


    Inside the descending elevator, Elsie¡¯s eyes were red and puffy from crying. ¡°Why¡¯d youe after me? Don¡¯t you care about your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend!¡± Owen said quickly.


    Elsie snapped, ¡°You slept with her and you¡¯re saying she¡¯s not your girlfriend? What, did you pay for it or something?¡±


    Owen couldn¡¯t even begin to defend himself. ¡°It¡¯splicated. It¡¯s not what you think¡­¡±


    Elsie pressed on. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I think. The real question is, are you going to marry her? If you do, will you still treat me the same?¡±


    Owen frowned and answered right away. ¡°Stop overthinking. You¡¯re my sister. No matter who I marry, I¡¯ll always treat you well.¡±


    Elsie sniffled. ¡°What if your wife and I argue? Who would you side with?¡±


    Without hesitation, Owen said, ¡°You, of course. You¡¯re always <b>so </b>reasonable. If there¡¯s a conflict, it¡¯s definitely not your fault.¡±


    That finally got a smile out of her through the tears. She pressed the elevator button. ¡°Then let¡¯s go check on your girlfriend. She seemed pretty anxious.¡±


    Owen held the doors open, frowning. ¡°Why do you care about her? She¡¯s not my girlfriend!¡±


    Chapter 451 Family Drama


    *<b>5 </b>Free Comed


    Elsie said quietly, ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem like someone who¡¯s gonna let go easily. As another woman, maybe <b>I </b>can help you deal with her.¡±


    Owen hesitated. The look in Elsie¡¯s eyes was sincere and honestly, he really did want to get rid of Peggy


    Peggy thought they weren¡¯ting back. She had just finished dressing when Owen and Elsie barged in with serious expressions.


    Especially Elsie¨Cshe walked in like she was in charge, standing right in front of Owen and addressing Peggy directly. ¡°Hi. I¡¯d like to talk to you.¡±


    Peggy gave her a quick once¨Cover,pletely unfazed. ¡°Sure.¡±


    The two of them went to a different room, leaving Owen behind.


    Once the door closed, the air between them turned tense.


    Elsie sneered. ¡°My brother already told me everything. You used dirty tricks to <i>try </i>and trap him.¡±


    ¡°So? What do you want from him?¡±


    Peggy gave a theatrical shrug and replied, ¡°Did his little buddy personally tell you I used dirty tricks?¡±


    She stepped up to Elsie, her tone mocking. ¡°If that thing wasn¡¯t excited, would it have touched me? What now? y the victim after the fact and dump all the filth on me?¡±


    Elsie hadn¡¯t expected Peggy to be so shameless. ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Peggy cut in. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t marry me, I¡¯ll report him for rape. Do what you want.¡±


    Elsie reached out. ¡°Show me the video. I can¡¯t judge if you really have proof without <i>seeing </i>it.¡±


    Peggyughed even louder. ¡°Wow, you¡¯ve got no shame at all. You actually want to watch your own brother¡¯s sex tape?¡±


    <i>¡°</i>You!¡± Elsie¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Then I¡¯ll let Owen watch it himself!¡±


    Peggy shrugged. ¡°Wanna see it? Ask a judge.¡±


    -She waspletely fearless, banking on the fact that she had video evidence. Nothing scared her.


    Elsie realized soft tactics wouldn¡¯t work and switched to hardball. She clenched her teeth and said in a low voice<i>, </i>¡°Don¡¯t think marrying Owen will <i>be </i>some kind of win. In the Saunders family, Ie first. My mom¡¯s second. Owen is third. If you ever step into our house, you¡¯ll be nothing bu


    ervant.¡±


    Peggy stared her right in the eyes, not backing down. ¡°Status depends on how well I fight for <i>it</i>. If I end up at the bottom, that just means I wasn¡¯t good enough.¡±

 Daghter 452

    Chapter 452 Explosive usations


    Chapter 452 Explosive usations


    Elsie¡¯s hands were shaking with rage¨Cyet she couldn¡¯t do a thing about PeggY.


    Lowering her voice, Peggy sneered, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Afraid I¡¯ll marry into your family and threaten your precious little spot?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just the little sister. But you act like you¡¯re Owen¡¯s girlfriend. Why are youpeting with <b>me </b>like we¡¯re in some love triangle?¡±


    Elsie snapped, ¡°Go ahead and report it! The whole world will know you slept with a man. Let¡¯s see who would still want to marry you then!¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± Peggy raised an eyebrow. ¡°If I can¡¯t get married, then your brother¡¯s going to jail. When he gets out, I¡¯ll marry him anyway.¡±


    Elsie was so furious it felt like her lungs were going to explode. She raised her hand and lunged. ¡°T¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Peggy didn¡¯t back down. She grabbed Elsie¡¯s hair and shoved her head down, while Elsie wildly wed at her face.


    The room filled with screaming and chaos. Owen burst in, saw the mess, and rushed over, prying at Peggy¡¯s hand. ¡°Let go of her!¡±


    Peggy had locked on with everything she had, yanking hard on Elsie¡¯s hair.


    Elsie was bawling. Owen gritted his teeth and pried Peggy¡¯s fingers loose.


    Peggy copsed to the floor, staring at her own red, blood¨Cstreaked hands.


    Then she looked up¨Cand saw Owen cradling Elsie in his arms, trying tofort her.


    Seeing their intimate posture, something seemed to click in Peggy¡¯s mind. ¡°Are you two into incest?¡±


    Owen flushed. ¡°Shut up!¡±


    Peggy clicked her tongue. ¡°No wonder a grown man like you still doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend. You¡¯ve been keeping it in the family, huh?¡±


    ¡°Rich families really do have the juiciest scandals. I can¡¯t keep this to myself,¡± she said, pulling out her phone and pointing it at them. ¡°Come on, show the world. I get it now¨Cshe bosses you around because she¡¯s got a thing for your junk!¡±


    Peggy zoomed the camera in on Elsie. ¡°Don¡¯t hide now. Let¡¯s get a good look at the leadingdy in this family soap opera. So proud to be hugging her big brother, huh?¡±


    Elsie sobbed and ducked behind/Owen. Owen, livid, reached out and blocked the camera. ¡°Get that out of my face!¡±


    Peggy taunted, ¡°I recorded everything your little sister said earlier. She said she ranks first in your family. Now I get it¨Cshe earned that spot by sleeping with her own brother!¡±


    Chapter 452 Explosive usations


    ¡°Shut up! That¡¯s nder¨Cit¡¯s illegal!¡± Owen shouted,pletely losing control.


    Peggy grinned. ¡°Go ahead. Sue mel¡±


    Owen, overwhelmed by rage, pped her across the face.


    Peggy froze for a second, then slowly turned her head back. Without a word, she lowered her head and dialed the police. ¡°Hello? I want to report an assault. I was raped¨Cthen beaten up by him and his family! Please hurry, Officer. If you don¡¯t get here soon, they¡¯ll kill me!¡±


    Owen and Elsie stared at her, horrified. They hadn¡¯t expected her to go this far.


    Peggy looked at them calmly. Instead of freaking out, she started tugging at her hair, making a tangled bird¡¯s nest. Then she ripped her clothes.


    Owen was stunned. ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡±


    Peggy gave him a chilling smile and walked out to wait at the door for the police.


    Elsie was speechless. She had finally met her match¨CPeggy was even more shameless, more ruthless. Compared to her, Elsie felt like a schoolgirl.


    Not wanting this to blow up further, Owen followed Peggy out and tried to reason with her. ¡°Let¡¯s settle this privately. Call them off.¡±


    Peggy nced at him with a smirk. ¡°We¡¯re not even married and you¡¯re already trying to control me?<b>¡± </b>Then she added, ¡°You want me to cancel the call? Fine. Marry me right now. Go get the marriage license.¡±


    Owen was speechless.


    Peggy waited until she heard the approaching footsteps of the police. Then, like flipping a switch, she threw herself into full drama mode. She grabbed Owen¡¯s hand and shoved her hair into it. ¡°Please stop! Don¡¯t hit me anymore! I can¡¯t take it!¡±


    ¡°Let go of her! I¡¯m warning you¨Cstep back or I¡¯ll use my taser!¡± one of the officers barked.


    Owen turned beet red under their harsh gazes. ¡°It¡¯s not what it looks like, Officer. Please, let me exin!¡±


    Elsie jumped in. ¡°Yeah! She¡¯s faking it. Don¡¯t believe her, Officer!¡±


    The cops looked at them, then turned to Peggy.


    The officer¡¯s expression turned stern. ¡°Do you think we¡¯re blind? That huge handprint on her face¨Cdid she p herself?¡±


    ¡°¡­I only hit her once,¡± Owen mumbled. ¡°The rest wasn¡¯t me.¡±

 Daghter 453

    No Way Out


    Chapter 453 No Way Out


    ¡°Do you have any idea how thew works? One p is still assault!¡± the officer barked. He waved <b>his </b><b>hand</b>. ¡°All of youe with me. You¡¯ll stay at the station until your families show up to settle this.¡±


    Owen and Elsie¡¯s faces fell. Family? What family did the Saunders even have left?


    Lily was still being held by the court.


    But the police didn¡¯t care. They hauled everyone down to the station anyway.


    With visible injuries on Peggy¡¯s face, it was easy to build a case. She firmly imed both Owen and Elsie had attacked her.


    And she absolutely refused to let Owen take the fall alone¨Cshe made sure Elsie was dragged into it too.


    Once it was confirmed that Owen and Elsie were at fault for intentional assault, Peggy delivered a brutal blow: ¡°I also want to report Owen for rape. His DNA¡¯s on my underwear. Test it if you don¡¯t believe me.


    Owen was stunned into silence.


    The police tried calling the emergency contact number Owen had given them. It didn¡¯t go through.


    He¡¯d listed his older brother¡¯s number¨Cthe only family member he still had any hope of relying on.


    Owen didn¡¯t want to spread this scandal, so he¡¯d kept it quiet. But without someone to post bail, he was looking at a holding cell.


    Left with no choice, he borrowed the officer¡¯s phone and called Yunice.


    Since it was an unknown number, Yunice actually picked up. She only ignored calls from the Saunders family.


    ¡°Yunice, it¡¯s me¨COwen. I¡¯m being held at the police station,¡± he said through gritted teeth. He hated. asking her for help and knew she¡¯d probably mock him, but he was out of options.


    To his surprise, Yunice didn¡¯t immediately ridicule him. Instead, she asked, ¡°Which station?¡±


    Owen¡¯s heart lifted slightly. ¡°River Road precinct.¡±


    Just before she could hang up, he rushed to add, ¡°And don¡¯t bring Wyatt. Come by yourself, okay?¡±


    Yunice nced up at Wyatt sitting across from her. It was clear he¡¯d overheard.


    She didn¡¯t answer Owen¨Cjust hung up.


    Wyatt grabbed a wet wipe to clean his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve got a meeting today. Can¡¯t make it.¡±


    He clearly had no intention of going with her.


    Getting up, he said, ¡°Have the driver take you. Call me if somethinges up.¡±


    Yunice gave a small nod. Once Wyatt¡¯s car pulled away, she headed for River Road Station with the


    <b>1/2 </b>


    61


    Chapter 453 No Way Out


    housekeeper.


    She told the housekeeper to wait in the car and went in alone.


    Inside the lobby, two women were seated on the station bench: one was Peggy, hair a <b>mess</b>, clothes torn and filthy.


    The other was Elsic, sitting nk¨Cfaced.


    Yunice scanned the room, then spotted Owen behind bars in a temporary holding cell.


    One of his wrists was chained to the metal bars. His head hung low, the picture of defeat.


    Yunice almostughed. Ever since she came back, Owen had been like a walking curse¨Ceverything <b>just </b>fell apart around him.


    When he saw Yunice, Owen suddenly lit up. The cuffs rattled as he sprang up and grabbed the bars with both hands. ¡°Yunice! Come here! I need to talk to you!¡±


    But the officer wasn¡¯t about to let them have a private chat. Seeing Yunice arrive, he waved her over to fill out the intake paperwork.


    Owen banged the bars in frustration. ¡°Yunice! You¡¯ve got to believe me! I didn¡¯t do anything¨CPeggy¡¯s lying!¡°.


    Yunice looked away and followed the officer.


    Once the paperwork was done, the officer gave her a quick rundown.


    ¡°At the moment, we¡¯ve received a report from Miss Peggy. She ims she was raped by Owen while he was drunk. The underwear containing his DNA has already been sent in for testing.¡±


    ¡°If the testes back positive, and if there are signs of physical trauma on her body, Owen could be formally charged with rape and held in custody.¡±


    Yunice visibly froze at the word ¡°rape,¡± but quicklyposed herself.


    She didn¡¯t seem to take it too seriously. Her gaze shifted to the bench, where Elsie was sitting.


    ¡°And what about Elsie?¡± she asked.


    The officer nced at Elsie and replied, ¡°She¡¯s being investigated for assault. ording to Peggy, after Owen attacked her, he got scared she¡¯d report it¨Cso he called his sister. The two of them ganged up on her, trying to beat her into silence.¡±


    Yunice almostughed out loud.


    A bunch of wolves eating each other alive.


    She turned her amused gaze toward Peggy, who was sitting on the bench, covering her face with one hand and crying¨Cwhile sneaking nces <i>at </i>Yunice out of the corner of her eye.

 Daghter 454

    Chapter 454 Deal or Destroy


    Yunice calmly asked the officer, ¡°How exactly do you prove it¡¯s rape? Even if there¡¯s DNA and physical injuries, what if it was consensual and she just changed her mind after the fact?¡±


    Cases like that weremon. Once someone imed regret, the man couldn¡¯t clear his <b>name </b>even if he jumped into the Yellow River.


    That was more or less what the officer meant. If Peggy insisted it was forced, Owen would need hard evidence to prove she¡¯d consented¨Cotherwise, it was legally rape.


    Of course, if Peggy withdrew the report, then it could be downgraded to a private dispute and settled outside of court.


    So, whether Owen walked or got locked up came down entirely to Peggy¡¯s decision.


    Yunice asked, ¡°Can I talk to Peggy? She¡¯s a friend of mine.¡±


    Since she looked so gentle and harmless, the officer figured she wouldn¡¯t be a threat and allowed her to speak to Peggy under the supervision of a female officer.


    Elsie, sitting right across from Peggy, noticed Yunice walking toward her and sneered in contempt.


    Owen had clearly lost his mind. He could¡¯ve pulled in a stranger from the street, and it would¡¯ve been better than calling Yunice.


    If anyone in the world wanted to see the Saunders family go down, it was her. With Yunice involved, a <b>five- </b>year sentence could easily turn into ten.


    She nced back at Owen¨Che had his hands wrapped around the bars, eyes fixed on Yunice with a mix of hope and desperation.


    As if she were hisst lifeline.


    Elsie scoffed. If Yunice hadn¡¯t married well, she wouldn¡¯t even have a seat at the table, let alone a say in anything.


    And Peggy? She was a shameless thug. If Yunice couldn¡¯t even deal with her, what could she possibly aplish?


    Yunice stopped a meter away from Peggy, keeping a polite distance. She didn¡¯t look aggressive at all.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying my brother assaulted you?¡± she asked quietly.


    Peggy tensed up, but her face stayed unreadable. She was emboldened by the idea of power¨CYunice lived in Pavilion Hall and clearly had a wealthy backer, which made Peggy cautious.


    Peggy clenched her fists and replied coldly, ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t think you can stand above the i you¡¯re his sister.¡±


    st because


    Yunice asked again, ¡°The police said we could settle this privately. Is that something you¡¯re interested in?¡±


    Peggy snorted. ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling you? Can you make decisions for your brother?¡±


    |||


    O


    Chapter 454 Deal or Destroy


    Yunice shook her head slowly, a sinirk ying at her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t speak for anyone. But I¡¯m apetent doctor¨CI can uncover the truth. Some people just aren¡¯t good at hiding what¡¯s in their hearts:


    Peggy hadn¡¯t been taking her seriously, but something in Yunice¡¯s tone made her pause. She looked <b>at </b>her warily.


    Was it just paranoia, or did Yunice really know something?


    Yunice continued, ¡°I¡¯m in favor of settling this quietly. So if you¡¯ve got conditions, say then. I¡¯ll go negotiate for you. Dragging this into court won¡¯t help anyone.¡±


    The more Peggy listened, the more off it felt. If Yunice really wanted to protect Owen and saw through her bluff, wouldn¡¯t she want this to go to trial and expose the lic?


    So why was she encouraging a private settlement?


    Peggy couldn¡¯t figure out what Yunice was scheming, but her own goal was to avoid a courtroom too. That was never the oue she actually wanted.


    Putting on her usual arrogance, Peggy said, ¡°I¡¯ve already been defiled. No man will want me now. As long as he agrees to marry me and take responsibility, I¡¯ll be willing topromise and marry him- grudgingly.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s smile curled higher, amusement flickering in her brow.


    It was perfect. Peggy had shown up at just the right time, like a gift from the heavens.


    With a lifted chin and bright eyes, Yunice said, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go talk to him. If he doesn¡¯t agree, then send him to court. Let him rot behind bars and be a total disgrace.¡±


    Peggy stared at her, confused. What the hell was she


    up to?


    When Yunice turned to leave, Peggy couldn¡¯t take it anymore. She called out, uneasy, ¡°Hey, what are you really trying to do?¡±


    Yunice replied without turning around, ¡°No one wants their own brotherbeled a rapist, right? I mean, a man and a woman alone in a hotel room all night¨Cwho would believe nothing happened? If he¡¯s already been marked, might as well make it official. As his sister, I can¡¯t just let my brother go to prison.¡±


    Peggy was left stunned, watching Yunice walk away,pletely baffled.


    Why did Yunice look so¡­ happy?


    Wait¨Cwasn¡¯t she Owen¡¯s real sister? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be loving family?


    Peggy had set her sights on Owen specifically because of Yunice¡¯s power.


    She figured any woman who could marry that well had toe from a strong background. And if Yunice came from a good family, that meant Owen had real value too.


    <b>2/2 </b>

 Daghter 455

    Chapter 455 A Taste of His Own Medicine


    Chapter <i>455 </i>A Taste of His Own Medicine


    Peggy¡¯s whole stunt had one goal¨Cto climb the socialdder, find a good father for <b>her </b>child, <b>and </b>lock ina bright future.


    With Owen right in her sights, she wasn¡¯t letting go.


    Secing Yunice return, her expression calm and unreadable, Owen assumed she brought good news


    He reached a hand through the bars, trying to grab hers. ¡°Yunice, how did it <i>go</i><i>? </i>Is she willing <b>to </b>settle<b>? </b>


    As he spoke, he coached her, ¡°Peggy¡¯s unbelievably shameless and unreasonable. Don¡¯t believe a <b>word </b><b>she </b>says. Just use your influence to shut her down. If she has nowhere to take her ims, she¡¯ll back off. <b>And </b>she said she has a video. We need to destroy it. That¡¯s the only way <i>to </i>stop her.¡±


    He was convinced Wyatt had the power to crush anything, and as long <b>as </b>Yunice stepped in, someone like Peggy wouldn¡¯t be able to stir up a thing.


    Yunice waited until he finished, then said, ¡°Peggy agreed to a private¨Csettlement. Her conditions sound reasonable.¡±


    Owen frowned. ¡°Why settle at all? I asked you here to solve the problem!¡±


    Didn¡¯t she get it? He could¡¯ve settled on his own. He escted this because he didn¡¯t want to settle.


    If she wasn¡¯t going to help, then why evene?


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m not a magician. What do you expect me to do¨Cwave a wand and make it all disappear?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who messed up. You expect me, your sister, to clean it up for you? I¡¯m humiliated just standing here.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    Yunice kept going. ¡°What kind of decent man gets drunk and ends up in a hotel with a woman? You acted like a dog in heat and got caught. You think you¡¯re a victim? Please. You¡¯re a grown man¨Cdon¡¯t tell me you couldn¡¯t push her away. If you didn¡¯t want it, why¡¯d you let it go that far? Honestly, it looks like you were ying hard to get.¡±


    Owen stood there, stunned. It took him a few seconds to stammer, ¡°Yunice¡­ are you possessed or something?¡±


    What the hell was she saying?


    Yunice¡¯s tone turned even sharper ¡°What¡¯s done is done. Your name is mud. Who¡¯s gonna marry you now<b>? </b>You want to blow this up in court and drag our whole family through the dirt? We can¡¯t ford to look like fools just because you already do.¡±


    Owen¡¯s mouth fell open. Why did all of this sound so familiar?


    The memory was fuzzy, but something tugged at the back of his mind.


    O


    11:15 F, 18 <b>Jul </b>


    Chapter 455 A Taste of His Own Medicine


    He didn¡¯t care about that right now. He just wanted to be cleared.


    Ignoring her jabs, he pleaded, ¡°Yunice, you have to believe me. I swear she¡¯s lying. I might not have even touched her. Tell her to prove it!¡°.


    ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    Yunice snapped, ¡°She already submitted physical evidence and agreed to an exam. You think <b>that¡¯s </b>nothing? The burden of proof is on whoever makes the im. If you say you didn¡¯t do it, where¡¯s <b>your </b>evidence?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡± Owen stammered, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, so what evidence could I possibly have?¡±


    Yunice let out a coldugh. ¡°Exactly. What evidence could you possibly have?¡±


    Owen started to nod, but then he caught her expression¨Cand it hit him. She was mocking him.


    Yunice said, ¡°Face it. It¡¯s gone this far. Even if you had proof, who¡¯d believe you now? You¡¯re not a kid anymore. Start taking responsibility for your own mess. Stop dragging your family down with you. Peggy¡¯s not even that bad. She clearly likes you. So what if you slept with her? She said she¡¯d take responsibility. You¡¯re not losing anything.¡±


    Owen stared at her, frozen. There was something cruel in her smile that made him <b>feel </b>genuinely afraid.


    He took a step back.


    Then it all came rushing back¨Che remembered everything.


    He finally realized why those words sounded so famili¨¤r.


    They were his own.


    Those were the exact words he once hurled at Yunice.


    Back when the scandal with Paul exploded, when everyone in Silverburch mocked the Saunders family¡¯s reckless daughter.


    He had been furious, ashamed. And to vent, heshed out at Yunice with the ugliest usations¨Cming her for being indecent, for seducing Paul, for not fighting back. ming her for dragging the family name through the mud.


    Yunice had desperately tried to exin. She said the rumors weren¡¯t true. She said nothing had happened between her and Paul. She said she had proof.


    Her proof had been a stack of medical reports.

 Daghter 456

    Chapter 456 The Echo of Hypocrisy


    Chapter 456 The Echo of Hypocrisy


    Back then, Owen had been so convinced Yunice was lying that he hadn¡¯t even looked at the medical records¨Che just tore them up on the spot.


    Now, Yunice was throwing the exact same words back in his face.


    Elsie, fuming, jumped up and stormed over to confront Yunice. ¡°Who do you think you are, saying that about Owen?! Did you see him touch Peggy? Just spouting nder like it¡¯s nothing¨Cdo you even care about thew?¡±


    Yunice nced at her with disdain. ¡°Everything happens for a reason. If Peggy was making stuff up, <b>wy </b>pick him? It takes two to tango. Maybe take a minute to reflect on what he did wrong.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t see it either, but your word is gospel? Peggy¡¯s got physical evidence, and when the test resultse back, your dearest Owen¡¯s reputation will be dragged through the mud. And here you are, stopping me from convincing him to settle privately¨Cdo you want him to be convicted?


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget, your mom¡¯s already being held by the police and facing a year in jail. If your brother gets thrown in for rape, do the math. Who¡¯s going to look worse?¡±


    With each sentence, the color drained further from Owen and Elsie¡¯s faces.


    Especially Elsie. She hadn¡¯t seen anything firsthand¨Chow could she be sure Owen didn¡¯t sleep with Peggy?


    Peggy¡¯s usations sounded convincing. There were bloodstains on the sheets¨Cclear signs of the <i>real </i>deal.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t wrong. If the test came back positive, Owen would be done for.


    Then what? Their mom and Owen both behind bars, and she¡¯d be leftpletely alone?


    No way<i>. </i>


    Elsie quickly changed sides. She threw herself at the holding cell, sobbing and clutching Owen¡¯s hands through the bars. ¡°Owen, maybe justpromise for now. The situation¡¯s bad, but you can fix itter. You¡¯ve only got a chance to fight back if you¡¯re out in the world.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes shot open. He yanked his hands away.


    ¡°You want me to give in?! You want me to marry that witch?!¡± he howled. ¡°I didn¡¯t even do anything! I can fight this in court! Elsie, do you not believe me either?!<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Wha-?¡± Elsie was caught off guard. She couldn¡¯t outright say she didn¡¯t believe him, so she hedged. ¡°Owen, you said yourself you cked out. You don¡¯t remember what happened¡­


    Owen exploded. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t do it! Why are you assuming I did?!¡°.


    Elsie backed off, hands raised, totally overwhelmed.


    Realizing he couldn¡¯t count on her, Owen turned back to Yunice. ¡°The Zhou family has <b>tons </b>of <bwyers</b>. Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s no way they can win this.¡±


    He snapped, ¡°You just don¡¯t want to help me, do you?¡±


    Yunice said tly, ¡°No. I don¡¯t.¡±


    Owen stared at her, dumbfounded. He hadn¡¯t expected her to admit it <b>so </b>bluntly.


    Yunice lifted her chin slightly, smiling coldly. ¡°What goes aroundes around. When <b>I </b>was being ndered, did you help me? Why should I help you now?¡±


    Then she twisted the knife. ¡°And for the record, I really didn¡¯t do anything back then. Can <b>you </b><b>say </b><b>the </b>same for yourself?¡±


    Owen had been ckout drunk. He couldn¡¯t say with certainty what had happened with <b>Peggy</b>.


    Desperate, heshed out. ¡°I got drunk because of you and Paul! That¡¯s the only reason Peggy had <b>the </b>chance to trap me! This is your fault¨Cyou have to fix it!¡±


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. ¡°Because of me?¡±


    Owen said with total confidence, ¡°I only recently found out Paul lied about you. I felt horrible, like I¡¯d failed you. That guilt¡¯s what pushed me to drink. I was a wreck! What else could¡¯ve triggered me like <b>that</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice burst outughing. ¡°So your grand gesture of regret was getting drunk? Not apologizing, not clearing my name, not doing anything that would actually help¨Cjust wallowing in self¨Cpity. Who were <b>you </b>performing for?¡±


    Stillughing, she added, ¡°You all should quit medicine and go join the theater. You¡¯d have a packed <b>house </b>every night.¡±


    Owen froze, his face flushed in a swirl of colors, humiliated.


    Yunice didn¡¯t say another word. She just stood there, waiting for Owen to make his decision.


    After all, she wasn¡¯t the one under pressure here.


    Elsie had been hoping Yunice would take on the awkward role of persuading Owen to give in¨Cno one wanted to be the one he¡¯d resentter.


    But Yunice stayed stubbornly silent, leaving Elsie anxiously ncing around, unsure of what to do next.

 Daghter 457

    Chapter 457 The Price of Freedom


    Chapter 457 The Price of Freedom


    Elsie didn¡¯t want Owen to go to prison¨Cespecially not for something like rape.


    She couldn¡¯t rely on Paul, she hadn¡¯t even healed from her injuries yet, Morgan was a worthless <b>yboy</b>. and their mother was in custody. If Owen went down too, she¡¯d be leftpletely alone.


    The situation reached another stalemate. Yunice couldn¡¯t be bothered to persuade him, and Elsie didn¡¯t dare try again.


    Owen, meanwhile, was feeling the squeeze. His expression grew more and more strained.


    He¡¯d originally nned to y hardball¨Cto pressure Yunice into begging Wyatt for help, to use power to wipe this whole thing clean.


    But Yunice held grudges, and she wasn¡¯t under his thumb anymore. He couldn¡¯t bend her with kindness or threats.


    As for Wyatt? He wouldn¡¯t even give him the time of day.


    Owen¡¯s stubborn pride slowly deted. His confidence wavered, and he looked for an excuse to back down.


    He nced at Elsie, hoping she¡¯d give him a way out¨Ca reason to fold without losing face.


    She¡¯d said one thing that stuck: <i>as </i><i>long </i><i>as </i><i>you¡¯re </i><i>still </i><i>free</i><i>, </i><i>there¡¯s </i><i>always </i><i>a </i><i>way </i><i>to </i><ie </i>back.


    So what if he married Peggy?


    He could always divorce herter. It wasn¡¯t like she could chain him down for life.


    Once she was in the Saunders family, he¡¯d have, a hundred ways to make her leave.


    After a few minutes of silence, Owen finally spoke, voice cold: ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, and I¡¯m not admitting guilt. But I can¡¯t bear the thought of Elsie being left all alone. You may be her sister, but you¡¯ve got resentment in your heart. Once I¡¯m gone, you¡¯ll definitely take it out on her. I won¡¯t allow that to happen.¡±


    It was a weak excuse, but it gave him the out he needed.


    He turned from Yunice in frustration and looked to Elsie. ¡°Elsie, Owen only trusts you now. Go negotiate a settlement with Peggy.¡±


    Elsie furrowed her brow but nodded heavily. ¡°Alright.¡±


    She marched toward Peggy with renewed fire. Yunice followed at a slow, unhurried pace.


    Owen shouted after her, ¡°Stop right there! You stay put and don¡¯t mess this up!¡±


    Yunice nced back at him through the bars, eyes glittering with amusement.


    <i>If </i><i>you¡¯ve </i><i>got </i><i>the </i><i>guts</i>, <ie </i><i>stop </i><i>me </i><i>yourself</i><i>. </i>


    Owen gripped the bars, grinding his teeth in silence.


    13


    MODX-1


    Chapter 457 The Price of Freedom


    Elsie strutted up to Peggy, high and mighty. ¡°We¡¯ve agreed to settle. Withdraw the charges right now at let my brother out. Otherwise, even if you got down on your knees and begged, he wouldn¡¯t marry you


    Peggy shot her a sideways look. ¡°Who do you think you are? You think you get to decide <b>what </b>your <b>brother </b>dors?¡±


    ¡°What, your family doesn¡¯t have anyone else? Where¡¯s his mom? I want to hear it from her.¡±


    Marriage was a serious thing¨Cit had to be approved by the elders.


    Elsie¡¯s face went red. ¡°You think someone like you deserves to meet my mom?¡±


    Peggy scoffed. ¡°No need to get riled up. I won¡¯t settle unless your family¡¯s decision¨Cmaker steps forward.


    ¡°You-!¡± Elsie waspletely stuck.


    Just then, Yunice stepped forward and said calmly, ¡°Will you talk to me?¡±


    Before Peggy could respond, Elsie snapped, ¡°She won¡¯t even talk to me¨Cwhat makes you think you¡¯ll seed?¡±


    Yunice answered evenly, ¡°I don¡¯t have much to offer. Just the venue for the wedding. Maybe help with the guest list¡­¡±


    Both Peggy and Elsie turned to look at her.


    Peggy¡¯s response was instant. ¡°What kind of venue?¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Only the top wedding venue in Silverburch. You know the one.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You mean Silverburch Grand?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°No big deal.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s rigid posture finally softened. Her eyes gleamed with greedy delight. She turned to Elsie. ¡°What are you offering?¡±


    When Elsie stayed silent, Peggy sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve got nothing. That says a lot about your status in the Saunders family.¡±


    dismissed Elsie entirely and turned to Yunice, beaming. ¡°Let¡¯s put it in writing. A proper agreement, so no one can back outter.¡±


    Peggy


    Yunice said, ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    As the two of them sat down and drafted a formal agreement, Elsie could only stand off to the side and watch.


    Soon, Peggy formally dropped the charges. Owen came out of the police station rubbing his wrists and grimacing.


    Up ahead, Peggy clung to Yunice¡¯s arm like an old friend. ¡°You and your husband have to be my maid <b>of </b>honor and best man. That would be such a power move.¡±


    Married couples can¡¯t be in the wedding party.


    ¡°No biggie.¡± Peggy said breezily. ¡°You¡¯re my sister¨Cinw now¨Cwe¡¯ll be seeing a lot of each other. Can¡¯t wait to have afternoon tea with all the other richdies!¡±

 Daghter 458

    Chapter <b>458 </b>Sealed With Resentment


    Yunice had a faint, detached smile on her lips as she crouched into the car. Peggy instantly <b>poked </b>her head <b>in </b>and climbed in right after.


    Behind them, Owen and Elsie trailed behind, their faces dark as thunder as they watched the two <b>women </b>linked arm in arm.


    Elsie muttered, ¡°Owen, why are Yunice and Peggy acting so chummy? You don¡¯t think they <b>set </b>this whole thing up to trap you, do you?¡±


    Owen¡¯s re stayed locked on the two figures ahead. Of course he¡¯d considered it.


    But knowing now didn¡¯t change anything. He¡¯d already taken the bait¨Ctoote for regrets.


    Still: ¡°I don¡¯t think it was a full setup. My guess? Yunice and Peggy are close, and since Peggy has a <b>thing </b><b>for </b>me, Yunice probably handed me over as some kind of favor between girlfriends.¡±


    Elsie frowned. Something about that felt off.


    Owen sneered. ¡°But I won¡¯t let Peggy be happy.¡±


    Elsie snapped, ¡°Me neither.¡±


    Inside the car, Yunice sat in the backseat while Peggy cozied right up beside her, eyes gleaming with excitement as she ran her hands along the seats. ¡°This leather feels amazing!¡±


    She leaned forward to inspect the dashboard. ¡°And this center console? So sleek!¡±


    ¡°How much does this car cost?¡±


    She caught sight of the driver¨Cthe butler¨Cand immediately lit up, waving like they were old friends. ¡°Hey there, butler! Fancy seeing you again!¡±


    Then she added with mock familiarity, ¡°Don¡¯t be so cold¨CI¡¯m going to be your madam¡¯s sister¨Cinw soon. I¡¯ll be visiting Pavilion Hall all the time.¡±


    The butler¡¯s brow twitched.


    Peggyughed with satisfaction.


    <i>Dreams </i><i>really </i><i>do </i><ie </i><i>true</i><i>. </i>She, Peggy, had finally climbed the socialdder. From this point on, she¡¯d be living among the elite. Who would dare look down on her now, or casually throw her out of a garden like she was trash?


    Just then, Owen and Elsie arrived, both wearing the kind of expressions people reserve for collecting unpaid debts. They climbed in with zero enthusiasm.


    Owen took the passenger seat. Elsie sat in the back, wedged beside Peggy, who made a point of scooting right into her space.


    Elsje was practically pushed out of the car. She finally snapped, ¡°What the hell is your problem?!¡±


    <b>Chapter </b>458 Sealed Wills <b>Resentment </b>


    <b>Peggy </b>blinked innocently, ¡°Me? What¡¯d I do? <b>Why </b>are you <b>so </b>aggressive


    You keep squishing me!¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Squishing? This car¡¯s got plenty of space. Maybe you need to lose some weight. Feeling cramped is a you problem.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face turned bright red. She knew Peggy was doing it on purpose.


    Peggy, full of smug delight, tilted her head. ¡°You even know how to appreciate a luxury car like this? <b>IF </b>you¡¯re so ufortable, why don¡¯t you get out?¡±


    Elsie hissed, ¡°Tacky gold¨Cdigger. Acting like you¡¯ve made it just because you got in someone else¡¯s car<i>. </i>Ive got more sports cars under my name than you¡¯ve even seen in your life.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s eyes lit up even more. If even <i>Elsie </i>had sports cars, then the Saunders family really was loaded<i>. </i>Elsie squirmed under her hungry stare. It felt like Peggy was mentally peeling her like fruit.


    Chilled, she bolted from the car. ¡°Owen! We¡¯re not riding with <i>them</i><i>!</i>¡±


    But the moment she stepped out, Peggy reached over and mmed the door shut. ¡°Don¡¯t want to ride? No one¡¯s begging you.¡±


    Then she turned sweetly to Owen. ¡°But you¡¯re not going anywhere. ording to our agreement, you¡¯reing with me to get our marriage license¨Ctoday. No more dys.¡±


    Owen silently prayed it was a public holiday.


    It wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t bring my ID or household registration,¡± he said quickly.


    Yunice calmly pulled out a folder. ¡°Good thing I brought everything from home when I left. Just in case.¡°. ¡°You-¡± Owen nearly coughed up blood on the spot, while Peggy lunged at Yunice to kiss her out of sheer joy.


    Yunice blocked her with a hand. ¡°Butler, take us to the Civil Affairs Bureau.¡±


    The car rolled forward, kicking up a cloud of dust.


    Elsie was left coughing in its wake, ring at the shrinking car with murder in her eyes.


    Inside the marriage bureau, the clerk nced between the newly printed marriage license and the photo of Owen looking like he wanted to kill someone.


    The clerk gave him a suspicious <i>look</i>. ¡°Are you entering this marriage voluntarily?<i>¡± </i>


    For a split second, Owen¡¯s eyes welled with rage. He was right at the edge, ready to explode¨Cto scream that this was a trap, that he was innocent, that he¡¯d been forced.


    Buf Peggy beat him <i>to </i>it. She mped onto his arm, her eyes cold and threatening.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    19:41 Mon, <b>21 </b>JuI GOM


    Chapter 458 Sealed With Resentment


    If he so much as raised his voice, she¡¯d throw a fit right there. Maybe even scream rape again on the spot


    Owen¡¯s face contorted. Then, under her gaze, all the fight drained from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m here voluntarily,¡± he said, defeated.

 Daghter 459

    Chapter 459 The Taste of Her Own Medicine


    Ka¨Cchunk, ka<i>¨C</i><i>chunk</i>. The clerk pressed the official scal onto both marriage certificates, <b>finalizing </b>the lea union between Owen and Peggy.


    Peggy snatched hers up, beaming from ear to car. Owen, however, looked like a <b>man </b>walking <b>to </b>his <b>own </b>funeral. He didn¡¯t even nce at it. (D


    The moment the paperwork was done, Owen turned and stormed off. When he saw Yunice <b>standing </b>nearby watching the show, he paused to snap, ¡°Happy now? Got your revenge?¡±


    Yunice looked back at him with calm disdain¨Cjust watching his impotent rage without saying a word<i>. </i>


    Once he left, Peggy quicklytched onto Yunice¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, take me to the Saunders family home Give me the grand tour.


    She still had no idea where the Saunders residence even was. She¡¯d tried asking Owen earlier, but he refused to tell her.


    Yunice said, ¡°Let¡¯s head outside first.¡±


    Peggy, eager to please her new sister¨Cinw, followed along withoutint.


    Out in the courtyard, Yunice finally stopped and turned to her with a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach her eyes. ¡°Congrattions. You got what you wanted.¡±


    Peggy, sensing something off, giggled. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Yunice adjusted her sleeve where Peggy had wrinkled it. ¡°You pulled off the con. Congrattions.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s expression stiffened. Just as she was about to blow up, Yunice calmly cut her off. ¡°You studied medicine, didn¡¯t you? You should know that a drunk man physically can¡¯t get an erection.¡±


    Peggy panicked. ¡°There are exceptions! Medical journals say it¡¯s possible¨Cmaybe Owen¡¯s just¡­ gifted!¡±


    Yunice said coolly, ¡°I¡¯ve studied a bit of traditional diagnostics. I can tell a man¡¯s physical state from his face. Owen¡¯s never had any sexual experience.¡±


    Yunice added, ¡°If Owen and Elsie had insisted on going to court today, your fabricated evidence would¡¯ve fallen apart. You wouldn¡¯t just lose the case¨Cyou¡¯d be liable for damages.¡±


    Peggy


    choked on her next breath, but then crossed her arms and scoffed. ¡°What does it matter now? You signed the agreement, the license is stamped. There¡¯s no going back!¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Yunice said with a smirk.¡°That¡¯s why <i>now </i>is the perfect time to expose you.¡±


    Peggy blinked. She didn¡¯t understand.


    Things were going exactly the way she¡¯d nned. She was officially part of the Saunders family. Yunice was even paying for her wedding.


    What was there to go back from?


    13


    <b>Chapter </b><b>459 </b>The Taste of Her Own Medicine


    <b>Sensing </b><b>her </b>tension, Yunice smiled. ¡°Rx. <b>I </b>won¡¯t out you. But remember this <b>you </b><b>marked </b>with <b>Saunders </b>family, not into me. So whatever you do from here <b>on</b>, stay out of my <b>way </b>


    Then she leaned in and whispered into Peggy¡¯s car. ¡°Because if you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll show you <b>what </b>a real shameless person looks like.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s stomach dropped.


    She stared warily after Yunice as she walked away. The joy of just getting married vanished into <b>thin </b><b>air</b>.


    A momentter, Peggy¡¯s phone pinged. She looked down¨Cit was a message from Yunice<i>: </i>


    An address<b>. </b>


    The Saunders family¡¯s address.


    Just like that, all her nerves were forgotten. Excited, Peggy hailed a cab and rushed off toward her new home.


    In Yunice¡¯s car, the butler caught her smiling faintly in the rearview mirror.


    She looked out the window, her expression one ofplete satisfaction.


    There was no revenge more satisfying than lived experience. Now Owen would finally understand <i>what </i><i>it </i>felt like.


    But it would be even more interesting if things got messier.


    Yunice asked, ¡°Did Wyatt say what time he¡¯sing back?¡±


    The butler replied, ¡°He called earlier. Said he has a meeting and told you not to wait up.¡±


    So he wouldn¡¯t be home anytime soon.


    Yunice had nothing better to do, so she said, ¡°Take me to the office.¡±


    The butler turned the car around and headed for Huaxin Pharma.


    At thepany, Yunice changed into protective gear and joined Laurie in theb to learn some technical procedures.


    After running a few reaction experiments, someone came in to speak with Laurie. ¡°Ms. Laurie, we¡¯ve verified the data from this trial. Once Mr. Wyatt signs it, it¡¯s ready for archiving.¡±


    Normally, anything time¨Csensitive like this would be handled immediately.


    But Laurie barely nced at it and waved it off. ¡°Leave it with me. Mr. Wyatt¡¯s not in today.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s hand, mid¨Cstirring, froze.


    By the time she moved again, she¡¯d missed the optimal reaction window.


    The experiment was ruined.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    <b>19:42 </b>Mon<b>, </b><b>21 </b>Jul & M


    Chapter 459 The Taste of Her Own Medicine


    Laurie nced at her but didn¡¯t notice anything off. Yunice calmly disposed of the failed mixture and started over, her movements unhurried andposed.


    Lauric never noticed a thing.

 Daghter 460

    Chapter 460 A Marriage of Strangers


    Chapter 460 A Marriage of Strangers


    After finishing in theb, Yunice returned to Pavilion Hall.


    <b>As </b>she changed her shoes at the entrance, she noticed that the pair Wyatt had worn that morning was missing from the rack¨Che hadn¡¯te home.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt has a meeting at the office¨Che won¡¯t be home carly¡­¡±


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt isn¡¯t at the office today¡­¡±


    The two conflicting statements echoed in Yunice¡¯s mind. She knew Wyatt had lied.


    Logic told her not to care. She¡¯d never expected fidelity from him anyway. But her chest felt heavy, like someone had stuffed a cotton ball into her lungs.


    She picked up her slippers but didn¡¯t put them on. After hesitating for a few seconds, she set them back down on the rack and turned to leave Pavilion Hall.


    I <i>need </i><i>to </i>know <i>for </i><i>sure</i><i>. </i>


    She went to the underground garage, picked a car, and drove off without informing anyone. Her destination: Gardison Residence.


    Kingsley had once helped her track Wyatt before¡ªhe knew exactly where that woman lived.


    Yunice had a feeling that Wyatt¡¯s lie had to do with Nora.


    Once she arrived near the area, she ditched the car and proceeded on foot.


    After walking a few rounds, Yunice realized the vi was heavily guarded and equipped with high¨Ctech surveince. Cameras would catch anyone approaching.


    She didn¡¯t want Wyatt to know she¡¯de, so she returned to her car.


    The sky was glowing with streaks of sunset.


    Then she saw it¨Cthe vi gate opened, and a familiar car pulled out.


    It was Wyatt¡¯s. No doubt about it.


    Yunice¡¯s heart dropped.


    <i>So </i>it¡¯s true¡­


    After his car had fully driven off, she took a long detour on foot, just in case they crossed paths and he suspected something.


    Because of the roundabout route, she ended up getting hometer than Wyatt.


    As she opened the front door, she didn¡¯t even have to lift her head¨Cshe first saw a pair of leather shoes by the entrance.


    Chapter 460 A Marriage of Strangers


    Looking up, she found Wyatt waiting there.


    His brow was furrowed. ¡°Where did you go by yourself? Why are you back sote?¡±


    Normally, the butler would apany her on outings.


    She was too delicate¨Cwhat if someone tried to snatch her off the street?


    Yunice stared at him. Her first instinct was to snap back that he hadn¡¯te home any earlier.


    But she decided it wasn¡¯t worth it.


    * Free Coins


    ¡°I went to visit Melina at the mental hospital,¡± she said evenly. ¡°On the way back I got turned around¨Ctook a few wrong turns.¡±


    Wyatt asked, ¡°Which car did you take?¡±


    Yunice gave him a t look. ¡°The Alfa Romeo. The one collecting dust.¡±


    Maybe sensing her irritation, Wyatt didn¡¯t press further. He stepped aside to let her pass.


    After dinner, Yunice stood to go for a walk in the garden. Wyatt said, ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡±


    Pavilion Hall¡¯s gardens were softly lit with ambient lighting¨Cit looked the same day or night. Yunice strolled slowly. ¡°Can you pull some strings to get my mom released?¡±


    Wyatt nced over. ¡°Feeling sentimental?¡±


    She nodded faintly. ¡°He has always been good to me. I can¡¯t treat my mother too coldly in front of him. I don¡¯t want to disappoint him.¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°That¡¯s not hard.¡±


    Yunice added, ¡°She should be released¨Cbut not too easily.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    They walked on in silence.


    It struck both of them how little they actually spoke outside of business matters. It was as if¨Cwhen there was no agenda¨Cthey had nothing inmon at all.


    <i>If </i><i>it </i><i>were </i><i>Nora</i><i>, </i>Yunice thought bitterly, <i>he¡¯d </i><i>probably </i><i>have </i><i>his </i><i>arm </i><i>around </i><i>her</i><i>. </i><i>They¡¯d </i><i>be </i><i>talking </i><i>about </i><i>work</i><i>, </i><i>gossiping </i><i>about </i><i>annoying </i><i>employees</i>, <i>joking </i><i>about </i><i>mutual </i><i>friends</i><i>¡­ </i>


    But <i>none </i><i>of </i><i>that </i><i>involves </i><i>me</i><i>. </i>


    I¡¯ve <i>stepped </i><i>into </i><i>his </i><i>world</i><i>, </i><i>but </i><i>never </i><i>really </i><i>be </i><i>part </i><i>of </i><i>it</i><i>. </i>


    After the walk, Yunice was the first to suggest going back to their room.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t linger outside. After washing up, Yunice was already in her pajamas and lying in bed when he finally came in.


    Shey on her side, facing the edge of the bed. She felt the mattress dip beside her.


    Usually, when she was lying down, Wyatt would casually ce his hand on her stomach like he owned it.


    But tonight, nothing.


    She felt the mattress shift again¨Che must¡¯ve turned over, likely facing away.


    Yunicey on her side, eyes wide open.


    This must be what they mean by ¡°sharing a bed but dreaming different dreams.¡±


    Wyatt had seen Nora today. And now he was lying next to her, the wife he barely touched.


    <i>He </i><i>must </i><i>be </i><i>feeling </i><i>guilty</i><i>, </i>she thought. <i>That¡¯s </i><i>probably </i><i>why </i><i>he </i><i>won¡¯t </i><ie </i><i>near </i><i>me </i><i>tonight</i>.

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    Chapter <b>461 </b>Fall <b>of </b><b>a </b><b>Matriarch </b>


    Chapter 461 Fall of a Matriarch


    Yunice closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    She refused to waste emotions on vague illusions of love.


    <i>No </i><i>love </i>breaks <i>the </i><i>trap </i><i>of </i><i>affection</i><i>. </i>No <i>emotion </i><i>breaks </i><i>the </i><i>whole </i>game.


    She wouldn¡¯t allow herself that kind of weakness.


    The next day, just as promised, Wyatt sent awyer to the detention center to make contact with Lily.


    Yunice went too, but stayed in the car. Before thewyer headed in, she simply leaned forward and gave him a quiet instruction.


    Thewyer nodded.


    Inside the detention center.


    Lily rushed over the second she saw thewyer, her eyes full of hope. ¡°Am I getting out? I knew Elsie and Oscar wouldn¡¯t just leave me in here!¡±


    Thewyer replied, ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of Miss Yunice.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face fell, twisting instantly into a mask of disgust. ¡°Yunice sent you?¡±


    She turned to walk away, not even willing to entertain a conversation.


    Behind her, thewyer said casually, ¡°Mr. Owen is busy preparing for his wedding. If you¡¯re waiting for him to find you awyer, I¡¯d say¡­ maybe next year.¡±


    The sound of her ankle chain suddenly halted. She stopped in ce and turned her head, staring at him.


    Had she heard that right?


    Did he just say Owen was nning a wedding?


    Was Elsie getting married? That was the only kind of wedding Owen would take seriously enough to ignore her!


    Thewyer rified, ¡°Mr. Owen is arranging his own wedding.¡±


    Lily let out a disbelievingugh. ¡°What kind of joke is that? Oscar¡¯s never even had a girlfriend. Who the hell is he marrying?¡±


    ¡°You and Yunice are both full of bad intentions.¡±


    Thewyer¡¯s voice remained calm. ¡°Whether or not


    you


    believe me


    is


    your choice<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


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    suapter 461 <b>Fall </b><b>of </b><b>a </b><b>Matriarch </b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>But </b>whether <b>Mr. </b><b>Owen </b><b>is </b>getting married or not <b>has </b>nothing to <b>do </b>with why <b>I¡¯m </b><b>here </b><b>today</b><b>. </b><b>I¡¯m </b><b>simply </b>following <b>Miss </b>Yunice¡¯s <b>request </b>to ask you one question.¡±


    ¡°Madam Lily, do you regret what you¡¯ve done?<b>¡± </b>


    At <b>those </b>words, Lily red up. ¡°What did I even do?! I¡¯m his mother! I said a few words and now <b>my </b><b>own </b>daughter throws me into jail¨Cand you ask if <i>I </i>did something wrong<b>?!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Thewyer ignored her outburst, continuing as if she hadn¡¯t spoken: ¡°If you feel remorse, Miss Yunice is willing to give you a chance to make a public apology. If not, you can finish out your year in detention. Though, just a friendly reminder¨Cby then, you might be a grandmother. You¡¯ll be out just in time <b>to </b><b>hold </b>your grandchild.¡±


    He turned to leave.


    HL


    Lily¡¯s face turned bright red with panic. Just as the cell door was closing, she shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll apologize!<b>¡± </b>


    Her voice was sharp, furious: <b>¡°</b>I said I¡¯ll apologize! If Yunice thinks she can handle it!¡±


    Thewyer paused and smiled¨Ccalm, in control.


    Soon after, the media, in coordination with officials, held a public press conference.


    Lily was brought into the spotlight, dragged under the re of the cameras. She scanned the crowd nervously, searching for Owen and Elsie.


    This public apology had stirred massive attention. She was sure they¡¯d show up¨C<i>they </i><i>had </i><i>to</i>. To stop her, to help her, to defend her dignity.


    But after scanning the entire room¨Cnothing. No Owen. No Elsie. Not even a familiar face in the crowd.


    Lily¡¯s confusion grew. <i>Why </i><i>didn¡¯t </i>a <i>single </i><i>one </i><i>of </i><i>them </i><ie</i><i>? </i>


    Her stomach turned with fury. <i>Ungrateful </i><i>little </i><i>brats</i><i>. </i>She cursed them over and over in her mind.


    But with no one there to save her, she had no choice but to face the press.


    ¡°I am Lily, the source of the false usations in the recent SAT incident. After two weeks of criticism and detention, I¡¯vee to deeply understand the mental harm and public pressure that nder causes for its


    victims.¡±


    ¡°I would like to sincerely apologize to those I¡¯ve hurt in this incident, and to the public for the disturbance caused. From now on, I will actively participate in public service to atone for my actions.¡±


    She bowed deeply. ¡°I hope everyone can forgive me and give me another chance.¡±


    After the long bow, Lily slowly straightened up.


    The storm of the nder scandal was finally over.


    But as the crowd began to disperse, Lily tried to sneak away, only to be immediately swarmed by


    111


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    Chapter 461 Fall of a Matriarch


    68


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    reporters<b>. </b>


    They shoved mics toward her with aggressive force, practically trying to cram them down her throat.


    ¡°Madam Lily, can you exin your rtionship with Yunice? What made you want to destroy her?¡±


    ¡°Using such vicious tactics to ruin a young woman¡¯s future¡ªwas she involved with your husband? Was she your husband¡¯s mistress?¡±

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    Chapter 462 Mother¨Cin¨CLaw Meets Mayhem


    These media hounds had no moral baseline. All they cared about was clicks and headlines outrageous the angle. They¡¯d say anything to provoke a reaction and capture her most humiliating


    moment.


    Lily¡¯s face turned bright red. Furious, she shouted back, ¡°I don¡¯t even know her! I was just running my mouth! What does this have to do with you?! Get out of my way¨Cmove!¡±


    She couldn¡¯t even get through the crowd.


    Just then, a pair of hands broke through the press and yanked her out of the circle.


    Dazed and breathless, Lily stumbled into a car and looked up to see Oscar climbing into the driver¡¯s seat


    Owen stepped on the gas, leaving the paparazzi choking in dust behind them.


    Lily finally exhaled. But no sooner had she caught her breath than she started picking at Oscar, her tone sharp and bitter. ¡°What, you waiting for me to drop dead before you show up? I raised all of you and not one of you gave a damn.¡±


    Hands steady on the wheel, Oscar replied, ¡°At least I showed up. Where are your precious Owen and Elsie? Why didn¡¯t theye get you?¡±


    Lily was momentarily speechless. She quickly pivoted. ¡°I heard someone say Oscar¡¯s getting married. What¡¯s that about?¡±


    Oscar corrected her, ¡°Not <i>getting </i>married<i>. </i>Married. We got the license yesterday. The seal¡¯s probably still warm.¡±


    Lily shot upright in her seat. ¡°What?! I was still rotting in a holding cell and he had the nerve to get married?!¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s the bride?! Which family in Silverburch? Did her parents not teach her basic manners?! I¡¯m his mother and I was in jail¨Cshe actually dared to sneak off and marry my son?!¡±


    Oscar nearlyughed. <i>She </i>thinks it¡¯s <i>a </i><i>rich </i><i>girl</i><i>? </i><i>Wait </i>till <i>she </i><i>meets </i>Peggy¨Cthat¡¯ll be a show.


    He knew Lily never favored him and wouldn¡¯t bother confiding in him, so he kept his mouth shut. He said nothing else about Owen.


    He dropped Lily at the gates of the Saunders family estate.


    ¡°Hey-!¡±


    Lily had barely stepped out before Oscar peeled off in a cloud of exhaust,


    Coughing from the fumes, she waved her hand in the air. ¡°Ungrateful little brats! Not one of the damn about me!¡±


    ives <b>a </b>


    Muttering as she walked toward the house, she grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s all Yunice¡¯s fault. She turned my eldest against me¡­¡±


    Chapter 462 Mother¨Cin¨CLaw Meets Mayhem


    But the moment she stepped into the courtyard-


    A massive porcin vase shattered at her feet.


    Shards flew everywhere. One even cut her face.


    Lily froze, stunned by the sudden sting and the sheer shock of it.


    Owen and Elsie came running out, clearly heartbroken¨Cnot for her, but for the broken vase,


    +5 free cons


    ¡°That was an antique!¡± Owen wailed. ¡°I spent a fortune on that at auction! How could you smash it like that?! Do you have any idea how much that¡¯s worth?!¡±


    Elsie looked up and finally noticed Lily standing there, wide¨Ceyed. ¡°Mom?¡±


    Owen turned too, just as stunned. ¡°Mom? You¡¯re back?¡±


    Before Lily could respond, a young woman strolled casually out of the house.


    Her tone was smug and yful. ¡°This is Owen¡¯s house. And Owen¡¯s house is <i>my </i>house. That means everything here belongs to both of us. If I want to break something, I will. If I want to spend money, I will You, as an outsider, have no say.¡±


    Peggy stood with arms folded, oblivious to Lily¡¯s presence.


    She fanned herself with a marriage certificate and added proudly, ¡°I¡¯m married to your brother now. From now on, all you outsiders can get your names off his household registry<i>.</i>¡±


    Elsie red at her, then turned and ran into Lily¡¯s arms, clinging to her like a child and sobbing. ¡°Mom! Thank God you¡¯re back! You have to do something about this crazy woman! While you were gone, she¡¯s been making our lives miserable!¡±


    Lily blinked in confusion,pletely lost. She turned to look past Elsie¨Cjust in time <i>to </i>lock eyes with Peggy, who also lookedpletely thrown.


    For a second, neither of them said anything.


    Then Peggy¡¯s eyes lit up. She suddenly bolted forward and grabbed Lily¡¯s other arm, yanking it toward herself with way too much enthusiasm. ¡°Mom! You¡¯re my mom, right?!¡±


    ¡°I saw your pictures with Oscar at home. Now that I¡¯ve met you in person, you really are as young and beautiful as the photos. No wonder Oscar got your good genes.¡±


    She turned and fluttered hershes at Owen. ¡°So handsome-¡±


    2

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    Chapter 463 The New Mistress of the House


    Chapter 463 The New Mistress of the House


    5 Free Coins


    Lily stared in disbelief at Peggy, who was even sturdier than she was. Peggy¡¯s arms were like iron mps- once shetched on, there was no pulling free.


    Disgusted, Lily shot Peggy a look, then quickly turned to Elsie and changed her tone. ¡°Elsie, who¡­ who is she?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes turned red as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Mom, something terrible has happened to our family¡­¡±


    Before Lily could ask for more details, Peggy wrapped herself around Lily¡¯s arm and started dragging her toward the house. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s so rude to just stand around outside. Come in and have a seat. I have to show you how well I treat my elders.¡±


    Lily¡¯s entire body stiffened as Peggy dragged her into the Saunders family home like a chick in a hawk¡¯s talons.


    Peggy turned back and red at Elsie, snapping, ¡°Hurry up and clean up that mess! If even one shard cuts my mom, you¡¯re not eating dinner tonight!¡±


    Tears welled up in Elsie¡¯s eyes as she looked miserably at Owen.


    But Owen was still in shock that Lily had actually been released. Eager to get the full story, he didn¡¯t spare Elsie a second nce.


    ¡°Just clean it up first,¡± he said, then walked straight into the house without looking back.


    Elsie stood frozen, staring at the broken pieces of porcin on the floor. She couldn¡¯t believe Owen had actually told her to back down.


    He didn¡¯t even like Peggy¨Cwhy was he indulging her?


    When Owen entered the living room, Lily was already forced onto the couch by Peggy.


    She looked around at the drastically changed Saunders family home, her eyes about to pop out of their sockets.


    Peggy beamed. ¡°Mom, do you like how I redecorated? I designed everything to my taste. You guys used to live like monks¨Clook how lively my style is!¡±


    Lily¡¯s face turned bright red. Her favorite chandelier had been reced with a tacky butterfly¨Cshaped crystal one. Her beloved lotus paintings had been swapped out for roses!


    Without saying a word, she stood up furiously and stomped upstairs to her room, rummaging through drawers.


    A few minutester, she burst out of her room and shouted down the stairs, her voice cracking, ¡°My agarwood! My jewelry! Where are my designer watches, my bracelets, my nes?!¡±


    Owen turned angrily <i>to </i>Peggy. A flicker of guilt crossed her face before she quickly brushed it off and smiled at Lily. ¡°Mom, those things aren¡¯t good for the baby, so I put them away for you. Don¡¯t worry- once I give birth, I¡¯ll return everything just the way it was.¡±


    C


    Chapter 463 The New Mistress of the House


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Lily stormed downstairs, face¨Cto¨Cface with Peggy, rage practically pouring off her. ¡°Who gave you permission to touch my things?! This is my house! Owen! Call the police! Say she stole from me! Those things are worth tens of millions!¡±


    Owen looked at Lily in disbelief. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you say those were just cheap fakes you kept for fun?¡±


    There had been times when the family desperately needed money and Owen had to bite the bullet and ask Lily for help.


    Back then, Lily told him she didn¡¯t have any money. All those trinkets were fake¨Cworthless junk.


    But now she was saying they were worth tens of millions?


    Lily¡¯s expression faltered as she struggled to exin. She quickly moved closer to Owen, raising her eyebrows in a meaningful way. ¡°I was just trying to scare her.¡±


    Owen¡¯s face darkened with disappointment and frustration. If the stuff was real, he¡¯d make Peggy give it all back¨Cno matter what.


    But if it was fake¡­ it was worthless.


    Peggy, on the other hand, lit up when she heard how much the items were worth.


    So the Saunders family really <i>was </i>loaded!


    She¡¯d actually felt duped when she first showed up yesterday. The Saunders family house looked old and rundown. She thought she¡¯d been scammed.


    But after she ransacked the rooms, especially Lily and Elsie¡¯s, and found so many treasures, her doubts


    were gone.


    Seeing that Lily wanted to call the cops, Peggy draped her arm around her shoulder again and smiled sweetly. ¡°Mom, I was just trying to help you keep them safe. I never said I was taking them. And besides, aren¡¯t all those things going to your grandson one day anyway?¡±


    As she spoke, she patted her own belly on purpose.


    Lily stared at Peggy¡¯s stomach in horror and clutched Owen¡¯s arm, panic rising. ¡°What does she mean? What grandson? What ¡®Mom¡®? You still haven¡¯t told me¨Cwho is she?!¡±


    Owen was too embarrassed <i>to </i>speak.


    Peggy, on the other hand, proudly pulled out a marriage certificate. ¡°Mom, this is our marriage certificate. It¡¯s still hot off the press. Owen and I fell in love at first sight. We couldn¡¯t help ourselves. And now, I¡¯m carrying the next generation of the Saunders family.¡±


    The more Lily heard, the harder it was to process. It was like her brain short¨Ccircuited. She¡¯d only been detained for a few days¨Cnot years!


    And <i>this </i><i>is </i><i>the </i><i>wee </i><i>home </i>I <i>get</i>?!


    Lily shook Owen¡¯s arm like mad,pletely losing it. ¡°Why is this lunatic in my house?! Why haven¡¯t you kicked her out yet?!¡±


    10 14


    Tue, <b>22 </b><b>JUI </b>


    Chapter 463 The New Mistress of the House


    45 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Flushed with shame and frustration, Owen turned to Peggy and snapped, ¡°Stop talking nonsense! It¡¯s only. been three days¨Chow could you possibly be pregnant already?!¡±


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    Chapter 464 The Trap


    Chapter 464 The Trap


    s


    As soon as Owen spoke, Lily¡¯s eyes flew wide open. He hadn¡¯t denied his rtionship with Peggy¨Cinstead, he stressed that she couldn¡¯t possibly be pregnant.


    Which meant¡­. <i>they¡¯d </i><i>already</i><i>¡­. </i>


    Lily let out a loud groan and pped her leg. ¡°What is wrong with your judgment?! Have you lost your mind, bringing a lunatic like her into this house?!¡±


    She grabbed Owen and dragged him upstairs, sobbing.


    ¡°Come with me!¡±


    Peggy, realizing they were teaming up against her, just rolled her eyes and didn¡¯t bother stopping them.


    Shezily flopped onto the couch and began snacking on fruit, gently rubbing her t stomach, a calcting glint in her eye.


    At that moment, a figure entered from outside¨CElsie walked in pitifully, her hands scraped and holding a pile of shattered antique porcin.


    Peggy nced over and said through a mouthful of grapes, ¡°Your mom and brother are upstairs. No one¡¯s watching your little performance.¡±


    Elsie was genuinely aggrieved. She had never been treated like this in the Saunders family.


    She¡¯d thought that once Peggy married into the family, they could toy with her as they pleased¨Cmake life difficult until she couldn¡¯t take it and asked for a divorce.


    But neither she nor Owen had anticipated that Peggy was not only physically strong but also fiercely aggressive. When they fought, she handled them like chickens¨Cgrabbing one in each hand without breaking a sweat.


    Yesterday, the moment Peggy arrived, she beat the two of them into submission, then ransacked the house, iming whatever she liked and tossing aside what she didn¡¯t.


    If either Elsie or Owen so much as defied her, she¡¯d smash something immediately.


    It was obvious¨Cshe was testing their obedience.


    They even tried calling the police, but the authorities said Peggy hadn¡¯t caused any bodily harm, and since she had a marriage certificate, it was just a domestic dispute. Couples fighting and breaking things wasn¡¯t unusual. Not only did they refuse to punish Peggy, they even lectured Elsie, telling her to be more amodating and not provoke tension in her brother¡¯s marriage.


    The two of them were left hopeless¨Cthis woman was a walking disaster.


    On the couch, Peggy absentmindedly wiped grape juice from her fingers and suddenly had another ¡°Elsie, now that Mom¡¯s back, there¡¯s one more person in the house, We¡¯ve only got four bedrooms- not seriously going to make an olddy sleep on the couch, right?¡±


    <b>re </b>


    Elsie froze, immediately grasping Peggy¡¯s implication, and exploded. ¡°You want me to give up my room


    <b>Tue</b><b>, </b><b>22 </b><b>Jul </b>GMT


    Chapter 464 The Trap


    and sleep on the couch?!¡±


    Peggy paused, then pped her hands like she had a lightbulb moment. ¡°No, no, that won¡¯t work. You¡¯ll need a ce to change and shower, right?¡±


    Her eyes swept across the house and finallynded on the tiny maid¡¯s room that Yunice used to stay in. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Ah, that one¡¯s perfect for you!¡±


    She pped her hands again, scaling her decision. ¡°Move in there now.¡±


    Then her expression darkened. ¡°Everything in this house belongs to me now. Don¡¯t let me catch you hiding anything. Or else¡­¡±


    Peggy raised her fist and threatened to break Elsie¡¯s legs.


    Elsie was about to explode.


    That tiny maid¡¯s room was dark and stuffy, with only one small venttion window!


    She used to throw Yunice in there as punishment¨Cwhy should <i>she </i>have to live there?!


    And weren¡¯t there four bedrooms? Her older brother¡¯s room was still empty!


    After getting the marriage certificate, Owen hadn¡¯t wanted to share a bed with Peggy, so she¡¯d slept in Lily¡¯s roomst night¨Cwhich was how she managed to steal all of Lily¡¯s valuables.


    And now Peggy wanted to shove her into the maid¡¯s room too?


    Peggy said, ¡°Oscar might note home often, but that room¡¯s still his. You can¡¯t just move in.I don¡¯t only have one sister¨Cinw. When Yunicees home to visit, that room is her ce <i>to </i>stay.¡±


    Elsie clenched her jaw, furious. ¡°Yunice neveres back. We don¡¯t need to leave her <i>a </i>room!¡±


    Peggy raised her brows. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Whether shees or not is her choice. Leaving <i>the </i>room for her is my choice. If you¡¯re not happy about it, then throw me a wedding like she did. Then I¡¯ll treat you just the same.¡±


    Elsie snapped, ¡°I¡­¡±


    Peggy snorted and popped another grape into her mouth. ¡°Cheapskate.¡±


    Upstairs, Owen had just finished telling Lily the whole story of how he ended up marrying Peggy.


    Lily was trembling with rage. ¡°This is all Yunice¡¯s setup! Her own life¡¯s a mess, so she¡¯s dragging us down with her!¡±


    She covered her face and cried. ¡°How could she be so cruel? I nearly died giving birth to her. I thought she bailed me out because she still had some sliver of mother¨Cdaughter affection. But it turns out she just wanted me toe home and suffer¡­¡±


    She mmed a fist against Owen¡¯s shoulder, sobbing. ¡°You stupid boy! How could you fall into her trap and bring that lunatic into our family? What are we supposed to do with the rest of our lives now¡­¡±

 Daghter 465

    <b>Chapter </b><b>465 </b><b>Evidence </b>and <b>Strategy </b>


    Chapter 465 Evidence and Strategy


    <b>As </b>soon as Lily finished speaking, Peggy¡¯s yful voice rang out from downstairs. ¡°Honey, Mom, <b>don¡¯t </b>just talk among yourselves! It¡¯s my first day as a newlywed, and you¡¯re already ignoring me? <b>That¡¯s </b><b>not </b><b>okay</b><b>. </b>If you keep this up, I¡¯m gonna post online and ask the inte: ¡®What should I do when my <b>mother</b><b>¨C</b><b>in</b>w <b>is </b>glued to my husband every day?¡°¡±


    ¡°Oh lord, what a nightmare!¡± Lily¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment. She pushed Owen toward the door. ¡°Hurry up and get out of here. It¡¯s just us lonely womenfolk in here¨Cif that crazy woman starts running her mouth, I¡¯ll be ruined¡­¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Owen hung his head in shame, but knowing Peggy was fully capable of making a scene, he had no choice but to leave Lily¡¯s room.


    Just as he stepped into the hallway, Owen saw Elsieing out of a room in tears, holding her bedding.


    He grabbed her hand, which was covered in bloody cuts, and asked in both worry and shock, ¡°Why are you bleeding? What happened to your hands?¡±


    Elsie quickly hid her hand behind her back, tears slipping down her cheeks. ¡°I cut myself by ident while cleaning up the broken pieces for Peggy. It¡¯s okay, it doesn¡¯t hurt¡­ As long as you and Peggy are happy together, I¡¯m fine with it.¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice rose. ¡°When was I ever happy with her?¡±


    ¡°She asked me to clean up the broken pieces, and you agreed, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Owen fell silent.


    He hadn¡¯t really thought it through¨Che just didn¡¯t want Peggy throwing a fit, so he had told Elsie to go along with it for now.


    Seeing how badly injured she was, guilt surged in him. He gently took her hand. ¡°How can it not hurt? That vase had been sitting there for ages¨Cwho knows if it was even clean? With all these cuts, you could get an infection. Come on, I¡¯ll clean and bandage them for you¡­¡°.


    Just as they were about to return to the room hand in hand, they heard Peggy clucking her tongue from downstairs.


    She was holding her phone up, the camera pointed right at them, tongue clicking as she edited a post. ¡°Barely married, and my husband¡¯s already sneaking around with his sister¨Cinw¨Cproof right here, folks<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen yanked his hand away from Elsie like it had burned him.


    Then he stormed downstairs, reaching for Peggy¡¯s phone. ¡°What the hell are you posting now?!¡±


    Peggy raised her hand and danced away from his reach, grinning. ¡°What, mad that <b>I </b>exposed the truth


    ¡°Delete it!¡± Owen barked.


    Peggy smirked. ¡°Sure, I can delete it.¡±


    <b>Chapter </b><b>465 </b><b>Evidence </b><b>and </b>Strategy


    <b>She </b><b>leaned </b>in and offered her check. ¡°Give me a kiss and <b>I¡¯ll </b>delete it.


    <b>Owen </b>froze.


    Peggy wasn¡¯t ugly<b>¨C</b>she was actually quite pretty, with a full, curvy figure and a sultry kind of <b>beauty</b>,


    If she weren¡¯t so cruel and unreasonable, he might not have hated her so much.


    But no matter how pretty that face was, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to kiss it.


    Peggy pouted but didn¡¯t seem to care about his disgust. She casually raised her phone, ready to hit ¡°<b>send</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>The re on the screen showed Owen¡¯s expression, and sure enough, he looked panicked.


    The next second, with the air of a man facing execution, Owen pecked her cheek.


    Peggy¡¯s lips curled in a triumphant smile as she snapped a photo right at that moment¨Cclick.


    The sound of the shutter sent a chill down Owen¡¯s spine. He stared at her. ¡°You took a picture?¡±


    Peggy quickly typed on her phone, then gleefully turned the screen to show him. ¡°Yup. I posted it on my Moments. I even invited our mutual friends to our wedding celebration.¡±


    It felt like the sky had fallen. Owen saw the photo of him kissing Peggy¡¯s cheek going public¨Cand it was his own doing.


    ¡°Delete it!¡± Owen¡¯s face turned deathly pale as he lunged for the phone.


    Peggy twisted away, hiding it behind her. ¡°Another kiss and I¡¯ll delete <i>it</i>.¡±


    Owen staggered back, on the verge of fainting.


    Upstairs, Lily peered through the crack of her door, witnessing the entire scene.


    She knew then and there that their home had been hijacked by a siren.


    She had to find a way to break this spell.


    ¡°Elsie,¡± Lily called her to the door. ¡°Yuni?e¡¯s father¡¯s memorial ising up. Yunice will definitely return <i>to </i>visit his grave. You and Owen need to find a way <i>to </i>get her back here.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°We need to use force against force. If Peggy pisses off Yunice, Wyatt will absolutely step in to defend her and punish Peggy.¡±


    ¡°When Peggy¡¯s wounded and stuck in bed, that¡¯ll be our moment for revenge!¡±


    Elsie didn¡¯t seem too impressed <i>by </i>the n. ¡°Mom, haven¡¯t you heard? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Those two are thick as thieves¨Cno way they¡¯ll turn on each other¡­¡±


    Lily chuckled coldly. ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re still green. When ites to manipting people, you¡¯ve <b>got </b><b>a </b>lot to learn. Just get Yunice here¨Cand¨Cleave the rest to me.¡±

 Daghter 466

    Chapter 466 A Dangerous Game


    Chapter 466 A Dangerous Game


    Though she was skeptical of Lily¡¯s n, Elsie had no better option.


    45 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Frowning, she looked down at Owen and Peggy yfully bickering in the living room, a deep unease rising in her chest.


    Peggy was so bold and uninhibited¨Cit worried her that Owen might eventually fall for her.


    Lily shared the same concern. Owen wasn¡¯t exactly young anymore, but he¡¯d never dated anyone before. Now his first experience was with someone this aggressive¨Chow could he possibly resist?


    Some precautions had to be taken.


    Lily whispered, ¡°Tonight, we¡¯ll pretend to cook dinner together. You get me some emergency contraceptive¨CI¡¯ll mix it into her food.¡±


    It had already been three days, but there might still be time to undo the damage.


    Best¨Ccase scenario, Peggy wouldn¡¯t get pregnant. Even if she did, Lily had no intention of letting her carry it to term.


    The mere thought of a pregnancy made Lily worry for Elsie. ¡°You and Paul were together all those years- why was there never any news?¡±


    Elsie looked down. If she¡¯d gotten pregnant, she wouldn¡¯t be in such a helpless situation now.


    Lily pressed on. ¡°If the problem is with you, then get it treated. Otherwise, try a different man¨Csee if it¡¯s really your issue.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elsie was stunned by how open¨Cminded Lily was being.


    Lily scoffed at her shock. ¡°Some people just aren¡¯t gicallypatible¡ªit happens. You won¡¯t know unless you try.¡±


    Then she muttered, ¡°Come to think of it, Yunice was with Boyu for years and never got pregnant either. Maybe he¡¯s the one with a problem.¡±


    Elsie fell into thought. She knew Paul had fooled around a lot when he was with Yunice, and he¡¯d had many women¡ªbut none of them had gotten pregnant either.


    But then she remembered what happened at the church. Those two doctors had both confirmed she was pregnant¨Conly for the pregnancy to end due <i>to </i>injury before it fully developed.


    If they were right, that meant Paul was fertile.


    Elsie¡¯s brows drew together. She couldn¡¯t count on Owen. She needed a backup n.


    That evening, Lily and Elsie cooked dinner together in the kitchen. Elsie carefully mixed contractive powder into the rice.


    She decided from that day on, she¡¯d add it to Peggy¡¯s food and water daily¨Cuntil her hormones went haywire, she got sick, and her looks deteriorated.


    <b>10:14 </b><b>Tue</b><b>, </b><b>22 </b><b>Jul </b><b>GMT </b>


    Chapter 466 A Dangerous Game


    Fine Cons


    Meanwhile, Owen imed to be working <i>in </i>the study, but he¡¯d locked the door and stumped in his <b>chair</b><b>. </b>zoning out.


    Ever since the forced marriage, word had gotten out¨Cmany of his former colleagues from the hospital now knew he was marrying Peggy.


    Someughed behind his back. Others tried to warn him. Not a single person approved.


    Owen knew it too. Peggy¡¯s personality rubbed everyone the wrong way, no matter where she went.


    Peggy lounged alone on the sofa, watching TV, thoroughly pleased with her current life. She nced at the two women working away in the kitchen and felt smug¨Cshe had the household under control


    But as Lily and Elsie finally emerged with grim faces and trays of food, Elsie¡¯s gaze darted toward the front door in surprise.


    The sound of the keypad being pressed came from outside¨Cand no one had said they wereing to visit the Saunders today.


    So who could it be?


    The suspense didn¡¯tst long. The lock clicked, and the door swung open.


    A slender figure stepped inside. Elsie¡¯s face twisted as she snapped, ¡°What are you doing here?!¡±


    Yunice, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, wore a simple andfortable outfit. Her skin was porcin smooth and glowing, and her understated beauty was impossible to ignore.


    From the first time she saw her, Elsie had been jealous of that wless face.


    The Will family had good genes¨Cevery one of her children was attractive. Only Elsie <i>had </i><i>been </i>born from inferior mountain blood, and she¡¯d spent enormous effort trying to fix her sallow skin, <i>t </i>nose<i>, </i>and uneven facial structure.


    A few years ago<i>, </i>Yunice had looked terrible¨Csallow, thin, and drained. Elsie had even felt smug about it for a time. But it hadn¡¯t been long before Yunice bounced back with Wyatt¡¯s support, regaining her radiance.


    In contrast, Elsie had be a medical test subject due to her illness. Her body was still covered in marks from various instruments, even after a month of recovery. Needle scars and bruises marred her skin, making her look like a piece of dried¨Cout cowhide.


    Forget being loved¨Cjust seeing her now might give someone nightmares.


    Yunice didn¡¯t even acknowledge the hatred practically spilling from Elsie¡¯s eyes. She strolled inside casually. ¡°Is it just you all here? Owen¡¯s not home?¡±


    A door creaked open upstairs. Yunice looked up and locked eyes with Owen.


    He hadn¡¯t expected her to show up here. He and Lily both rushed over like they were about to tak the frustration they¡¯d built up with Peggy on Yunice instead.


    <i>ut </i><i>all </i>


    Owen asked cautiously, ¡°You came alone?¡°


    Chapter 466 A Dangerous Game


    <i>Was </i>Wyatt with her?


    Yunice replied calmly, ¡°He¡¯s got a dinner engagement tonight. No telling when he¡¯lle pick me up?

 Daghter 467

    Chapter 467 The Chicken Leg Standoff


    Chapter 467 The Chicken Leg Standoff


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    The moment Yunice mentioned Wyatt might show up, Owen didn¡¯t dare provoke her. Thest thing he needed was Wyatt walking in on a scene.


    He quickly changed his tone. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Peggy shot up from the couch and cheerfully wrapped her arm around Yunice¡¯s. ¡°You¡¯re already here, so whether you¡¯ve eaten or not, you¡¯re staying for dinner. We¡¯re all family¨Cdon¡¯t be shy!¡±


    She then nced at Elsic. ¡°Still standing there like an idiot? Go get cutlery for your dear Yunice.¡±


    With a deep frown, Owen sat down too, though his face looked like someone owed him eight million dors.


    He¡¯d thought it over the night before. Sure, being forced to marry Peggy was mostly Yunice¡¯s fault.


    But now that the wedding was inevitable, there¡¯d be costs¨Cvenue, guests, the whole production.


    He didn¡¯t like Peggy, but the Saunders family¡¯s wedding couldn¡¯t look cheap.


    Only then would the wealthy elites of Beijing believe in the Saunders family¡¯s status¨Cand only then would he have the clout to attract sponsors.


    Yunice had agreed to cover the wedding venue and banquet costs. And the venue she¡¯d chosen¨CSea Blossom Hall¨Cwas one of the most prestigious in the capital.


    Given that she was footing the bill, Owen decided to forgive her¨Cfor now.


    In the kitchen, Elsie carried two tes of mashed potatoes. One of them wasced with a heavy dose of emergency contraceptive powder.


    It had been meant for Peggy.


    But now¡­


    2


    Elsie cast a venomous look at Yunice, who sat there like an honored guest, calm andposed.


    Then she stepped out and ced the two tes in front of Yunice and Peggy.


    Lily took her seat too. Head down, hands in herp, she looked like the picture of obedience.


    Peggy didn¡¯t spare her a nce. As soon as the food was served, she started serving Yunice¡¯s te with enthusiasm. ¡°Why didn¡¯t your husbande with you? Never mind¨Cdo you have any pictures? Even a wedding photo would do!¡±


    She was dying to know who Yunice¡¯s husband was. The whole Saunders family got so weirdly upset every time she asked¨Cit had to be someone big.


    Yunice didn¡¯t have a single photo with Wyatt.


    And even if she did, she wouldn¡¯t show Peggy.


    10:15 Tue<b>, </b><b>22 </b><b>Jul </b><b>GMT </b>


    Chapter 467 The Chicken Leg Standoff


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    As Peggy kept chattering away, a fork silently appeared from across the table, cing a chicken leg onto Yunice¡¯s te.


    Peggy¡¯s smile froze. She followed the fork with her eyes¨Cto Lily.


    Lily had slipped Yunice a zing hot pepper chicken leg.


    Owen¡¯s expression tightened. Elsie looked smug, ready for a show.


    Everyone in the Saunders family knew Yunice couldn¡¯t handle spicy food¨Cnot since she got out of the psych ward.


    Lily was clearly trying to start something.


    Owen shot Lily a look, then quickly took the chicken leg out of Yunice¡¯s te with his fork and dropped it onto his own.


    Peggy frowned, giving Owen a look like he¡¯d lost his mind. ¡°There¡¯s plenty on the table. Why do you have to eat that one?¡±


    Lily jumped in sweetly, ¡°Exactly, Owen. Why fight your sister for food? If you like it, I¡¯ll get you another.¡± And she did. She gave Owen another chicken leg¨Cthen casually dropped another one into Yunice¡¯s te. Owen¡¯s face darkened. He clenched his fork, fuming<i>. </i><i>Can </i><i>this </i><i>house </i>go <i>one </i><i>day </i><i>without </i><i>drama</i><i>? </i>


    As she sat, Lily cast Yunice a sly nce.


    Owen didn¡¯t want to cause a scene in front of Peggy, so instead of arguing, he stubbornly took the chicken leg from Yunice¡¯s te again.


    Lily doubled down¨Ceach time he took it away, she gave Yunice another.


    So Yunice¡¯s te always had a greasy, bright red chicken leg sitting in it.


    After several rounds of this, Peggy suddenly jabbed her fork into the chicken leg in Yunice¡¯s te, stopping Owen from removing it.


    Her eyes flicked between him and Yunice as she snapped, ¡°What¡¯s the deal¨CYunice can¡¯t even have a chicken leg in her own house?¡±


    She thought the family was ganging up on Yunice, denying her food on purpose.


    Before Owen could find a way to exin, Lily spoke up gently. ¡°Owen, don¡¯t keep eating after your sister. If someone sees that, they might say you two have¡­ no boundaries.¡±


    Peggy blinked, then turned to stare at Lily.


    Lily bowed her head, looking utterly ashamed, as if she¡¯d just said something unspeakably embarrassing.


    Peggy slowly turned toward Owen and Yunice with a look of pure disgust. <i>Don¡¯t </i><i>tell </i><i>me </i><i>these </i>two <i>a</i><i>. </i><i>up </i><i>behind </i><i>everyone¡¯s </i><i>back</i>¡­


    <i>oking </i>


    So that¡¯s why Owen never dated or got married? He¡¯d been messing around close to home all this time?


    VW


    789<b>%</b><b>1 </b>


    Chapter 467 The Chicken Leg Standoff


    45 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Owen¡¯s face went crimson. He mmed his fork down. ¡°Mom! What the hell are you talking about?!<b>¡± </b>


    Lily immediately dropped her head. ¡°I won¡¯t say another word.¡±


    The way she said it only made it sound more like she was telling the truth.


    3

 Daghter 468

    <b>Chapter </b><b>468 </b><b>Fire </b>and Fury


    Peggy looked like she¡¯d just swallowed a te of flies. She instantly yanked her <b>arm </b>off <b>the </b>back of Yunics chair.


    Suddenly, Yunice¡¯s warning echoed in her mind¨Cshe had said Owen was still a virgin. But <b>if </b><b>he </b><b>had </b><b>a </b>thing going with either of his sisters, how could that be true?


    Owen had such ambiguous rtionships with both of them. Who knew what disgusting things might <b>have </b>happened behind closed doors?


    Maybe Yunice said that on purpose¨Cto cover up Owen¡¯s shameful secrets.


    What if this whole setup¨Cforcing Owen to marry her¨Cwas just to create a shamn marriage? To <b>make </b><b>it </b>look like Owen was normal to the outside world, while he kept his real rtionships hidden <b>at </b>home?


    Who would ever suspect anything with his own sisters?


    From the side, Yunice watched the shift in Peggy¡¯s expression with cold detachment and slowly stood <b>up</b>.


    All eyes turned to her.


    Without a word, Yunice reached out and picked up the te of spicy chicken legs.


    By now, all the chicken legs had been tossed into Owen¡¯s bowl in the heat of petty conflict.


    All that remained in the deep te was a pool of bright red, oily chili broth.


    As she stood, Owen called out, ¡°Yunice, what are you doing? Sit down.¡±


    Even though Lily had spewed something vile, Owen thought the effect wasn¡¯t half bad. If it made Peggy squirm, a few nasty rumors were worth it.


    Yunice held the te and calmly stepped around behind Peggy and Elsie¨Cuntil she stopped right in front of Lily.


    Lily looked up in confusion, unsure of what Yunice was nning.


    ¡°Yunice, what did I say that was wrong? You¡¯re married now, so you should be careful about how you act around your broth-¡±


    Her words were cut short.


    Yunice¡¯s fingers were already mped around Lily¡¯s jaw.


    She wasn¡¯t strong, but she was precise. She knew how to dislocate a joint with finesse.


    <i>Crack</i><i>. </i>


    Lily¡¯s eyes filled with terror as her lower jaw unhinged. She couldn¡¯t close her mouth no matter how hard she tried.


    The shock and pain left her frozen, unable to react.


    Chapter 468 Fire and Fury


    <b>Yunice </b><b>stood </b><b>calmly</b><b>, </b><b>like </b>someone who had done this more thart <b>once</b><b>. </b>Without <b>emotion</b>, she tippi <b>bowl </b><b>forward </b>and poured the thick<b>, </b>spicy broth into Lily¡¯s <b>gaping </b>mouth.


    She poured slowly<b>, </b>tilting her head slightly as she watched Lily struggle.


    Everyone at the table sat frozen in horror.


    No one had ever imagined that soft¨Cspoken, delicate Yunice could calmly carry out something <b>so </b><b>cruel- </b>so calcted.


    The shock was soplete, no one moved to stop her.


    Lily had spent years living a clean lifestyle. She could tolerate only the mildest spice¨Canything stronger made her stomach cramp from old injuries. (1)


    But this dish had been made to suit Elsie¡¯s fiery taste. It was loaded with heat far beyond Lily¡¯s limit<b>. </b>


    Now that chili oil was burning its way down her throat, attacking her esophagus.


    The pain was overwhelming.


    She thrashed violently, trying to scream, but every breath just pulled more of the searing liquid into <b>her </b>airway. She was choking, gagging, drowning in fire.


    Her face turned bright red, veins bulging in her neck, eyes streaming with tears and bloodshot from pain. She wed at Yunice¡¯s hand in desperation, leaving red welts all over her skin¨Cbut Yunice didn¡¯t flinch.


    Only when thest drop of broth had been poured did Yunice let go.


    A sharp tap under Lily¡¯s jaw popped the dislocated bone back into ce.


    Lily copsed onto the table, retching and coughing, unable to even scream.


    Yunice casually tossed the empty te to the ground. It shattered with a sharp crack, jarring everyone out of their trance.


    ¡°You love spicy food so much,¡± she said calmly, ¡°I figured I¡¯d let you have your fill.¡±


    Owen and Elsie snapped out of it at once. Owen rushed to Lily¡¯s side, panic in his voice. Elsie grabbed a fork off the table, ready to fight back.


    Yunice turned her gaze to her.


    The moment Yunice¡¯s eyes locked


    hers, Elsie froze.


    Her rage shrank into uncertainty under that cold stare.


    She didn¡¯t dare touch Yunice.


    If anything happened to Yunice in the Saunders home, her own punishment would be a hundred times


    worse.


    Lily¡¯s lips were swollen, her throat and airway likely inmed. Her hands wed at her neck <b>as </b><b>she </b><b>gaspe </b>


    Chapter 468 Fire and Fury


    for breath, looking like she could pass out any second.


    Owen¡¯s face turned ashen. ¡°Elsie! Call 911!¡±


    Elsie¡¯s hands trembled as she fumbled for her phone.


    But Peggy¡¯s eyes gleamed¨Cand with a quick swipe, she snatched it out of her hands.


    * Free Come


    ¡°Why are you calling an ambnce?¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s just chili. People cat that all the time. It¡¯s not gonna kill her. Just give her some cold water and she¡¯ll be fine.¡±

 Daghter 469

    Chapter 469 Tit for Tat


    Peggy frowned and nced at Lily, clearly annoyed.


    Yunice was her meal ticket¨Cshe was counting on her to provide the wedding venue.


    If Yunice didn¡¯t get to vent today, what if she decided not to y the sucker anymore?


    Owen snapped angrily, ¡°Peggy!¡±


    That was his mother, and Peggy had the nerve to stop him from saving her!


    Owen felt like his dignity as a man had been crushed underfoot.


    45 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Meanwhile, Yunice slowly returned to her seat. She sat downzily, lifting her cold, indifferent eyes to look at Lily, who was on the verge of passing out.


    She spoke casually, like it was no big deal. ¡°Don¡¯t we always keep Elsie¡¯s asthma meds around? Just give her a couple sprays.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Owen suddenly remembered. That stuff could save her!


    He rushed to the cab, grabbed the inhaler, and sprayed Lily a few times.


    After several seconds, Lily¡¯s face finally rxed a little. She slumped in the chair, looking like she¡¯d just crawled back from the edge of death.


    Yunice looked at her and gave a coldugh. So she did know what fear felt like. She did know what it meant to suffer.


    It was her own fault for being too reasonable before, too kind. That¡¯s what gave them the illusion that nothing they did was out of line.


    Now it was time for payback. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Let them feel what it¡¯s like to be humiliated.


    Yunice nced at the bread in her bowl, soaked in chili sauce, and sneered. ¡°You know I can¡¯t eat spicy food, but you gave it to me anyway. You knew Owen wouldn¡¯t dare upset me and would take some for me, so you made up rumors just to make Peggy hate me¨Cand to make Owen ufortable. Clever n.¡±


    She finished speaking and casually dumped her rice over the untouched dishes on the table.


    Her message was loud and clear: If I can¡¯t eat, no one eats.


    Owen frowned and shielded Lily, snapping at Yunice, ¡°You can¡¯t eat spicy food, but I took it out for you<i>, </i>didn¡¯t I? I didn¡¯t make you eat it, so why are you being so petty?!¡±


    Yunice lifted her gaze to him. ¡°So your mom can spread lies that I¡¯m sleeping with you, and you¡¯re okay with that?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face twitched. Admitting it wasn¡¯t true made him look weak, but denying it outright w either.


    easy


    Chapter 469 Tit for Tat


    s


    Peggy, who¡¯d been observing, suddenly pulled Yunice aside. ¡°Wait¨Cyou¡¯re not their biological daughter?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± Yunice replied.


    Peggy looked even more confused. ¡°Then how could she not know you¡¯re allergic to spice<i>? </i>And why would she badmouth you?¡±


    Yunice pointed to a corner not far away. ¡°See that maid¡¯s room? That¡¯s where they made me live.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s expression shifted, realization slowly dawning. ¡°Hold on¡­ You married so well, but you¡¯re the least favored one in your family?¡±


    Usually, the child a family cherishes most is the one with the brightest prospects.


    Howe it was Elsie, the favorite, who still hadn¡¯t gotten married?


    As for the tangled mess that was the Saunders family, Peggy couldn¡¯t begin to understand.


    Yunice didn¡¯t answer her. Her eyes drifted back to the dish she¡¯d just covered with rice.


    Something about the way the bread and the food reacted was off¨Cthe color was strange.


    Yunice, well¨Cversed in pharmacology, sneered and exposed them, ¡°There¡¯s something in my bread too.¡±


    She turned to Elsie, who¡¯d just brought over the food. ¡°What did you put in it? Want to tell me yourself, or should I search you?¡±


    Elsie immediately denied it. ¡°I didn¡¯t drug anything!¡±


    Yuniceughed harder. ¡°Did I say anything about drugs?¡±


    Elsie had just exposed herself.


    Peggy had seen enough. She stood up and started searching Elsie¡¯s pockets.


    Elsie struggled in frustration. ¡°I already said it wasn¡¯t me! Yunice is just picking a fight¨Chow could she tell there¡¯s medicine in the food just by looking?!¡±


    Peggy¡¯s rough search made Elsie scream, Owen charged at her, pushing her aside. ¡°Let go! Don¡¯t you dare touch my sister!¡±


    Peggy stumbled back a step, shot a re at Owen who was now fussing over Elsie, then got up and headed for the kitchen.


    If nothing was on Elsie, the meds had to be tossed in the kitchen¨Csince Peggy never went in there. Sure enough, Peggy kicked over the trash can and spotted multiple empty n B boxes inside.


    Her face darkened. Grabbing the boxes, she stormed back out.


    ¡°You still want to lie?!¡±


    Seeing the boxes, Elsie shook her head pitifully at Owen. ¡°Owen, that¡¯s not mine. It has to be a setup! She¡¯s in on it with Yunice!¡±


    Chapter 469 Tit for Tat


    45 Free Coins


    Owen hesitated, caught in the middle. But deep down, he didn¡¯t believe Elsie would do something like that. He turned to Yunice, who had raised the rm, and questioned her. ¡°Elsie didn¡¯t even know you wereing. How could she have nned to drug you?¡±


    Yunice took the n B box from Peggy and scoffed. ¡°Emergency contraceptive. It works by stopping ovtion and preventing imntation. You tell me why would she want me to take this?¡±


    If she was jealous, afraid Yunice might get pregnant with Wyatt¡¯s child, she¡¯d have used something stronger¨Clike an abortion pill.

 Daghter 470

    Chapter 470 The Tables Have Turned


    Chapter 470 The Tables Have Turned


    15 Free <b>Coins </b>


    n B only worked as emergency contraception within three days after sex. For her, the worst it would do was mess with her hormones a little.


    Clearly, the pill hadn¡¯t been meant for her from the start. It was something they threw in at thest minute.


    Which meant the original target was-


    Yunice nced at Peggy and smiled. ¡°Looks like someone doesn¡¯t want you getting pregnant.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s expression darkened.


    Owen saw things escting fast and shouted at Yunice, ¡°Stop trying to change the subject!¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Peggy barked, cutting him off.


    She wasn¡¯t that stupid. She turned a cold gaze to Elsie and sneered. ¡°Yeah, <i>you </i>didn¡¯t know Yunice wasing. So the pill was for me.¡±


    She strode over and grabbed Elsie¡¯s ear, twisting it so hard the girl had to bend over screaming.


    Peggy snarled, ¡°These hands of yours don¡¯t know how to behave? Want me to chop them off for you?!¡±


    Owen rushed forward, ready to fight, but Peggy was prepared. She snatched the fruit knife off the table and shouted, ¡°Touch me, and I¡¯ll stab you where you stand!¡±


    Owen froze.


    Peggy scoffed. ¡°I thought you all were real tight with Yunice. I was even thinking of being nice to you for her sake. But this? You treat her like garbage. Then I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡±


    She had been holding back out of concern for Yunice¨Cafter all, these people were her family. She didn¡¯t want to make things awkward for her.


    But clearly, Yunice wasn¡¯t going to bat for them.


    Which meant she could do whatever she wanted with them now.


    Still holding onto Elsie¡¯s ear, Peggy pointed the knife at Owen and called back to Yunice, ¡°I¡¯m just helping you teach these brats a lesson. You¡¯re not mad, right?¡±


    Owen saw how careful Peggy was being with Yunice and quickly pleaded, ¡°Yunice, make her stop! Say something!¡±


    Yunice looked at him leisurely, dragging out her words on purpose. ¡°Why would I be mad? The worse they have it, the better I feel.¡±


    With that, Peggy dragged Elsie into the kitchen.


    m!


    Chapter 470 The Tables Have Turned


    The door shut behind them, and everything went dead quiet.


    Owen and Lily both went pale. No one had any idea what Peggy might do to Elsie in there.


    They rushed toward the kitchen, desperate to save her.


    But someone blocked their way.


    Owen and Lily red at Yunice, rage and panic on their faces. ¡°Move!¡±


    They looked like they were ready to punch her if she didn¡¯t.


    15 Free Coms


    This was the Saunders¡® house¨COwen¡¯s turf. He always acted like that gave him the right to do whatever he wanted to Yunice, without worrying about consequences.


    He thought Yunice would back down. That she¡¯d step aside.


    . Instead, she calmly pulled out her phone and hit a speed dial number.


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened. He lunged for the phone.


    But just before he could grab it, the call connected.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice came through. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Owen froze. If Yunice so much as hinted that she was being bullied here, Wyatt would show up with people¨Cand weapons.


    Owen started shaking his head at her, pleading with his eyes.


    <i>Don¡¯t </i><i>snitch</i>¡­ <i>Please</i><i>, </i><i>don¡¯t </i><i>snitch</i><i>¡­ </i>


    Yunice watched him with amusement, then smiled into the phone and said slowly, ¡°Nothing. Just felt like hearing your voice.¡±


    Wyatt got up on the other end. ¡°I¡¯ll be home in twenty minutes.¡±


    Owen and Lily both looked stunned by how seriously Wyatt took Yunice.


    Lily especially stared at her, confused. How had someone as ordinary as Yunice gotten Wyatt wrapped around her finger?


    If she had this kind of power, why hadn¡¯t she used it on Paul back then?


    Why had she let Elsie take her ce so easily?


    The more Lily thought about it, the more convinced she became that Elsie hadn¡¯t taken Paul because she was better. It was because Yunice/never tried to fight for him in the first ce.


    Yunice spokezily into the phone. ¡°I¡¯m at the Saunders¡® house. Come pick me up.¡±


    Wyatt gave a short ¡°Okay,¡± and didn¡¯t hang up. They could hear the ding of an elevator on his end.


    Yunice hung up.


    10:15 <b>Tue</b><b>, </b><b>22 </b><b>J </b>


    Chapter 470 The Tables Have Turned


    Then she turned to Owen and Lily, her expression cocky and defiant.


    She might as well have been saying, Go ahead. Lay a finger on me. I dare you.


    Owen and Lily stood frozen. Not one step forward.


    Because they knew¨Cno matter what happened now, even if they tied Yunice up and saved Elsie¨Conce Wyatt arrived, there¡¯d be hell to pay.

 Daghter 471

    Chapter 471 A Hundred ps


    Chapter 471 A Hundred ps


    45 Fre:


    Not a sound came from the kitchen. No one knew what kind of torment Elsie might be enduring <b>in </b><b>there</b>.


    When force didn¡¯t work, Owen¡¯s eyes turned red. He dropped his pride and pleaded with Yunice.


    ¡°Yunice, I¡¯m begging you, please let could be in danger!¡±


    c through! Peggy¡¯s ruthless¨Cshe doesn¡¯t follow any rules. <b>Elsie¡¯s </b><b>life </b>


    Lily¡¯s throat was still scorched from the chili and she couldn¡¯t even speak. Tears welled up in her eyes <b>as </b>she nodded, joining Owen in silently begging Yunice.


    Yunice watched them¨Cwatched how their tough pride always shattered when it came to Elsie. The contrast was almost heartbreaking.


    She said quietly, ¡°So if I let Elsie go, you¡¯ll do whatever I ask?<b>¡± </b>


    They both nodded frantically, desperate to save her.


    To be loved that deeply¨Cwhat a beautiful thing.


    Too bad their love was for a monster.


    Loving a monster always ends in ruin. Yunice would make sure


    She


    gave them a vicious smile. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡±


    of it.


    Yunice turned to Lily, her voice slow and deliberate. ¡°One of you¨Ceither you or Owen¨Chas to p the other one a hundred times. Then I¡¯ll let you through. Deal?¡±


    Both Owen and Lily froze, eyes wide. They hadn¡¯t expected something this inhumane.


    They were mother and son. pping each other like that was no different from tearing each other apart.


    This wasn¡¯t a test of will¨Cit was a test of loyalty. Whoever struck first would be admitting, in that moment, that Elsie¡¯s life meant more than the other person¡¯s dignity.


    The demand was brutal. Cruel.


    ¡°Yunice, what the hell happened to you? You¡¯re a monster! Did Wyatt teach you all this?!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. She used to try and appeal to their sense of morality.


    But she¡¯d learned that people like them had their own warped sense of good and evil. If something benefited them, it was good. If it didn¡¯t, then anything Yunice did was considered evil.


    Reasoning with them was pointless. Only pain would get through.


    She didn¡¯t take the bait. Instead, she smiled and said calmly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just swear you¡¯d do anything for Elsie? And now my first request is already too much?¡±


    ¡°A hundred ps won¡¯t kill anyone. Or is her life worth less than your pride?¡±


    0


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b>471 A Hundred <b>ps </b>


    <b>She </b>deliberately nced toward the kitchen. ¡°Uh¨Coh, still no sound. Maybe she¡¯s <b>already </b><b>dead</b><b>. </b>Peggy <b>doesn¡¯t </b>know how to hold back, after all¡­¡±


    Owen and Lily stared at Yunice with hatred burning in their eyes. If they could kill her without consequence, they would have done it then and there.


    Owen yelled in grief and fury, ¡°Yunice, Dad¡¯s death anniversary ising up. Aren¡¯t you <b>ashamed </b><b>to </b><b>be </b>doing this?! Don¡¯t you think he¡¯d be heartbroken watching you now?¡±


    ¡°Heartbroken?¡± Yunice didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°The grave¡¯s empty. You both know that better than I do.¡±


    ¡°You lost Dad¡¯s ashes and tried to cover it up. You called me back to join the ceremony¨Cwho really dishonored his memory?¡±


    Owen hadn¡¯t expected Yunice to know about that. No wonder she hadn¡¯t visited the grave once in the <b>past </b>year.


    ¡°So it was you who took them?¡± he demanded.


    Yunice didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m the only one left in this family who still remembers him. Of course <b>I </b>should honor him alone.¡±


    Lily listened to them argue about what she thought were meaningless details, tears silently pouring down. her face.


    She didn¡¯t care if Will¡¯s ashes had been scattered by the wind or licked by a dog. She only cared if <b>Elsie </b>was still alive.


    She dropped to her knees, grabbed Owen¡¯s hand, and pped herself with it.


    Just once, but it stunned Owen.


    He yanked his hand back, horrified. ¡°Mom, what are you doing?! You¡¯re really going to go along with this? I¡¯m your son¨Chow could I ever hit you?!¡±


    Lily shook her head helplessly, silently telling him there was no time. If they didn¡¯t act soon, Elsie might die.


    Owen¡¯s face twisted in pain and conflict. He knew she was right.


    But even for Elsie, he couldn¡¯t raise


    hand to his own mother.


    Then, jaw clenched, Owen seized Lily¡¯s hand and smacked himself across the face hard.


    Before she could stop him, he used her hand to keep going¨Cpping himself again and again, back and forth, until red prints bloomed across his cheeks.


    When he finally stopped, he red at Yunice and growled, ¡°Is that good enough for you?!¡±


    Yunice stared at him coldly. She hadn¡¯t expected Owen¨Cso obsessed with his dignity¨Cto go that for Elsie.


    Then again, this was the man who¡¯d been willing to sacrifice her life for Elsie¡¯s.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 471 A Hundred ps


    What were a few ps,pared to that?


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    ured ps More

 Daghter 472

    Chapter 472 A Hundred ps More


    +5 Free Col


    As if to challenge Owen directly, Yunice said coldly, ¡°Do you not know how to count, or are you just deaf? <b>I </b>said a hundred ps. You still owe seventy¨Csix.¡±


    ¡°Yunice!¡± Owen¡¯s eyes burned red as he shouted. His voice trembled with grievance, as if using her of being heartless.


    They were her closest family.


    Yunice, staring at her fingers as she toyed with them, replied coolly, ¡°Seventy¨Csix. Not one less.


    In her mind shed all the times Lily had ignored her, badmouthed her, chosen others over her.


    She remembered Owen sending her to the psych ward¨Chow she clung to the electric fence, begging him not to leave her there as the current shocked through her body.


    Did he waver then?


    When he saved Elsie from the fire and left her behind¨Cdid he regret it?


    When he hit her with his car¨Cdid he hesitate?


    When she was locked in the ward against her will¨Cdid he feel even a twinge of guilt?


    <i>No. </i>Not <i>once</i><i>. </i>


    So she wouldn¡¯t soften either. No mercy.


    Suddenly, a scream tore out from the kitchen¨CElsie¡¯s voice¨Cthen silence.


    Owen and Lily froze in fear. Owen shot to his feet.


    Without thinking, he lunged forward, ready to shove Yunice aside. He thought she¡¯d move.


    But she didn¡¯t. She stood there, unmoving, as if daring him to do it,


    Owen stopped abruptly, his eyes locking with hers.


    She looked back at him calmly, her small frame somehow radiating imprable strength.


    Even if he could throw her aside with one arm.


    His fists clenched until his knuckles/cracked. His whole body trembled with rage and frustration. But after a long few seconds, he stopped himself fromying a hand on her.


    Instead, he raised both hands, alternating left and right, pping himself forty times on each side.


    By the time he was done, his face was swollen and streaked with bruised red prints. ring at hatred, he spat, ¡°Is that enough?!¡±


    ce with


    Yunice lowered her eyes and slowly stepped aside, clearing the way to the kitchen.


    Chapter 472 A Hundred ps More


    $5 Free Coins


    Owen stormed past her, but the anger only festered deeper. He turned back, pointed a shaking hand <b>at </b>her, and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re no sister of mine. Don¡¯t ever step foot in the Saunders house again!¡±


    Yunice met his cyes,


    unbother


    Not even a flicker of fear on her face.


    His fury only red hotter when it crashed into her indifference.


    He stormed to the kitchen door and kicked it open.


    Lily scrambled up from the floor and ran after him.


    Inside, they found Elsie with a dish rag stuffed in her mouth, her wrists tied with stic wrap like makeshift ropes.


    Owen rushed to untie her and yanked the rag out.


    Elsie immediately copsed into his arms, sobbing. She cried that Peggy had been hitting her in the stomach, saying it wouldn¡¯t leave bruises¡ªso even if she died, no one would be able to prove it.


    Owen red daggers at Reggy, then gently lifted Elsie into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I¡¯ll take you to the hospital.¡±


    Elsie, still weak and trembling, leaned against him and whimpered, ¡°Owen¡­ how much longer do we have to live like this? Can¡¯t you divorce her¡­¡±


    She broke down in sobs before she could finish.


    Owen¡¯s heart ached. He med himself. His uselessness had dragged his whole family into this mess.


    Red¨Ceyed, he carried Elsie out without sparing Yunice a single nce.


    But from the crook of Owen¡¯s arm, Elsie peeked back and shed Yunice a smug, mocking smile.


    It didn¡¯t matter how hard Yunice tried¨Cwhether she raged or begged¨COwen would never spare her even a scrap of sympathy.


    Yunice caught the look and curled her lip in disdain.


    Did she really think that would hurt her?


    No love means no weakness. No feelings means no leverage. Yunice had long stopped caring about these irrelevant people.


    Lily grabbed her phone and followed after Owen.


    The family trailed after Elsie once again.


    Yunice stayed where she was, thinking back to the way Lily had grabbed her phone just now.


    Something felt off.


    Normally, when someone isn¡¯t using their phone, theyy it t. But Lily had ced it on its side¨Ccamera facing outward.


    <b>09:34 </b><b>Wed</b>, 23 <b>Jul </b>


    Chapter 472 A Hundred ps More


    45 Free Cons


    <i>Could </i>it <i>be</i><i>¡­ </i>


    Peggy strolled out of the kitchen, arms crossed, scoffing. ¡°That family is seriously messed up.¡±


    She hadn¡¯tid a finger on Elsie¨Cjust tied her up. But Elsie¡¯s dramatics were Oscar¨Cworthy.


    Peggy sat down and nced toward the cramped little servant¡¯s room. ¡°You really had it rough in this house, huh¡­¡±


    She gave a rare, sincere look. ¡°I feel for you. From now on, I¡¯m on your side. I¡¯ll help you deal with them.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face stayed nk. She wasn¡¯t about to be fooled by Peggy¡¯s sudden warmth.


    Wolves don¡¯t turn into housecats overnight. This was about leverage¨Cnothing more. Once Peggy was done with the Saunders family, she¡¯d turn on Yunice next.


    But for now, as long as Peggy was busy tearing into them, Yunice didn¡¯t need to lift a finger. Peggy would protect her all on her own.

 Daghter 473

    Chapter 473 Hidden Teeth Behind the Smile


    Chapter 473 Hidden Teeth Behind the Smile


    After Peggy dered her loyalty, she noticed Yunice hadn¡¯t responded at all.


    Turning to look, she saw Yunice fiddling with her phone. The screen was ying security footage from the Saunders family¡¯s living room.


    Peggy leaned over. ¡°What are you watching?¡±


    Yunice casually scrubbed the video back to the moment Owen was pping himself. Peggy didn¡¯t <b>suspect </b>


    a thing. Instead, she smirked, ¡°Didn¡¯t think you had it in you. You really went hard.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°I¡¯m not cruel. Owen¡¯s just too in love.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s face darkened. She was Owen¡¯s wife, yet his heart was all tied up with Elsie.


    ¡°That little witch¡­ I¡¯ll tame her one day.¡±


    Yunice nced at her phone again¨CWyatt¡¯s car was almost there. She stood up. ¡°I¡¯m leaving


    ¡°Hey, I thought you said your husband was picking you up?¡±


    Yunice looked over her shoulder. ¡°Why so interested in my husband?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡±


    Peggy stopped in her tracks with a pout, muttering, ¡°Geez, we¡¯re practically family now. Why so uptight? What, is your husband too ugly to show in public? Some bald old geezer?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t turn back, but her voice drifted through the air. ¡°My husband¡¯s ten times better¨Clooking than yours.¡±


    Peggy was speechless.


    Outside the wrought¨Ciron gates of the Saunders estate, Wyatt¡¯s car pulled up just as Yunice stepped out.


    Through the car window, he saw the breeze lifting the hem of her dress. His gaze trailed upward until her delicate face came into view under the warm glow of the streemp.


    As she approached, Wyatt stepped out of the car. His long legs immediately caught Yunice¡¯s eye.


    He really did have a nice build.


    Bet he¡¯d look amazing in ab coat too.


    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡±


    Wyatt naturally took her hand into his, warm and firm.


    ¡°Waiting for you,¡± Yunice said,


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait inside? Did someone give you a hard time?¡±


    Chapter 473 Hidden Teeth Behind the Smile


    ¡°Even a dog watches who it bites. With you around, they wouldn¡¯t dare.


    ¡°Dog, huh?¡± Wyatt lifted his eyes, looking at her. ¡°So are you saying our rtionship is boss and subordinate? Or that I¡¯m your shield?¡±


    ¡°You should see me as your husband¨Csomeone who loves you. Not just a weapon you lean on.¡±


    45 Free Cons


    Yunice listened quietly. But inside, her thoughts churned. She was just a stand¨Cin. Wyatt¡¯s heart belonged to another woman. How was she supposed to see him as a real husband?


    She couldn¡¯t lie to herself. So she answered honestly, ¡°Then give me some time. Let me get used to this¡­. rtionship.¡±


    Wyatt was silent for a few seconds. Then he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Fine. Take your time. I¡¯ll wait¨Cuntil you see me as your husband.¡±


    Yunice avoided his gaze and said instead, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Back at the Saunders house, Peggy crouched in front of the surveince monitor.


    She gleefully clicked to view the footage outside the gate, determined to finally see Yunice¡¯s mystery man.


    Sure enough, the screen showed a sleek Maybach pulling up beside Yunice.


    As the car stopped, the door opened from inside.


    Peggy leaned closer, practically glued to the screen in anticipation.


    <i>He¡¯s </i><i>getting </i><i>out</i><i>¡­ </i><i>finally</i><i>! </i>


    <i>Let¡¯s </i><i>see </i><i>just </i><i>how </i><i>handsome </i><i>this </i><i>mystery </i><i>man </i><i>really </i><i>is</i><i>¡­ </i>


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    Just as she was staring the hardest, a grotesque skeleton suddenly lunged across the screen!


    Peggy shrieked and flung herself backward, falling right off her stool.


    ¡°Oh my god, what the hell was that¡­¡± She clutched her chest, heart still racing from the scare. ¡°Must be some kind of system glitch. Who the hell rigs a jump scare into security footage?!¡± Trying to calm down, Peggy gritted her teeth and climbed back up. She wasn¡¯t giving up that easily. But when she looked at the screen again, all she saw was the tail end of the car driving away.


    Frustrated, she threw the remote. ¡°Unbelievable!¡±


    She rewound the footage, still unwilling to ept defeat.


    But as luck would have it, the skeleton jump scare hadpletely ovepped with the moment Yunice¡¯s husband stepped out of the car. Not a single frame of his face could be seen.


    Peggy frowned. ¡°Seriously, what the hell is going on¡­¡±


    <b>09:34 </b><b>Wed</b><b>, </b><b>23 </b><b>Jul </b>


    Chapter 473 Hidden Teeth Behind the Smile


    Meanwhile, at the hospital, Elsiey in a hospital bed.


    The doctor had just finished examining her. ¡°She¡¯s fine. No need to admit her.¡±


    Owen frowned. ¡°She got punched in the stomach several times. How can that be nothing?¡±


    45 Free Coins


    The doctor gave him a look and sighed. ¡°Then take her to another hospital if you¡¯re not convinced.¡±


    So Owen took Lily and Elsie out of the ER and rushed to a different hospital.


    This time, the scans showed significant internal trauma¨Csigns of damage <i>to </i>her organs.


    Owen immediately arranged for both Lily and Elsie to be admitted.


    Lily sat on the adjacent bed, hooked up to an IV. Her throat was swollen and painful. As she cried, she mumbled through her hoarse voice, ¡°How are we supposed to live like this now? Dealing with Yunice is bad enough, and now there¡¯s Peggy too. The two of them tag¨Cteaming, treating us like ves¡­.¡±

 Daghter 474

    Chapter 474 Bait and Leverage


    Chapter 474 Bait and Leverage


    Elsie leaned her head weakly against the wall, her face drained of all color. ¡°Are we really going to keep living like this, stripped of all dignity? We might as well be dead.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that,¡± Owen snapped, frowning.


    Lily wiped her tears. ¡°Don¡¯t me her for feeling that way. With a daughter¨Cinw like Peggy, even I¡¯ve thought about ending it all.¡±


    Owen lowered his head. ¡°You think I wanted to marry a brute?¡±


    ¡°Peggy¡¯s loud and crass. If I hadn¡¯t been worried no one would take care of you both if I went to jail, I¡¯d never have married a woman like that.¡±


    The three of them fell silent, the mood in the room as heavy as a funeral.


    Lily absentmindedly rubbed her phone with her fingers, then suddenly, as if by ident, swiped across the screen.


    She stared for a second, confused. ¡°When did I record a video?¡±


    Owen and Elsie looked over. What was the big deal about a video?


    Lily turned the screen to show them. ¡°Look¨Cit caught everything that just happened in the living room.¡±


    Owen stared. The video showed Yunice forcing him and his mother to p each other.


    Ever since Yunice had left the Saunders family, most of the indoor surveince cameras had been removed.


    That was probably why Yunice had acted without restraint.


    She had no idea everything she did had been caught on video.


    Owen¡¯s expression darkened. A thought surfaced in his mind.


    ¡°Maybe we can use this footage¡­¡±


    Lily blinked. ¡°Use it how?¡±


    ¡°Use one power to counter another,¡± Owen said. ¡°Wyatt might be all¨Cpowerful, but even he has someone- he answers to.¡±


    He took Lily¡¯s phone and transferred the video to his own.


    Lily hesitated. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit much¡­¡±


    Owen looked up and scoffed. ¡°Mom, cut the act. You recorded this on purpose, didn¡¯t you? We¡¯re all just trying to drive Peggy out.¡±


    He stared at the video. ¡°This might be our best weapon.¡±


    Chapter 474 Bait and Leverage


    Back at home, Yunice was reviewing practice questions for her uing school exam


    Wyatt came out of the shower and circled behind her, his gaze falling on the scattered forms on her


    worksheets.


    He leaned against her desk, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. ¡°Northvale Hospital¡¯s finished and started trial operations. We¡¯re short on good doctors¡­¡±


    Yunice noticed water droplets sshing onto her paper and looked up. ¡°Back off a bit. You¡¯re getting my


    notes wet.¡±


    Wyatt gave her a nce, dropped the towel on the desk, and leaned closer. ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡±


    They locked eyes. A momentter, Yunice shifted her gaze, focusing on the sharp line of his nose.


    Medical students knew all too well¨Cmen with strong nasal bridges usually had better physical performance.


    Hershes fluttered, eyes dropping to his lips.


    Then Yunice leaned in slightly and brushed her mouth against his.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened, and the way he leaned against the desk rxed into something much more possessive.


    He adjusted his posture, bent down, and kissed her cheek.


    When Yunice didn¡¯t move away, he gently kissed down her neck and corbone. His hands slid to her waist, moving under her dress, fingers tracing along the edge before pulling it downward.


    Yunice didn¡¯t resist. She stayed in the chair and let him take control.


    Wyatt¡¯s breathing grew heavy, his excitement rising fast.


    Her rare willingness made his blood boil.


    He stood up, positioned himself between her knees, and gently nudged her legs apart with his own before dropping to his knees¡­


    At some point, he¡¯d undone several buttons on her shirt, baring her shoulder and part of her chest. Even Yunice, usually so aloof, now had a hint of heat coloring her skin.


    Wyatt kissed her slowly from her neck to her navel. As he reached her waist, Yunice ran her fingers through his hair and murmured, ¡°It tickles.¡±


    Wyatt changed course, retracing his steps and continuing lower.


    Yunice¡¯s breathing quickened. Her hands tightened around the chair arms, her fingertips trembling faintly.


    Wyatt was attentive, always focused on how she felt,


    That was why Yunice didn¡¯t mind being with him like this.


    Dopamine made people happy, especially when they were feeling low.


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    <b>09:34 </b><b>Wed</b><b>, </b>23 <b>Jul </b>CO


    Chapter 474 Bait and Leverage


    Wyatt could make her happy. She liked this part of being with him.


    He pulled the silk belt from his robe and whispered near her ear, ¡°Blindfold or wrists?¡±


    Yunice tossed the question back at him. ¡°You choose.<i>¡± </i>


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow. She¡¯d actually yed along instead of shutting him down.


    ¡°In that case, blindfold this time,¡± he said, voice low. ¡°Wrists next time.¡±


    Yunice gave a softugh. ¡°Already nning for next time while you¡¯re still in this one?¡±


    Wyatt smirked. ¡°Once you¡¯ve had a taste, you can¡¯t stop.¡±


    If he wasn¡¯t worried about overwhelming her, he would¡¯ve pinned her to the bed and made sure she couldn¡¯t get out of it for days¡­

 Daghter 475

    Chapter 475 Midnight Comint


    Chapter 475 Midnight Comint


    45 Free Cams


    Afterward, Yuniceyzily in bed. Wyatt leaned over, lifting her head to rest on his arm, so it felt like she was lying in his embrace.


    The lights were still on, and Wyatt hadn¡¯t bothered with a nket. His silk robe hung loosely over him.


    Yunice¡¯s gaze drifted to the markings peeking out from his waist. She reached out, brushing over the exposed portion of the tattoo and murmured, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Wyatt lowered his eyes to look at her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you open it and see for yourself?¡±


    Did he think she wouldn¡¯t dare?


    Yunice turned on her side, then pulled down the waistband of his underwear. Lower¡­ and lower¡­


    Just as she was about to reach


    end, she paused in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s a snake?¡±


    With the arm not trapped under Yunice, Wyatt reached over to the nightstand, grabbed a cigarette, lit it between his lips, and asked, ¡°Scared?¡±


    It was just a tattoo. What was there to be scared of?


    Shey back down. ¡°Why a snake? Does it mean something?¡±


    Wyatt stretched his neck and exhaled a slow breath of smoke. ¡°Not really. I just liked it.¡±


    That made sense to Yunice. He was the brooding type. When he wasn¡¯t smiling, he <i>gave </i>off <i>a </i>heavy, oppressive vibe. Outsiders oftenpared him to a venomous snake.


    Maybe he just thought the snake looked cool.


    Besides that, Yunice couldn¡¯t see how the snake tattoo had anything to do with Nora.


    Nora<i>¡­ </i>


    Just thinking of her made Yunice hesitate.


    She was tempted to be honest with Wyatt. To ask him directly what exactly went on between him and Nora.


    If he was willing, she wanted to go see Nora. Maybe there was something she could do to help Nora wake <ol><li>up. </li></ol>


    After all, she and Wyatt were just using each other. Yunice never nned for this tost.


    But the more she thought about it, the more unsure she felt. Now wasn¡¯t the right time. If Wyatt got angry, it would only make things worse.


    Yunicey back down and closed her eyes to rest.


    Just then, her phone rang.


    Chapter 475 Midnight Comint


    Wyatt reached over and handed it to her. Yunice nced at the screen. The name said ¡°Mr. Carl.


    Then she noticed the time<i>¨C</i>midnight<i>¡ª</i>and frowned.


    Why was <i>he </i><i>calling </i>so <ite</i><i>? </i>


    Could something <i>have </i>happened?


    Wyatt sat up and reminded her, ¡°Pick up.¡±


    Yunice answered, ¡°Hello, Mr. Carl? It¡¯s me.¡±


    She listened. Whatever Carl said made Yunice nce oddly at Wyatt before replying, ¡°Right now<i>? </i>To the Crawford family? Okay, I got it. I¡¯ll head over right away.¡±


    She hung up hesitantly, feeling uneasy. Wyatt asked what was wrong. Yunice shook her head. She wasn¡¯t sure either.


    ¡°Mr. Carl sounded upset. And it seems to have something to do with me.¡±


    Wyatt got out of bed and started getting dressed. ¡°Go back to sleep. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t the type to back down. ¡°Mr. Carl is reasonable. If I don¡¯t go, it¡¯ll look like I have something to hide.¡±


    Wyatt grunted in agreement. Yunice quickly got up, pulled on some clothes, and tied her hair back without much care. Just before heading out, Wyatt took a coat from the rack.


    He walked over and draped it over her shoulders.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the car,¡± he said.


    Yunice stood still for a moment, touching the coat on her shoulders, her heart stirring just a little.


    Anyone who truly spent time with Wyatt would know he wasn¡¯t much like the rumors at all.


    Sometimes, she wondered¡­ what if she got used to his quiet care? Would she really be able to let him go?


    When the car pulled up, Yunice got in.


    The Crawford family home was brightly lit.


    Carl¡¯s main residence wasn¡¯t even in the country. This ce was just temporary.


    As Yunice entered, she paid special attention¨Cwere there any unfamiliar cars?


    But no luck. She didn¡¯t see any.


    It was early winter, and the chill at midnight was biting.


    Wyatt held Yunice¡¯s hand as they entered the Crawford estate. The front door was open, and they saw the other visitors.


    The Saunders family.


    Chapter 475 Midnight Comint


    Owen shot Yunice a cold look and ignored her.


    Lily was sitting with her arms around Elsie, ying the victim.


    The moment Yunice saw them, she knew exactly what this was about.


    She and Wyatt walked in and, under the guidance of the housekeeper, sat down off to the side near the Saunders family.


    Carl¡¯s face was expressionless, but there was a faint irritation in his brow


    He didn¡¯t immediately question Yunice or exin why he¡¯d called her.


    Yunice didn¡¯t panic. She nced around at everyone¡¯s faces, then stood and removed the teacup in front of Carl. She said to the housekeeper, ¡°Hey, bring Mr. Carl some ginseng tea. It¡¯s toote for him to be staying up like this.¡±


    There was nothing confrontational in her words, yet the Saunders family¡¯s expressions all soured.


    They had picked thiste hour toin, hoping to show just how urgent and unbearable the situation had be.


    They couldn¡¯t wait till morning.


    But now, with Yunice fussing over Carl like this, it only made them look thoughtless and immature.

 Daghter 476

    Chapter 476 A House Divided


    Chapter 476 A House Divided


    Elsie rolled her eyes at Yunice, thinking she was just being dramatic.


    <b>45 </b>Free <b>Coins </b>


    But Owen couldn¡¯t hold back and snapped, ¡°If you really cared about Mr. Carl, you wouldn¡¯t have done such despicable things to upset him. You talk nice but act like a snake. Hypocrite!¡±


    Wyatt looked up and shot Owen a cold nce.


    Owen flinched and immediately looked away.


    Still, he reassured himself¨CMr. Carl was here. There was nothing <i>to </i>be afraid of.


    Mr. Carl was fair and impartial. He always stood by reason, not family. If Yunice really was in the wrong, there was no way Mr. Carl would side with her.


    After the maid brought over slices of red ginseng, Yunice personally made the tea for Mr. Carl.


    Carl asked, ¡°They came here¨Cdon¡¯t you have anything to say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Yunice replied.


    Owen jumped in again, ¡°You think staying quiet means no one will find out what you did? Have you even looked at yourselftely? Scheming, ruthless¨Cthere¡¯s nothingdylike about you! You¡¯re basically a street thug!¡±


    Carl¡¯s voice dropped cold. ¡°Enough.¡±


    Just hearing Owen speak gave him a headache. ¡°If you¡¯ve got something to say, then say it. But don¡¯t sit there ndering your sister. If she¡¯s a thug, what does that make you? You talk like this in front of me- how do you speak to her in private?¡±


    Scolded by Carl, Owen turned away, clearly unwilling to ept it.


    Lily softly defended, ¡°Owen¡¯s always had a bit of a temper. He¡¯s just upset¡­ He¡¯s not usually like this¡­¡±


    Carl replied tly, ¡°What he¡¯s like normally isn¡¯t my concern. But someone this hot¨Cheaded will never aplish anything.¡±


    Owen looked embarrassed but still wouldn¡¯t back down. ¡°Mr. Carl, why are you only scolding me? She¡¯s the one-


    Carl cut him off sharply, ¡°I said we¡¯ll wait for Oscar.¡±


    Only after everyone fell silent did Carl speak again. ¡°Actions have consequences. I¡¯m not going to make judgments based on hearsay. Just because someone brings me so¨Ccalled evidence doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll automatically take their side.¡±


    Yunice looked at Owen, her expressionplicated. Unfortunately, the fool was too caught up in his own anger to understand the deeper meaning of Carl¡¯s words.


    Wasn¡¯t the reason Owen <i>had </i>been blinded by Elsie all these years because he always listened


    rone-


    IA


    Chapter 476 A House Divided


    sided stories and believed her so¨Ccalled evidence?


    As Yunice quietly judged Owen, he was doing the same to her.


    He thought she shouldn¡¯t get too smug. She had no idea he had a video in his hands.


    Once Carl saw her ugly side, let¡¯s see how long she could keep up that sweet little act.


    Owen kept ncing at the time, wondering why Oscar was taking so long.


    45 Fire Colis


    His face still ached from the hundred ps he¡¯d received. But what hurt more than the swelling was his shattered pride.


    He couldn¡¯t wait to see Yunice exposed and humiliated.


    Meanwhile, Yunice leisurely continued preparing the tea. Without making a fuss, she handed the freshly steeped cup to Wyatt.


    The gesture was so natural, like she was in her own home.


    Owen watched, his chest tightening with difort.


    How long had she even been with Wyatt? And she was already doting on him?


    7


    He¡¯d been talking here for what felt like forever and she hadn¡¯t so much as offered him a sip of <i>tea</i>. Feeling petty, Owen slumped back against the sofa, thinking, <i>If </i><i>she </i><i>poured </i><i>me </i><i>a </i><i>cup</i>, maybe I¡¯d cut her some <i>ck </i><i>when </i><i>I </i><i>expose </i><i>her</i><i>. </i><i>Maybe </i><i>I¡¯d </i><i>even </i><i>say </i><i>something </i><i>nice </i><i>to </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Carl </i><i>so </i><i>he </i><i>wouldn¡¯t </i><i>punish </i>her too harshly.


    But instead, Yunice poured another cup of tea, brought it to her lips, and took a sip¨Cwithout even ncing at the Saunders family.


    Owen¡¯s face sank. Lily quietly licked her dry lips.


    She¡¯d been sitting there all this time, and no one had even brought her a ss of water.


    Still, asking directly would¨Cbe humiliating.


    So, she lightly touched her throat and gave a couple of soft coughs.


    Carl looked up. Owen quickly exined, ¡°Mr. Carl, please don¡¯t mind her. My mom¡¯s throat is badly inmed¨CYunice forced chili oil down her throat. She¡¯s in a lot of pain.¡±


    Only then did Carl frown and signal the maid to bring water for the three members of the Saunders family.


    Then he asked, ¡°If she¡¯s that sick, why isn¡¯t she in the hospital? What¡¯s she doing here?¡±


    Lily looked aggrieved and rasped, ¡°Carl¡­ are you mad at me or something¡­¡±


    Anyone with eyes could see how cold Carl was toward the Saunders family.


    ¡°Mad at you?¡± Carl repeated, then challenged, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be the ones apologizing <i>to </i>Yunice?¡±


    Chapter 476 A House Divided


    $5 Free Coms


    The Saunders family froze. They hade to file aint. Not only did Yunice not have to apologize, now they were the ones being told to say sorry?


    What had they even done to her?


    Carl continued, ¡°Why were you detained by the police? Already forgotten? You opened your mouth and made up lies about your own daughter. Nearly ruined Yunice¡¯s academic future. Don¡¯t you think she deserves an apology?¡±

 Daghter 477

    Chapter 477 The Bride No One Knew About


    Chapter 477 The Bride No One Knew About


    +5 <b>Fres </b>Comms


    Lily¡¯s face twisted as she clenched her fingers, then mumbled, ¡°Didn¡¯t I already apologize? I did it in front of the entire national media. Isn¡¯t that enough to show I meant it?¡±


    Carl replied. ¡°That wasn¡¯t an apology. That was youpromising out of fear of going to jail. And you apologized to the public, not to Yunice. Isn¡¯t she the one who suffered the most from this?¡±


    Tears rolled down Lily¡¯s face in frustration. ¡°But I already spent 10 days in jail! I¡¯ve lost all dignity! Ever since that press conference, I haven¡¯t dared to leave the house. I¡¯m scared people willugh at me on the street, point fingers at me¡­¡±


    Carl cut her off, ¡°That¡¯s the consequence of your own actions. I¡¯ve never seen a mother so vicious to her own child. Why not spread rumors about your son? Or about Elsie? Just because you don¡¯t get along with Yunice, you think you can hurt her however you like? You¡¯re her mother.¡±


    Lily sniffled and turned her head away, muttering, ¡°She¡¯s never treated me like a mother. I¡¯ve never seen a child so unfilial to their own parent.¡±


    Carl said, ¡°A parent¡¯s love is like saving money in a piggy bank. If you don¡¯t put anything in when they¡¯re young, how can you expect anything to be there when they¡¯re grown?¡±


    The implication hit hard¨Che was using her of never having cared for Yunice as a child. Lily broke down, face buried in her hands, sobbing.


    Carl¡¯s face darkened, eyes rimmed red.


    Owen tried to defend her. ¡°My mom didn¡¯t take care of Yunice because she had no choice. You can¡¯t me her¡­¡± 1


    Yunice had heard this excuse so many times that she didn¡¯t even bother to argue.


    Just then, a voice interrupted Owen.


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±


    Oscar stepped into the Crawford family¡¯s living room, bringing a cold presence with him.


    Seeing him atst, Owen immediately perked up. ¡°Oscar, we¡¯ve been waiting for you!¡±


    But Oscar didn¡¯t ask why he¡¯d been summoned in the middle of the night. Instead, he nced around and asked, ¡°Owen, where¡¯s your girlfriend?¡±


    His eyes scanned the room, as if looking for someone.


    Owen¡¯s face turned sour. He gritted his teeth. ¡°What girlfriend?¡±


    Oscar smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already get your marriage certificate? I heard the wedding¡¯sing up.¡±


    He looked around at the others in the room, feigning surprise. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me this wholete¨Cnight meeting isn¡¯t about nning Owen¡¯s wedding?¡±


    The Saunders family¡¯s faces went stiff with panic. No one expected Oscar to blurt it out.


    |||


    Chapter 477 The Bride No One Knew About


    Owen quickly denied it. ¡°Oscar, stop spreading rumors. When did I ever say I was getting <b>married</b><b>? </b>


    Oscar chuckled. ¡°Come on, Owen. You already registered the marriage. Are you trying to pull off a secret wedding now? Don¡¯t joke with your big brother. Bring her out¨CI¡¯d like to meet her properly.¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression soured even more. He couldn¡¯t tell if Oscar was de


    doing this on purpose or if he was just


    clueless.


    Carl, of course, took notice. ¡°Owen got married?¡±


    Oscar nodded. ¡°Yep. Supposedly, he married a volunteer who used to work in the psych ward. Maybe they bonded over hardship and ruslied into it.¡±


    He added with a half¨Csmile, ¡°He already <i>got </i>the license, and I¨Cthe older brother¨Conly found out through a friend.¡±


    Yunice tugged the corner of her lips, nearlyughing out loud.


    Carl turned his eyes to Owen. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me? Who is the girl? What¡¯s her background? Why didn¡¯t you bring her to meet me?¡±


    Owen¡¯s face flushed red. He didn¡¯t dare let Carl find out he got drunk and messed around. Bringing her here? No chance. He wanted to hide her forever.


    Seeing his strange expression, Carl put down his teacup and frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you mad at me? You think I¡¯m not good enough to meet her?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Owen denied it immediately.


    Seeing the sweat forming on his forehead, Carl pressed further. ¡°Then what is it?¡±


    Owen stammered, ¡°She¡¯s¡­ she¡¯s from a poor family. She¡¯s not very educated. I was worried she might embarrass herself if I brought her¡­¡±


    Carl snorted. ¡°And you expect me to believe <i>you </i>would marry a woman like that?¡±


    Owen waspletely stuck.


    Elsie jumped in with a sweet voice, ¡°She¡¯ll definitelye meet you soon. But weren¡¯t we here to talk about Yunice tonight?¡±


    She turned to Oscar. ¡°Oscar, if we have something to discuss, let¡¯s just get to it. I don¡¯t want Mr. Carl staying up toote because of us.¡±


    Oscar shot her a re. ¡°Who¡¯s your brother? Don¡¯t go making up family ties.¡±


    He crossed his arms and sat as far away from the Saunders family as he could.


    Elsie nced at Carl with a pitiful look, then lowered her head and stayed quiet.


    Carl nced around at everyone, even more convinced that Owen¡¯s sudden marriage was hiding something.


    He turned to Yunice. ¡°Yunice, you tell me¨Cwho exactly did Owen marry?¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b>478 The Truth Unravels


    Chapter 478 The Truth Unravels


    <b>Yunice </b>hadn¡¯t expected to be called on. She hesitated, unsure whether to speak tip¡ªbut the <b>moment </b>passed quickly as Wyatt let out a coldugh and said loudly, ¡°What¡¯s there to hide?¡±


    Owen immediately tensed. He wanted to interrupt Wyatt, but quickly realized he didn¡¯t have <b>the </b><b>power </b>to


    Wyatt drawled, ¡°He got drunk, crossed the line, and took advantage of a girl. She wasn¡¯t having <b>it </b><b>and </b>called the cops. He agreed to take responsibility just to avoid jail time. Yunice was the one who bailed <b>him </b>


    out


    He sneered. ¡°Disgraceful.¡±


    Owen¡¯s face flushed deep red. !


    the floor would swallow him whole.


    most shameful moment of his life exposed in public, he wished


    He couldn¡¯t stay another second in the Crawford house. He stood up <i>to </i>leave, but Elsie wasn¡¯t having it. They hade tonight to take Yunice down¨Chow could they leave without aplishing anything?


    Seeing Owen losing his cool, Elsie clutched her stomach and stood, raising her voice in usation: ¡°Owen only did that because Yunice set him up!¡±


    Her words made everyone turn to look at her¨Ceven Owen looked at her with hesitation.


    Elsie¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Owen, isn¡¯t that what you suspect too? I get it if you don¡¯t want to turn against


    stay silent anymore, can we?¡± Yunice, but she¡¯s gone too far this time. We can¡¯t


    She turned to Carl. ¡°Mr. Carl, Owen¡¯s being framed, We asked Yunice to help clear his name, but instead of helping, she forced him to marry that unreasonable woman! She and that woman are working together- he got trapped by them!¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t respond right away. He looked to Yunice. ¡°Yunice, is that true?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yunice said tly. ¡°Mr. Carl, Peggy had solid evidence at the time. I asked Owen if he wanted to go to trial or settle privately. All he did was beg me to ask Wyatt for a top¨Ctierwyer to shut Peggy up. But my dad always said to live honestly, to own your actions. If any of us siblings did something shameful, the others had a duty to call it out, no matter the cost.¡±


    She turned her cold gaze on Owen. ¡°If you didn¡¯t sleep with her, why were you so afraid of going to court? Because she had evidence, right?¡±


    Owen sprang to his feet, furious, grabbing for her cor. ¡°I said I didn¡¯t touch her! I didn¡¯t sleep with her!¡± Just as he lunged forward, Wyatt kicked him hard.


    Owen stumbled backward and fell straight into the couch.


    He sat up awkwardly, ncing at Wyatt with fear. He had onlyshed out in a moment of rage.


    Carl had heard enough. He mmed his palm on the table. ¡°You do something shameful, then me your sister for it? How dare you!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Carl, I swear I didn¡¯t! I was set up!¡± Owen shouted.


    C


    <b>Chapter </b>478 The <b>truth </b>Unravel


    <b>Carl¡¯s </b><b>voice </b><b>thundered </b>back<b>, </b>¡°If you¡¯re so innocent, why did you settle<b>? </b>Was it <b>Yunice </b><b>who </b>made you set <b>Didn¡¯t </b><b>you </b>ask her <b>to </b>help <b>twist </b>the truth, to abuse her power<b>? </b>You worthless brat! You <b>screw </b>up and dien <b>try </b><b>to </b><b>drag </b>your sister down with you! What did she do <i>to </i>deserve that?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt chimed inzily, ¡°Funny how back when Yunice had no one, I didn¡¯t hear about her <b>dear </b><b>brother </b>lifting a finger to help.¡±


    Carl picked up on that instantly. His brows drew together. ¡°What do you mean, ¡®had no one?¡±


    That implied it had been a long time ago. Carl had been abroad for years and only ever heard that <b>the </b>Saunders family had been stable and harmonious. Why would Yunice have been desperate?


    Wyatt turned his gaze on Carl. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard some things from Silverburgh. Rumors abour Yunice?¡±


    Carl¡¯s brows furrowed. He was well¨Cinformed, especially about someone as close to him as Yunice. Of course he¡¯d heard some gossip¨Cparticrly about Yunice¡¯s wild days with Paul, even when they were <b>still </b>engaged. But he¡¯d always brushed it off since they had a formal engagement. It wasn¡¯t exactly scandalous.


    But judging by Wyatt¡¯s tone, this was different.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°What if I told you all those rumors were lies<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Carl¡¯s expression shifted. He looked at Wyatt, trying to read him¨Cand realized he wasn¡¯t joking.


    Owen turned pale. For a brief second, he looked ready to run. But the Crawford family staff stood in the doorway, giving him no chance to escape.


    Carl¡¯s fists clenched as his gaze swept the room. ¡°So this is what tonight¡¯s really abouting here to use and point fingers? Fine. No more circling around. Everyone speak now. Whatever¡¯s in your heart, say it. I was your fathers¡® old friend<i>, </i>your family¡¯s elder. If you came to me for justice, then I¡¯ll give you justice¨Cjust like your fathers would¡¯ve wanted.¡±


    He looked directly at Owen. ¡°You start.¡±

 Daghter 479

    Chapter 479 The Hidden Recordings


    Chapter 479 The Hidden Recordings


    Everyone turned to stare at Owen. His teeth chattered slightly as if he were being grilled alive.


    15 Free G¨®is


    He used to convince himself, lie to himself¨Cthat Wyatt was just jealous and trying to <b>save face </b>by iming Yunice was still a virgin.


    But after that forced confrontation with Paul, he could no longer deny the truth.


    Still, there was no way he could admit in front of Mr. Carl how he used to bully and neglect Yunice.


    After a long internal struggle, he finally muttered, ¡°Wyatt said¡­ when he got with Yunice¡­ she was still a virgin¡­


    Everyone except a few who already knew were stunned.


    Especially Elsie, who cried out in shock, ¡°What?¡±


    She immediately challenged it: ¡°The rumors about Yunice and Paul were already everywhere seven or eight years ago. People d¨¨scribed them in vivid detail¨Cthere were even witnesses! How could she possibly still be a virgin?¡±


    Lily, after a few seconds of shock, also jumped in, ¡°Exactly. Wyatt, you must¡¯ve known when you married her that she wasn¡¯t pure. Now you¡¯re making this up just to save face¡­ that¡¯s not right.¡±


    She looked troubled. ¡°Owen really is the one being wronged here. You can¡¯t use his situation to whitewash. yours. The two things are totally unrted¡­¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°Why are they unrted?¡±


    Lily replied confidently, ¡°Because Owen was set up. You were willing.¡±


    Yunice fired back, ¡°You saw with your own eyes that Owen didn¡¯t agree to it?¡±


    Lily got worked up. ¡°How could anyone see something like that with their own eyes? I¡¯m not a pervert!¡±


    Yunice said calmly, ¡°So you didn¡¯t see it happen, but you¡¯re sure he was set up. And you didn¡¯t see what happened to me either, but you¡¯re certain I was willing? That¡¯s pretty hypocritical.¡±


    At that, Lily shot a nervous nce at Carl. Not willing to back down, she argued, ¡°That¡¯s because Owen made a fuss about it. He insisted he was framed. But you¨Cback then, you didn¡¯t evenin. You looked like you were enjoying it¡­¡±


    That lie finally pushed Yunice over the edge.


    ¡°I didn¡¯tin?¡± she snapped. The day those rumors started, I went straight to the hospital <b>to </b><b>get </b>all the evidence¨Cmy alibi, my physical exam, even collected the nderer¡¯s statements. I did <b>everything </b>I could. But I was a minor. You were my legal guardians! You knew I wanted to press charges<b>, </b><b>and </b><b>instead </b><b>of </b>helping, you destroyed my evidence, cursed me, humiliated me, and dumped all the <b>me </b><b>on </b><b>me</b>. <b>You </b>said I embarrassed the family and forced me to stay in front of my father¡¯s grave for three <b>days </b><b>to </b><b>reflect </b>on myself. You¡¯re telling me none of that happened?¡±


    Owen couldn¡¯t even lift his head.


    weds


    Chapter <b>479 </b>The Hidden Recordings


    Elsic, however, chimed in, <b>¡°</b>Yunice, don¡¯t make things up just to make yourself look better<b>. </b>None of <b>that </b><b>ever </b><b>happened</b>. How are we supposed to admit to something that doesn¡¯t exist? If Mr. Wyatt truly <b>loved </b><b>you</b>, he wouldn¡¯t care about your past. So why are you lying to yourself?¡±


    A brilliant deflection.


    It had been seven or eight years. Only the three of them had known the truth. If they imed nothing had happened, what weight did Yunice¡¯s words hold on their own?


    Oscar nced at Owen, who kept his head bowed in silence, seemingly agreeing with Lily and Elsie.


    Of course¡­


    Owen was too cowardly and selfish to let Mr. Carlpletely lose faith in him. Better Yunice take the fall.


    What no one expected was that instead of being angry, Yunice let out augh. ¡°Not every truth in this world has to remain buried. Sometimes, there are exceptions.¡±


    The room didn¡¯t understand what she meant. Right now, she seemed to have the weakest position<b>¨C</b>no real evidence.


    Then Yunice turned toward the television in the Crawford living room. She switched it on and tapped her phone a few times to connect.


    Suddenly, a video began to y.


    ¡°Get out of my way! I¡¯m going to the police! I¡¯ll take this to court!¡±


    The familiar voice made the Saunders family instinctively stand up, their faces frozen in shock as they stared at the screen.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    A surveince recording from the Saunders home¨Cseven years ago.


    Everything Yunice had just described reyed before their eyes.


    On the screen, Yunice was seen trying to leave. A younger, more impulsive Owen grabbed her and shoved her to the floor. ¡°I¨Csaid you¡¯re not going anywhere!¡±


    Yunicended at Lily and Elsie¡¯s feet, documents scattering everywhere. But the two of them just stood there, aloof and cold, like they were watching a stranger.


    Elsie said, ¡°Yunice, what¡¯s done is done. You and Paul were engaged¨Cwhat¡¯s the big deal? Even if it happened, it¡¯s not like it¡¯s shameful Why are you making a scene? You¡¯re just giving people more reason tough at us. They¡¯ll say the Saunders family acts all noble while behaving like this.¡±


    Then Owen¡¯s voice came, cruel and venomous: ¡°That¡¯s the polite way to say it. The ugly truth? She¡¯s <b>just </b><b>a </b>whore trying to y the saint. Can¡¯t keep her legs closed, and now she wants to cry foul? You have no shame, but the Saunders family does!¡±

 Daghter 480

    <b>Chapter </b><b>480 </b>The Buried Truth Comes to Light


    Chapter 480 The Buried Truth Comes to Light


    In the surveince footage, Yunice climbed back up from the floor, her voice firm. ¡°I don¡¯t need <b>your </b><b>help</b>, and I won¡¯t bring shame to the Saunders family. I¡¯ll apply for legal aid as a minor.¡±


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t go!¡± said Owen.


    She stood tall and headed for the door.


    Owen,pletely enraged, lunged forward and tore up her documents, stomping on them like a madman. ¡°How dare you make such a huge scene! Go ahead and report then! Why are you being so disobedient now! Can¡¯t you just give me a break!¡±


    N


    Watching the younger version of Yunice be shoved again in the video made Wyatt clench his fists.


    Yunice reached out and gently ced her palm on the back of his hand.


    Wyatt turned to look at her, and seeing the soft expression on her face, the fire in his eyes slowly faded.


    During the whole video yback, Yunice hadn¡¯t paid attention to anyone else. She had been watching Wyatt the entire time. She noticed the change in his expression and couldn¡¯t help but think¨Che really seemed to care about her.


    If he didn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t be this angry over something that happened so many years ago.


    It had been seven years. Even Yunice herself barely felt anything anymore when she reyed those memories.


    But the Saunders family didn¡¯t even make it through the entire video. Their faces had already changed. Lily and Elsie stood pale and speechless. Owen stammered, ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    Yunice held Wyatt¡¯s hand, turned her head toward Owen, and said, ¡°How did I get this video, right?¡±


    The Saunders family had never installed security cameras. When Elsie was first brought to live with them, she had said she was terrified of surveince¨Cit felt like someone was always watching her. She¡¯d imed she couldn¡¯t sleep if cameras were in the house, so the Saunders family removed them all.


    That¡¯s why they were so shocked Yunice had any footage at all.


    Yunice exined, ¡°I installed a pinhole camera myself. I told you over and over that Paul was harassing me, but you brushed it off every time ¡®Men are like that,¡® you¡¯d say. ¡®Don¡¯t overthink <i>it</i><i>. </i>Stop being difficult. He¡¯s your fianc¨¦<i>, </i>what harm could he mean?¡® That¡¯s how you dismissed me. I realized I couldn¡¯t count on any of you. That¡¯s why I set up the camera. It was meant to protect me from Paul. I never expected it to be evidence one day.¡±


    Owen muttered, ¡°You were only sixteen or seventeen back then¡­ I underestimated you.¡±


    Yunice responded, ¡°If you think that was calcting, maybe ask yourself why fourteen- <b>or </b><b>fifteen</b><b>¨C</b><b>year</b>¨Cold Elsie insisted we remove every camera in the house. A girl from a remote vige who had probably <b>never </b><b>even </b>seen a security system¨Chow could she be so afraid of being watched? It <b>was </b><b>because </b>with <b>cameras </b>around, she couldn¡¯t frame me anymore. She couldn¡¯t pull anything behind the scenes.


    <b>Elsie¡¯s </b>eyes filled with tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Yunice cut her off. ¡°The first couple of years after you came to live with us, your things kept <b>mysteriously </b>showing up in my room. Everyone assumed I stole from you. When you got diagnosed with a gynecological infection, you imed it was because I secretly wore your clothes. What, are your <b>things </b>so precious I¡¯d actually want them? You¡¯ve been framing me for years with the most pathetic and low<b>¨C</b><b>grade </b>tricks. And yes, they were easy to see through¨Cbut it¡¯s hard to wake someone who pretends to <b>sleep</b>. <b>Lily </b>and Owen always favored you. Even when I brought them proof to defend myself, they turned <b>it </b><b>against </b>me and chose to believe you instead.¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°Why would we favor her over you? Don¡¯t you think maybe the problem is you<b>?</b>¡±


    <i>Smack</i>!


    Carl hurled his teacup straight at Owen¡¯s head.


    ÃØ


    Owen froze, leaves from the tea clinging to his hair, a thin stream of blood trailing from his forehead down his handsome face.


    Carl marched forward and grabbed Owen by the cor. ¡°Why do you think I hit you and not her? Ever thought about that?¡±


    Owen had never been treated like this. Furious and humiliated, he forgot all about Carl¡¯s identity and yelled, ¡°Because you¡¯re biased!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Carl barked back. ¡°You are biased. You have double standards. And that is the problem!¡±


    Owen argued, ¡°That video doesn¡¯t prove everything!¡±


    Carl shot back, ¡°But it proves your failure. You were her older brother, the one in charge of the Saunders household. When your sister came to you for help, instead of seeking the truth, you let your pride get in the way and ignored her cries. You can twist it however you want, but you were in the wrong!¡±


    Finally, Oscar spoke.


    ¡°Owen, even now, you still won¡¯t admit it? Didn¡¯t we already go see Paul together? Didn¡¯t Paul tell us to our faces that he made it all up? That he neverid a hand on Yunice? For seven years, because of your carelessness and neglect, Yunice was mocked and ndered nonstop. She¡¯s been carrying that weight for seven years. And now you want her to keep carrying it?¡±

 Daghter 481

    Chapter 481 The Tables Turn Again


    Chapter 481 The Tables Turn Again


    5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Owen spun toward Oscar, furious. ¡°You too? You¡¯re ming me now? What have you ever done for the Saunders family? I run the hospital, I take care of the family, I take care of our mother and sister¨C<b>every </b>little thing falls on me! I carry everyone¡¯s emotions, but who¡¯s ever cared about mine? All of you just dump the me on me!¡± 1


    Then he turned on Wyatt. ¡°Yes, we confronted Paul. So what? Oscar held a scalpel to Paul¡¯s throat¨Cof course he¡¯d say whatever Oscar wanted him to say. That doesn¡¯t prove Paul never touched Yunice. They grew up together, spent all their time together¨Chow could they resist temptation? You think someone like Yunice could¡¯ve stopped him?¡±


    In their eyes, Yunice had always been someone fragile and easy to push around. Paul, hot¨Cblooded and strong, could¡¯ve done whatever he wanted with her.


    Yunice almost admired Owen¡¯s pathetic stubbornness.


    Sheughed lightly. ¡°Childhood sweethearts? And yet he still cheated on me with Elsie?¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°Elsie and Paul were in a real rtionship! You and Paul had already broken off the engagement!¡±


    2


    Yunice replied calmly, ¡°They were already sleeping together in the Saunders house while we were still engaged. Want me to show you the footage?¡±


    Owen was immediately stunned. That couldn¡¯t be true.


    Elsie had always acted well¨Cbehaved and proper. She had always looked ashamed while dating Paul and avoided getting close to him before the engagement was officially broken.


    But judging by Yunice¡¯s tone, she might really have the proof.


    Yunice smirked. ¡°You call me shameless¨Cwhat does that make Elsie?¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face turned bright red. She wanted to protest<b>, </b>but she was afraid Yunice really had evidence.


    After all, she¡¯d already admitted to installing pinhole cameras. Who knew what else she¡¯d caught?


    Carl¡¯s eyes sharpened. He looked straight at Elsie. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you denying it? Did she hit a nerve?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Elsie faltered, unsure how to defend herself.


    Owen stared at her in disbelief, watching her expression fall apart.


    Carl scoffed and turned to Owen. ¡°This is your idea of managing a household? Aplete mess<b>¨C</b><b>snakes </b>and rats under one roof. One sister sleeping with the other¡¯s fianc¨¦, and you think that¡¯s fine? You enable it. Great. Just great.¡±


    Owen was too humiliated to speak. He could only nce at Elsie with shame and disappointment.


    Elsie looked like she was being boiled alive. She stammered, ¡°Owen, I swear, I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen, Paul forced me¡­¡±


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    Carl barked, ¡°He was engaged and still forced you? Then why didn¡¯t you report it, like Yunice did


    ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to ruin Yunice¡¯s future happiness. So I kept it in, for her sake¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh please,¡± Carl snapped. ¡°If he was forcing you, what happiness could there possibly be? Sounds like <b>you </b>were enjoying every stolen moment.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Elsie had nothing left to say. Tears welled in her eyes, and she suddenly bolted for the door, <b>clearly </b>nning to y the suicide card again.


    Carl shouted, ¡°Stop her! Tie her to a chair. If she wants to die, let her bite her tongue right here. I¡¯ll take full responsibility!¡±


    The Saunders family was stunned.


    Owen and Lily rushed forward to help Elsie, but they were no match for the Crawford family¡¯s <b>well- </b>trained staff.


    Owen shouted, ¡°Mr. Carl, if you¡¯re mad, take it out on me! Elsie just got beaten up, her organs <b>are </b>injured ¨Cshe can¡¯t take rough treatment!¡±


    Yunice said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s not injured. Tie her tighter.¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°You¡¯re making things up again! Elsie has an official medical report. You think you can <b>lie </b>your way through this?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s faking it,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°People can fake psychiatric records¨Cwhy not medical ones? I know enough medicine to see it. Just looking at her, it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s fine.¡±


    To prove it, Carl gave a signal to his staff.


    The maids left immediately to bring in someone to medically assess Elsie.


    Owen, now furious, fired back, ¡°Since we¡¯reying everything on the table, Mr. Carl, I¡¯ve got something to say about Yunice too!¡±


    He pulled out Lily¡¯s recorded video and cast it to the television. ¡°This is proof of Yunice bullying us in the Saunders house. She and Peggy forced my mother to drink chili oil¨Cnearly burned her throat shut! Peggy dragged Elsie into the kitchen and beat her in the stomach. Yunice blocked the door and made us p each other a hundred times before letting us in!¡±


    Carl turned his gaze to the screen.


    Owen, standing with his back to the TV, didn¡¯t see what was actually ying.


    When several seconds passed in silence, he realized something was wrong.


    He turned¨Cand saw that what was being disyed wasn¡¯t a video at all.


    It was just a slideshow of still images.


    TIL

 Daghter 482

    Chapter 482 No More Lies


    Chapter 482 No More Lies


    The photo on the screen captured Owen kissing Peggy¡¯s cheek <b>as </b>she smiled sweetly at the <b>camera</b><b>, </b>holding up her phone.


    The two looked affectionate¨Clike a couple deeply in love.


    Owen¡¯s face instantly turned green.


    Lily quickly cried out, ¡°Owen, that¡¯s the wrong video! Change it, quick!¡±


    Owen scrambled to stop the screen mirroring and began digging through his phone for the video of Yunice¡¯s so¨Ccalled bullying.


    But after searching for a long time, he realized the video had vanished.


    He threw his phone aside and suddenly remembered Lily¡¯s.


    ¡°Mom, do you still have the video?¡±


    Lily checked her phone and only then noticed¨Cit was gone from hers too.


    Seeing Lily¡¯s expression, Owen suddenly understood.


    He spun around, furious, and pointed at Yunice. ¡°It was you! You hacked my phone!¡°.


    ¡°No¡­ not you,¡± he muttered, then pointed at Wyatt. ¡°It was him! He helped you!¡±


    Yunice simply shook her head with an expression of pity, like he was beyond saving.


    Carl barked, ¡°Enough! If you have no evidence, then shut up! Are you not embarrassed yet?¡±


    Owen protested, ¡°Mr. Carl, I¡¯m telling the truth! Yunice is lying to you!¡°.


    Carl shot him a cold look. ¡°You¡¯re only making yourself look worse. You¡¯ve got more excuses than lies.¡±


    you


    do


    Owen floundered, then grabbed at thest thread he could find. ¡°Then check Elsie¡¯s injuries! That¡¯ll prove I¡¯m telling the truth. Just check her, and you¡¯ll see I¡¯m not lying¡­¡±


    Carl didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Fine. Check her.¡±


    The moment those words left his mouth, Elsie¡¯s face turned pale.


    She wasn¡¯t injured at all. In the kitchen, Peggy hadn¡¯t touched her. She had gone to the hospital and pressured the doctor into forging a report, just to stir up conflict between Yunice and Owen.


    She never expected Carl to be this thorough¨Cto actually bring in medical professionals for a liv


    Now what?


    Admit it? Deny it? Either way, she was cornered. Her face turned from white to <b>red </b>and back again.


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    Chapter <b>482 </b>No More Lies


    And being tied to the chair, she couldn¡¯t even pull her usual drama <b>of </b>trying to <b>harm </b><b>herself</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice, calm and unbothered, sipped her tea, watching them fall into their own <b>trap</b>.


    She had tampered with Owen and Lily¡¯s phones. All she¡¯d done was nt a <b>small </b>virus <b>that </b><b>deleted </b>the incriminating videos. Simple. Lily had been careless enough to record it where Yunice could <b>spot </b>it.


    Soon, the sound of a siren echoed outside. Two doctors rolled in a portable ultrasound <b>machine </b><b>and </b>entered the Crawford family living room.


    Without a word, they lowered Elsic¨Cchair and all¨Conto her back, lifted her shirt, and <b>began </b><b>a </b><b>public </b>abdominal scan.


    Elsie panicked and screamed. ¡°Owen! Owen! Help me!¡±


    Owen shouted, horrified, ¡°Mr. Carl, this is humiliating! Elsie¡¯s a girl¨Chow can you let this happen <b>to </b><b>her </b><b>in </b>front of everyone?¡±


    No one responded. No one even looked at him.


    Only Lily¡¯s sobs filled the room. She tried to rush over to cover Elsie¡¯s body, but two maids <b>held </b>her <b>firmly </b>in ce.


    Elsie¡¯s stomach, exposed, revealed some faint bruises. But they were old¨Cscars from previous <bb </b>


    treatments<b>. </b>


    Annoyed by her noise, a maid stuffed a cloth into her mouth.


    1


    Owen¡¯s eyes nearly bulged out of his skull. He felt like his whole family was being humiliated and bullied.


    To him, it felt like the entire room had joined Yunice in ganging up on them.


    The ultrasound probe slid slowly across Elsie¡¯s abdomen. The monitor showed a clear image of her internal state.


    After about ten minutes, the doctor put the probe down and stepped over to Carl with his report.


    ¡°Mr. Carl,¡± the doctor said calmly, ¡°after examining Ms. Elsie¡¯s abdomen, we found no signs of internal trauma, no fluid umtion, and no subcutaneous hemorrhaging. We conclude that she has not been -struck in the abdomen,¡±


    The moment the doctor finished, Owen exploded. ¡°Bullshit! We saw her get hit! The hospital gave us a report! Those are real injuries, and you¡¯re ignoring them¨Cclearly, you¡¯ve been bribed!¡±


    2


    Yunice took another sip of tea and saidzily, ¡°No need to shout. The doctor who gave Elsie that certificate is on his way. Why don¡¯t you hear what <i>he </i>has to say?¡±


    She lifted her gaze and met Owen¡¯s eyes. Her expression was calm, but her presence hit like ice water.


    Owen felt a chill spread through his chest. A sinking, gut¨Cdeep certainty.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t just here to fight back tonight.


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    She was here to end it.


    Elsie¡¯s gag was pulled from her mouth. She¡¯d heard what the doctor and Yunice had said, and now her face- had turned paper white.


    Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, soaking the few strands of hair stuck to her cheeks. She lookedpletely cornered.


    But in Owen¡¯s eyes, all he saw was a helpless, pitiful girl.


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 Daghter 483

    Chapter 483: A House of Cards


    Chapter 483: A House of Cards


    The entire hall was silent¨Capart from Lily¡¯s muffled sobs, no one spoke.


    s


    Carl sat still for a moment, reflecting on everything Yunice had been through. He knew it was time to take control.


    He raised a hand. ¡°Since things are already this chaotic, we might as well see it through.¡±


    ¡°Someone go bring Paul here.¡±


    But Paul had the Powell family behind him, especially Mr. Jackson. He wasn¡¯t someone they could summon at will.


    If Mr. Jackson got involved, things would turn even messier.


    Of everyone present, only Wyatt and Carl had the standing to speak to Mr. Jackson directly.


    If Paul was going to be brought in for


    questioning, Mr. Jackson¡¯s approval would be necessary.


    And what happened to Yunice wasn¡¯t something Paul could be held solely responsible for, either.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Wyatt said.


    He was both the best and worst person for the job.


    Because this would put him in direct opposition to the Powell family¨Cagain.


    But that didn¡¯t matter to Wyatt.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yunice¡¯s husband. I have every right to defend her.¡±


    Carl nodded, but offered something stronger. ¡°I¡¯ll have Victor go with you. If Victor goes, it means I¡¯m there in spirit.¡±


    Victor was Carl¡¯s godson and Wyatt¡¯s equal in standing. Sending the two together was ideal.


    Wyatt agreed and stood to leave.


    With Carl staying behind to keep order, no one would dare touch Yunice.


    Lily, however, looked at Carl with reddened eyes. Hisment about Victor representing him stung.


    She never understood what made Victor¨Can orphan¨Cso special. If Carl had to adopt someone, why not someone like Owen?


    Especially when Owen was the son of his old friend.


    The resentment simmered in Lily¡¯s chest, but she didn¡¯t dare voice it.


    Wyatt¡¯s absence didn¡¯t change the direction the room was heading.


    Soon, the doctor who had issued Elsie¡¯s injury report was dragged in.


    O


    Chapter 483: A House of Cards


    Yes¨Cdragged. The man was clearly forced out of bed, still wearing pajamas, one slipper missing


    s


    At first, he thought he¡¯d been kidnapped by gangsters. But the moment he saw Elsie tied to a chair and the medical equipment nearby, he immediately understood.


    Panic took over. ¡°I admit it! Ms. Elsie¡¯s report was fake! She bribed me! She made me do it!¡±


    Owen whipped his head toward him. ¡°No one even questioned you yet! Who told you to say that? Who paid you off?!¡±


    The doctor, clearly rattled, replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I¡¯ve got a guilty conscience. The moment you people dragged me in here, I knew what it was about.¡±


    Owen was silenced¨Chis outburst only made him look foolish.


    The doctor continued, ¡°Forging medical reports is illegal. I only did it because she forced me to. But I came prepared!¡±


    He pulled out his phone. ¡°I recorded everything!¡±


    Then he hit y.


    Elsie¡¯s voice came from the speaker: ¡°I want a report that says I was beaten in the abdomen and suffered internal injury. And don¡¯t forget¨CI know about you and the head nurse sneaking around. If you don¡¯t give me what I want, I¡¯ll tell your wife.¡±


    After the clip ended, the doctor dered firmly, ¡°That recording is real. I¡¯m willing to submit it for analysis.¡±


    Owen froze. He looked at the doctor¡¯s expression, then at the crumpled Elsie lying on the floor, eyes full of disbelief and devastation.


    His voice cracked. ¡°Elsie¡­ is that true?¡±


    Elsiey there awkwardly, tears streaming down her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Owen¡­ I just wanted to protect you. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought of you spending your life with someone like Peggy¡­¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes turned red. But instead of anger, they were filled with sympathy


    He clenched his jaw, tears falling as he rushed forward, set Elsie¡¯s chair upright, and untied her.


    ¡°She did it out of love for me! How is that a crime?!¡±


    Carl said coldly, ¡°So you don¡¯t want to marry Peggy, and the two of you are scheming to drive her out?¡±


    Lily jumped in, ¡°Exactly! Carl, if this happened to Victor, would you just let it slide?¡±


    Carl replied, ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t have agreed to settle in the first ce. You you think everyone else is an idiot? If you really can¡¯t stand Peggy, then sue h


    Lily had nothing to say.


    have it both ways. Do Low about that?¡±


    Carl let out a disgusted scoff. His opinion of the Saunders family had only worsened.


    Chapter 483: A House of Cards


    He turned to Yunice and slowly pushed himself off the sofa. ¡°Yunice. Come with me.¡±


    Lily opened her mouth, then stopped, watching Yunice silently get up and follow Carl out.


    Her heart twisted with jealousy.


    <i>Why </i><i>was </i><i>Yunice </i><i>always </i><i>the </i><i>lucky </i><i>one</i>? <i>Always </i><i>had </i><i>someone </i><i>protecting </i><i>her</i><i>? </i>


    And her poor Elsie¨Cafter everything¨Chad gained nothing.


    1


    s


    Owen, still cradling a sobbing Elsie, couldn¡¯t help but watch Yunice¡¯s figure disappear down the hall.


    <i>What </i>did Mr. <i>Carl </i><i>want </i><i>to </i><i>say </i><i>to </i><i>her </i><i>in </i><i>private</i><i>? </i>

 Daghter 484

    Chapter 484 A Justified Hatred


    Chapter 484 A Justified Hatred


    In the side room, Carl gestured for Yunice to sit as he lowered himself into his chair.


    His expression was unreadable, impossible to tell whether he was angry or disappointed.


    Yunice nced at the way his fingers rubbed the si ring on his thumb. Then she heard his voice.


    ¡°Yunice, did you really do what your mother said?¡±


    He lifted his gaze, eyes unreadable and deep. ¡°Did you pour chili oil down her throat? Did you <b>force </b><b>Owen </b>and your mother to p each other? Did you really do that?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s fingers curled tightly. She didn¡¯t shy away from his gaze. After three seconds of silence, she <b>calmly </b>admitted, ¡°I did.¡±


    Carl¡¯s brows furrowed, and his voice turned stern and heavy. ¡°You actually admit it? Do you even understand what you¡¯ve done? This is cruelty beyond reason¨Cvicious and heartless<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice sat and listened quietly. She tried her best to remainposed, but the slight movement of <b>her </b>throat and the pale hue of her face betrayed her inner turmoil.


    She didn¡¯t care if people feared her. She didn¡¯t care about insults.


    She¡¯d heard it all before. She could ignore most things. But not the words of someone she cared about.


    Words from someone she valued were like knives¨Ccutting deep into her chest without mercy.


    But Yunice couldn¡¯t lie. Not to Carl. She knew that once trust was broken, it was nearly impossible to rebuild.


    If the real her disappointed Mr. Carl, so be it. She would rather face his rejection than y both sides.


    Carl¡¯s hand clenched into a fist, the si ring squeezing his thumb so tightly that all color drained from the skin beneath it,


    He looked at her with confusion and pain. ¡°Do you hate them that much?¡±


    The question struck something deep inside her. Yunice¡¯sshes trembled.


    Then her ck eyes seemed to flicker with fire. She gritted her teeth.


    ¡°Yes. I hate them that much. When I poured chili oil into my mother¡¯s mouth, I was grinding my teeth the whole time. And even then, I thought it wasn¡¯t enough. I wanted more. I wanted it hotter. I wanted to see her gasp for air, choking and in agony, and I loved it. Every inch of me screamed in satisfaction. And forcing my brother and mother to p each other? I didn¡¯t feel cruel at all. That was their own choice.¡±


    She thought she¡¯d grown strong enough not to care. But as she calmly voiced eyes without her even noticing./


    ruth, tears slid from her


    ¡°I was only sixteen. My dad had only been gone for two years. I thought my mom¡¯s return would be a <b>ray </b>of light in my life. But in just two years, everything changed¡­¡±


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    She sounded frantic now, her eyes wide with confusion and pain. ¡°Mr. Carl, do <b>you </b><b>know </b><b>what </b><b>that </b>feels like? That constant <b>sense </b>of not belonging? Before Elsie showed up, Owen and I would <b>eat </b>together<b>. </b>He¡¯d pass me food. We knew each other¡¯s routines, what we liked. But once they came, I don¡¯t even know <b>when </b>it happened¨CI got pushed to the edge. Elsie sat in my seat. My mom sat beside her. Owen across from them. The three of themughing like they shared some secret, I sat at the far end of the table<b>, </b><b>trying </b><b>to </b>join in, but no one ever responded.¡±


    She paused, her voice trembling. ¡°You want to know the moment I lost all hope? Six <b>years </b><b>ago</b><b>. </b><b>There </b>was <b>a </b>fire in the building. I had already gotten out safely. But Elsie ran back in, iming she wanted to save <b>me</b>. She ended up passing out from the smoke. Owen rushed in and saw both of us. You know what he did? Not only did he choose to save Elsie, he yanked my gas mask off and strapped it on her face. Afterward, everyone med me¨Cbecause saving me supposedly made Elsic¡¯s asthma worse. She¡¯s allergic to pollen, so my mom had dad¡¯s rose tree chopped down. I tried to reason with Elsie, but she turned it around. She staged a scene, used angles to make it look like I was attacking her with a knife. My mom <b>saw </b>the <b>truth </b>and still sided with her testified falsely.¡±


    She was shaking now, tears falling in a steady stream.


    ¡°Owen had no idea. He said he didn¡¯t want me to go to jail, so he forged a psychiatric diagnosis and sent me to a mental institution instead. Said it was for my own good. I was locked away for years<b>, </b>tortured. And all the while, Elsie took my ce¨Cmy name, my records¨Cand they called it kindness. Said I should be grateful. That she saved me from prison. Mr. Carl, tell me: Should I hate them? Am I not allowed to hate them?¡±


    Tears covered Yunice¡¯s face. Carl¡¯s features had softened without him realizing it. A quiet sorrow had settled into his expression.


    His throat tightened. After a long pause, he said hoarsely, ¡°Silly girl¡­ so you¡¯ve finally said it.¡±


    Yunice remained silent, the tears still falling.


    Carl¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°If you never reach out, how can anyone help you?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°I reached out many times. But the hands I grabbed weren¡¯t there to save me. They were just feet¨Cpushing me deeper into the abyss<b>.</b>¡±

 Daghter 485

    Chapter 485 You Deserve to Be Loved


    Chapter 485 You Deserve to Be Loved


    After being hurt <i>enough </i><i>times</i>, <i>reaching </i><i>out </i><i>again </i><i>just </i>makes <i>you </i>look like a <i>fool</i>.


    Carl gently patted Yunice¡¯s shoulder infort.


    ¡°Yunice, I¡¯ve lived half a lifetime. I pride myself on being a good judge of character. I believe <b>you</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice¡¯s brow trembled, and the tears came even harder.


    Carl¡¯s voice softened with sympathy. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you. Even a rabbit will bite when pushed too <b>far</b>. If parents don¡¯t act like parents, the child shouldn¡¯t have to cling to some outdated idea of filial piety and let herself be torn apart, should she? I think you did the right thing. I just want you to remember: don¡¯t <b>shut </b>yourself off from the world just because you¡¯ve been hurt. Don¡¯t keep everyone out. Believe me- everyone deserves to be loved. Even someone as vile as Elsie has people who adore her. So how <b>can </b><b>you </b><b>be </b>sure no one will love you fiercely?¡±


    Yunice looked up, more tears falling. Her voice trembled. ¡°Mr. Carl¡­ thank you.¡±


    Carl clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about myself. Can¡¯t you see how many people around you care about you?¡±


    Yunice thought about it. ¡°Gill, Margaret, Freya, Victor, and Oscar have all helped me a lot¡­¡±


    She nced at Carl, only to find he was still watching her with anticipation. Lacking confidence, she added, ¡°And¡­ Wyatt.¡±


    Carl¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Exactly! Hasn¡¯t Wyatt gone out of his way to protect you?¡±


    Yunice silently thought, <i>That¡¯s </i><i>only because </i><i>there¡¯s </i>no <i>one </i><i>else </i><i>to </i><ipare </i><i>me </i><i>to</i>. <i>If </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>had </i><b><i>someone </i></b>else to <b><i>dote </i></b><i>on</i><i>, </i>I¡¯d <i>probably </i><i>be </i><i>the </i><i>one </i><i>left </i><i>behind</i>.


    Carl reached out and flicked her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re way too young to be this pessimistic.¡±


    ¡°Once you break free of your past, you¡¯ll realize it¡¯s not even raining out there. You¡¯ve just been carrying an umbre for no reason.¡±


    But old habits die hard. Yunice had spent so long wrapped in armor, she didn¡¯t know how to stand in the sun and smile freely.


    Carl went quiet for a moment before making a decision. ¡°Your father may be gone, but there¡¯s something need to decide on his behalf.¡±


    Yunice looked up in surprise, only to hear Carl whisper a few words in her ear.


    Her brows lifted, the shock melting into a hesitant calm. After a moment¡¯s pause, she nodded.


    ¡°Mr. Carl, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Meanwhile, Wyatt and Victor arrived at the Powell estate.


    It was the middle of the night¨Cjust past 1 a.m.¨Cand one by one, the lights in the yard <b>and </b>house <b>flicked </b><ol><li>on. </li></ol>


    173


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    Chapter 485 You Deserve to Be Loved


    The old man was jolted awake, sitting on the edge of his bed with a cold stare locked <b>on </b>Wyatt


    That punk was bing more arrogant by the day. Did he even realize what time it <b>was</b><b>? </b>


    And the way he treated Paul¡­


    Mr. Jackson¡¯s hand clenched tight with rage. If he were twenty years younger, he¡¯d teach Wyatt <b>a </b>lesson he¡¯d never forget.


    Victor stood beside Wyatt and bowed politely. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Jackson. My father sent me to bring <b>Mr. </b>Paul over to rify a few things.¡±


    Compared to Victor¡¯s forced civility, Wyatt wasn¡¯t holding back at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to take Paul with me.¡±


    Mr. Jackson growled, ¡°Not happening. I don¡¯t care who you are<b>¨C</b>even if Carl came himself, he wouldn¡¯t take my grandson!¡±


    But before the words even finished echoing, Paul¡¯s muffled voice rang out.


    ¡°Mm! Mm!¡±


    He was dragged in, mouth covered, struggling in the grip of two men.


    Wyatt lifted his gaze, amusement shing in his eyes as he looked at the old man.


    Did he really think his words still meant anything?


    Whether Mr. Jackson agreed or not, Paul was leaving tonight.


    They let the old man catch one glimpse of his grandson before they dragged Paul out and shoved him into the car.


    Victor frowned slightly. Wyatt¡¯s methods were rough, but the job was done¨Cno need to linger.


    He got into the car with Paul and drove off.


    Wyatt stayed behind a little longer.


    Mr. Jackson stared at Wyatt¡¯s neck with eyes full of malice, his gaze as sharp as a knife.


    He had to go.


    A lion out of control needed to be put down.


    He had to go¡­


    Wyatt heard the sudden footsteps behind him. His brow furrowed. He turne


    und-


    Mr. Jackson was/rushing straight at him, a gun in his hand!


    Back in the car, Victor drove steadily while Paul sat cuffed to a ring on the backseat.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 485 You Deserve to Be Loved


    s


    Victor nced up at the mirror and saw Paul¡¯s face, mostly wrapped in thick bandages with only his eyes visible.


    Though oddly, there didn¡¯t seem to be much blood on them.


    Victor asked, confused, ¡°What happened to your face?¡±


    Paul growled through gritted teeth, ¡°Pull over, you bastard! Where the hell are you taking me?!¡±


    ¡°The Powell family won¡¯t let you off for this!¡°.


    Victor smiled gently. ¡°Why is it the Powell family that won¡¯t let me off, and not you?¡±


    Paul went silent.

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    Chapter 486 Everyone Deserves a Reckoning


    Chapter 486 Everyone Deserves a Reckoning


    Victor smirked in disdain as Paul finally shut up.


    A car horn red outside the Crawford estate. It was already 2:20 in the morning.


    ÈËÆø<b>:</b><b>82</b><b>%</b><b>Ãæ </b>


    s


    This should¡¯ve been the deepest part of the night, when people were fast asleep. But not a single soul in the Crawford house looked remotely drowsy.


    Footsteps approached. Victor walked in, dragging a bound Paul behind him.


    ¡°Father, I brought him.¡±


    After speaking, Victor stepped behind Carl.


    Paul stood in the middle of the hall, looking around at the scattered faces seated on various sofas.


    Owen was shielding a battered Elsie. Lily sat beside her.


    Yunice sat calmly by herself,posed and collected.


    Oscar sat across the room, his expression neutral.


    Carl and Victor showed no trace of emotion.


    Owen cast a heavy nce at Yunice, wondering what Carl had said to her when they stepped out earlier.


    After a beat, Yunice suddenly asked Victor, ¡°Where¡¯s Wyatt?¡±


    Wyatt had been the one to capture Paul. He should¡¯ve arrived with them. Why wasn¡¯t he here?


    Victor replied, ¡°Mr. Jackson put up a fight. Wyatt stayed back to cover our retreat. Don¡¯t worry¨Che¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    Now that Wyatt¡¯s position was secure, the old man didn¡¯t have any real leverage against him.


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. She quietly rubbed her phone and, still uneasy, shot Wyatt a text:


    ¡°Are you here?¡±


    After sending it, she set her phone down and looked over at Paul.


    Like everyone else, she noticed the thick bandages covering his face.


    ¡°What happened to your face?¡± she asked.


    Paul flushed red and ignored her/His temper red. ¡°What the hell is this? You people looking to take it


    out on me?¡±


    Carl remainedposed in his seat. ¡°You should know why you¡¯re here.¡±


    Paul instinctively nced at Yunice, guilt flickering across his face.


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    Chapter 486 Everyone Deserves a Reckoning


    But relying on his Powell family status, he didn¡¯t take Carl seriously at all.


    Carl rubbed his temples with a tired, impatient look.


    Then he turned to Victor. ¡°I¡¯m exhausted. Wrap him in a sack and toss him in the river¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    s


    Victor stepped toward him with a faint smile. ¡°Surprised? You¡¯ve stepped on everyone to get to the top. What makes you think you¡¯re untouchable?¡±


    Only the ruthless survive in Silverburgh.


    Paul didn¡¯t have to apologize or exin. His life alone could be the apology Yunice deserved.


    That was the backing Carl had promised her.


    As the sack was pulled over Paul¡¯s head, the panic finally hit him. He thrashed wildly. The edge of the bup scraped across his face, and in the struggle, it tore off his bandagespletely.


    Yunice slowly frowned as she took in the scars across his face.


    Elsie, who had been copsed on the couch, suddenly bolted upright. ¡°Paul¨Cyour face¡­¡±


    Two words were carved into Paul¡¯s cheeks¨Cone on each side.


    Realizing the marks had been exposed, Paul forgot to struggle. He clutched his face in horror, desperate to hide from everyone¡¯s eyes.


    But Yunice, deliberately loud, read the marks aloud: ¡°Whore¡®? Who did this? What a perfect match¨Creally captured your essence.¡±


    Oscar tilted his chin slightly, silently savoring the recognition.


    Paul was both terrified and humiliated¨Cshaken by the exposure and afraid Victor might actually toss him into the river.


    But Victor didn¡¯t give him a chance to regret. He waved his hand. ¡°Wrap him up. Dump him.¡±


    The Saunders family members were all scared stiff. No one expected someone as upright as Carl to authorize a public execution.


    ¡°Victor!¡± Owen finally stepped in¨Che had no choice.


    If Paul died, the Saunders family would be dragged down with him.


    Just then, Yunice suddenly stood up.


    Paul froze mid¨Cstruggle.


    Was she¡­ going to plead for him?


    But the thoughtsted only a second. Yunice gave him a brief nce, then turned and walked away.


    Èý


    ??


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    <b>1.00 </b>


    TU<b>, </b>24 JU


    <b>24 </b><b>Ju </b>


    Chapter 486 Everyone Deserves a Reckoning


    Not a single word on his behalf.


    Owen¡¯s face fell too, silently cursing Yunice¡¯s cold¨Cbloodedness.


    But Yunice had already left the hall. She didn¡¯t care whether Paul lived or died.


    What she cared about was this: It had already been two minutes. Why hadn¡¯t Wyatt replied?


    ** Fone Cond


    Sure, Wyatt was young and headstrong. Even in the Powell family, no one could control him easily. But she still wasn¡¯t at ease.


    She stepped outside and made a call.


    She had to hear his voice herself to feel at peace.

 Daghter 487

    napici 487 Blood on His Hands


    Chapter 487 Blood on His Hands


    Ring¡­ Ring¡­


    Once. Twice. Three times¡­


    Wyatt usually picked up within three seconds if his phone was nearby.


    Yunice suddenly sensed something was wrong. She quickly hurried down the steps.


    *5 Free Calna


    From inside the Crawford residence, Owen¡¯s voice came through in a panic. ¡°Yunice! Yunice, help Paul! They¡¯re really going to drown him! Yunice! Please,e!¡±


    Without looking back, Yunice ran out of the yard. Wyatt¡¯s car was already gore.


    She scanned the area and saw Victor¡¯s car still running. Without hesitation, she jumped in and sped away from the Crawford residence.


    Inside, chaos had broken out. Elsie, Owen, and Lily were clinging to Paul, trying desperately to stop him from being dragged away.


    Victor¡¯s men and the others were in a tug¨Cof¨Cwar, each side yanking one of Paul¡¯s arms like they were trying to tear him in two.


    Paul screamed nonstop, unable to break free from either side.


    Oscar stood in the middle, ring at the Saunders family members who were trying to help Paul. His voice was icy. ¡°You¡¯re still helping him?¡±


    Owen¡¯s forehead was bulging with veins. He shouted with everything he had. ¡°Even if he killed someone, not even the court would sentence him to death on the spot! And you want to do it right in front of us? Are you trying to provoke the Powell family into going after us?¡±


    If they couldn¡¯t save Paul tonight, everyone here would be Jackson¡¯s target.


    Oscar slowly shook his head, deeply disappointed in Owen. ¡°You¡¯re pathetic¨Calways putting your own safety first.¡±


    There was no hope for someone like him to truly repent, let alone testify for Yunice and clear her name.


    The struggle didn¡¯tst long. The Saunders family was overpowered by the Crawfords, and Paul was shoved into a sack and dragged out.


    Yunice didn¡¯t care what would happen to Paul. She was already driving toward the Powell estate.


    Her phone sat on the center console, and she kept checking for any message or call from Wyatt.


    Nothing came.


    Her unease only grew. She pulled up in front of the Powell residence and stopped the car.


    Just as she was about to get out, a familiar figure appeared beneath the porch light.


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    Chapter 487 Blood on His Hands


    He was tall, stepping out of the shadows beyond the reach of the light.


    *Free Coma


    First came the outline of his frame, then his sharp, cold face, followed by his long shadow stretching across the ground.


    Yunice¡¯s hand froze on the car door.


    Because someone else walked out behind Wyatt.


    A woman in a leather jacket, shoulder¨Clength straight hair, and a sharp, businesslike outfit.


    It was Maine.


    Wyatt walked ahead, frowning and shaking his hand.


    Under the light, Yunice saw his fingers stained with blood. But from where she was, it was impossible to tell whether it was his or someone else¡¯s.


    Main¨¨ caught up and handed him a handkerchief, saying something to him.


    Wyatt took it and wiped the back of his hand casually, looking visibly annoyed as he muttered something back before getting into the car.


    Maine climbed into the passenger seat beside him.


    Yunice¡¯s mind swirled with confusion. She called Wyatt again.


    But the call rang out with no answer.


    <i>Is </i><i>his </i><i>phone </i><i>not </i><i>with </i>him? <i>Or </i><i>is </i><i>he </i><i>ignoring </i><i>me </i><i>on </i><i>purpose</i><i>? </i>


    She watched as Wyatt¡¯s car drove off¨Cheading in the opposite direction of the Crawford residence.


    Yunice slowly lowered her hand from the door handle. She wasn¡¯t getting out anymore.


    <i>Why </i><i>didn¡¯t </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>go </i><i>to </i><i>the </i><i>Crawford </i><i>residence</i><i>? </i>


    Didn¡¯t he <i>know </i><i>how </i><i>important </i><i>tonight </i><i>was </i><i>to </i><i>her</i><i>? </i>


    <i>Or </i><i>did </i><i>he </i>think <i>that </i><i>with </i>Mr. <i>Carl </i><i>there</i><i>, </i><i>his </i><i>presence </i><i>didn¡¯t </i><i>matter</i><i>? </i>


    Even if the oue wouldn¡¯t have changed, Yunice still minded that he had left her to face it alone.


    She couldn¡¯t let it go. The frustration boiled inside her. She gritted her teeth, turned the wheel, and started tailing Wyatt¡¯s car.


    I¡¯m <i>going </i><i>to </i>find out <i>exactly </i><i>what </i><i>he¡¯s </i><i>doing</i><i>. </i>


    Even at three in the morning, Silverburgh¡¯s streets were still busy. Yunice weaved through traffic, careful not to let Wyatt spot her.


    She soon noticed he was heading toward the Gardison Residence.


    She knew exactly who lived there.


    C


    <b>1106</b>, <b>Thu, 24 </b>Jul DSI


    Chapter 487 Blood on His Hands


    Her <b>expression </b>darkened. She turned the wheel and changed directions.


    <b>When </b>she spotted a 24¨Chour pottery studio, she parked and went inside.


    A few minutester, she came back out holding something wrapped in paper.


    Back in the car, she opened the navigation system¡¯s traffic surveince and cut through a shortcut lealing directly to the route Wyatt would have to take to get to the Gardison Residence.


    One hand on the wheel, the other dialing 911.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to report something. I just saw a suspicious person at the Maple intersection. She¡¯s <b>carrying </b><b>what </b>looks like explosives and might be nning to use them. Please send officers immediately to check <b>the </b>area thoroughly.¡±


    The dispatcher replied, ¡°Understood. We¡¯ve logged your report. Please leave your name and ID <b>number </b>for follow¨Cup.¡±


    Yunic¨¨ gave a name and a long string of ID digits.


    Except¡­ the ID she gave was her first¨Cgeneration card.


    The one Elsie was using


    now.


    V

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    hapter 488 The One Who Doesn¡¯t Get Chosen


    After hanging up with 911, Yunice parked her car at Maple Intersection.


    She then took the ceramic ze she¡¯d snatched from the pottery studio¨Cmixed the potassium <b>nitrate </b>with white sugar, poured it onto a piece of ttened clothing, and


    apped it up tightly.


    Once she was done, she moved the car to a legal parking spot, then walked over to a barricade <b>at </b><b>the </b>intersection.


    On her phone screen, a red dot moved across the traffic map.


    That was Wyatt¡¯s GPS signal.


    Timing it precisely, Yunice clipped a windproof lighter to the wrapped clothing and hurled it with <b>all </b><b>her </b>strength.


    In midair, the lighter ignited the bundle, setting off the chemical mix inside.


    Potassium nitrate and sugar could detonate in a sh and release thick smoke.


    With a loud bang, the bundle exploded before hitting the ground, erupting in a cloud of dense white smoke.


    Wyatt¡¯s car pulled up just in time¨Chis windshield instantly engulfed in the haze, visibility wiped out.


    At that moment, police cars arrived on the scene and sealed off the road, inspecting each vehicle one by


    one.


    When Yunice saw Wyatt and Maine step out of the car looking annoyed, she quickly ducked behind the barricade.


    Her eyes stayed fixed on Wyatt¡¯s car.


    There was no way she could get into the heavily guarded Gardison Residence on her own.


    Even if she tailed Wyatt¡¯s car all the way there, she¡¯d just get left at the gate.


    So she had to find a way to get inside his car.


    The sharp, acrid smoke continued to billow, cloaking the vehicle.


    <i>This </i><i>is </i><i>the </i><i>perfect </i><i>opportunity</i><i>¡­ </i>


    Even at three in the morning, Silverburgh¡¯s roads were buzzing. But the Gardison Residence sat on the outskirts, and this intersection didn¡¯t see much traffic at this hour.


    Counting Wyatt¡¯s car, there were only three vehicles.


    The cops finished their checks/quickly.


    After clearing inspection, Wyatt returned to the car.


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    Chapter 488 The One Who Doesn¡¯t Get <b>Chosen </b>


    <b>Maine </b>had already opened the passenger door. When she <b>saw </b>Wyatt lingering <b>outside</b>, the urged line <b>¡°</b>Wyatt,e on. We¡¯ve wasted enough time.¡±


    <b>Wyatt¡¯s </b>dark eyes stayed fixed on the car.


    Something about the inspection felt off. And the smoke¨Cit wasn¡¯t right.


    When something feels out of ce, there¡¯s always a reason.


    He¡¯d lived through too many surprises not to pick up on that.


    He walked toward the back of the vehicle, eyes locked on the trunk.


    Besides the undercarriage, it was the only ce someone could hide.


    He reached out to press the trunk¡¯s release.


    Yunice was curled up inside. As the lid slowly rose and light spilled in, she held her breath.


    She clenched her fingers tightly. <i>Even </i><i>if </i><i>he </i>finds <i>me</i><i>, </i>so <i>what</i>?


    <i>I¡¯ll </i>just <ie </i><i>clean</i>.


    The trunk was halfway open when Maine called out, ¡°Wyatt, Jordan just called me¨C<b>he¡¯s </b>looking for <b>you</b>. Says it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    The light faded. Wyatt lowered the trunk lid and stepped away to take the call.


    Yunice finally let out a long breath, though she wasn¡¯t sure if not getting caught was a good thing or a bad


    one.


    She didn¡¯t want to sneak around like this¨Cbut here she was.


    Curiosity really does kill the cat.


    The passenger¨Cside door was open, and Wyatt was right outside, so Yunice could hear every word he said.


    ¡°Yunice disappeared?¡±


    ¡°You already searched the Crawford house? And she took Victor¡¯s car? Where could she¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s looking for me?¡± Wyatt¡¯s voice tightened. Apparently, Jordan had suggested Yunice might have left to find him.


    <i>Wow</i>. <i>That </i><i>obvious</i>, <i>huh</i><i>? </i>


    There weren¡¯t many people she cared enough about to do something like this. Wyatt was definitely one <b>of </b>them.


    Then Maine¡¯s voice cut in again. ¡°Wyatt, forget her for now. Isn¡¯t Nora more


    ortant?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart clenched.


    That one sentence felt like someone had gripped her heart in their hand¨Clike it might <b>be </b>crushed any


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    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 488 The One Who Doesn¡¯t Get Chosen


    second.


    She nced toward the car door, even though she couldn¡¯t see Wyatt from where she was,


    Wyatt ended the call and circled back to the driver¡¯s side.


    Maine wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d changed his mind, so she hurried to say, ¡°Wyatt, she¡¯s perfectly fine¨Cthe left on her own. There¡¯s no way she¡¯s in danger.¡±


    ¡°But if you don¡¯t go see Nora tonight, you¡¯ll regret it!¡±


    Yunice thought she heard the sound of Wyatt¡¯s fingers tightening around the steering wheel


    He was hesitating. Struggling. Torn.


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank.


    So this <i>is </i><i>how </i>it <i>happens</i><i>¡­ </i>


    Just earlier, she¡¯d told Mr. Carl that Wyatt didn¡¯t y favorites. She said he¡¯d never been forced to choose.


    <i>Well</i><i>, </i>now <i>he </i>has to choose, doesn¡¯t he<i>? </i>


    Between her and Nora¨Cwho would he pick?


    But the thing about true favoritism¡­ it doesn¡¯t require a choice.


    And no matter who Wyatt chose, Yunice had already lost.


    <i>Because </i><i>real </i><i>favoritism </i><i>isn¡¯t </i><i>something </i><i>you </i><i>decide</i>. It¡¯s <i>something </i><i>you </i><i>are. </i>


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    Chapter 489 The Curtain Lifts


    Yunice suddenly felt a twinge of regret.


    She shouldn¡¯t have gotten in the car. Shouldn¡¯t have heard that conversation. Jordan shouldn¡¯t have called Wyatt and let him know she¡¯d left the Crawford residence.


    If not for that, maybe she could¡¯ve kept herposure when she got caught.


    But now, she just felt like a clown.


    Maine kept pushing, pleading with him. ¡°Nora¡¯s been waiting for this day for two years. You can¡¯t let her down.¡±


    ¡°Let Jordan go look for Yunice, okay?¡±


    Wyatt hesitated for a few seconds, then said, ¡°Give me your phone.¡±


    Back at the Powell residence, Jackson had ambushed him. Instinctively, Wyatt had used his phone <b>to </b>block the attack.


    The phone was wrecked. He hadn¡¯t had time to rece it.


    Jackson was older now, and even with the element of surprise, Wyatt had overpowered him in seconds.


    Now, he needed to call Yunice.


    He had to know she was okay before making any decisions.


    Wyatt took Maine¡¯s phone and stepped out of the car, switching ces with her.


    Maine was overjoyed. She gripped the steering wheel tightly.


    As long as she had her hands on the wheel, she had the upper hand.


    She started the engine and drove off in the direction of the Gardison Residence.


    ¡®Yunice heard the dull ringing of the phone¨Cit was Maine¡¯s. Wyatt was calling her using that phone.


    But before crawling into the trunk, Yunice had already set her phone to silent, lowered the screen brightness, and tucked it into her coat pocket.


    So even with three calls in a row, her/phone didn¡¯t make a sound.


    Wyatt frowned. His voice dropped/¡°Stop the car.¡±


    Maine¡¯s hands on the wheel trembled slightly. She was hesitating. She had to get Wyatt in front of her <b>best </b>friend Nora¨Cthis might be her only chance.


    1


    She tapped the brake but quickly lifted her foot and stepped back on the gas.


    ¡°Wyatt, she¡¯s got tons of people looking after her. One less won¡¯t matter.¡±


    13


    Chapter 489 The Curtain Lifts


    ¡°I¡¯m a woman too¡ªI know exactly what she¡¯s doing. She just wants attention<b>, </b><b>trying </b><b>to </bpete wiIAN You can¡¯t fall for it. Don¡¯t spoil her.¡±


    Wyatt said again, ¡°Stop the car.¡±


    Maine¡¯s hands trembled harder. She knew that if Wyatt was truly determined to find Yunice, there was nothing she could do to stop him.


    Still, she stubbornly clung to herst chance for Nora.


    Tears streamed down her face as she stared out the windshield. Her voice cracked. ¡°Wyatt, how <b>can </b><b>you </b>change your heart so fast? Nora was always your one true love. You two were the couple everyone <b>envied </b>The perfect match. And now Yunice shows up, and everything changes<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Is that really all your love is worth<b>?</b>¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°This is thest time I¡¯ll say it. Stop the car.¡±


    ¡°Unless you never want to go


    back to the Gardison Residence again.¡±


    Maine froze, startled. Her eyes flicked toward Wyatt, clearly shaken. Slowly, she stepped on the brake.


    They switched seats again.


    Maine sat there, visibly crushed, and picked up her phone¨Cjust as a notification popped up.


    She¡¯d gotten a message from an unknown number.


    ¡°After reading it, her eyes lit up. ¡°Wyatt! Yunice texted me back! She says you don¡¯t need to worry about


    her. She just went to the Saunders ce to grab something, and now she¡¯s heading back to the Crawford. residence.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s brows drew together. He took the phon¨¦ from her hand.


    The message said exactly what she imed.


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t rx. Instead, he turned the car around and headed the opposite way.


    Maine panicked. ¡°Why are you going back?!¡±


    Wyatt said tly, ¡°Yunice doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m with you. How could she send you that message?¡±


    Maine¡¯s voice rose in desperation. ¡°Are you serious? It had to be Jordan! He must¡¯ve reached her! What else could it be¨Cdo you think she has some kind of sixth sense and just magically knew to text me?¡±


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t stop.


    Maine snapped. She stood up and threw her weight on the steering wheel, pleading, ¡°Please, just go see Nora! It won¡¯t take long! After that, you can still go to Yunice!¡±


    ¡°Nora turned out like this because of you! You can¡¯t just abandon her like tha


    Her voice broke into sobs.


    <b>2/3 </b>


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    Chapter 489 The Curtain Lifts


    s


    In the trunk, Yunice lowered her eyes, feeling every bump in the road like she was sitting right on top of Wyatt¡¯s heart, riding the rise and fall of his emotions.


    He really did want to go see Nora¡­


    <i>Then </i>go


    <i>There¡¯s </i><i>nothing </i>in this <i>world </i><i>you </i><i>can¡¯t </i><i>face</i>. <i>You </i><i>just </i><i>have </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>brave</i><i>¨C</i><i>brave </i><i>enough </i>to face it, ept it, and choose.


    Yunice dug her nails into her palm and silently closed her eyes.


    Suddenly, the sound of someone shifting came from the front seat. The next second, the backseat tilted forward without warning.


    Caught off guard, Yunice¡¯s cover disappeared.


    She looked up in shock¨Cjust as Wyatt¡¯s eyes locked onto hers, equally startled.

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    Chapter 490 Not to Catch a Cheater


    Yunice¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. Her expression shifted¨Cfirst fear, then calm <b>eptance </b>


    Maine had been genuinely startled. She hit her back against the console and shricked, ¡°<b>Are </b><b>you </b><b>insane</b>!! What are you doing in there?!¡±


    She waspletely,


    <i>How </i>the hell <i>did </i><i>Yunice </i>sneak into <i>the </i><i>car</i><i>? </i>


    Then it hit her. Her eyes narrowed, wary. ¡°You heard everything we said, didri¡¯t you?¡±


    So Yunice had been in the car the whole time she¡¯d sent that message?


    Maine¡¯s chest tightened. <i>This </i><i>woman </i><i>isn¡¯t </i><b><i>easy </i></b><i>to </i><i>deal </i>with<i>. </i>


    Wyatt froze for several seconds as he processed the reality in front of him. His expression shifted, unsure, and then awkwardly tried to crawl through the seat gap to reach Yunice.


    But when he actually tried, it quickly became obvious it wasn¡¯t going to work.


    So, clearly flustered, he turned around, got out of the car, walked to the back, and opened the trunk.


    That whole back¨Cand¨Cforth took a bit more time.


    The moment the lid lifted, the interior trunk light blinked on, casting a soft glow over Yunice.


    Wyatt stood outside, staring at her curled¨Cup figure.


    She was small and pale, face expressionless.


    But those beautiful eyes were filled with emotion.


    Wyatt could tell she felt wronged. He held out his hand. ¡°Come out.¡±


    Yunice hesitated, then ced her hand in his.


    Wyatt helped her out of the trunk.


    Seeing them that close, Maine¡¯s face twisted. She deliberately said, ¡°Wyatt, since she heard everything, there¡¯s no point hiding it anymore. She was always just a stand¨Cin for Nora.¡±


    ¡°Now that Nora¡¯s waking up, she¡¯s not needed.¡±


    She looked straight at Yunice and added, ¡°We¡¯re going to see Nora now. Don¡¯t waste our time. Find your own way back.¡±


    Wyatt gripped Yunice¡¯s hand tighter. His voice dropped. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her


    Then he led her into the car.


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    Chapter 490 Not to Catch a Cheater


    Maine immediately blocked their path. ¡°Wyatt, if she really cared about <b>you</b><b>, </b><b>she¡¯d </b>let you go see Norw Nora¡¯s the real one! She¡¯s just someone you used forfort!¡±


    Wyatt ignored herpletely. He guided Yunice into the passenger seat and locked the <b>door </b><b>from </b>de inside.


    Then he walked around to the driver¡¯s side.


    Maine rushed to the backseat door, trying to open it.


    She couldn¡¯t let Wyatt leave!


    But the door was locked. No matter how hard she yanked, it wouldn¡¯t budge. ¡°Wyatt!¡±


    Wyatt rolled down the window halfway, his voice t. ¡°Find your own way back.¡±


    Then he stepped on the gas. The car shot forward, leaving Maine alone behind them.


    Yunic¨¨ looked into the rearview mirror, watching Maine clutch her face in helpless frustration. Her heart twisted a little. ¡°You should go check on her.¡±


    Wyatt said nothing. His brows furrowed deeply as he kept driving.


    Seeing she couldn¡¯t change his mind, Yunice¡¯s phone rang.


    It was Mr. Carl.


    If she didn¡¯t pick up, he¡¯d definitely worry.


    ¡°Hello? Mr. Carl, I¡¯m okay. I just went out to pick up Wyatt¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn. You¡¯ve been up all night too. Let¡¯s talk more this afternoon.¡±


    Mr. Carl didn¡¯t press further, though he clearly had doubts.


    After hanging up, Yunice sat there in silence, clutching her phone.


    Then another message came through¨Cit was from Maine.


    Her rage practically jumped off the screen.


    ¡°Yunice, you¡¯re a thief! Stealing someone else¡¯s man¨Ckarma¡¯sing for you!¡±


    It was pure emotional venting. Completely powerless. Yunice didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    Women always seemed to redirect/their anger toward the ¡°other woman¡± after betrayal, ignoring the real issue: the man¡¯s infidelity.


    Wyatt pulled into the courtyard of the West Wing. He got out, opened the passenger door, and wordlessly grabbed Yunice by the wrist, leading her inside.


    Not a single word of exnation.


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    Chapter 490 Not to Catch a Cheater


    Yunice didn¡¯t ask either. She could tell Wyatt was stewing.


    If she brought it up now, he¡¯d probably explode.


    +5 Five <b>Coins </b>


    Men were always like this. As long as they were getting away with two¨Ctiming, they were smooth as hell.


    But the moment they got caught, they¡¯dsh out¨Cfurious, humiliated, vtile.


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to fight. She didn¡¯t want a scene. She wanted to resolve this peacefully.


    She knew Nora existed. She had epted it. What she wanted was to have a calm, honest conversation with Wyatt and figure out what to do next.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t stop until they reached the bedroom. Then he locked the door behind them.


    Yunice figured he¡¯d had enough time to cool off, <i>so </i>she sat on the bed and gently prompted, ¡°Take me to see Nora.¡±


    Wyatt stood there, his tie halfway undone and hanging loose around his neck.


    His emotions were written all over his face. He kept turning away, trying to pull himself together.


    But when he finally looked at Yunice, his expression was still burning with anger.


    ¡°You hid in the car¡­ just to catch me going to the Gardison Residence?¡±


    Yunice answered calmly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying <i>to </i>catch you.¡±

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    Chapter 491 I Won¡¯t Let You Go


    Chapter 491 I Won¡¯t Let You Go


    Wyatt stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder tightly. His voice was sharp, demanding, ¡°What was ther You wanted to see it for yourself¡­ and then quietly disappear from my life, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    His tone grew darker, biting down on cach word. ¡°Is that what you¡¯re nning?


    Yunice frowned. ¡°No.¡±


    She hadn¡¯t thought that far ahead. She only wanted to confirm Nora¡¯s condition before deciding what to do next.


    If there was any chance Nora might recover, then she wouldn¡¯t cling to Wyatt and she certainly wou¨¦rir allow herself to feel anything more for him.


    Wyatt stared into her eyes, searching for some flicker of the emotion he needed to see.


    Yunice met his gaze, her brows still furrowed, her expression somber.


    She understood his frustration, but to Wyatt, her steady calmness was the most infuriating part.


    She didn¡¯t seem sad. She wasn¡¯t angry. Justposed and serious.


    Only someone who didn¡¯t love you could react so logically to betrayal.


    Wyatt knew he was in the wrong. But he didn¡¯t feel guilt ¨C only a growing storm of resentment and frustration toward Yunice.


    Why didn¡¯t she question him about Nora? Why didn¡¯t she cry, scream, or demand an exnation?


    Because she didn¡¯t love him. That had to be it.


    His anger twisted into something deeper ¨C frustration, jealousy, desperation.


    Without another word, he pushed her down onto the bed.


    Wyatt straddled her, one knee on each side, and with one hand, loosened his tie. A flicker of unease shed through Yunice¡¯s eyes just before he pulled at her cor.


    Shocked, Yunice instinctively reached toward her leg.


    But Wyatt moved faster. He snatched the small hidden gun from her side and tossed it to the farthest corner of the room. It hit the floor with a tter and slid away.


    Yunice turned, startled, staring at Wyatt above her. The difference in strength was undeniable. She didn¡¯t stand a chance.


    Wyatt wrapped the tie around her wrists, looping it tight.


    Yunice opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her breath ca helpless beneath his weight.


    as she stared up at him,


    1/3 There was no gentleness in him this time ¨C no careful hesitation. Just a fierce, possessive urgency, like he


    Chapter 491 I Won¡¯t Let You Go


    needed to remind her she couldn¡¯t ignore him.


    ¡°Wyatt¡­¡± she whispered, a tremor in her voice.


    His breath came heavy. ¡°I need you to understand something. I won¡¯t let you leave.¡±


    15 Free Cams


    She gasped, startled by the sudden force. Wyatt leaned closer and murmured at her ear. ¡°Can you feel how badly I want you?¡±


    Yunice turned her face, trying to pull away, her ankles dragging across the sheets. He was thrusting too deep.


    He held her still, giving her nowhere to go, every movement purposeful and firm.


    Her cries echoed in the room, and he caught her wrists, looping them behind his neck.


    There was no escape now.


    The light above them stayed on. Wyatt looked down at her tearstreaked face, lips parted in soundless pleas.


    He leaned in and kissed the corner of her eye, brushing away the tear, then whispered, ¡°Ever felt like you¡¯re losing control?¡±


    Yunice struggled to respond, her body overwhelmed by sensation and emotion. Her mind was spinning, thoughts scattering.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice came again, quiet and low: ¡°The safe word is ¡®I love you.¡¯ Did you hear me?¡±


    But Yunice was too disoriented to understand. Her body trembled as he kept going, unrelenting.


    He knew her ¨C every reaction, every breath- and used that knowledge to bring her higher, over and


    over.


    Her voice was hoarse, tears still falling. Then Wyatt leaned in again.


    ¡°Say it,¡± he murmured. ¡°Say you love me, and I¡¯ll stop.¡±


    ¡°¡­I love you,¡± Yunice choked out, half sobbing, as if trying to bargain.


    Wyatt pretended not to hear. ¡°Louder.¡±


    ¡°I love you! Wyatt, I love you!¡±


    She didn¡¯t know if she meant it ¨C she only knew she needed him to stop.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    And then, atst, her body shuddered, thest of her strength pouring out of her with a strangled cry. Wyatt felt her copse beneath him. He looked down, then smiled


    She curled away, trembling, terrified that he¡¯de back for more.


    a strange satisfied curve of the lips.


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    Chapter 491 I Won¡¯t Let You Go


    <b>But </b>Wyatt didn¡¯t move toward her again.


    Still bare, he shifted positions, leaning back against the headboard and reaching for <b>the </b>cigarette <b>box </b>and lighter.


    He lit one slowly, his expression darker now not angry, but something close to obsessive.


    ¨C


    Then he held out the cigarette to her, smiling faintly.


    Yunice, shivering, hugged herself and nced up at him with a wary look.


    In the end, she leaned forward slightly, lips trembling, and took the cigarette from his fingers.

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    Chapter 492 You¡¯re Not Going Anywhere


    Wyatt flicked on the lighter and lit the cigarette between her <b>lips</b>.


    The tip of the cigarette trembled slightly. Yunice¡¯s full lips quivered faintly as she took a <b>drag </b>


    The me licked the edge, casting a dim red glow.


    Wyatt watched her with appreciation, then took the cigarette from her mouth and <b>mped </b><b>it </b>between <b>his </b>own lips.


    Smoke slowly slipped from Yunice¡¯s mouth, curling into the air until it faded into nothing


    Leaning against the headboard, Wyatt rested his arm on his knee, the cigarette dangling between his fingers, exuding a careless<b>, </b>streetwise arrogance.


    That¡¯s who he really was. The polished act he used to put on for Yunice had been just that<b>¨C</b><b>an </b>act.


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t want to pretend anymore. He knew what kind of person Yunice was<b>. </b>


    She was too rational. If she saw no future in a rtionship, she would walk away without hesitation or regret.


    She¡¯d done it with Paul. Wyatt wasn¡¯t naive enough to think he¡¯d be the exception.


    Now that Yunice knew about Nora, she¡¯d definitely find a way to leave him. He wasn¡¯t about to let that happen.


    Wyatt tilted his head back and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke. His voice was calm.


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife. If I find out you¡¯re trying to run, I¡¯ll tie you to this bed for the rest of your life. Don¡¯t believe me? Try it.¡±


    Yunice trembled as tears fell. Tonight, Wyatt was someone else entirely.


    She was afraid of him.


    Wyatt raised his hand and gently touched her hair. His gaze darkened, but the sinister glint in his eyes faded as he looked at her tear¨Cstreaked face.


    If she dared to run, he really would lock her in a cage.


    Seven years ago, he¡¯d hesitated once, He wouldn¡¯t make that mistake again.


    When he finished the cigarette, he stubbed it out. Then he reached out and pulled Yunice into his arms. Her body was cold as ice.


    ¡°You¡¯re too tired today. No need to shower. Just sleep.¡±


    Yunicey down in fear, her eyes flicking to the gun lying on the floor in the <ol><li>er. </li></ol>


    But the memory of what had just happened left her too scared to try anything.


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    Chapter 492 You¡¯re Not Going Anywhere


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    The sheets were still wet. Wyatt hadn¡¯t changed them. Yunice curled up on the damp fabric, tears silemly falling.


    She¡¯d been naive. She thought a smile from Wyatt meant they could talk as equals, that reason still mattered.


    Now she understood¨CWyatt was thew. Wyatt was the truth. There was no such thing as bargaining with him.


    Yunice drifted in and out of restless sleep, again and again.


    Only after her body finally gave out did she truly fall asleep.


    Wyatt, however, didn¡¯t sleep. He held Yunice in his arms, gently patting her back, lulling her.


    Her phone lit up a few more times. Wyatt reached over and picked it up.


    Seeing the messages from Maine, he tapped a few times and blocked Maine¡¯s number.


    Maine had waited all night at the Gardison Residence, but Wyatt never showed.


    Sitting at Nora¡¯s bedside, Maine¡¯s eyes were red as she choked back tears.


    ¡°Nora¡­ when are you going to wake up? If you stay like this, Wyatt¡¯s really going to be taken by someone else¡­ If he ends up holding someone new, how could he possibly still think of you?¡±


    The pale, delicate woman on the hospital bedy motionless, expressionless.


    She had been in this state for two years.


    Every two hours, someone had to turn her over. Her food, medicine, and care required endless time and money to keep her from developing a single bedsore in all that time.


    Wyatt had hired people to take care of her.


    But who knew what would happen in the future?


    What if Wyatt stopped caring one day? How miserable would that be¡­


    As Maine sobbed and rambled on, a single tear slipped from the corner of Nora¡¯s closed eye¨Clike she could hear everything.


    It took Maine a moment to notice. When she did, she jumped up in shock and joy.


    ¡°Nora! Can you hear me? Are you conscious?¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t respond. But the fingers Maine clutched gave the tiniest twitch.


    Maine saw it and burst into tears,ughing and crying all at once.


    ¡°Nora, are you waking up? You reacted, didn¡¯t you? Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m going! toe see you¡­¡±


    ¡°Hang on¡­ I¡¯m calling him right now¡­¡±


    ! Wyatt right now¨Che has


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    Chapter 492 You¡¯re Not Going Anywhere


    She grabbed her phone. The line rang.


    At that moment, Wyatt was in the bedroom, wringing out a towel.


    s


    Yunice had a fever. Whether from fear or exhaustion, shey listlessly in bed, a cool towel Wyatt had ced on her forehead.


    He wrung out a fresh one and reced the one that had grown warm.


    Just then, a housekeeper knocked on the door.


    ¡°Sir, ady called and said Miss Nora is showing signs of waking up. She asked if you¡¯d like to go see her.¡±


    Wyatt had his back to the door. The housekeeper couldn¡¯t tell if he heard her. She hesitated, unsure if she should repeat herself or leave.


    Only when Yunice looked over at her did the housekeeper quietly step away.

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    Chapter 493 I Just Want to Know What I Am to You


    Chapter 493 I Just Want to Know What I Am to You


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    Wyatt tossed the towel into the basin, irritated. ¡°Why is your body so weak? Go a little hard and you end up with a fever.¡±


    He looked up at Yunice¡¯s expression, frowning. ¡°Stop crying. You¡¯ve been crying sincest night.¡±


    He reached out and ran his thumb under the corner of her wet eye. ¡°Are you crying because I bullied you, or because you¡¯re upset there¡¯s someone else in my heart?¡±


    Yunice turned her head away, refusing to respond.


    His fingers brushed nothing but air, and his face immediately darkened.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Yunice stole a nce at him, thinking he¡¯d explode. But instead, he just stood up, scowling. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Yunice red at him, still simmering. ¡°I want to see Nora. I want to know what happened between you


    two.¡±


    Wyatt folded his arms, his brow deeply furrowed. He looked impatient, like he was one wrong word away from snapping.


    Leaning against the headboard, Yunice looked half¨Cdead, saying tly, ¡°Go ahead and kill me if you want.¡±


    She burned up at the slightest touch. Push her too far for a couple days and she might really die.


    If Wyatt wanted to test her obedience, he probably couldn¡¯t.


    He inhaled sharply, furious. No one had ever gotten under his skin like this.


    When he didn¡¯t answer, Yunice turned her head and shut her eyes, her lips tight as tears rolled silently down.


    She cried miserably.


    Wyatt rubbed the bridge of his nose. He¡¯d had enough.


    ¡°Can we finish dealing with the Saunders mess before you start flipping out?¡±


    The situation with the Crawfords wasn¡¯t resolved yet. And at such a critical moment, the two most important people had suddenly gone missing¨Canyone would get suspicious.


    Besides, it mattered to Yunice too. They couldn¡¯t just leave it.


    Just then, the same housekeeper/from earlier came to the door, clearly uneasy. She said softly, ¡°Sir, the Crawford family called. They asked if you could return their call.¡±


    <i>See</i>? They¡¯d <i>already </i><i>noticed </i><i>something </i><i>was </i>off.


    Wyatt turned to Yunice. ¡°Stay home. I¡¯ll handle it.¡±


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    Chapter 493 I Just Want to Know What I Am to You


    She had a fever¨Cbest not to go out.


    Wyatt went to the living room to return the call,


    ¡°Mr. Carl¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s running a fever.¡±


    Carl said, ¡°A fever? Then I¡¯ll send Freya over to take care of her. Youe to the Crawford house.


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    His tone was calm and polite, but anyone with a brain could tell¨Che didn¡¯t trust Wyatt. He was sending Freya to check things out.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t exactly have a spotless reputation, and Yunice was just a delicate young woman. Who could guarantee nothing would happen to her?


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened. He gripped the phone. ¡°¡­Okay.¡±


    When he returned to the bedroom, Yunice was actually out of bed.


    Maybe because of the fever, she looked weak. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she held her forehead, visibly


    upset.


    Wyatt walked over and scowled. ¡°Three days. Can you give me three days?¡±


    Yunice looked up, eyes red and full of defiance. ¡°What¡¯s with your attitude?¡±


    ¡°You tricked me into marriage. You¡¯re the one two¨Ctiming. I¡¯m not even making a scene¨CI just want to understand what I mean to you. What right do you have to yell at me?¡±


    Wyatt stared at her, stunned. It was the first time Yunice had actuallyined to him.


    But he wasn¡¯t angry at all.


    He stepped closer and lifted her chin.


    She turned her face away.


    Wyatt asked, ¡°This is my first marriage. How¡¯s that a scam?¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m clean. You¡¯ve always known that, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Nora¡­ we weren¡¯t even officially together. At most, we were ambiguous.¡± At the word ambiguous, Yunice¡¯s longshes fluttered¨Cbarely noticeable. She thought she was rational enough. Rational enough to control her emotions. She thought she could calmly ept Wyatt having been in a rtionship with Nora.


    But she hadn¡¯t expected that one word¨C<i>ambiguous</i>¨Ccould make her chest


    ten.


    She cared.


    (


    Chapter 493 I Just Want to Know What I Am to You


    15 Tree Com


    She cared that Wyatt had been involved with another woman. Even more, she cared that he had once truly fallen for someone else.


    <i>Ambiguous</i>. That stage when emotions are at their most tangled.


    Half¨Cformed feelings, loaded nces, affection blooming in every little moment.


    If Nora hadn¡¯t suddenly ended up in aa, would that rtionship have ever ended? Would Yunice even be in the picture now? (1)


    When Yunice stayed silent, Wyatt said, ¡°Freya¡¯sing to see you in a bit.¡±


    He held her hand, fingers gently wrapping around hers. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything reckless. Don¡¯t make trouble.


    Yunice could go tell on him. She could cry and use him of cheating.


    But if she wanted Carl¡¯s help to get a divorce, Wyatt could also ask Carl for a few tips.


    He was never above ying dirty.


    The bedroom door opened and closed. Wyatt left.


    With his coat in hand, he headed for the living room¨Cwhere Freya was already waiting by the door.


    She raised her hand, fingers fluttering like piano keys as she greeted him. ¡°Morning, Mr. Wyatt.¡± Wyatt curled his lips into a smile, sharp¨Cedged and dangerous. ¡°You got here fast.¡±

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    Chapter 494 Everyone¡¯s Being yed


    Freya must¡¯ve already been waiting outside the west wing when Carl made the call.


    She gave an awkward smile but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Only after Wyatt walked past her did she quickly step into the living room and ask the housekeeper where Yunice¡¯s room was.


    ¡°Yunice?¡± Freya turned the doorknob and pecked inside.


    Yunice looked surprised. ¡°Freya? How did you get here so fast?¡±


    Freya came in and shut the door behind her. Sitting at the edge of Yunice¡¯s bed, she took in her paleplexion and asked with concern, ¡°You really have a fever?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Freya let out a breath. ¡°Good thing nothing happened. Yesterday, you and Wyatt both disappeared without a word. No one could reach either of you. We were all worried.¡±


    Recalling Wyatt¡¯s warning before he left, Yunice rubbed her nose and said, ¡°Yesterday, Wyatt got into <i>a </i>fight with Jackson from the Powell family. They started throwing punches. <b>I </b>got scared and ended up with a fever¡­¡±


    ¡°You scare that easily?¡±


    Yunice lowered her head, embarrassed.


    Freya tilted her head, eyes fixed on the red marks on Yunice¡¯s neck. After a pause, she asked hesitantly, ¡°Even with a fever, he still messed with you?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yunice didn¡¯t follow.


    Freya pointed to her neck. ¡°That wasn¡¯t therest night.¡±


    It was obvious when it had happened, and in such a visible spot,


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed red, and she covered her neck with one hand.


    Freya pointed <i>to </i>her own corbone. ¡°There¡¯s one here too.¡±


    Yunice covered that spot with her other hand.


    ¡°And here¡­¡± Freya pointed lower, under the cor.


    Yunice ran out of hands and realized¨CFreya was teasing her.


    She looked up, flustered and a little annoyed.


    Freyaughed at her expression and patted her shoulder. ¡°I just don¡¯t get. go for someone like you¨Cso soft and fluffy, like a little cupcake.¡±


    Why would a guy like Wyatt


    Chapter 494 Everyone¡¯s Being yed


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank. ¡°We really don¡¯t match?¡±


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    Freya gave a long, thoughtful hum, like she was trying to find an answer for her. Then she said. ¡°Maybe you just hit his kink. Maybe you¡¯re exactly his type.¡±


    Yunice shifted her posture, looking at Freya seriously. ¡°How can you tell he actually likes me?¡±


    Freya blinked, not quite sure why she was asking. But she gave it some thought anyway. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any family restrictions. He¡¯s powerful enough on his own¨Cdoesn¡¯t need to marry for advantage. If he likes someone, he just takes them. No need to fake anything. No reason to pretend.¡±


    But Yunice thought¨Cthere were reasons.


    Wyatt had once had a thing with Nora. He never got the chance to have her, so now he used Yunice to fill that void.


    She was Wyatt¡¯s emotional projection.


    But most people wouldn¡¯t think that far.


    Yunice didn¡¯t mention Nora to Freya.


    Wyatt had promised to take her to <i>see </i>Nora. She wanted to understand the truth for herself.


    After teasing Yunice, Freya started talking about what happened after she left the Crawford housest night.


    Carl was ruthless. And Victor wasn¡¯t a soft touch either.


    These men might look sharp and refined in the daytime, but once night fell, they didn¡¯t hesitate to get their hands bloody.


    Last night, Paul didn¡¯t get thrown into the moat¨Cbut they did toss him into the Crawford family pool, tied up in a sack.


    Every time he was about to drown, Victor would pull him out, have the doctor save him, and throw him right back in.


    Yunice asked, ¡°What if he really died?¡±


    Freya smiled. ¡°Then that¡¯s just bad luck for him.¡±


    She added, ¡°But I kinda admire that Elsie girl.¡±


    ¡°When Paul fell in, she threw herself into the water crying her eyes out, trying to untie him. Paul was so touched.¡±


    ¡°We were moved too. So we tied them together, back to back, and sank them both.¡±


    Yunice muttered, ¡°You people are demons.¡±


    Freya didn¡¯t take it seriously/She checked the time.


    ¡°Wyatt should be at the Crawford house by now.¡±


    A


    Chapter 494 Everyone¡¯s Being yed


    ¡°Mr. Carl spared Paul¡¯s life. He doesn¡¯t matter, but before he dies, he¡¯s gotta clear your name¡±


    Meanwhile, at the Crawford house-


    Luxury cars lined the courtyard.


    Rows of chairs were set up in the main hall. A few people were already seated.


    Then someone else entered from outside, silhouetted against the light.


    15 Free Coine


    As the man walked closer and his face came into view, someone greeted him. ¡°Eugene? What are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be abroad?¡±


    Eugene gave the others a confused look, then sat down hesitantly. ¡°Mr. Carl invited you all too?¡±


    ¡°He said he wanted to discuss a project. So we came.¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, we haven¡¯t seen each other in six or seven years¨Cnot since the SATs.¡±


    As they chatted, more people trickled in.


    Once enough people had arrived, someone finally sensed something was off. ¡°What kind of project needs this many people?¡±


    And all of them¡­ were mutual friends.

 Daghter 495

    Chapter 495 Red Wedding


    ¡°Where¡¯s your Mr. Carl? How much longer till he shows up?¡±


    ¡°Are we missing someone?¡±


    ¡°Paul, obviously. Back in the day, he was the glue that held this whole group together.¡±


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    ¡°Yeah, but with his family background, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d show up topete for some project.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. It¡¯s been six or seven years¨CI was hoping to catch up.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Paul, anyone heard anything about that little wifey of his? She¡¯s been real quiettely.¡±


    ¡°I heard Paul got married. She didn¡¯t make a scene?¡±


    ¡°Heh, bet you guys haven¡¯t heard the juicy part.¡±


    At that, everyone leaned in a little closer.


    ¡°She married someone else. That illegitimate son from the Powell family¨CWyatt.¡±


    Everyone froze for a second. Then the connections clicked into ce.


    ¡°This Yunice chick, huh¡­ she couldn¡¯t get Paul, so she turned around and married his uncle? And they¡¯re all living in the samepound? Must be some real stepmom fanfic going on behind closed doors.¡±


    Subtle smirks appeared around the room. They were all well¨Cdressed and polished, but their expressions carried a trace of mockery.


    They were more restrained now. In their twenties, already worn smooth and fake by the business world- gone was the reckless arrogance of youth.


    But even so, mention of those wild, shameless days stirred something in each of them.


    Everyone here knew exactly how Yunice had struggled back then. Knew exactly how badly she¡¯d been treated.


    But time had passed. And they were eager to bury their guilt, so they let all the me shift silently onto Yunice.


    If she took the fall alone, if she turned her suffering into something ¡°understandable,¡± then they weren¡¯t really the bad guys.


    So they moved on from the topic of Yunice. No one wanted to talk about her. No one wanted to remember who they used to be.


    Just then, a sudden noise broke out on the second floor.


    Everyone looked up.


    There, mounted to the ceiling, was a pulley system. And dangling from the rope below it¡ªwas a man.


    Chapter 495 Red Wedding


    People jumped out of their seats, scrambling backward as the figure dowly descended


    He was a mess. Dirty gauze covered parts of his face.


    One man¡¯s eyes widened in recognition and he shouted, ¡°It¡¯s Paul! That¡¯s Paul


    ¡°Help him! Somebody help him!¡±


    Several people rushed forward to untie the rope.


    Just then¨CCrash<i>! </i>


    A chair was thrown from the second floor, mming down right where they¡¯d been standing, Pengle screamed and stumbled back again.


    When they looked up, they saw a handsome, refined man step out of the shadows at the railing,


    But to them, he was a stranger.


    Victor. As Carl¡¯s assistant, he wasn¡¯t yet known in Silverburgh society.


    In other words¨Ceveryone downstairs wasn¡¯t even qualified to know who he was.


    Victor rested a hand on the railing and gave the stunned crowd below a friendly <b>smile</b>. ¡°Hello, everyone. I¡¯m Yunice¡¯s brother¨CVictor.¡±


    The group looked at each other. They all knew Yunice had two older brothers: Oscar and Owens


    But none of them had thest name Lindt.


    Victor added, ¡°My father is Carl.¡±


    The second he said it, everyone¡¯s faces changed.


    They may not have met Carl, but they knew he was childless¨Cand had adopted <i>a </i>godson and goddaughter.


    <i>Could </i>it <i>be</i><i>? </i>


    A <i>year </i><i>ago</i>, <i>Carl </i>had <i>taken </i><i>in </i><i>a </i><i>goddaughter</i>¨C<i>one </i><i>who¡¯d </i>had <i>a </i><i>grand</i><i>, </i>secretive wedding<i>. </i>


    <i>Was </i><i>that </i><i>Yunice</i><i>? </i>


    The entire room stiffened. They nced nervously between Victor and the man dangling from <i>the </i>ceiling.


    Even Paul¡¯s face had words carved into it.


    One of them whispered, ¡°This¡­ this is a red wedding.¡±


    He didn¡¯t wait. Turned on his heel and made for the exit.


    Everyone knew why they were here. Knew what they¡¯d done. Knew this was payback.


    Chapter 495 Red Wedding


    If they didn¡¯t get out now, they¡¯d end up just like Paul


    But they¡¯d only taken a few steps before they all froze.


    Sunlight poured into the hall, framing the tall figure standing at the door like a silhouette.


    He leaned casually against the doorway, golden light catching the bridge of his nose.


    Someone stumbled back, voice shaking. ¡°Wyatt¡­ it¡¯s Wyatt¡­.¡°.


    Nothing good ever followed that name.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes glinted with amusement as he strolled inside, leisurely.


    *5 Free Coins


    With each step, the crowd backed away like chickens cornered by a wolf. Someone¡¯s knees gave out and they fell, triggering a domino effect that left a heap of people on the floor<i>. </i>


    Wyatt stopped in front of them and smiled¨Ccold and cruel. ¡°I heard you were talking about my wife<i>¡± </i>


    Someone swallowed hard, scrambling to shift the me. ¡°Wyatt, whatever¡¯s going on between you and Paul is none of our business. We never touched her!¡±


    Right. They hadn¡¯tid a hand on Yunice back then. They were just the echo chamber, the rumor mill- cheerleaders for Paul, riding his coattails, feeding the mes with their words.

 Daghter 496

    Chapter 496 No Redemption


    These people never cared.


    sfine Coins


    A few careless words from them could destroy a woman¡¯s life¨Cpush her to the brink¡ªand all they ever did was mock her weakness. Like it was absurd to cry over rumors. Like wanting to die over some ¡°jokes¡± made her overly sensitive.


    Wyatt swept his gaze across the group. ¡°Which one of you bullied my wife?¡±


    No one dared get too close. They kept backing away¨Cuntil they realized Victor was behind them. That¡¯s when it finally hit them: they weren¡¯t getting out.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t bully her! It was all Paul! Only Paul!¡± someone shouted, desperate to shift the me.


    Wyatt grabbed the man who spoke and yanked him forward. The guy was nearly Wyatt¡¯s size, but in his fear, he wentpletely limp. In Wyatt¡¯s grip, he looked like a sick chicken.


    Wyatt red at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my wife was wild with Paul? That she was obsessed with him?¡±


    The man trembled, shaking his head hard. ¡°I didn¡¯t¨CI never said that-¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes were cold, and his smile carried a cruel edge. Talking sense to these people was pointless. So he let go.


    The man copsed onto the floor, visibly relieved. Thinking Wyatt had let him off the hook, he quickly tried to tter him, turning on Paul in the same breath.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt! It was always Paul who bullied Yunice. He spread the rumors! He wanted her<i>, </i><i>and </i>when he couldn¡¯t have her, he tried to ruin her. He¡¯s the one who smeared her name!¡±


    ¡°Yunice is kind and pure. She¡¯s a perfect match for you¨Cshe¡¯s spotless!¡±


    The others jumped in immediately. ¡°Yes, exactly! That¡¯s the truth!¡±


    Wyatt looked down at his fingers. ¡°Of course my wife is good. But what¡¯s the point <i>if </i>I¡¯m the only one who knows?¡±


    They weren¡¯t stupid. They got the hint fast.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wyatt! We¡¯ll make things right. We all know the truth about what really happened between her and Paul. We¡¯ll clear her name. We¡¯ll handle everything.¡±


    They all exhaled in relief. Now that they understood what Wyatt wanted, they could work with that. All he wanted was to stand up for his wife, right? That was easy.


    The Powell family was finished. Paul was literally hanging half¨Cdead in front of them. There was no point staying loyal. It was every man for himself now.


    But Wyatt let out a sharp, cold/§¥augh.


    What a joke. This group of spineless cowards could destroy lives with a few words¨Cand then try to fix everything with a few more?


    <


    Chapter 496 No Redemption


    Too bad. They might be willing to make it up to Yunice, but Wyatt wasn¡¯t


    Why should they get to ¡°put down the knife and find redemption¡°?


    He pointed toward a nearby room. ¡°All of you. In there. Now<i>¡± </i>


    Everyone hesitated, confused. No one moved.


    Wyatt¡¯s reputation wasn¡¯t exactly reassuring. No one could guess what he was thinking. They just knew that when it came to him, nothing good ever came from listening¨Cor from disobeying.


    No one wanted to be the first.


    So Wyatt grabbed another man by the cor and dragged him into the room.


    The rest panicked.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt! We swear¨Cwe¡¯ll clear everything up!¡±


    <i>Clear </i>things up<i>? </i>


    <i>What </i><i>good </i><i>would </i><i>that </i><i>do</i><i>? </i>


    <i>Would </i><i>an </i><i>apology </i><i>erase </i><i>the </i><i>past </i><i>seven </i><i>years </i><i>of </i><i>Yunice¡¯s </i>suffering? <i>Would </i><i>it </i><i>undo </i>the damage to her heart¨Cor his?


    Yunice would never trust people again. She¡¯d never open her heart <i>so </i>easily.


    And Wyatt¡­ he¡¯d made a mistake he could never take back.


    Could they fix any of that?


    <i>No. </i><i>They </i><i>couldn¡¯t</i>.


    Wyatt dragged the limp man inside, then turned and looked at the rest. ¡°Do I have to haul each one of you in?¡±


    Terrified, they stood frozen.


    Someone yelled, ¡°There¡¯s more of us! If we rush him together, we can break-¡±


    Before he could finish, Wyatt mmed a knee into the guy¡¯s jaw, sending him flying into the room.


    That <i>was </i><i>enough</i>.


    The group¡¯s morale shattered. No one dared move against him now.


    They filed into the room in silence, trembling.


    A few momentster, several greasy, musclebound men with thick beards entered after them. The door locked from the outside.


    Victor approached.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t even look at him. ¡°Record everything.¡±


    Chapter 496 No Redemption


    Victor frowned, ¡°You¡¯re dirtying my father¡¯s house.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t care. ¡°I¡¯ll burn it down and build him a new one


    As screams and sobbing echoed from behind the door, Victor muttered, ¡°You¡¯re a real piece of work¡±


    Wyatt looked over, eyelids half¨Clowered. ¡°And what does that make you?¡±


    <i>3/3 </i>

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    Chapter 497 The Man No One Knew


    s


    ¡°What you do out there is none of my business,¡± Victor warned coldly, ¡°but if your mess drags Yunice into it, the Crawford family is not the Saunders family. We won¡¯t stand by and do nothing. Don¡¯t think you can turn into the next Paul.¡±


    Wyatt gave a faint, indifferent smile. After a pause, he said, ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful¨Cthen you handle the cleanup. I¡¯m going home to my wife.¡±


    Victor frowned as he watched Wyatt leave. There was no reasoning with a man like that.


    At the Saunders residence.


    Elsiey in bed with a fever.


    She¡¯d jumped into the pool to save Paulst night and inhaled too much water. It led to a lung infection. and now she was burning up.


    Carl hadn¡¯t taken it out on the Saunders familyst night. He¡¯d vented all his fury on Paul, then let Owen and the rest go home.


    Even after a full night, Owen still looked pale, shaken by what had happened.


    They were really willing to kill Paul¡­


    Outside her room, Peggy was crouched at the door, eavesdropping..


    But the door was shut¨Cshe couldn¡¯t hear a thing.


    She turned and nced downstairs at Oscar, who was sitting on the sofa.


    Last night, when Oscar brought Owen home, Peggy finally realized¨Che was the eldest son of the Saunders. family.


    ¡°He¡¯s so cold and antisocial. He doesn¡¯t talk much. Hopefully he won¡¯tpete with me for the inheritance¡­¡±


    Arms crossed, Peggy scowled. One morepetitor to worry about.


    Inside the room, Owen¡¯s phone buzzed with a news alert.


    He stood up in shock. ¡°A fire at the Crawford estate? The whole ce is gone!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Lily jumped to her feet and snatched the phone from his hands.


    Her face shifted as she watched the footage of the Crawford mansion burning. ¡°How could this happen?¡±


    well family?¡± She paused for a moment, then murmured, ¡°Could it be revenge from t


    Jackson wasn¡¯t the type to take things lying down. After what the Crawfords did to Paul, would Jackson just let it go?


    Man No One Knew


    Burning down their estate¨Cit sounded just like something he¡¯d do.


    ¡°But let¡¯s not jump to conclusions. I¡¯ll call Freya and ask.<i>¡± </i>


    She picked up her own phone and dialed.


    At that moment, Wyatt had just returned to the west wing.


    Freya was still in Yunice¡¯s room. When she saw Lily¡¯s name on the screen, her face wrinkled in disgust.


    ¡°That Lily¡­ Always acting superior just because she¡¯s an old friend of Mr. Carl¡¯s. Bossy and full of herself. So annoying¡­¡±


    She wasn¡¯t even trying to hide her feelings from Yunice.


    Yunice gave her a strange look. Freya caught it and stiffened. ¡°What are you looking at me like that for?¡±


    ¡°I just find it strange,¡± Yunice said. ¡°Youe off pretty strong with other people. Why are you so patient with Lily?¡±


    Even as her own daughter, Yunice couldn¡¯t stand Lily¡¯s shameless, maniptive games.


    Freya looked irritated. ¡°She¡¯s Mr. Carl¡¯s old friend. I¡¯m his secretary. If I have to kiss up to someone, I pick my battles.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression turned yfully sly. ¡°You like Mr. Carl, don¡¯t you? You want to be my stepmom.¡±


    ¡°Pft!¡± Freya nearly spat out the water in her mouth. She smacked Yunice on the shoulder. ¡°You little brat! What kind of nonsense is that?¡±


    Yunice hugged a plush doll. ¡°You think you¡¯re good at hiding it? Anyone with eyes can see how you look <i>at </i>him.¡±


    ¡°And Mr. Carl knows too. He¡¯s just pretending not to.¡±


    Freya¡¯s smile faded.


    Carl had always been sharp. He could see straight through people. There was no way he didn¡¯t know how Freya felt about him.


    But if he hadn¡¯t acknowledged it, that meant he didn¡¯t return it. And that was exactly why Freya never dared bring it up¨Cafraid even their polite working rtionship would be destroyed.


    Yunice hesitated, then said, ¡°Actually¡­.I don¡¯t think you really understand Mr. Carl.¡±


    Freya looked at her, puzzled.


    ¡°Do you know why he never married?¡± Yunice asked. ¡°Why he decide


    arly to adopt children?¡±


    Freya¡¯s expression grew serious. She voiced the suspicion that had gnawed at her for years. ¡°Because he loved someone he could never have?¡±


    24 <b>JUI </b>


    Chapter 497 The Man No One Knew


    8220


    s


    She had always believed that person was Lily. Carl had shown a strange amount of patience with her¨C more than Freya had ever seen him show anyone else.


    Even when Lily repeatedlyshed out at Yunice, Carl always handled it gently, letting things slide.


    Yunice shifted on the bed, leaningfortably against the headboard.


    ¡°When Lily gave birth to me, three dayster she had a fight with my dad. Then she got kidnapped by traffickers and taken into the mountains. My dad searched for her nonstop, and eight yearster, he died of heartbreak. Never saw her again before he died.¡±


    ¡°Everyone said it was my dad¡¯s fault¨Csaid he drove Lily away while she was still recovering from childbirth. Who could believe a new mother would abandon her baby unless the father had been unbearable?¡±


    ¡°My dad med himself for years. He thought it was his fault. He thought Lily¡¯s postpartum hormones made her unstable, and he should¡¯ve been more considerate. If he¡¯d just agreed to what she wanted, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have stormed off¡­¡±

 Daghter 498

    apter <b>498 </b>What the Dead Left Behind


    Chapter 498 What the Dead Left Behind


    Yunice had been rambling for a while, and Freya was starting to get impatient. ¡°But you still <b>haven¡¯t </b><b>said </b>what was Lily really after?¡±


    Yunice paused for a few seconds before replying. ¡°She got greedy¡±


    ¡°She fell for Mr. Carl.¡±


    ¡°It was the day I was born. Mr. Carl had just made a fortune in business, and he gifted me a <b>jewelry </b>set worth two hundred million.¡±


    ¡°A set of jewelry was all it took to dazzle her heart. She thought Mr. Carl was powerful and capable. To her, he was this polished, sessful man¡­ and my father? Just a doctor who smelled like medicine.¡±


    Freya frowned. ¡°But even if your dad was just a doctor, he was the most sessful one in Silverburgh<b>. </b>Mr. Carl always says Mr. Saunders was the most skilled person he ever met in the pharmaceutical business.¡±


    T


    ¡°Mr. Carl also said that when he was starting out, smuggling/generic drugs, it was Mr. Saunders who helped him avoid risks and get established. He always called Mr. Saunders his benefactor. He respected him deeply¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s gaze grew somber as she looked at Freya. Freya met her eyes¨Cand suddenly understood the twisted knot between those three people.


    Feelings fade over time. Maybe Lily had truly loved Will once¨Cenough to bear him three children.


    But people always want more. When you have something good, you start craving something better. A happy marriage wasn¡¯t enough; she also wanted wealth and status.


    Carl and Will were like brothers. Lily watched the man who once trailed behind Will slowly surpass him. It twisted her sense of bnce. She started to resent Will.


    While she was pregnant with Yunice, she argued with Will constantly. She asked for money, demanded to buy this and that. Will gave her what she wanted, but she was never satisfied.


    She hated the nonstop surgeries. Hated the smell of blood and antiseptic on him. Hated his small clinic and the way he patiently talked to crying families.


    She idolized Carl. Imagined his grand office. Saw him calmlymanding subordinates, wearing a light cologne, attending glittering parties, surrounded by wealthy elites¨Cnot like Will, who had desperate patients showing up at the door begging for free treatment.


    After enough timeparing the two, anyone¡¯s heart would drift.


    Lily caused so many fights, she eventually threatened suicide. Will couldn¡¯t take it anymore and promised to divorce her after she finished postpartum recovery.


    Lily thought she saw her chance. She messaged Carl, trying to test the <b>waters</b>¨Cbut


    gnored her.


    She panicked. She didn¡¯t want Will to mock her if he found out, <b>so </b>she stormed <b>out </b>of the house in <b>a </b><b>rage</b>.


    She thought Will would worry ande running after her. She thought he¡¯d bring her <b>back</b><b>. </b>


    O


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    Chapter <b>498 </b>What the <b>Dead </b>Left Behind


    <b>She </b>never came home<b>. </b>


    When Carlter found out what happened, he med himself. If he hadn¡¯t <b>appeared </b><b>in </b><b>With¡¯s </b>life, maybe it wouldn¡¯t have happened. He couldn¡¯t face Will after that.


    So he left Silverburgh. Went abroad. And only returned to pay respects after Will died.


    Muchter, when he heard Yunice was getting married, he realized she¡¯d have no father to <b>protect </b><b>her </b>and that¡¯s why he came back. To fulfill Will¡¯s duties.


    Carl never married or had children¨Cbecause of Will. Because Will¡¯s life had been ruined, in part<b>, </b><b>by </b><b>his </b>presence. Carl couldn¡¯t let himself have aplete family, not after that.


    Freya frowned, confused. ¡°But you parents?¡±


    had just been born. How could <i>you </i>possibly know all this <b>about </b><b>your </b>


    Yunice answered calmly, ¡°Because I dug up my father¡¯s grave. He was buried with one of Lily¡¯s old phones.


    I just restored the chip. I have all the messages. Audio files too.¡±


    Freya stared at her, speechless.


    You dug up your father¡¯s grave¡­ All right then.


    After listening to Yunice¡¯s story, Freya¡¯s phone lit up with news about the fire at the Crawford estate.


    Uneasy, she didn¡¯t linger.


    ¡°Yunice, that fire was probably Mr. Carl¡¯s doing. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go back and check things out.¡±


    Yunice nodded. After Freya left, she reached into the nightstand drawer and took out her gun.


    She stared at it for a long while.


    Then she removed the magazine and began counting the bullets<b>¨C</b>one by one.


    C

 Daghter 499

    Chapter 499 Who¡¯s Holding the Chain


    Chapter 499 Who¡¯s Holding the Chain


    Wyatt stood in the side room, watching Freya leave.


    Once she was gone, he finally returned to the bedroom.


    He didn¡¯t know whether the long conversation with Freya had helped Yunicee to her <b>senses</b>.


    Wyatt shifted slightly and pushed the bedroom door open just a crack to peek inside.


    Then his pupils contracted sharply¨Che rushed in and grabbed Yunice¡¯s wrist.


    With one swift motion, he yanked her hand to the side. The gun in her grip flew out andnded in his.


    In an instant, his voice trembled with rage as he roared at her, ¡°What the hell were you doing?!¡±


    He had just opened the door to see Yunice holding a gun under her chin!


    Wyatt lost it. He stared at the gun in his hand like it was poison, then promptly disassembled it and threw the parts aside. ¡°You think this is gonna scare anyone?!¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t scare anyone¨Cexcept him.


    Yunice stared at Wyatt, her expression unreadable. Maybe he hadn¡¯t looked carefully, but the magazine was empty.


    She had no intention of dying for a man¨Cbut she also didn¡¯t want what happenedst night to happen again.


    She just wanted to see, between her and Wyatt, who really held the power.


    Wyatt¡¯s reaction was strange.


    <i>Out </i><i>of </i><i>love </i><ies </i><i>worry</i>. <i>Out </i><i>of </i><i>love </i><ies </i><i>fear. </i><i>Why </i><i>was </i><i>he </i><i>so </i><i>furious</i><i>? </i><i>Why </i><i>was </i><i>he </i><i>so </i><i>emotional</i><i>? </i>


    Maine had said she was just a substitute. A substitute was just an object¨Cif it disappeared, you could find another. So why was he acting like this?


    Or maybe¡­ the original meant too much, so even the copy became precious.


    Yunice wanted to get to the bottom of it¨Cfor herself, and for Nora.


    Her eyes were red as she silently watched Wyatt rage.


    After Wyatt finished snapping, he turned and clutched Yunice¡¯s wrist again.


    ¡°What did Freya say to you?¡±


    Wyatt knew no secret stayed hidden forever. If Yunice could dig something up, others probably could too.


    ¡°You think pulling a trigger is gonna get you away from me?¡±


    He gritted his teeth. ¡°Let me tell you¨Cit¡¯s not gonna happen. The moment you drop dead, I¡¯ll bury


    <b>173 </b>


    Chapter 499 Who¡¯s Holding the Chain


    everyone in your contact list right next to you.¡±


    Yunice stared at him in frustration. Her circle was small¨Che was basically part of it.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t notice the implication. All he cared about was smashing any thought she had <b>of </b><b>dying</b><b>, </b>


    Hands on his hips, he stormed around the room. He went over every possibility in his head and <b>still </b>couldn¡¯t figure it out. That small thing¨Cwhy couldn¡¯t she let it go?


    He walked back over, grabbed Yunice¡¯s chin, and forced her to look at him.


    ¡±


    ¡°Talk. I want to hear your reason.¡±


    Yunice stared stubbornly at him, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. ¡°You raped me.¡±


    ¡°You know thew? I¡¯ve got a marriage license.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°If it¡¯s against a woman¡¯s will, it¡¯s still rape¨Ceven in marriage.¡±


    ¡°I touched you because I like you. You think I married you just to use you as a good luck charm?¡±


    Yunice looked up and said, enunciating clearly, ¡°You¡¯re gaslighting me.¡±


    Wyatt scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t throw foreign words at me. I don¡¯t know what that means.¡±


    Then he let go of her wrist, but the more Yunice pulled away, the more determined he became to lie beside her.


    He rested on his arm and didn¡¯t even care whether she might try anything again. He simply said, almost defiantly, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Even if you die, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡±


    The more indifferent he acted, the more Yunice looked at him.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Forgot to tell you¨CI already had your eggs sent overseas. In ten months, I¡¯ll have a pair of twins.¡±


    This time, it was Yunice who was stunned. She slowly stood up¨Cfor real this time, not as an act.


    Wyatt was satisfied with her reaction. ¡°I¡¯ve been nning this for a while. Joe said you couldn¡¯t have kids, so I found someone else to carry them.¡±


    ¡°They say having children ties a woman down. I want to see if that works on you.¡±


    Yunice stared at him like he was insane. ¡°You have no bottom line, do you?¡±


    Wyatt was silent for a moment, then looked at her sideways. <b>¡°</b>Is this your first day knowing me?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s mind went back <i>to </i>the first time they met.


    Back then, they were just kids. Wyatt had been raised in a little courtyard where of meat.


    couldn¡¯t even get a bite


    Paul had slipped a venomous snake through the door crack to scare him¨Cbut Wyatt had sat calmly in the yard, skinned it, gutted it, and turned it into dinner.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Thu, 24 Jul


    Chapter 499 Who¡¯s Holding the Chain


    s


    That scene left a deep impression on Yunice. A person who wants to survive will grind down the stones thrown at them and swallow the dust.


    Someone like that would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.


    She thought of the snake tattoo on his waist. Maybe from the moment he got it, he had already decided to control everything.


    Marriage was a power struggle. For long¨Cterm peace, <i>one </i>side had to dominate.


    Wyatt wanted to control her¨Cand she wanted to control him too.


    If you don¡¯t want to lose, you have to be the crueler one.


    Both of them had been scarred by their families. People like them hadplicated feelings about children. They¡¯d try to give their kids all the love they never got themselves.


    Wyatt might love his children deeply in the future. And he figured Yunice would too.


    That was why he wanted to tie her down¨Cwith their children.

 Daghter 500

    hapter 500 The Chain Breaks First


    Wyatt crooked a finger at Yunice, signaling her toe over.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t about to lose the upper hand¨Cshe walked over.


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    Wyatt hooked his arm around her neck, his hand brushing lightly through her hair, his fingers pressing faintly against the back of her neck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how to love, you¡¯re not nning to like me, so why bother fighting with me?<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Whatever¡¯s going on between me and Nora has nothing to do with you. Why make me angry over something like that? What are you trying to prove?¡±


    Maybe you like me a little¨Cbut just don¡¯t realize it?


    Yunice frowned. ¡°Women don¡¯t make things harder for other women. If you belong to Nora, then I won¡¯t try to take you.¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°I don¡¯t belong to anyone. Who I choose depends on how I feel. If I don¡¯t choose her, what can you do about it?¡±


    ¡­That didn¡¯t sound right. Was he seriously trying to justify cheating?


    Wyatt¡¯s fingers brushed across the red mark on Yunice¡¯s neck, his gaze darkening.


    ¡°You¡¯re not obedient at all. I¡¯ve decided¨CI¡¯m not letting you go see Nora.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°You liar!¡±


    Wyatt stood up, unconcerned. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be the first time.¡±


    Whether or not he kept his promises depended on his mood. Either way, he had plenty of ways to keep Yunice from running off.


    He nudged the disassembled gun parts on the floor and added, ¡°Stop contacting that friend of yours who gave you the gun. Or I¡¯ll take them down too.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond.


    She watched Wyatt¡¯s back and thought, <i>You¡¯re </i><i>a </i><i>monster</i><i>? </i><i>Well</i><i>, </i>I¡¯m not much better <i>myself</i><i>. </i>


    Yunice stayed in the room and didn¡¯t leave.


    Wyatt headed to the living room. A servant came over to report, ¡°Sir, Ms. Nora has been standing outside for a long time¡­ It looks like it¡¯s going to rain soon¡­¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t reply. He simply tapped his phone and pulled up the security feed for Gardison Residence. The camera clearly showed tears at the corner of Nora¡¯s eyes and her trembli


    ngers.


    It meant that after two years in aa, the vegetative patient was starting to show signs of waking.


    Chapter 500 The Chain Breaks First


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened, and for the first time, his emotions grewplicated.


    Suddenly¨Cthud¨Ca loud sound.


    He frowned immediately. ¡°What was that?¡±


    The servant said nervously, ¡°It sounded like it came from your bedroom¡­¡±


    <i>Yunice</i>?


    Wyatt shot to his feet and rushed back to the room, flinging the door open.


    The room was empty.


    The balcony door was wide open, sheer curtains blowing in the wind.


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    Wyatt rushed to the balcony. There, tied to the railing, was a makeshift rope of bedsheets, its end swaying in the wind.


    Yunice had escaped.


    Wyatt¡¯s fingers tightened around the railing. ¡°You¡¯re running off with a fever? Seriously?<i>¡± </i>


    Yunice drove away from the west wing. Just as she reached the gates, a figure suddenly threw themselves onto her hood.


    She hit the brakes out of instinct.


    But the momentum still knocked the person back with a <i>bang</i>¨Cthey mmed onto the hood.


    Yunice frowned and nced at her rearview mirror.


    She was worried Wyatt might catch up, but she couldn¡¯t just ignore the person she¡¯d hit.


    Eventually, she got out to check on them. She helped the person up, and two voices spoke at once: ¡°You?!¡±


    Yunice and Maine let go of each other immediately.


    Maine had seen a caring out and thought it was Wyatt¡¯s. Her first instinct had been to stop it.


    Yunice had no idea Maine had been waiting there, which was how she ended up hitting her.


    Maine, limping, hobbled over to Yunice¡¯s window and peeked in. When she saw Wyatt wasn¡¯t inside, she scowled. ¡°Just my damn luck!¡±


    Then she snapped at Yunice, ¡°Why is it just you<i>? </i>Where¡¯s Wyatt?¡±


    Yunice gave her a once¨Cover and replied with another question, <i>¡°</i>You¡¯re here for Nora, aren¡¯t you? Is she waking up soon?¡±


    Maine let out a coldugh. ¡°So you already know.¡±


    ¡°If Nora wakes up, you think there¡¯ll still be a ce for you?¡±


    <b>24 </b>


    <b>?? </b>


    Chapter 500 The Chain Breaks First


    Yunice replied, ¡°If she¡¯s that important, then why have you been here all this time, waiting for Wyant <i>but </i>not finding him?¡±


    Maine¡¯s eyes shed with anger. She gritted her teeth. ¡°Are you gloating?¡±


    Yunice nced back in the direction of the west wing. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to argue with you. I want to see Nora. Take me.¡±


    Maine eyed her warily. ¡°Why? You¡¯re not nning to hurt her, are you?¡±


    Nora was as fragile as an ant right now. All it would take was pulling her oxygen tube and she could suffocate to death.


    Yunice leaned against the car door. ¡°I think we should talk.¡±


    Maine¡¯s eyes shifted, and then she frowned and climbed into the car. ¡°Good. I have things to say to you


    too.¡±


    Yunice jumped in quickly, then started driving away.


    Soon enough, Maine realized the route was wrong. Grabbing her bracelet, she demanded, ¡°Where are you taking me? I¡¯m warning you¨Cif anything happens <i>to </i>me, Wyatt won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Yunice nced at her and thought she might be a bit paranoid.


    ¡°I snuck out. If I don¡¯t take a detour, he¡¯ll find me in no time.¡±

 Daghter 501

    Chapter 501 Five Years of Shadow


    Chapter 501 Five Years of Shadow


    Maine asked curiously, ¡°Why did you run away?¡±


    Yunice said. ¡°I found out <b>about </b>Nora¡¯s existence. He got furious and tried to lock me up


    ¡°Why would he get furious?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Because he¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll leave him¡±


    Maine <b>went </b>silent again for two seconds, then asked with aplicated expression, ¡°Don¡¯t <b>you </b>want to have him for yourself?¡±


    Yunice said. ¡°You guys might have misunderstood. Wyatt <b>and </b>I were forced into marriage. There was <b>never </b><b>any </b>emotional foundation¡±


    Maine fell into another silence. She¡¯d heard the rumors back then¨Chow Jackson had set things up to force the marriage between Wyatt <b>and </b>Yunice.


    Everyone had pitied Wyatt at the time. No one expected he¡¯d actually develop feelings for a discarded woman like Yunice.


    But if Yunice didn¡¯t like Wyatt¨Cthat was even better.


    Maine raised an eyebrow. ¡°If you want to get rid of him, why bother running? Just cheat on him.¡±


    Yunice looked at her and replied quietly, ¡°I just want to live with rity. I¡¯m not looking to die.¡±


    Maine let out a coldugh. ¡°<b>And </b>you think what you¡¯re doing now isn¡¯t suicidal?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just a stand¨Cin. If you don¡¯t behave, he¡¯ll find another one.¡±


    You think you¡¯re that special? ying this game of push and pull?


    Yunice said nothing. She simply stopped the car in a grassy field with a beautiful view,


    The weather was clear, the sky blue, with endless green grass and a river flowing in the distance.


    Yunice got out of the car. ¡°Tell me about Wyatt and Nora


    Maine hobbled out, limping. ¡°Wyatt and Nora were entangled for five years.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart skipped a beat.


    Maine continued, ¡°They met at a dinner party.¡±


    ¡°At the time, Nora was a pharma rep for Johnson Corp. Her boss pushed her forward to curry favor with Wyatt¡­ No, let me put it inly¨Cyou might <b>not </b>get it otherwise Nora was offered to Wyatt. And Wyant epted


    Yunice stared at Maine without niuch reaction. ¡°When I got together with Wyatt, he hadn¡¯t had sex before I¡¯m a doctor¨CI can tell


    Chapter 501 Five Years of Shadow


    <b>Maine </b>raised her brows. ¡°You think that means you¡¯ve won? Didn¡¯t Wyatt tell you¨CNora had trauma when it came to <b>sex</b>?¡±


    ¡°She was nearly assaulted once. Ever since, <b>she </b>was deeply resistant to that kind of thing. Wyatt didn¡¯t want to trigger her, so he held himself back the whole time,¡±


    Yunice¡¯s gaze flickered, and Maine immediately noticed the subtle shift in her expression. With a satisfied smile, she stared at the red marks on Yunice¡¯s neck and said, ¡°When you love someone, you don¡¯t want to hurt them. Wyatt only uses you to vent¨Cbecause with you, he doesn¡¯t have to care or feel guilt


    Yunice didn¡¯t reply. <b>She </b>was thinking about her rtionship with


    Wyatt


    She thought of his aggression the night before¨Chow he lost control with her. He knew she¡¯d been assaulted before. He knew she had trauma, too. And still, he hadn¡¯t hesitated.


    Yunice looked up. She suddenly didn¡¯t want to hear any more about Wyatt and Nora¡¯s past. She asked,


    Then why did Nora be a vegetable?


    Maine chuckled. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Didn¡¯t you just say you had to feelings for Wyatt? I¡¯ve barely said anything and you¡¯re already getting impatient?¡±


    She leisurely listed it out: ¡°Wyatt once rented out an entire ind to watch the aurora with Nora. He crossed powerful investors and lost billions for her. Nora could take off her shoes in his office, sit on his files, and do things no other woman would dare.¡±


    ¡°Even after her ident, Wyatt went above and beyond for her family¨Cwhatever they needed. he delivered.


    ¡°Oh, right¨Cyou don¡¯t know Nora¡¯s family, do you? She¡¯s from the Johnson family. Her brother is Morgan. Her grandmother is Mary.¡±


    As Yunice¡¯s pupils slowly widened, <b>Maine </b>smiled triumphantly.


    Morgan <b>was </b>a notorious spoiled heir, and Wyatt had covered for him countless times. As for Mary¨Cher rtionship with Wyatt was far from ordinary.


    Yunice had always felt there was something strange about those connections. So this was the reason behind it all¨Cit all came back to Nora.


    If that was the case, Wyatt really did treat Nora differently.


    At this point, Maine¡¯s eyes turned red. Her voice rasped. They could¡¯ve loved <b>each </b>other forever. But then, <b>three </b>years ago, there was an ident¡±


    ¡°The steel nt exploded. Thousands of degrees of molten steel burst out like whips of t father gave his life to shut the valve and saved countless people. Nora threw herself in from block a flying chunk of iron.¡±


    ¡°She was too badly injured. The hospital dered she¡¯d never wake up. Wyatt refused <b>to </b>ept it. He spent the next two years taking her to every doctor he could find¨Cdomestic and overseas. And back then? You


    were strapped to an electric chair in the asylum.¡±


    Maine knew exactly how to <b>stab </b>where it hurt..


    Chapter 501 Five Years of Shadow


    Comparisons always made things clear. With a reference point, love¨Corck of itwas obvious,


    Yunice looked up. Just moments ago the sky had been cloudless and bright. Now, a heavy ck cloud was rolling in.

 Daghter 502

    Chapter 502 A Love Measured in Fire


    Yunice <b>had </b>learned everything she needed to about Nora, so there was no reason to keep wasting time with Maine. She said. It¡¯s about to ram. Ell drive you <b>back</b>¡±


    Seeing that Yunice was leaving, Maine reached out to stop her. ¡°After everything I just roll you, you¡¯re not even going to say-¡±


    She hadn¡¯t finished her sentence when <b>Yunice </b>suddenly jerked backward like she¡¯d seen a ghost.


    Maine was startled and instinctively followed her gaze.


    A chill shot up her spine and froze her brain for a second.


    Wyatt stood behind them with <b>one </b>hand in his pocket, his gaze cold. Who knew how long he had been standing there, listening,


    Maine felt like her heart stopped. For a brief moment, she actually considered hiding behind the woman she disliked so much.


    Ever since Nora¡¯s ident, Wyatt had issued a strict order: no one was allowed to mention her


    Everyone else avoided even saying her name in front of him. Only Maine, because she was Nora¡¯s best friend, dared to push the line again and again


    But Wyatt had also made it clear¨CNora¡¯s name was never to be brought up in front of Yunice.


    Now she¡¯d been caught red¨Chanded. Even Nora herself couldn¡¯t save her from this.


    Sure enough. Wyatt ignored herpletely and held out a hand to Yunice. ¡°Come here.¡±


    Maine looked at Yunice with aplicated expression¨Cpart fear, part confusion. Why was Wyatt so patient with her?


    He had personallye to retrieve her.


    He¡­ had never even done that for <b>Nora</b>.


    Yunice didn¡¯t move. She put her hands behind her back.


    Wyatt walked over, assuming she <b>was </b>just being difficult. He reached behind her and grasped her wTISL


    Yunice frowned. ¡°Wyatt!¡±


    ¡°You want to stand in the <b>rain</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>he <b>said</b>. ¡°You still <b>have </b>a fever. What are you trying to pros


    Yunice looked at Maine, but Maine now resembled <b>a </b>quail, shrinking in on herself, head practically buried in her shoulders, not daring to even exist.


    Then she looked back at Wyatt¡¯s unreadable <b>cyes</b>. She knew better than to test his temper


    Wyatt picked her up and carried her to the passenger seat, strapped her in, and shut the door


    13


    Chapter 502 A Love Measured in Fire


    He didn¡¯t say a word to Maine Just drove away.


    But he didn¡¯t head toward Pavilion Hall.


    The early winter rain came fast, like a sudden change of face, pelting the car windows with a loud parter,


    Just as Yunice began to worry whether Maine could catch a ride with her injured feg, Wyatt mmed a the brakes.


    There were no buildings around¨Cjust more rolling green fields. The car sat alone in the middle of the downpour, isted from the world.


    Rain beat rapidly outside. Inside, it was dead quiet.


    Wyatt rested one hand on the steering wheel, staring at the raindrops trailing down the windshield.


    His voice was cold. ¡°Happy now?¡±


    She had insisted on digging up the <b>truth </b>about <b>Nora</b>. Now that she <b>had </b>it¨Cwas she satisfied?


    Yunice said. ¡°This <b>has </b>nothing to do with being happy, I just wanted rity. I wanted to know what I am to you. That¡¯s basic respect.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife. She¡¯s the past. That¡¯s what you are,¡± Wyatt replied.


    And if Nora wakes up:


    What will you do then<b>? </b>


    ¡°You once <b>gave </b>her love. She just went to sleep. When she wakes, she has to face the fact that the man she loved is now someone else¡¯s husband. Isn¡¯t that cruel?¡±


    Yunice knew Wyatt wasn¡¯t a good person. But she could ept <b>his </b>cruelty when it was aimed at cruel people¨Cnot when it was repaid to those who had loved him.


    But Wyatttched onto her wording. ¡°What love? What did I give her?¡±


    ¡°An ind to watch the aurora? Burning bridges with billionaires? Letting her walk barefoot in my office?¡±


    ¡°You think I didn¡¯t do more for you? Every piece of clothing you¡¯ve ever worn¨C1 cut the fabric myself. L picked the material. I drew the patterns. I stitched it together<b>.¡± </b>


    ¡°To clear your name, I pissed off half of Silverburgh¡¯s elite.¡±


    ¡°Office privileges? You get my bed. You get me. What are youining about?¡±


    in stacks into Yunice¡¯sp. ¡°Is this enough? If ¡°Or do you think I haven¡¯t done enough for you?¡± Wyatt pulled out his wallet from inside his jacket. removed every credit card from the holder, and tossed the


    not, there¡¯s more. It¡¯s all yours,


    Then he opened the glove box atud pulled out a document. ¡°This is a Northvale Hospital appointment letter. Sign it and it¡¯s yours.¡±


    Chapter 502 A Love Measured in Fire


    He tossed that onto herp too.


    Yunice stared nkly at the pile of money and paperwork, then mentally reyed everything he¡¯d just


    <b>said</b>.


    He made her clothes himself?


    He ruined rtionships in Silverburgh for her?


    All these cards Northvale Hospital¡­


    ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    Yunice opened her mouth, overwhelmed. But before she could finish, Wyatt lost patience and cupped the back of her head, forcing her closer.


    He wanted her. Badly,


    The more she pulled away, the more he needed to assert his presence.


    His resolve wavered, his body screamed, but the heat in his palm reminded him¨CYunice still had a fever.


    He had neglected her for three years. Her health had never been good. No matter how much he tried, he still couldn¡¯t bring her back to full strength.

 Daghter 503

    Chapter 503 The Line Between Lock and Let Go


    Wyatt¡¯s breath <b>was </b>heavy. It was a long while before he finally loosened his grip on Yunice.


    ¡°Do your wife¡¯s duty. Don¡¯t forget why you married me in the first ce.¡±


    It was for shelter¨Cnothing more. Don¡¯t act like you want it all.


    Yumice¡¯s thoughts were a <b>mess </b>as she subtly pulled farther away frons him.


    Just a moment ago, Wyatt had clearly wanted to take her right there in the car.


    She had long since realized that his moods <b>were </b>unstable. When he got manic, he needed physical stimtion to burn off all that vtile energy.


    She watched him cautiously, making a mental note not to provoke him again any time soon¨Cand not to dig further into Nora, either.


    The rain kept falling, a constant patter of white noise on the roof of the car.


    Wyatt stared at the streaks of water disappearing across the windshield, his gaze unreadable. He didn¡¯t drive off, didn¡¯t speak, didn¡¯t argue with her anymore.


    He just sat there <b>and </b><b>waited </b>for the rain to stop.


    Yunice figured he was probably thinking about Nora


    They must have loved each other, <b>once</b>. Otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have taken her to see the aurora. Wouldn¡¯t have had everyone around him feeling sorry for her. Wouldn¡¯t have gone to such lengths to care for her family.


    But time could wear down even the deepest feelings. Nora had been unconscious for two years. She couldn¡¯t respond to Wyatt¡¯s affection, so that love slowly faded.


    And just <b>as </b>it was fading. Yunice happened to show up¨Calive, talking, able to touch, able to hold. His emotions found a new outlet.


    Love didn¡¯t vanish. It just moved on.


    Still, even if he didn¡¯t realize it, Yunice was sure he felt guilty. Anyone would.


    It was a knot that couldn¡¯t be untangled.


    So she let it go for now, lowered her <b>eyes</b>, and distracted herself with <b>her </b>phone, Victor had messaged her.


    He said there were some design ws in Northvale Hospital and asked if she had tim Crawford estate to go <b>over </b>them again.


    onic to the


    But Yunice immediately picked up on the hidden meaning. The design ws were probably just an excuse to see her.


    She quietly deleted the message.


    Jet Go


    When the rain finally stoppril, Wyatt started the car and drove them back to Pavilion Hatt,


    Before he coulde around and open the door for her, Yunice obediently got out of the car on heroes,


    She was worried that if he got angry, he might actually lock her up in the house. She froze in ce, uneasily watching him.


    Wyatt, please don¡¯t lock me in. After those three years in the asylum, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯ll behin okay?¡±


    Tears clung to hershes. She looked down and reached out to tog at the edge of his sleeve.


    Just a little tug. Lips pressed together, the corners of her eyes tinted red with dampen


    Wyatt frowned. He knew some of it was an act, but still, his throat bobbed heavily


    She¡¯d spent three years in <b>that </b>asylum¨Cthree years of being treated worse than livestock. The scars on her wrists hadn¡¯t even fully faded. Back then, she could only lie there on the chopping block and was the whatever came.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze on her was filled with conflict and restraint. Locking her up would be the spir effective solution. He¡¯d never expected love¨Che only wanted her to stay.


    But somehow, just a few soft words and a couple tears from her, and his mind involuntarily conjured those scenes of her being tortured in that hellhole.


    If he locked her up now, how was he any different from the monsters who¡¯d tortured her before


    He liked her alive¨Clively. Not <b>trembling </b>in fear every day like some broken shell.


    But she wasn¡¯t trustworthy. Turn your back for one second and she ran


    Between her losing her mind and running away <b>which </b>one <b>was </b>harder to handle


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened with cold light. Yunice could feel it<b>, </b>and her heart began to unk


    ¡°Sir, the Crawford family called again,¡± the housekeeper¡¯s voice cut through the tensioni


    Sensing something was off, the housekeeper cautiously added, ¡°Mr. Carl asked for Ms Yunice to take the call¡±


    Yunice looked at Wyatt nervously. When he didn¡¯t object, she ran to the living room to answer the phone Wyatt stood at a distance, watching her back. He could feel her slipping away¨Cher fear, her distance.


    She was probably crying to Carl right now, begging him to take her away.


    Hands in his pockets, Wyatt strolled slowly into the living room, stopping a few steps away-


    Yunice <b>could </b>sense him watching her, and picked up the phone solemnly. ¡°<b>Mr. </b>Carl.¡±


    Carl¡¯s voice was steady andt. ¡°Owen said you promised to provide a venue for his wedding. Is that true?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± <b>Yunice </b>replied.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 503 The Line Between Lock and Let Go


    ¡°Then go back to the Saunders house and discuss the wedding details with him. You¡¯ve made pra pens. Life has to go on, doesn¡¯t it?


    ¡°I understand, Mr. Carl, Yumice said.


    <b>Carl </b>hung up.


    Yunice turned <b>back </b>around and tugged on Wyatt¡¯s sleeve again ¡°Can I go back to the Saunders family Tomorrow?¡±


    Wyatt looked down at her hand, then up into her eyes.


    If he said yes now, wouldn¡¯t that be letting her off too casily?

 Daghter 504

    Chapter 504 ying Nice for Now


    Chapter 504 ying Nice for Now


    Seeing that Wyatt¡¯s expression remained cold. Yunice¡¯s smille slowly fell apart.


    Watching her change, Wyatt¡¯s heartbeat began to slow. Did I verdo it? Did she grow up trying to please me ence she realized it didn¡¯t work?


    He frowned. All she has to do is lower her head and


    Wyatt froze. Something soft <b>pressed </b>against his lips.


    Yunice had tiptoed up, stretching her neck to just barely reach him. She gave him a light kiss and then looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. ¡°Okay?¡±


    Feeling awkward, Wyatt shifted where he stood. A few seconds passed before he looked away, then finally turned and left her standing there with a <b>cold</b>, ¡°Whatever.¡±


    Yunice raised her brows slightly. As expected. Wyatt doesn¡¯t respond to force. He only softens when coa red.


    Better keep him appeased for now. I¡¯ll deal with the Saunders and Powell family mess first, then I¡¯ll deal with Wyatt.


    After all, ever since the day she married him, she¡¯d <b>always </b>nned to leave eventually.


    Wyatt was far too controlling. She didn¡¯t want to be some caged bird.


    That night, Wyatt didn¡¯t return to their bedroom, and he was nowhere to be seen the next morning either.


    After breakfast, Yunice sent him a message reporting her ns, then headed out.


    He didn¡¯t respond<b>. </b>


    Her first stop was to pick up Gill¨Cshe nned to bring her along to the Saunders house.


    As Gill got in the car. Yunice noticed someone hiding behind an obstacle in the rearview mirror, watching her


    Probably someone Hyatt sent to keep an eye on me.


    Pretending not to notice, she drove off and took Gill shopping at a luxury boutique, splurging left and right.


    Gill was all smiles, juggling bags of clothes and jewelry. ¡°Hey, did you win the lottery or something?¡±


    ¡°Open the wallet. Yunice said while driving.


    Gill flipped it open and stared, jaw dropping at the neat rows of bank cards. ¡°Did Mr. Wyatt kill someone and you caught him in the act or what?¡±


    ¡°His ex¨Cgirlfriend.¡± Yunice said calmly. ¡°I found out about her.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± Gill went quiet, then slowly shut the <b>wallet</b>. Her face darkened. ¡°So it¡¯s true..


    They <b>had </b>suspected all along <b>that </b>Wyatt had skeletons in his <b>closet</b>.


    <b>173 </b>


    Chapter 504 ying Nice for Now


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Yunice said. ¡°She can¡¯t touch me for now. <b>And </b>lont start thinking I¡¯m the one getting <b>th </b>in all this.¡±


    Because really, it was Nora who got the short end of the stick


    Seeing Yunice so indifferent, Gill patted her chest, Thank God you don¡¯t have feelings for him. Otherwise, this would basically count as a breakup.¡±


    Yunice gripped the steering wheel. I wouldn¡¯t say I feel nothing. I¡¯m just forcing myself not to care.


    But logic only went so far. Her body and subconscious always gave


    her away.


    From the corner of her eye, she nced at her wallet full of Wyatt¡¯s cards. I can¡¯t pretend I¡¯m not jealous at all,


    What Maine said yesterday still echoed in her head¨CWyatt taking Nora to see the aurora


    That must¡¯ve been so romantic.


    Driven by a <b>vague </b>resentment, she had deliberately spent Wyatt¡¯s money today and spoiled Gill with it


    If Nora, as the ex, got to enjoy his generosity, then Yunice¨Chis wife¨Chad every right to as well


    If they wanted to treat her like an object, a stand¨Cin, then fine. She¡¯d join them in degrading herself


    She and Wyatt were legally married. She hadn¡¯t wronged anyone.


    ot out of the car.


    At the gates of the Saunders estate, Yunice <b>and </b>Gill got


    Word of Yunice¡¯s visit had gotten out early. Thanks to Peggy, the whole Saunders family had been dragged out to the front to greet her.


    That was the only reason Yunice was being treated with such fanfare today.


    But when Gill stepped out, decked in designer jewelry and bags, jaws practically hit the pavement.


    ¡°You-¡±


    Seeing Lily¡¯s stunned expression, Gill exaggeratedly shed the gem¨Cencrusted rings on her fingers. The brilliance of the stones was practically blinding.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re not seeing things. I¡¯m rich now! All of this¨Cevery piece¨Cwas bought by mydy here. Take a good look. Stones like these? You¡¯d only see them in a museum!¡±


    Lily¡¯s face turned red. She red at Yunice. ¡°Is that true? You bought those for her?¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Yes, Gill¡¯s helped me through a lot. Of course I want her living in luxury now that I can afford it.


    The Saunders family members all stiffened. Yunice had lived under their roof for years and never once gave them anything. Now <b>that </b>she had money, the first person she spoiled was a servant?


    Lily¡¯s eyes turned red with fury. She wanted tosh out¨Cshe¡¯d nearly died giving birth to Yunice, and what had she ever gotten in return? D


    Chapter 504 ying Nice for Now


    Her daughter was dill alive, and yet she was already ating back momente elef


    v


    Elsie, quick as ever, grabbed Lily arm and gave her a subtle dake of the heat.


    Laly looked at her. For some reason, she actually held back


    Thou tiem


    Yunice noticed the exchange and thought. These bem are definitely nning something

 Daghter 505

    Chapter 505 Power y in the Living Room


    That¡¯s when Owen finally spoke, scolding her: ¡°Don¡¯t let wealth corrupt your character. Bringing her here just to unt riches¨Cdon¡¯t you think that makes you look like some tacky nouveau riche? Today¡¯s abou discussing the wedding, and everyone here is family. <b>You </b>cane in on your own¨Cshe¡¯s just a servant, she¡¯s not allowed in!¡±


    Gill was dressed like royalty and clearly stealing the spotlight. Owen wasn¡¯t about to let a servant show him <ol><li>up<b>. </b></li></ol>


    Yunice reminded him. ¡°Two nights ago, you went crying to Mr. Carl about me. Even though he knew you were in the wrong, he still advised me not to skip your big day out of consideration for our sibling bond, But now you¡¯re bossing around my friend¨Cif that¡¯s how it¡¯s going to be, I¡¯m happy to sit this out.¡±


    She grabbed Gill and turned to leave.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t go!¡± Peggy hurried up with a bright smile, grabbing Yunice¡¯s arm and nting her other hand on the car door.


    ¡°Owen doesn¡¯t make the rules. If he won¡¯t let you in, I will!¡± She looped her other arm through Gill¡¯s and grinned. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll take you both in.¡±


    Peggy had her own little scheme going. If Yunice was willing to spend that kind of money <b>on </b>a servant. then coaxing Yunice into her good graces would surely mean a life of luxury for herself, too.


    Owen tried to protest, but Peggy shot him a re. ¡°The whole family¡¯s watching¨Cdon¡¯t make me embarrass <b>you </b>in front of your own rtives.¡±


    Owen cared about appearances, and Peggy, shameless as ever, <b>had </b>him by the throat.


    So the three ¡°outsiders¡± strolled confidently into the Saunders household like they owned the ce, while Owen and his crew trailed behind, looking like background characters.


    Once inside the living room, <b>Yunice </b>quickly noticed that everyone seated there was on Lily¡¯s side of the family.


    The Saunders¡® paternal rtives were few to begin with, and over the years, Lily¡¯s growing influence had distanced them even further. It was clear now that Lily had her own faction within the family.


    Seeing the glittering jewelry on Gill, one of the elders slowly put down his teacup, his expression <b>stiff</b>. ¡°Forgive me, my eyes must be failing me. Thisdy is¡­ whose wife!¡±


    Gill dramatically grabbed his hand and gave it a hearty pat. ¡°Mr. Terrance! I used to work here in the


    face? Saunders household. Don¡¯t you remember the time I poured you tea and youined it was too weak, said I was disrespecting you on purpose, then sshed scalding tea right <b>in </b><b>my </b>


    Gill smiled like nothing was wrong, but her words stabbed like knives


    Mr. Terrance couldn¡¯t ce her at all. Of course, he didn¡¯t remember bullying a servant years ago. He assumed she was some rich woman joking around and quickly turned to Yunice: ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t just stand there! Go pour tea for our guest¨Cdon¡¯t let people say our familycks manners


    Chapter 505 Power y in the Living Room


    Because none of these rtives had attended Yunice¡¯s wedding, they didn¡¯t know who her bisbond wa far as they were concerned, she was still the lowest member of the family.


    Once Mr. Terrance opened his mouth, everyone else turned their noses up at Yunice.


    She wore in clothes¨Caside from a simple, brandless outfit, there wasn¡¯t a single piece of jewelry on her. She looked good, yes, but couldn¡¯t hide the poverty in her appearance.


    Someone even tossed their empty cup on the table. ¡°No sense of propriety at all. Don¡¯t you know to refill


    our tea?¡±


    Yunice looked up at the speaker, then calmly reached for the teapot¨Cbut she didn¡¯t stand.


    ¡°Hey!¡± The man pped the table<b>. </b>¡°You glued to that chair? No one ever teach <b>you </b>you¡¯re supposed to <b>stand </b>when serving tea to guests?¡±


    ¡°The hell are you barking for?¡± Peggy snapped, hands on her hips. ¡°She¡¯s doing you a favor just topping up your water. You clearly aren¡¯t thirsty with that mouth running. Forget the <b>tea</b>.¡±


    She snatched the pot from Yunice¡¯s hand, thenpletely switched tones and beamed at Yunice. ¡°Ignore the trash¨CI¡¯ll serve you instead.¡±


    Mr. Terrance turned bright red and mmed the table. ¡°Who are you calling trash?!¡±


    Peggy bent down, holding the teacup in both hands like it was sacred, and gave him a look. ¡°Take it easy with the pounding. That¡¯s a rosewood table. You break it, <b>even </b>selling your two deadbeat sons for parts won¡¯t cover it.¡±


    Mr. Terrance¡¯s face flushed crimson. ¡°That¡¯s my nephew¡¯s table! You think you <b>have </b>a say?!¡±


    Peggy stood up and clicked her tongue. ¡°You¡¯re wrong there. Owen might be the man of the house, but I¡¯m thedy of it. Talking to me is the same as talking to <b>him</b>.¡±


    ¡°You think you matter? You¡¯re an outsider. Whether or not you get to stay in this family depends on us old¨Ctimers. If we say no, then you¡¯re nothing but air!¡± Mr. Terrance barked. ¡°Owen, I <b>don¡¯t </b>approve of this marriage. I don¡¯t like her. Call it off, or you¡¯re no longer my nephew!<i>¡± </i>


    Gill nearly spat her teaughing. She and Yunice exchanged a look like. This gay really thinks he¡¯s someone,


    Yunice tilted her lips into a slight smile, her eyes clearly saying, Just wait and see how Peggy deals with them

 Daghter 506

    Chapter 506 Total Chaos at the Saunders Household


    Chapter 506 Total Chaos at the Saunders Household


    Yunice hadn¡¯te to the Saunders family home today just to get humiliated. But with trash<b>, </b>sometimes you need trash to clean it up¨Ctoday¡¯s mess was just getting started.


    Sure enough, Peggy didn¡¯t treat Mr. Terrance with an ounce of respect. ¡°I call <b>you </b>an old coot and you¡¯re offended? Look at you, embarrassing yourself again!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the modern era. No one needs their parents¡® approval or a matchmaker¡¯s word anymore. As long <b>as </b>I¡¯ve got a marriage certificate, forget you¨Ceven if Owen¡¯s own mother didn¡¯t approve, no one¡¯s breaking us up, got it?¡±


    ¡°If you really can¡¯t stand your niece¨Cinw, then there¡¯s the door¨Cdon¡¯t let it hit you on the way our


    Peggy¡¯s voice rang out like a bell, grinding Mr. Terrance¡¯s face into the dirt with zero regard.


    He <b>turned </b>pale and wide¨Ceyed in fury. He never imagined this woman <b>would </b>be so savage. ring at Owen, he barked, ¡°Owen! p her mouth! Show her who runs this family!¡±


    ¡°Uh..¡± Owen flinched at being called out. He knew if he dared hit Peggy, she¡¯d either p him back or call the cops and report him for domestic <b>abuse</b>. Either <b>way</b>, he¡¯d be screwed.


    Owen didn¡¯t <b>move</b>. Peggy justughed. ¡°That¡¯s a good question¨Cyou¡¯re asking who runs this family? The <b>surname </b>here is Saunders. What¡¯s a Moore like you doing running your mouth on Saunders territory?¡±


    Mr. Terrance¡¯s face turned beet red. He couldn¡¯t evene up <b>with </b>a <beback </b><b>and </b>just kept ring. pressing Owen again: ¡°Owen! What are you standing there for? Hit this shrew already! You call yourself a man and can¡¯t <b>even </b>keep your wife in line?¡±


    ¡°Ooooh, how impressive-¡± Peggy crossed her arms and taunted him, ¡°So this is what being a real man looks like? You show your manliness by beating women?¡±


    <b>She </b>stuck out her face, tapped her cheek. ¡°Go on, hit me. Thirty grand a p. Come on-


    Owen¡¯s face turned crimson. He waspletely <b>stuck</b>. Peggy had him so terrified, he didn¡¯t dare raise a hand. He <b>knew </b>if he did, she¡¯d retaliate, and hard.


    Seeing his hesitation, Mr. Terrance was fuming. He widened his eyes and growled, ¡°How did your mother give birth to such a useless thing? Can¡¯t even handle your own wife! Fine, if you won¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll teach her myself!¡±


    Just <b>as </b>he rolled up his sleeves, Peggy rammed into his chest with a headbutt. He staggered back several steps and plopped down hard into a chair.


    Peggy casually brushed her bangs aside. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a little old to be pretending you¡¯re still young and tough?¡±


    Mr. Terrance gawked <b>at </b>her, clearly stunned by her ferocity


    But unwilling to admit defeat, he clutched his chest and began faking a <b>scene</b>. ¡°Ugh, ugh. She¡¯s trying to kill me!¡±


    Even though Owen knew he was faking, he still didn¡¯t want things to get any uglier. He helped hold him


    Chapter 506 Total Chaos at the Saunders Household


    up and frowned at Peggy ¡°Just apologize to him already!¡±


    Mr. Terrance wheezed in Owen¡¯s arms, pointing at Peggy with trembling fingers. ¡°Words aren¡¯t enough. need a real apology and a hundred thousand in medical expenses!¡±


    Peggy snorted<b>. </b>¡°<b>What</b>, you made of gold? One hundred grand? <b>You¡¯ve </b>gone insane.¡±


    Owen snapped. ¡°Can you shut <b>up </b>and <b>just </b>apologize already?!¡±


    Peggy folded her arms, eyes rolling to the ceiling. ¡°In your dreams¡±


    Mr. Terrance looked between the useless Owen and Lily. ¡°You¡¯re all just going to let her run wild


    Lily looked extremely ufortable. No matter how skilled she was, she couldn¡¯t get a handle on Peggy The woman was a force of nature¨Csoft didn¡¯t work, hard didn¡¯t either.


    If there had been a way to keep her out, she would¡¯ve taken it. But right now¡­ <b>there </b>wasn¡¯t.


    Seeing no one would back him up. Mr. Terrance spat, ¡°Fine, fine. You people really are something¨Clerring a <b>woman </b>walk all over you like this. I¡¯m embarrassed for you!¡±


    ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t say a word. I¡¯ll go tell everyone just how pathetic you lot are. Let¡¯s see if you can still show your faces after that!¡±


    Owen, <b>now </bpletely humiliated, couldn¡¯t help but turn to Yunice and shout, ¡°Yunice! Are you going to <b>do </b>something about your people or not?!¡±


    With that roar, all eyes shifted back to Yunice


    She <b>held </b>her teacup, looking slightly out of the loop.


    Just as everyone wondered what this had to do with her, Elsie sprang up, red¨Ceyed and pleading to Yunice. ¡°Yunice, please don¡¯t let her keep hurting people!¡±


    Mr. Terrance blinked. ¡°What do you mean by that, Elsie? I¡¯m not following.¡±


    Elsie, still on the ground, turned her head and said. ¡°Peggy¡¯s actually Yunice¡¯s friend. She¡¯s been badmouthing the family nonstop, and that¡¯s why Peggy keeps helping her go against us.¡±


    She <b>even </b>wiped away a tear, lookingpletely helpless. ¡°<b>In </b>this house, Peggy only listens to Yunice. If you want her to apologize, you¡¯ll have to beg Yunice personally


    9.2

 Daghter 507

    Chapter 507 p Her


    <b>+5 </b>Free Cons


    Mr. Terrance widened his <b>eyes </b>and pointed at Yunice, cursing, ¡°What kind of thing is she? Clumsy even at serving tea¨Cnow I¡¯m supposed to beg <b>her</b>? She doesn¡¯t deserve that kind of face!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes darkened. Even the knuckles gripping her teacup turn


    pale from the force.


    These were all Lily¡¯s rtives. People learn by example.


    Lily didn¡¯t respect Yunice, so naturally, her rtives treated her like garbage too.


    Years ago, before Yunice was framed and locked in a mental hospital, these rtives would order her around every time they visited. They¡¯d nitpick, mock, and belittle her¨Cas if insulting the Saunders family¡¯s eldest daughter <b>somehow </b>elevated their own status.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t the type to silently endure back then. She used to fight back.


    But every time she did, she received no support from her mother or brother. What came instead were whipping branches across <b>her </b>back <b>and </b>scoldings <b>about </b>being ill¨Cmannered.


    Elsie would put on her good¨Cgirl face and ¡°plead¡± for her, but it was always just stoking the mes. Owen <b>would </b>strike without holding back, and Lily would rush to apologize to Mr. Terrance, saying she hadn¡¯t raised her daughter well¨Cdumping all the me on Yunice.


    Crash! The teacup in Yunice¡¯s hand shattered into pieces on the ground. She silently pulled a napkin and wiped her hands.


    Then she said, ¡°Peggy, p her.¡±


    The <b>words </b>¡°p her¡± came out so calmly that it took a few seconds for everyone to realize what she¡¯d said.


    The next second, the room burst intoughter.


    ¡°She really thinks she¡¯s somebody now? Who in this house would listen to a nutcase like her?¡±


    ¡°Hey Yunice, heard you spent three years in the mental hospital. When they electroshocked you, did you really piss and shit yourself? Then get sted clean with a power washer like some livestock? Come on, tell <b>us</b>!


    Peggy looked at Yunice with wide eyes. Yunice was in a psych ward? No way. A lunatic marrying that well?


    But <b>the </b>smirks on Lily¡¯s other rtives¡® faces made it clear¨Cit was true.


    Then one of Mr. Terrance¡¯s other sons chimed in. ¡°Yunice, once you¡¯ve had a mental illness, you¡¯re nuts for life. Even if we all took turns pping you, the cops would say we were just keeping the peace.¡±


    In other words, even if they beat her, they¡¯d be praised for protecting public safety. Thuil <b>Gill </b>hurled a teacup and hit one of Mr. Terrance¡¯s sons in the head. ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± Yunice finished wiping her hands, then looked up and said calmly, ¡°You cane over and try.¡± Mr. Terrance¡¯s two sons took the bait. Hearing Yunice¡¯s challenge, they leapt over the chairs and charged at


    Chapter 507 p Her


    her, raising their hands. ¡°Well hear you if we want!¡±


    Yunice turned to Peggy and said, ¡°II lose a single strand of hair today, your wedding¡¯s off


    ¡°<b>What</b>?¡± That snapped Peggy into full rity. She grabbed <b>a </b><b>stool </b>and swung it at them!


    Yunice addedzily, ¡°Hit as hard as you want. If you injure anyone, I¡¯ll cover the cou


    Peggy <b>knew </b>Yunice <b>could </b>allord it, and with that reassurance, she whirled the chair and beat the two Saunders men into a howling mess.


    Peggy wasn¡¯t just <b>talk</b>. At 140 pounds and with self¨Cdefense training, beating up twozy, loudmouthed bums was a piece of cake.


    Watching his sons get pummeled, Mr. Terrance sat up from Owen¡¯s arms and pointed at Yunice, roaring. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for this! You think you <b>can </b>afford it? You¡¯re trash! Sell yourself to a nightclub for three years and you¡¯d still be worthless. I¡¯ll make you regret this!¡±


    with that, he lunged at her, reaching for her clothes


    Lily didn¡¯te from a good background. Her own family didn¡¯t like her. To win their approval, she bent over backward to please them


    And because of that constant appeasement, these people thought they, as Moores, could do whatever they wanted in the Saunders household.


    Even assault Will¡¯s beloved daughter in front of <b>his </b>memorial portrait.


    People like Mr. Terrance had no ss. And when <b>they </b>fought, <b>they </b>didn¡¯t even try to make it dignified. He went straight for Yunice¡¯s clothes.


    Because in the eyes of <b>men </b>like him, the greatest way to humiliate a woman wasn¡¯t beating her with a branch¨Cit was stripping her bare, subjecting her to the scorn of every pair of eyes, shaming her from spirit to skin, nailing her to a pir of disgrace for life.


    Yunice stared at Mr. Terrance¡¯s reaching hand and remembered all those whippings on her back.


    When Owen was a teenager, one stroke of the branch would tear through her clothes and skin alike. Mr. Terrance¡¯s two sons would sit there eating seeds,menting on <b>how </b>fair her skin looked¨Cno wonder she managed to seduce Paul¡­


    Just as Mr. Terrance grabbed her cor, Yunice caught his radius bone with perfect precision, twisted, and dislocated his wrist with a <b>quick </b>snap,


    The sharp pain made Mr. Terrance lurch forward with a groan,

 Daghter 508

    Chapter 508 The Whip


    Chapter 508 The Whip


    Gill was <b>quick </b>to react and smacked a soft cushion right onto Mr. Terrance¡¯s head. ¡°You old bastard, who are you trying to fall on? You think you can touch mydy?¡±


    Mr. Terrance <b>was </b>hit squarely and stumbled backward,nding hard.


    The whole living room erupted in chaos. Other rtives, who had been watching for fun, shrieked and ducked for cover. A few unlucky ones even got caught by the swing of Peggy¡¯s chair leg.


    Owen watched the pandemonium and yelled. ¡°Stop! All of you, stop right now!¡±


    No one listened.


    Yunice remained calm andposed in her seat. It wasn¡¯t until Peggy had beaten Mr. Terrance¡¯s sons into a whimpering huddle that Yunice finally spoke


    ¡°Stop


    She only said one word, but it was far more effective than Owen¡¯s iling and shouting.


    Peggy and Gill halted. The rest froze, not daring to move a muscle.


    Everyone eyed Yunice warily,pletely confused as to why Peggy would listen to <b>her </b>so obediently.


    And even more confused¡ªwhy would Owen want to marry a savage like Peggy?


    Yunice rose to her fert and said, ¡°Peggy, go upstairs to Owen¡¯s study, On the bookshelf, bring <b>me </b>a whip.¡±


    Peggy <b>blinked </b>at her in confuuan. She didn¡¯t know why Yunice needed a whip, but thinking Yunice might want to personally teach Mr. Terrance and his sons a lesson, she happily trotted upstairs to get it.


    Owen¡¯s face changed die moment he heard the word ¡°whip¡±


    <b>Putting </b>together everything Yunice had done so far, he had a pretty good idea <b>what </b>she intended.


    He immediately stepped forward to confrunt her. ¡°Yunice, our father died young. These are the rtives. who came out of concern for my wedding. Even if they weren¡¯tpletely respectful to <b>you</b>, that¡¯s no reason to beat them<b>! </b>Apologize to my uncle and let¡¯s just put this behind us.¡±


    He thought he was being diplomatic, but Yunice looked at him and said, ¡°You want me to apologize to your great¨Cuncle!¡±


    Owen¡¯s face fell Yunice¡¯s status now was far from what it used to be. Who could afford an apology from.


    her!


    ¡°She <b>can </b>apologize all she wants, I don¡¯t care!¡± Mr. Terrance shouted, ¡°Owen. I got beat un in your house, along with my sons. What are you going to do about it?¡±


    Owen furrowed has brow and tried signaling Yunice with his eyes.


    As long as she backed down, this could all blow over.


    Chapter 508 The Whip


    But Mr. Terrance snapped, ¡°Don¡¯t you give her those looks! I¡¯m not letting this got Didn¡¯t she ask means to fetch the whip herself? Fine then! Just like old times¨Cshe gets down on the floor, and you whip her twenty times. Then I¡¯ll drop it.¡±


    ¡°Uncle. For the first time, Owen <b>showed </b>a flicker ofpassion for Yunice.


    He <b>had </b>grown up. He wasn¡¯t <b>that </b>kid anymore¨Cwilling to use his sister as a tool to earn favor from his elders.


    He no longer wanted to whip Yunice.


    Elsie <b>also </b>stepped in to <b>plead</b>. ¡°Even if she¡¯s wrong, she¡¯s still our sister. Twentyshes might kill her. Just


    do ten¡­.


    Mr. Terrance <b>snapped</b>. ¡°Twenty! Not one less. I want to see if twentyshes <b>really </b>kill her!¡±


    Gill moved to stand in front of Yunice, fists clenched. These bastards used to bully Yunice when she had no one. Now that she did, they still dared?


    Mr. Terrance not only insisted Yunice be whipped¨Che wanted Owen to do it.


    ¡°Found it!¡± Peggy shouted from upstairs, holding a polished, oil¨Cdark whip as she jogged down the stairs.


    She stood before the group, holding it up.


    Gill only <b>had </b>to nce at the whip for her eyes to go bloodshot.


    In this <b>house</b>, probably only she <b>and </b>Yunice knew just <b>how </b>much that whip hurt.


    It was <b>almost </bughable. That whip¨Cshiny and bristling with thorns¨Chad been a birthday gift to <b>Owen </b>from Elsie, back <b>when </b>he turned eighteen.


    Elsie had said she didn¡¯t have anything valuable to give, so she handcrafted a whip as an ¡°art piece


    That very whip had be the weapon used to break Yunice into submission.


    <b>Back </b>when Gill was still working for the Saunders family, whenever Yunice got beaten, she was the only one who¡¯d rush in to shield her. So she knew how much that whip hurt.


    But even her pain was <b>nothing </bpared to Yunice¡¯s. No matter how <b>hard </b>she tried to protect her, the others would always pull her away. Yunice <b>never </b>escaped <b>a </b>singlesh


    The physical pain aside¨Cwhat hurt most was the betrayal. The hand that held the whip was her own brother¡¯s.


    Gill stared at the whip, rage in her chest. She wanted nothing more than to grab it and beat every one of them to death<b>. </b>


    Now that Yunice had someone to back her up, they <b>could </b>finally fight back.


    But Mr. Terrance moved faster. He snatched the whip from Peggy¡¯s hands and shoved it into Owen¡¯s


    <b>her</b>! Teach her who holds power in the Saunders family! She thinks she¡¯s above us now!


    -Whip F

 Daghter 509

    Chapter 509 The Whip Falls t


    Chapter 509 The Whip Falls t


    All the rtives looked toward the Saunders family with the eagerness of spectators at a circus,


    Brother against sister. A mother taking sides. The show was just getting started.


    Mr. Terrance clutched the whip, but noticed Owen hadn¡¯t reached for it.


    In fact, the moment Owen¡¯s fingers brushed the whip, he recoiled as if burned,


    Mr. Terrance frowned and urged, ¡°Take it! With trash like her, you have to beat her until she obeys. Otherwise she¡¯ll keep walking all over you! Didn¡¯t your mother and I teach you how to manage a household? This isn¡¯t the time to go soft! You used to be great at this¨Cwhat, you¡¯re growing up and losing your nerve now? It¡¯s because you haven¡¯t disciplined <b>her </b>that she¡¯s gotten this bold, daring to raise her hand to her elders! If you don¡¯t put your foot down today, you¡¯re the one she¡¯ll hit next!¡±


    His words buzzed like a swarm of flies in Owen¡¯s ears, a piercing, incessant drone. Owen snapped. ¡°That¡¯s enough<b>!</b>¡±


    He grabbed the whip our of Mr. Terrance¡¯s <b>hand</b>.


    Mr. Terrance¡¯s face lit up in triumph. Owen had finallye to his senses.


    He let go of the <b>whip</b>, casting a smug look toward the other rtives¨Clike he was inviting them to enjoy the <b>show </b>with him.


    The Moore family¡¯s only ¡°sess story¡± was Lily¡¯s branch.


    People envy the rich and despise the poor¨Cespecially rtives. They act like they¡¯re rooting for you, bur deep down, they can¡¯t <b>wait </b>to see your life fall apart. The worse you have it, the happier they are.


    But Lily and her son never understood that. All they ever did was chase their approval.


    Yunice stared at the whip in Owen¡¯s hand. Gill visibly tense, clutched a cushion protectively in front of Yunice, clearly ready to fight him off.


    Owen caught her <b>reaction </b>and scoffed. What did she think¨Cthat her own brother was really going to beat <b>his </b>sister in front of everyone with that thorn¨Ccovered whip?


    Holding the whip felt like gripping a branding iron. The heat seared into his chest


    He knew that ever since bringing Yunice back from the asylum, he¡¯d been locked in a battle of wills with her¨Calways trying to win, to dominate her, to make her submit.


    He had even <b>hit </b>her in fits of anger/without thinking. But those were moments of rashness, not premeditation.


    Now, holding the whip, the memories stabbed at him¨Chow he¡¯d used it tosh Yunice and her clothes tore apart.


    er back bled


    When he thought back to the image of her blood¨Csoaked back, even he was horrified that he¡¯d once gone


    that far.


    Chapter 509 The Whip Falls t


    All for one measlypliment from Mr. Terraner?


    What the hell was Mr. Terrance anyway? Just a petty old than with a mean streak.


    He¡¯d raised two disgusting, sleazy sons. What did he know about running a family<b>? </b>


    All he¡¯d ever done was leverage his status as an elder, Lily¡¯s desperation to please, and Owen¡¯s youth to seize control of the Saunders household.


    And thinking back¡­ was Yunice even wrong that day?


    All she¡¯d done was greet Mr. Terrance¨Cand he hadn¡¯t heard her. But he grabbed that as an excuse to make


    a scene.


    He said she was rude and ordered tenshes.


    But was failing to greet someone really such a grave crime?


    Mr. Terrance¡¯s sons <b>had </b>been arrogant freeloaders in the Saunders home for years. No one <b>ever </b>disciplined them.


    Because they had backing, Yunice didn¡¯t.


    The people who were supposed to stand up for her were too busy kissing up to Mr. Terrance.


    Owen had already figured all that out long ago.


    So why would he ever hit Yunice again?


    No matter what she had done, she was still his sister¨Cand what happened within the Saunders family should stay within the Saunders family. Who was this old bastard to boss them around?


    With that, Owen flung the whip to the ground. ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to ask her to apologize!¡±


    Mr. Terrance froze. ¡°Owen, have you lost your damn mind? I¡¯m your great¨Cuncle!¡±


    Owen said, ¡°So what? You¡¯re just my great¨Cuncle¨Cshe¡¯s my sister! If she did something wrong. I¡¯ll deal with her. You can¡¯t even raise your own sons right. What makes you think you¡¯re fit to lecture us?¡±


    Lily was shocked by the sudden shift. She rushed forward and tried to push Owen back, whispering urgently, ¡°Owen, how can you talk to your great¨Cuncle like that? He¡¯s my family¨Che¡¯s our support. We rely on him! You can¡¯t afford to offend him¡­¡±


    H


    Owen looked at her and said coldly, Mom, you still don¡¯t get it? He¡¯s never achieved anything in his life- what can he do for you? Can¡¯t you see it? All he wants is to watch us make fools of ourselves. He lives for the moment we crash and burn, just so he can enjoy the spectacle.¡±

 Daghter 510

    Chapter 510 The One Holding the Whip


    ¡°Owen!¡± Lily snapped..


    Owen shoved her aside and turned to Mr. Terrance. ¡°Tus not going to hit my sister. And even if I were, <b>I </b>wouldn¡¯t do it in front of all of you. If you¡¯re not here to sincerely help n my wedding, then you don¡¯t need to <b>attend </b>it at all. Feel free to leave¡±


    <b>Mr. </b>Terrance¡¯s face darkened. Realizing Owen mucant what he said, he didn¡¯t have the dignity to stay any longer. He flung his <b>hand </b>and shouted, ¡°Fine Think you¡¯re all grown up now, huh? We¡¯ll see if you¡¯re still feeling high and mighty when no rtives show up to your wedding and you¡¯re begging me toe!¡±


    With <b>that</b>, he waved his hand and barked at the rest of the family. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The other rtives had the same idea. They looked down on Owen. Will was dead, and ever since, the paternal side of the Saunders family had distanced themselves. All of Owen¡¯s social ties had been handled by Lily¡¯s side of the family.


    They didn¡¯t believe for a second Owen could stand tall with no rtives there to bless his marriage.


    The Moore family¡¯s rtives trickled out one by one, following Mr. Terrance.


    Lily was <b>nearly </b>in tears, her eyes red as she red at Yunice. ¡°This <b>is </b><b>all </b>your fault! When are stop ruining our family?¡±


    you going to


    Peggy bristled. ¡°Hey, watch your mouth. That¡¯s no way to talk to my ATM¨Cugh, I mean, to Yunice.¡±


    Lily turned on Peggy with fury. ¡°You¡¯re just after her money! <b>That </b>money isn¡¯t even hers to begin with! <b>You </b>think sucking up to her will get you anywhere?¡±


    Peggy rolled her eyes. ¡°What, should I be sucking up to you instead? You got anything to offer?¡±


    Owen barked, ¡°You shut your mouth too!¡±


    Then he turned and frowned at Yunice. ¡°<b>And </b>you¨Cyou really haven¡¯t noticed? Ever since you got involved with Wyatt, you¡¯ve been like a curse. Everywhere you go, something goes wrong. Two nights ago you nearly got <b>Paul </b>killed, nearly got as killed! And now today, <b>you </b>show up and start beating people in your own house. What the hell¡¯s gotten into you?¡±


    Elsie stepped forward, nced at Owen¡¯s expression, and offered in a soothing tone, ¡°Owen, she¡¯s Wyant¡¯s wife now. <b>You </b>can¡¯t just hit her whenever you feel like it. Even if <b>you </b>rage yourself to death, there¡¯s nothing you can do about her <b>anymore</b>.¡±


    Yunice gave Elsie a mocking look. She hadn¡¯t changed a bit¨Calways so good at ying Owen.


    She knew Owen had a short fuse. The more she said things like that, the more resentment he¡¯d pile up. Eventually, he¡¯d snap.


    But this time, Yunice walked up to the whip lying on the floor and bent down to <b>pick </b>it


    her hand.


    lding it in


    Owen frowned. ¡°Even if you give that to me, I won¡¯t hit you. Like you wanted, I won¡¯t get involved in your life again. You¡¯vepletely let me down. And yeah<b>. </b>I get that you¡¯re still bitter about how I hit you back.


    Chapter 510 The One Holding the Whip


    then. But I¡¯ll say this much¨Cback then, I did it for your own good. If I hadn¡¯t taken that responsibi myself, Mr. Terrance would¡¯ve had his sons do it. And they don¡¯t hold back. They¡¯re vicious by mature. If I¡¯d let them handle you. I wouldn¡¯t have <b>had </b>the heart to watch


    Yunice gently ran her fingers across the thorns of the whip. She was being as careful as possible, but the barbs seemed alive, scratching her skin painfully


    She said. ¡°So what, I should thank you for whipping me?¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°No need to get sarcastic. I never expected you to appreciate it.¡±


    Oh, so he still thought he¡¯d done the right thing?


    Yunice asked patiently, ¡°Then tell me honestly¨Cdid I really do something wrong back <b>then</b><b>? </b>Did I really deserve to be whipped by my great¨Cuncle with something like this?¡±


    Owen¡¯s heart gave a jolt. Meeting Yunice¡¯s gaze, even he couldn¡¯t answer with confidence. ¡°Well¡­ Uncle wasn¡¯t entirely in the right, but you weren¡¯t either. He¡¯s an elder¨Cyou should¡¯ve deferred to him. You insisted on arguing, so of course you got hit, Elsie was always so obedient, and he bossed her around just as much, but <b>she </b>never got hit. That¡¯s because she was humble and well¨Cbehaved. You were wrong because you weren¡¯t smooth enough.¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Yunice said, shaking her head. ¡°I was wrong, yes. But not because I wasn¡¯t smooth enough. I was wrong because I was too young, and I didn¡¯t have the strength to rip the whip out of your hands.¡±


    Her <b>cold</b>, steady gaze locked onto Owen.


    A strange fear crept into him. He looked warily at the whip clenched in her hand. ¡°What are you trying to


    do?¡±


    The Moore family hadn¡¯t fully left yet when the sound of chaos suddenly erupted from the direction of the living room.


    Someone paused, frowning. ¡°Did you hear something?¡±


    Mr. Terrance stopped and turned around¨Cthen heard a scream.


    Owen?


    ¡°Go check it out.¡± Mr. Terrance led the way back at once, with a crowd gathering <b>around </b>the living room door.

 Daghter 511

    Chapter 511 The Ten Strikes Owed


    Chapter 511 The Ten Strikes Owed


    In the living room, Yunice raised the whip andshed it across Owen¡¯s back


    And from the bloody marks already on his back, it was obvious this wasn¡¯t the first strike.


    The Saunders family was still in shock, so when Owen got hit the second time, no one reacted fast enough.


    It wasn¡¯t until Yunice raised the whip again that Lily lunged forward and grabbed it with both hands, shouting furiously, ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of nerve!¡±


    How dare she hit her brother?


    Yunice sneered, ¡°You¡¯re only realizing now how bold I am?¡±


    Lily really was stupid. When she poured chili oil down Yunice¡¯s throatst time, she should¡¯ve known- Yunice didn¡¯t care about <b>so</b><b>¨C</b>called familial bonds or moral codes anymore.


    ¡°Mother and brother mean nothing. What matters is the tenshes I was owed all those years ago. I¡¯m here to return them now.¡±


    Owen was drenched in cold sweat. The barbed whip had torn his flesh open<b>.. </b>


    Only after taking twoshes did the pain register, and he scrambled to hide behind someone.


    When Lily wouldn¡¯t let go, Gill came to help. peeling Lily¡¯s fingers off one by one.


    Lily struggled stubbornly<b>, </b>eyes locked with fury on the gemstone rings decorating Gill¡¯s fingers.


    The brilliant sparkle of those gems made her dizzy.


    Something so beautiful and valuable was being worn by a servant, while she, who had gone through the pain of birthing Yunice, had received nothing and now she was being beaten.


    Realizing she couldn¡¯t win against Gill, Lily let out a shriek and fell backward onto the ground.


    Gill looked down at her hands in surprise, then turned to Yunice. ¡°Miss, I didn¡¯t push her..¡±


    Outside the living room, the Moore family rtives all raised their phones, filming Yunice¡¯s rampage and the supposed bullying of her family.


    Yunice didn¡¯t look at Lily. Her target was Owen.


    Seeing Yuniceing with the bloody whip. Owen panicked and darted around a pir to hide.


    ¡°Yunice, are you insane!! That¡¯s a whip! One hit could rip your skin off!¡±


    His voice trembled as he shouted, trying to intimidate her with his rage.


    Yumice <b>said</b>, ¡°That was only twoshes. You hit me ten times back then¡±


    Owen pointed to Mr. Terrance at the door. ¡°He¡¯s the one who wanted to hit you! If you want revenge, go after him! Why are you taking it out on me?!¡±


    Chapter 511 The Ten Strikes Owed


    Yunice approached, whip still dripping with blood, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. None of you will be left out.


    Owen¡¯s legs went weak as he ran from her, even grabbing Elsie¡¯s arm in panic


    Elsie had been ready to put on a show in front of Owen, but at the sight of that bloodied whip, her legs gave out. She couldn¡¯t move an inch<b>. </b>


    She remembered how painful that thing was. Yumice had been bedridden for half a month after being whipped, barely able to get up.


    Peggy, stunned, quickly ran after Yunice. ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t break my man!¡±


    They were siblings, for crying out loud. Why did they always start fighting the second they saw each other?


    Lily scrambled up from the <b>floor</b>, throwing herself in front of Owen and shouting. ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! <b>Come </b>help me hold <b>Yunice </b><b>down</b>! She¡¯s gone mad! She¡¯s going to kill us!¡±


    Gill <b>was </b>fuming. ¡°Oh, now you <b>care </b>about protecting your son? Where were you when my <b>Miss </b>was getting whipped? Were you dead? Or did that ck heart of yours shift to your armpit?¡±


    With Lily in the way, how was <b>Yunice </b>supposed to keep going?


    Gill rushed over to pull Lily off, and Lily shrieked <b>out </b>the door, ¡°Help me!¡±


    Mr. Terrance didn¡¯t move. <b>But </b>his two sons, gritting their teeth, were itching to step in. ¡°Dad, let us handle this. That little brat needs to be taught a lesson¨CI¡¯d love to smash her face in!¡±


    When did Yunice ever get to act this arrogant in this house?


    But Mr. Terrance raised his hand to stop them, chuckling coldly. ¡°Let her hit them. I want to see how long <b>she </b>can keep it up.¡±


    ¦§


    What happened to the Saunders family <b>was </b>none of his concern. The more chaos, the better.


    Suddenly, Lily let <b>out </b>a piercing scream, clutching her arm as she copsed to the floor.


    Everyone paused and turned.


    Her pale silk dress was now stained red on the arm. Blood quickly spread through the fabric. <b>Gasps </b>erupted. ¡°Yunice, how could you?! That¡¯s your mother! You¡¯re inhuman!¡±


    Yunice stepped closer. ¡°I¡¯m just a mental patient. Mental patients can¡¯t tell who their mother patient <b>only </b>knows that when a child is being beaten, a mother should shield them with her own body.¡±


    Looking <b>down </b>coldly at Lily¡¯s ashen face, she asked, ¡°When I was being beaten, did you ever protect me the way you¡¯re protecting him now?¡±


    h fury, She shouted, ¡°Even I, a servant, couldn¡¯t bear to watch when my Miss was Gill¡¯s face was flushed with being whipped. And you, her own mother, just stood there like a heartless stone!¡±


    Lilyy on the floor, pain stealing her voice.


    She frowned at the blood seeping through her fingers and thought. Flow can it hurt this much!


    Chapter 511 The Ten Strikes Owed


    Yunice didn¡¯t die back then? With pain like this she really was born to curse this family.

 Daghter 512

    Chapter 512 Retribution Always Finds Its Way


    Yunice tilted her head toward Elsie. ¡°Your mom just got hit<b>. </b>Aren¡¯t you going to stop me?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t she always ying the doting daughter? Always the martyr? What, too scared now?


    Elsie¡¯s eyes were dark with malice, but in the end, she didn¡¯t take a single step forward.


    The circumstances were no longer the <b>same</b>. Back then, her performances were all for something¨Cto steal <b>their </b>mother¡¯s <b>love</b>, to win her brother¡¯s affection,ter to steal Paul¡¯s heart. Every pitiful act had a purpose, <b>and </b>came with a reward.


    But at the end of the day, she <b>was </b>still made of flesh and blood. Over the years, she¡¯d been stabbed, smoked out, forced to take all kinds of drugs to keep up appearances, had her fingers twisted, her lips sewn shut, taken <b>a </b>knife for <b>Owen</b>, andter got infected with a virus, treated like an experiment. Her body had long <b>since </b>broken down, her immune system shor


    Last time she jumped into a pool for a scene in front of Paul, she only swallowed a few gulps of water¨Cyet ended up with pneumonia.


    The doctor had told her inly: she had virtually no immune system left. Even amon cold could kill her.


    She nced at the blood¨Cdripping whip in Yunice¡¯s hand, then looked at the crowd of yokels standing by the door. These people weren¡¯t worth sacrificing her health for.


    Yunice saw Elsie¡¯s cowardice <b>and </b>was quite <b>pleased</b>. She turned to Lily. ¡°See? The daughter you protected won¡¯t even stand up for you.¡±


    Elsie lowered her head in humiliation. Owen, sweating in pain, still crouched behind Lily.


    But Lily, hearing Yunice¡¯s <b>words</b>, gave a bitterugh before raising her eyes with a gentle look. ¡°As a mother, I only ever wished for my daughter¡¯s happiness. Even if she never gave me anything in return, I¡¯d give her everything. Because when I gave birth to her. I was happy.¡±


    Yunice stared at her <b>in </b>a daze, <b>unmoving </b>for a long while.


    She saw the cold smirk hidden behind Lily¡¯s eyes. She knew¨CLily was killing her spiritually.


    What Yunice cared <b>about </b>was familial love. Lily¡¯s unspoken revenge was to ensure Yunice would never


    have it.


    She wanted Yunice to watch, to see that even if Elsie did nothing, <b>even </b>if Elsie was born to a criminal, she would still be the one Lily loved¨Cand Yunice, the one Lily hated.


    Elsie was born with hope. Yunice had ruined Lily¡¯s body and face, made her fat <b>and </b>ugly, and that, Carl had rejected her.


    se of


    She hated Yunice, wished Yunice had never been born.


    Seeing Yunice fall silent, like her heart had been pierced, Gill couldn¡¯t hold it in and cursed, ¡°You¡¯re a <b>sick </b>freak! You love your little criminal daughter so much? Why didn¡¯t you pop out a whole litter in some mountain vige? You¡¯re the one who should be locked in a mental hospital and studied


    Chapter 512 Retribution Always Finds Its Way


    Owen fired <b>back</b>, ¡°Watch your damn mouth!¡±


    ¡°Oh! So you agree with her? No wonder you¡¯re a rapist¨Cyour whole family must be sharing one brain cell!


    ¡°<b>Who </b>the hell are you calling a rapist? Owen exploded and lunged to strangle Gill


    Then, crack¨Ca¨Csharp sound cut through the room, followed by a scream from Elsie <b>so </b>loud it rang. through the ceiling, making everyone flinch.


    Owen froze and whipped around. Elsie had copsed on the floor, a vivid red gash torn across her back, horrifying to look at


    Yunice held the whip, blood pooling at her feet.


    ¡°You hit her?!¡± Owen roared. ¡°You¡¯re <b>dead</b>!¡±


    His adrenaline surged¨Che forgot his pain entirely and charged at Yunice.


    Gill and Peggy tried to hold him <b>back </b><b>from </b>both sides but were flung aside. A man¡¯s brute force showed itself in <b>full</b>.


    Yunice raised the whip, but Owen didn¡¯t dodge. He grabbed the other end, and the two of them tugged back and forth.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t as strong. With one yank, Owen tore the <b>whip </b>from her hands.


    ¡°Miss!¡±


    Everyone thought Owen would swing the whip at her. But instead, he lifted it high¨Cthen smashed it down.


    It split cleanly in two. The barbs even scattered across the floor.


    Yunice looked up, her expression cold as she stared at Owen.


    His eyes were bloodshot. He ground out through clenched teeth. ¡°Happy now? You¡¯ve put on a real show.¡±


    This family tearing itself apart¨Cwho did it benefit?


    To Owen, Yunice looked like a fool, dragging their family through the mud just to get


    attention


    But Yunice calmly asked. ¡°Are you confused about something? Who invited all these people?¡±


    It was Owen and Lily


    They were the ones who¡¯d called in the audience.


    Yunice said. ¡°You think I¡¯m just venting? I¡¯m only taking back what was owed to the girl I was She turned, walked up to Elsie again Instinctively, Elsie shrank back, eyes wary.


    then


    She didn¡¯t understand why Owen hadn¡¯t hit back. Why <b>was </b>he trying


    reason with Yunice?


    Chapter 512 Retribution Always Finds Its Way


    But Yunice didn¡¯t strike her again. She simply asked, ¡°Back when you <b>gave </b>Owen that whip for his


    birthday, did it ever cross your mind that one day it¡¯d be <b>used </b>on you?¡±


    Chapter 513 A Whip for the Wicked


    Chapter 513 A Whip for the Wicked.


    Gill was so furious <b>that </b>tears welled in her eyes. She red at Elie. ¡°<b>Who </b>gives someone a whip as a gif You vicious woman! You gave that thing hoping Owen would use it to beat our Mise!¡±


    Owen¡¯s face went pale. Truth be told, after the first time he¡¯d used that whip on Yunice, he¡¯d realized the problem.


    He couldn¡¯t face how cruel he¡¯d been, so he¡¯d put the whip away and never took it out again.


    He admitted that Elsie had her little schemes, but every time he noticed them, it was toote.


    He¡¯d thought about holding her ountable, but whenever he tried, he realized he had no leg to stand on


    All Elsie had done was give him a whip. She hadn¡¯t told him to use it <b>on </b>Yunice. He had chosen to do that himself. <b>What </b>did that have to do with her?


    It had always been like this¨Cwhenever he tried to push the re away, he couldn¡¯t find a justification.


    Because the actual harm? He had done <b>that</b>.


    The choice? He¡¯d made that.


    No one had forced him.


    Now, all he wanted was to make peace, but Yunice refused.


    She had to blow the whole thing up until it got even worse.


    Owen genuinely didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. All he could do was try his best to protect his family.


    He couldn¡¯t hit Yunice again.


    ¡°Owen, what the hell are you doing? Hit her! She hit your mom and your sister! You¡¯re just gonna stand there and take it?!¡±


    Mr. Terrance¡¯s sons were still egging him on.


    They were desperate to see a brawl.


    Yunice watched Owen stay frozen and let out a coldugh.


    Did he think Owen had suddenly grown a conscience?


    No. He was just scared. Too scared to raise a hand


    After that trip to the Crawford family¡¯s, he¡¯d seen Carl and Wyant¡¯s ruthlessness firsthand. Even Paul had been put on trial by those two¨C<b>what </b>was the Saunders familypared to <b>that</b>?


    As the Moore brothers kept provoking him, Yunice walked past Owen and stood before Lily.


    Didn¡¯t she think those emotional words of hers hadnded a serious <b>blow</b>!

 Daghter 513

    Chapter 513 A Whip for the Wicked


    Yunice slowly crouched in front of her.


    Yunice was calm. Collected Clean<b>. </b>


    The rest of them, in contrast, were a mess¨Ctattered, hesitant, afraid.


    Yunice locked eyes with Lily and watched her look away. Then she calmly smiled. ¡°So the people who tormented me for years¡­ you¡¯re really not that scary after all. You cursed me to live a life with no love or family, but


    you¡¯re too selfish to understand that there¡¯s more to this world than blood ties. There¡¯s loyalty, righteousness, bravery, and integrity. I have a best friend like Sister Gill, a father like Mr. Carl, a husband like Wyatt, a brother like Victor, and a friend like <b>Freya</b>. I have so many people who genuinely care about me. Do you really think I have any emotions left to waste on you? <b>You </b><b>said </b>you¡¯d do anything for Elsie. right? Then I¡¯ll <b>just </b>keep making life hard for her. I¡¯ll give you every chance to selflessly sacrifice for that beloved mother role of yours.¡°[1


    Human nature needs to be tested. If you haven¡¯t gotten the result you <b>want </b>yet, it just means the test isn¡¯t


    Over


    Yunice stood up. ¡°I¡¯m tired. I¡¯lle back to y next time.


    Gill quickly followed her, and the two of them strolled out casually.


    Mr. Terrance waited for Owen to stop them¨Cbut no one moved.


    His sons quickly stepped in to block Yunice¡¯s path. ¡°You think you <b>can </b>just leave after all that? Who do you think you are?¡±


    Yunice <b>smirked</b>. ¡°<b>And </b>what is this ce again!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¨COne of the sons started, but Mr. Terrance cut him off.


    He looked at Owen, pressing him. ¡°You¡¯re just gonna let her walk away?¡±


    Owen looked elsewhere, avoiding everyone¡¯s gaze. He said wearily, ¡°Let her


    80.¡±


    The two Moore brothers instantly jeered. ¡°Coward! Letting a woman walk all over you. No wonder the Saunders family is going downhill. Even the dividends you¡¯ve sent ds these past two years have dropped!


    arcl Owen, I¡¯m telling you¨Cif you can¡¯t run things, then step down from Cloud Hospital and let me do it. Better than watching you drive it into the ground like the pathetic wimp you


    Yunice turned her head slightly, ncing coldly at the Moore brother who spoke. She didn¡¯t stop. She walked out.


    Gill walked beside her and <b>said</b>, ¡°Half of Cloud Hospital¡¯s shares are in Mr. Terrance¡¯s hands. Every year, Owen has to hand over dividends to the Moore family. That¡¯s why they butt into everything the Saunders family does.¡±


    And the Saunders family elders who originally ran Cloud Hospital? All squeezed out.


    Turning over your own family¡¯s business to a bunch of parasites to suck dry¡­ Owen really was a brain- dead moron stuffed full of crap.


    The Saunders family still <b>hadn¡¯t </b>dispersed.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 513 A Whip for the Wicked


    Owen lifted Elsie off the ground with one hand, grimacing as the wound pulled at him. Then he gritted t teeth and moved to help Lily ton.


    Peggy frowned and stepped in to help.


    But as she helped lift Lily, Peggy gave Elsie a sharp, calcting look out of the corner of her eye.


    ster, Wite, Enemy

 Daghter 514

    Back when Yunice had been whipping people. Owen hadn¡¯t reacted when Lily was hit¨Cbut the moment Elsie got struck, he exploded<b>. </b>


    Even just now, when helping people up, he had supported Elsie first, then Lily.


    It was clear that, in Owen¡¯s heart, Elsie had long since surpassed Lily.


    For Peggy to gain an advantage in the Saunders family, Elsie was a serious rival. She¡¯d have to find a way to split them up.


    Elsie¡¯s arm throbbed with pain. She btedly noticed the look in Peggy¡¯s eyes and red back.


    But Peggy simply held Lily¡¯s other arm <b>and </b>gave Owen a sweet, understanding smile


    Owen said nothing.


    Mr. Terrance, however, walked up and patted Owen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Come with me. I have something <b>to </b>ask


    you<b>. </b>


    Peggy swatted his hand away, ¡°Can¡¯t <b>you </b>see my man¡¯s injured? His back¡¯s still bleeding! I don¡¯t care how important it is, you can just sit here and wait your turn!¡±


    She hooked her arm under Owen¡¯s. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll help you put medicine on. You¡¯re bleeding way much¡­¡±


    Elsie rushed forward too, grabbing Owen¡¯s other arm, her voice choked with concern. ¡°Owen, let me help you with your wound!¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression shifted. Seeing her injured arm as well, he said, ¡°You¡¯re hurt too. I should take care of you first-


    Before he could finish, Peggy blurted out. ¡°Alright, enough with the polite back¨Cand¨Cforth. You two are siblings, not animals. How¡¯s a little sister supposed to help her brother take off his shirt and bandage him?¡±


    Crude as Peggy¡¯s words were, Elsie flushed bright red. She had just been about to act innocent when Peggy cut her off again. ¡°Take a look at your mom. She got hurt protecting you. Has either of you <b>thought </b>about her at all?¡±


    Elsie and Owen were both stunned. They suddenly remembered Lily, who¡¯d been left aside all this time. The three of them hadn¡¯t minded <b>until </b>now. In the Saunders family, the sibling bond had always been stronger. Lily had always feltforted by <b>that</b>.


    <b>But </b>somehow, when Peggy said it out loud, <b>that </b>dynamic became twisted<b>. </b>


    Now, feeling the room¡¯s eyes on them, Elsie had no choice but to release Owen¡¯s arm and, blushing, go to help Lily.


    Because that was what made <b>sense </b>to the outside world: Owen and his <b>wife </b>should take care of each other, and Elsie, as the daughter, should look after her mom<b>. </b>


    13


    Chapter 514 Sister, Wife, Enemy


    Otherwise, things would just start to look¡­ wrong.


    Elsie grudgingly watched Peggy beam as she helped Owen away.


    Left with no choice, she and Lily returned to their room.


    Lily sat dazed on the bed, letting Elsie tend to her wounds.


    Was there really nothing <b>they </b>could do about Yunice?


    Lily looked at Elsie <b>and </b>sighed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you let me confront her earlier? She¡¯s got money to throw at some servant, but won¡¯t give us a cent. Doesn¡¯t that bother you?¡±


    Elsie <b>said</b>, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to say anything. It¡¯s just that saying it wouldn¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Those Moore rtives are greedy <b>and </b>selfish. If we use Yunice of spending too much on a servant, they¡¯ll just start wondering where all her money came from. <b>And </b>if they find out she married into power, do you think they¡¯ll still take our side?¡±


    Lily frowned <b>and </b><b>said </b>nothing.


    Elsie added quietly. ¡°The game¡¯s changed. ying the pity card doesn¡¯t work on capital.¡±


    Lily clutched Elsie¡¯s bandaged hand like a drowning person clutching a rope. ¡°That day you jumped into the water to save <b>Paul</b>¡­ was he grateful?¡±


    At the mention of him. Elsie grew impatient. ¡°He¡¯s just a dying fly at the end of autumn. He won¡¯tst long- He¡¯s got words carved into his face¨Cwhat can he even do now?¡±


    In high society, reputation was everything. Children born with health issues were usually disqualified from inheritance the moment they were born.


    Wyatt had been mocked for a leg condition¨Cwhat chance did Paul have, with literal words <b>carved </b>into his, face?


    Just one look <b>at </b>Elsie¡¯s expression, and Lily knew Paul hadn¡¯t paid her any attention.


    Elsie tugged at the gauze in frustration. Whatever. Morgan¡¯s still flirting with me I¡¯m notpletely out of options.


    Over an hourter, Owen had finished getting bandaged up. He signaled to Peggy with his eyes, suggesting she go check things downstairs..


    But Peggy said, ¡°No need. That whole gang of troublemakers is still there.¡±


    Owen realized Mr. Terrance was camping out, waiting.


    He <b>had </b>no choice but to go downstairs and deal with them.


    The other rtives lounged on the sofas like they owned the ce, some of them shelling sunflower seeds, devouring the expensive fruit, like it was free.


    A couple had discarded half¨Csmoked premium cigarettes directly onto the floor, burning a massive scorch mark into a rug worth tens of thousands.


    11:29 F:25


    Chapter 514 Sister, Wife, Enemy


    Someone had opened the fridge.


    One guy was pretending to be on the phone by the floor¨Cto¨Cceiling windows, but his hands were sneakily reaching toward an antique vase nearby¨Ctesting to see if it would fit in his bag


    Owen stood on the stairs, watching the scene below with a deep. furrowed brow. Then he let out a heavy cough, the movement pulling painfully at the wound on his back.


    apier 515 Rotten Roots

 Daghter 515

    When everyone noticed Owening, they stiffened up a bit¨Cbut still didn¡¯t look like they took him seriously.


    Owen walked up to <b>Mr. </b>Terrance. ¡°Uncle.¡±


    Mr. Terrance grunted, rubbing his wrist. ¡°My wrist¡¯s still sure from what that Yunice girl did to me Don¡¯t you have anything to say about <b>that</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Owen replied. ¡°I¡¯ll have the hospital¡¯s doctor take a <b>look </b>at it for free.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Mr. Terrance took a deep breath, then stood up <b>and </b>pulled Owen aside, lowering his voice, ¡°Cut the


    crap. Just be honest¨Cdid that girl Yunice marry into money or not?¡±


    Owen frowned and immediately denied it. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Still pretending? If she didn¡¯t have some rich backer, would you be this scared of her today? That wealthy woman she came with¨Cdid you see that ring on her hand? Just one of those could buy Cloud Hospital. Who is she, really? And why the hell would she take a liking to Yunice?¡±


    Owen gave his great¨Cuncle a strange look. So that¡¯s what he was after¨Ctrying to <b>build </b>a connection with Gill.


    Too bad he¡¯d miscalcted. The one with real money was Yunice. And Yunice would never let him get away with anything


    When Owen didn¡¯t respond, the old man snapped. ¡°If you¡¯re trying to hog resources for yourself, don¡¯t think I¡¯ll let that slide!¡±


    Owen, annoyed, said, ¡°There really isn¡¯t anything. And even if there were, you wouldn¡¯t be able to use it. I can¡¯t even <b>use </b>it myself.


    Mr. Terrance barked, ¡°You haven¡¯t even told me who that rich woman is. How do you know I can¡¯t use it?¡±


    As long as he could find out her identity, he¡¯d cling on like a leech. He¡¯d try every trick in the book- sooner orter, she¡¯d crack.


    The Saunders family was finished. He needed a new tree to cling to.


    Owen was so fed up, he finallyid it all out. ¡°That so¨Ccalled rich woman used to be our maid. All those jewels and designer clothes? Yunice bought them for her.¡±


    ¡°Please. I know exactly what Yunice is worth. She doesn¡¯t even wear pearls¨Cshe¡¯s dirt poor.¡±


    Owen threw up his hands. ¡°She doesn¡¯t wear jewelry because she doesn¡¯t like it. She married Wyatt. Wyatt! Do you even <b>know </b>who that is? One of the top fifty richest people in the world. There, I said it. That¡¯s her identity. Go suck up to her if you want¨Cbut stop leeching off the Saunders famil


    The old man yanked Owen back, sneering. ¡°Still lying to my face?¡±


    ¡°Yunice? A hand¨C<b>me</b>¨Cdown that even the Powells didn¡¯t want? And Wyatt would take her?¡±


    13


    worten Roots


    Owen snapped, ¡°So what if he¡¯s into that kind of thing?¡±


    Mr. Terrance retorted, ¡°You can lie about anyone else and I might believe you¨Cbut Wyatt? No way


    Owenughed bitterly. ¡°Since when do you know Wyatt so well, Uncle¡±


    One¡¯s a powerhouse. The other¡¯s dirt under his shoe. How the hell would he know him?


    Mr. Terrance smirked. ¡°I <b>don¡¯t </b>know Wyatt, 1 know his brother¨Cinw


    Owen found that even funnier. Wyatt only had two brothers¨Cinw¨Chim and Oscar. Where was this ¡°brother<b>¨C</b><b>in</b>w¡±ing from!


    Seeing that Owen clearly didn¡¯t know, the old man spilled it. ¡°You know Morgan, right?¡±


    Owen hadn¡¯t had much contact with Morgan, but Cloud Hospital did have plenty of interactions with the Johnson family. Otherwise, Yunice wouldn¡¯t <b>have </b>gotten mixed up with them.


    Mr. Terrance said. ¡°One time I had to handle something for the hospital, and I went to Morgan. He got drunk and started bragging¨Csaid Wyatt was his brother¨Cinw. Said that guy¡¯s so in love with his sister he¡¯d do anything for her. Anything she wanted, she¡¯d get


    Then he asked Owen, ¡°Is Yunice Morgan¡¯s sister?¡±


    Owen scoffed. ¡°Morgan doesn¡¯t have a sister. You really believe drunk talk?¡±


    He was mentally and emotionally drained, in no mood to keep arguing.


    After everything that happened today, Owen wasn¡¯t nning to let any of those rtives attend his wedding <b>anyway</b>.


    When he went <b>back </b>upstairs, Peggy blocked Mr. Terrance and started cussing everyone out. In just a few minutes, she <b>chased </b><b>all </b>the freeloaders out.


    Meanwhile, Elsie quietly followed Owen upstairs.


    ¡°Owen,¡± she said, closing the door behind her. ¡°Mr. Terrance and the others all have shares in Cloud Hospital. Judging by today¡¯s scene, I think they¡¯ve heard rumors we¡¯re thinking of selling¨Cand they want a piece.¡±


    Cloud <b>Hospital </b>had gotten major subsidies because of its location near the medical zone, and it was doing better than ever.


    But Owen knew this boom wouldn¡¯tst. When things cooled off, the hospital would fall back into a slump.


    -and by then<b>, </b>it¡¯d be worthless.


    If they were going to sell, now way the time¨Cwhile it was still profitable.


    But <b>once </b>they sold, those parasites would take half the money. No matter how he Saunders family would lose out


    Lat it, the


    He clenched his fist and muttered. ¡°We never should¡¯ve let those old bastards invest in the hospital.¡±


    2/3 Elsie tried to console him. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it because Dad¡¯s rtives kept saying you weren¡¯t good enough? That


    11:29. FN:2500/


    Chapter 515 Rotten Roots


    nothing you did was right? The only ones who supported you unconditionally were Uncle and his letz

 Daghter 516

    Chapter 516 Digging the Pit


    Chapter 516 Digging the Pit


    Owen sighed. ¡°Dad¡¯s side of the family is fine, but they¡¯re all like Mr. Carl¨Calways praising Yunite and putting me down.¡±


    Elsie <b>said</b>. ¡°That¡¯s because they¡¯re jealous of you. They¡¯re afraid that once you take control of the hospital, you¡¯ll stop feeding them.¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t want to talk about the Saunders family anymore.


    Elsie added, ¡°Our money is our money. We can¡¯t give it to the Saunders family, but we also can¡¯t give it to Mr. Terrance. <b>Before </b>selling the hospital, we <b>need </b>to find a way to kick all of them our ¡°


    Owen nced at her. Truth be told, he¡¯d been thinking the same thing. ¡°But how?¡±


    Would the old man really cough up the fat meat he¡¯s been chewing on?


    Elsie said, ¡°Same as before. Dig them a hole. Set them up for embezzlement and get them locked up.


    Owen hesitated. He had done the same thing before to some of the Saunders family members to solidify his position. Now he¡¯d be doing it again to the Moore <b>family</b>¡­


    But when he thought about Mr. Terrance and his antics¨Cif he didn¡¯t act first, that old man would definitely sabotage everything.


    Owen nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll do it your way<b>.¡± </b>


    Elsie left the room and brushed past Peggy on her way out of the Saunders house.


    She had eavesdropped on the conversation between Owen and Mr. Terrance just now, and the part about Morgan¡¯s sister had piqued her interest. She had to find a way to pry something out of Morgan.


    On Yunice¡¯s side, she <b>had </b>just dropped Gill off at the deli shop.


    The deli was right next to her small clinic. But with everything going ontely, she hadn¡¯t been by the store in quite a while.


    ¡°These are for you. I checked carefully¨Cnone of them are scratched¡±


    Yunice turned her head and saw that Gill had removed all the jewelry Yunice had given her, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and was holding it out,


    Gill said, ¡°I can take the clothes off and wash them before returning them to you


    Yunice looked up. ¡°Are you really going to treat me like a stranger?¡±


    Gill said seriously, ¡°But these things are so expensive¡­¡±


    Yunice replied. ¡°No matter how expensive, they¡¯re meant to be used. I gave them to you¨Cso take them.¡±


    ¡°Pavilion Hall isn¡¯t my turf. I can¡¯t bring you with me. The only things I can give you are these material items.


    173


    apter 216 Digging the Pit


    If Yunice took Gill with her, Gill would only be her essory¨Calways revolving around her.


    But Yunice understood clearly that she had no fixed goals. She was like the wind, never knowing where she¡¯dnd next. She didn¡¯t want to dy Gill¡¯s future.


    Gill should have her <b>own </b>goals. Her own world.


    Yunice looked at Gill¡¯s deli¨Cbusiness was booming. <b>She¡¯d </b>even added two more food trucks and hired two employees.


    Yunice said, ¡°I think you can open a franchise, While I still have <b>people </b>backing me, now¡¯s the time to grow the business.¡±


    Gill looked confused. ¡°I don¡¯t have such big ambitions¡­¡±


    Yunice turned to look at her. ¡°That¡¯s called building wealth<b>. </b>Don¡¯t think of it as working for yourself- think of it as working for the two of us. If Wyatt ever dumps me, you¡¯ll be my emergency food supply, got it?


    Gill stared, dumbfounded. After several seconds, she grabbed onto the side of Yunice¡¯s scooter and said. ¡°<b>Damn</b>, you really think ahead¡­¡±


    Yunice pushed the handkerchief¨Cwrapped jewelry back into her hands. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to manage the chain stores. Just go for it. At least for <b>now</b><b>, </b><b>we </b>can afford to lose.¡±


    If she and Wyatt fell out, they might never get this kind of opportunity again.


    Gill nodded <b>hard</b>. ¡°Alright!¡±


    As Yunice watched Gill get out of the car, her heart felt hollow,


    She¡¯d brought Gill back to the Saunders family today on purpose¨Cto elerate its copse. It wouldn¡¯t be long before Cloud Hospital was hers again.


    But after taking down the Saunders family¡­ then what<b>? </b>


    What was she supposed to do?


    She didn¡¯t know. She couldn¡¯t see that far ahead. So she just took what opportunities she could, whenever they came.


    At that moment, Elsie was tangled up with Morgan again.


    They had just finished going at it, and Morgan got out of bed without even ncing at the arm Elsie had bleeding.


    ¡°Don¡¯t <b>talk </b>to me about your issues with Yunice,¡± Morgan <b>said </b>as he drank water. ¡°You and I are having a secret fling¨Cnothing public. Don¡¯t expect me to back you up.


    Elsie sat behind him, twirling her hair flirtatiously. ¡°But I heard your brother¨Cinw is Wyatt And Wyatt dotes on you. He gives you whatever you want. So if you went to him in your sister¡¯s name and asked him to teach Yunice a lesson wouldn¡¯t he be willing?¡±


    Morgan paused mid¨Csip. Elsie noticed the hesitation and smiled secretly.


    Chapter 516 Digging the Pit


    <b>Got </b>him.


    Morgan was just like Owen and Paul¨Coverconfident, thin¨Cskinned, and incredibly easy to manipte. Just


    say a few strategic things and they¡¯d blow up and expose themselves.


    Judging by Morgan¡¯s reaction, it looked like she¡¯d guessed right.

 Daghter 517

    Chapter 517 The Sister¡¯s Name


    Morgan curled his lips into a sinister smile at Elsie. ¡°You know about my sister?*


    Elsie shrank hack, startled by the look on his face. ¡°Th.that¡¯s just something everybody knows,


    She didn¡¯t even finish her sentence before she was thrown onto the bed.


    Morgan lunged forward, grabbing her neck with one hand. His bloodshot eyes glinted with a cold sneer. ¡°What did you <b>say</b>? Everybody <b>knows </b>about her, huh?¡±


    How could Elsie have known that his sister was his one soft spot¨Cthe one thing no one ever dared to bring up in front of him?


    And yet she had the nerve to go and poke the bear?


    With one hand alone, Morgan had her gasping for air. Then both hands closed around her <b>neck</b><b>, </b>squeezing even harder in his frenzy.


    Elsie¡¯s face turned purple as the veins in her temples bulged.


    Her eyeballs looked like they were about to pop out, but Morgan still didn¡¯t let go.


    She kicked her legs a few times in a panic¨Cthen went limp.


    Still, Morgan didn¡¯t let go.


    Only when heavy, urgent knocking came from the hotel room door did he snap out of it.


    He nced at the unmoving Elsie on the bed, stillpletely calm. Someone would deal with the mess


    He climbed off her, pulled out a wet wipe to clean his hands, then strolled toward the door and cracked it open just a sliver.


    His eyes were cold and wary as he peeked through.


    But before he could react, the door was shoved wide open from the other side.


    ¡°Morgan, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°M¡­ Maine?¡± Morgan froze when he saw who it was. Guilt shed across his face as he shifted to block her view inside the room.


    But Maine wasn¡¯t stupid. She caught his nervous energy immediately and pushed past him. ¡°What did you do<b>?</b>¡±


    She looked at the messy bed and let out a breath of relief when she saw a woman lying on it.


    If it was just him ying with some girl, that wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    She strode forward. Morgan made a half¨Chearted attempt to stop her but quickly gave up.


    Then Maine got a closer look and <b>realized </b>something was off. Her face changed. ¡°Why isn¡¯t she moving? Is


    Chapter 517 The Sister¡¯s Name


    she dead or high?¡±


    Morgan shrugged. ¡°I just choked her a little. Who knew she couldn¡¯t handle it


    Maine <b>frowned</b>. ¡°I told you to stop ying those kinds of games!¡±


    Morgan didn¡¯t even flinchpletely unfazed.


    Maine looked at the girl on the bed like a corpse and muttered, ¡°Wyatt spoiler you rotten. If Nora wakes


    <b>and </b>sees <b>what </b>you¡¯ve be¡­ she¡¯ll be so disappointed¡±


    ????


    Morgan¡¯s face darkened, but he said nothing.


    Maine went on talking to herself. ¡°Whatever. First, deal with this before it turns into a bigger mess


    Then she asked, ¡°Does <b>she have </b>any family? Call them anonymously. Say she got messed up by someone -don¡¯t mention who.¡±


    She turned to Morgan again. ¡°You didn¡¯t leave anything behind on her, did <b>you</b><b>? </b>


    If the girl made a scer, that would be trouble.


    Morgan shook his head. He¡¯d cleaned up well enough.


    Still <b>not </b>reassured, Maine said, ¡°Put her in the tub. I¡¯ll take care of the rest.¡±


    Morgan movedzily as he worked. Maine couldn¡¯t stand his attitude and said in a low, firm voice behind him. ¡°Your sister¡¯s going to <b>wake </b>up soon. Her hands are already moving. Can you take things seriously for once?¡±


    Morgan¡¯s eyes widened as he stared at her in disbelief.


    Maine gave a heavy nod. ¡°It¡¯s <b>true</b>.¡±


    Morgan¡¯s hands trembled slightly. He didn¡¯t say a word. He just grabbed Elsie under her arms and dragged her to the bathroom.


    Momentster, the <b>sound </b>of running water echoed from within.


    Leaning against the bathroom wall, Morgan watched as the water slowly covered Elsie¡¯s body.


    He fumbled for his phone, wondering who he could call to take the fall for this.


    Killing someone wasn¡¯t new for him, His father and grandmother always cleaned up after him. <b>But </b>Wyatt


    Wyatt was <b>harder </b>to handle. If he could avoid taking responsibility, all the better.


    His first thought was to send the message to Owen and let him swallow the loss. But on second thought, he sent it to Paul instead.


    Once the message was sent, he stuffed his <b>hands </b>into his pockets, satisfied, and strolled of the bathroom.


    Maine was stuffing the bloodied bedsheets into a bag, getting ready to take them <b>away</b>. Morgan stood in front of her, casting arge shadow over her.


    Chapter 517 The Sister¡¯s Name


    ¡°She¡¯s really going to wake up?¡± he asked quietly. ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctors say she¡¯d nevere out of it?


    Maine froze, her hands still. She looked up, heavy with concern, and said seriously, ¡°That¡¯s not an excuse to let yourself go like this.¡±


    Morgan rolled his eyes, clearly not interested in a lecture.


    ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡± Maine insisted. ¡°<b>She¡¯s </b>been moving a lot the past few days. When I talk to her, she even cries. The doctor <b>said </b>to up.


    Simting her¨Ckeep talking to her¨Cand there¡¯s a high chance she¡¯ll wake


    Morgan¡¯s eyes lit up, saying, ¡°She loves hearing Wyatt talk. If he stays with her a few more days, she¡¯ll definitely wake up.


    But before he could finish, both he and Maine <b>went </b>silent.


    Their faces dropped in unison.


    They had both thought of Yunice.

 Daghter 518

    Chapter 518 The Locked Room


    Wyatt had Yunice now. He didn¡¯t care about Nora anymore. If anything, he was probably hoping Nora would never wake up.


    Morgan grew even more certain of Wyatt¡¯s true intentions when Maine didn¡¯t refute it.


    Maine had always been close to his sister. Among everyone, she was the only one who kept standing up for her. If there was even the slightest chance his sister would wake up, Maine would have told Wyatt first.


    But judging by the look on her face, it was obvious she¡¯d <b>already </b>tried¨Cand hit a wall.


    Once she was done packing, Maine shung the bag over her shoulder and said to Morgan, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Morgan followed her out. Maine headed straight for the hallway surveince system and wiped the footage, erasing any trace of what Morgan had done.


    Meanwhile, Paul had received an anonymous message: Elsie had been assaulted and was now dumped in a hotel, waiting to be rescued.


    He sat in front of the mirror, eyes fixed darkly on the deep scar carved into his <b>face</b>.


    He hadn¡¯t stepped outside in a long time.


    He¡¯d already seen through <b>that </b>bitch Elsie and had no patience left to y games with her. But now.


    <b>Paul¡¯s </b>expression twisted <b>as </b><b>his </b>fingers brushed the scar on his cheek.


    He had to save himself somehow¡­


    And right now, Elsie had just handed herself to him on <b>a </b>silver tter.


    At Pavillion Hall, Yunice sat at a table, stacking credit cards into a tower.


    A row of housemaids stood behind her, each with a different expression as they watched her idly building a card house out of boredom.


    Eightyers tall now, forming an octagonal <b>tower</b>, and she still had a whole pile of unused cards left.


    The housemaids, marveling silently at the kind of life only the rich could afford, finally stepped forward to remind her, ¡°Mrs. Cooper, sir called earlier. He said he¡¯s taking you to a charity g tonight. Your dress and stylist <b>have </b>been arranged. When would you like to try them on?¡±


    Yunice tilted her head. ¡°A charity g?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the maid replied. ¡°It starts at nine tonight. There¡¯s still time.¡±


    Yunice blinked and twirled a card between her fingers Charity gs were a rich man¡¯s y,


    ad


    On the surface, it <b>was </b>all about good causes and public welfare, but behind the scenes, it was nothing more than a game of covert power ys.


    ???


    Chapter 518 The Locked Room


    Especially for the women¨Cit was the easiest way to form connections in that circle.


    Young women used these events to show their faces, scout wealthy families, and lock in potential prospects.


    Married women used them to integrate into elite social circles, helping their husbands gain influence in more subtle ways.


    In that world, men only brought their <b>legal </b>wives. Bringing mistresses of illegitimate children would get them socially exiled.


    Wyatt suddenly taking her to an event like this? It smelled a lot like he was finally going to present her to high society as the legitimate Mrs, Cooper,


    But why <b>now</b>?


    They¡¯d been married for over a year. He had never once taken her to a <b>public </b>event¨Cnot even people close to him knew she existed.


    The public only knew that he¡¯d married a woman unfit for the spotlight¨Cso unworthy he couldn¡¯t be bothered to take her anywhere.


    Yunice had neverined about it. In fact, she liked it that <b>way</b>.


    She wasn¡¯t ready to be dragged into the messy world of business and social <b>alliances</b>,


    But now Wyatt suddenly wanted to pull her <b>in</b>?


    ¡°Mrs. <b>Cooper</b>?¡± the maid called anxiously, checking <b>the </b>time. It was still early, but if Yunice didn¡¯t cooperate, they¡¯d have to find a way to make her.


    Yunice gently ced the card in her hand down. Her finger brushed the base, and the eightyer octagonal tower copsed into a scattered pile.


    She stood up <b>and </b>said, ¡°Let the stylist in.¡±


    Then she headed for the walk¨Cin closet, two maids trailing behind Her, ready to take orders.


    As Yunice reached the closet, her gaze drifted toward a door on the fifth floor¨Ca room that had never once been opened.


    <b>Drawn </b>by something she couldn¡¯t exin. Yunice walked toward it and tried to open it.


    A maid behind her suddenly warned nervously, ¡°Mrs. Cooper¡­ Sir gave strict instructions. No one¡¯s allowed near that room¡±


    Yunice nced sideways. ¡°Even <b>me</b>?¡±


    The maid froze. ¡°He <b>didn¡¯t </b>say <b>that </b>specifically.¡±


    Yunice turned the doorknob, but it was locked. She didn¡¯t press the matter. Just gave it a try, then let it go.


    D


    Her gaze lingered on the door she¡¯d never been allowed to enter. And then she remembered something


    273


    Chapter 218 The Locked Room


    Wyatt had once told her.


    He said that <b>every </b>piece of clothing on her was made by his own hands.


    Back then, she¡¯d been too focused on Nora to really care about thatment.


    But now, standing in front of the room next to her closet, she remembered her clothes¨Cnone of them had logos. Could they all really <b>have </b>been made by Wyatt?


    What kind of obsession was <b>that</b>?


    Was it because he¡¯d grown up poor, with barely enough to wear or eat, and developed some kind of intense need to <b>make </b>everything himself?


    Yunice turned and walked into the closet.


    Just as she was picking a gown, the stylist arrived.


    ¡°Mrs. Cooper, I didn¡¯t expect you to have such great taste. This dress is absolutely perfect for you!¡± the stylist gushed in a high¨Cpitched voice, clearly surprised by her fashion sense.


    Yunice caught the subtext immediately. Outsiders all thought she was uncultured and unpresentable. <b>But </b>growing up, she¡¯d had her father¡¯s love, Margaret¡¯s care, and a seat at the Powell family table. She¡¯d absorbed the habits of high society since childhood.


    It <b>was </b>only after Elsie entered the Saunders family that she lost everything¨Clost the right to choose, to dress, to even live like a person.


    When you¡¯re just trying to survive, who <b>has </b>the luxury to care about fashion?

 Daghter 519

    Chapter 519 The G Invitation


    Two hourster, Wyant called to pick Yunice up


    She grabbed her church, which as always¨Chad silver necilles tucked inade, and beneath thepart powder casey a stash of emergency meilicinal powder.


    When you¡¯re out in the world, protecting yourselfes first


    Out in the courtyard. Wyatt leaned against the car. He only looked up once Yunice stepped outside. She was dressed in a <b>soli </b>periwinkle gown, shimmering with flecks of light as she walked


    The gown was adorned with over a thousand real diamonds. Though tiny, each one had a dazzling cut.


    What truly made the dress stand out, though, was the fabric: a dreamy cashmere, dyed the delicate hue of Fairy¡¯s Kiss hydrangeas,


    As Yunice lifted her skirt slightly and stepped closer, Wyatt took her hand and gave her ensemble a sweeping nce.


    She could tell he was very pleased. She had noticed long ago that Wyatt took a strange pleasure in dressing her up,


    . She never did figure out why.


    In the car, Yunice sat upright, back stiff and careful not to wrinkle her gown.


    Wyatt nced sideways at her awkward posture and asked. ¡°What, am I <b>that </b>unapproachable!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t move. ¡°The stylist <b>said </b>the fabric¡¯s delicate. If it creases, those richdies willugh at me,


    Wyatt scoffed. ¡°Only poor people worry about <b>that</b><b>.</b>¡±


    Yunice nced at him. Fair enough¨Che had every right to call others poor.


    Wellinges Pharma had been the first to develop a drug to control the current <b>virus </b>outbreak. They¡¯d made


    a killing. Who wouldn¡¯t curse Wyatt under their breath for being so damn lucky?!


    Wyatt <b>said</b>, ¡°<b>Come </b>here.¡±


    She could tell¨Che wanted her to sit on hisp.


    She refused. ¡°It¡¯ll wrinkle the gown<b>. </b>


    Expensive <b>dresses </b>always had one<b>/</b>fatal w: beautiful, but fragile¨Cpretty junk.


    Wyatt reached for her waist <b>and </b>pulled her easily onto hisp. ¡°If it wrinkles, just tell them your husband did it. What, is <b>that </b>hard to admit?¡±


    <b>Yunice </b>was speechless.


    Unable to win against him, she gave <b>up </b>and stayed there


    G invitation:


    Jordan, driving in front, caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror and¨Cwithour & word¨Cpressed the button to raise the partition


    With her perched on hisp, Wyatt had a perfect view of the slender, pale nape of her neck.


    Her skin <b>was </b>porcin¨Cwhite, and under the soft light, a fineyer of barely visible fuzz shimmered at the base of her <b>hairline</b>.


    Soft. Delicate.


    Yunice shifted slightly and nced warily at him.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t even try to hide his gaze. He tilted his head, that perfectly sculpterl face curling into a possessive, predatory smile.


    He knew she could feel what was pressing against her¨Cbut he didn¡¯t see the need to hide it


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it,¡± he said.


    Even withyers of clothing between them, Yunice couldn¡¯tpletely ignore it.


    She nced at him again.


    His face was far too close. His features were so sharp, so symmetrical, so striking that being this close made it hard to breathe.


    Especially when he looked at someone¨Chis gaze never wavered. That intensity, wrapped in barely contained heat, always made the other person look away first.


    Yunice liked to think of herself as calm and rational. But faced with a face like this, she had to admir- nature had outdone itself.


    She raised her <b>hand</b>, her slender white fingers trailing slowly along the bridge of his nose.


    ¡°You¡¯re really good¨Clooking.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t remember much about Wyatt¡¯s mother, but she figured his looks must¡¯vee from her.


    He and Paul looked nothing alike.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t mind thepliment one bit. His looks were something everyone acknowledged.


    He stared at her and said. ¡°Then you¡¯d better keep an eye on me. A lot of people want a piece.


    ¡°They dare?¡± Yunice knew all too well that plenty of ambitious women used every trick in the book to climb thedder.


    But she hadn¡¯t heard of anything like that happening around Wyatt.


    No¨Cactually, there was something.


    If Maine was telling the truth, then Wyatt and Nora¡¯s rtionship had started because the johnson family openly offered up their daughter¨C<b>and </b>Wyatt had epted.


    Chapter 519 The G Invitation


    The moment Nora came to mind, Yunice felt a lump in her theoon as she sat on Wyatt¡¯sp


    She gently pushed away from him <b>and </b>moved to sit beside him


    Wyatt watched her reaction, his gaze darkening


    He was no fool. He knew exactly which part of what he¡¯d said had triggered her He knew exactly who the was thinking of


    The rest of the ride passed in silence,


    Just as they were about to get out, Yunice¡¯s phone started to buzz in her purse


    She fumbled to retrieve it, taking a bit longer than usual.


    By the time she pulled it out, the call had already been <b>cut</b>.


    She looked at the missed call on the screen and muttered, ¡°Oscar?¡±


    She tried calling back, but no one answered.


    ncing at the two rows of staff standing respectfully at the entrance to the charity g¨Cand the media clustered nearby with their shing cameras¨CYunice quickly followed after Wyatt


    As the shbulbs red, Wyatt raised his hand and shielded Yunice¡¯s face with his palm, shooting a warning look at the photographers.


    Jordan, following behind, stepped forward and made the media delete every single photo one <i>by </i>one.

 Daghter 520

    Chapter 520 ss Towers


    Chapter 520 ss Towers


    As they stepped into the banquet hall, the dazzling lights and refracted sparkle from the jewelry were nearly overwhelming.


    Yunice rested her hand lightly on Wyatt¡¯s wrist and softly asked, ¡°Where should I go?¡±


    At events like this, men and women usually separated and handled their own social circles.


    But Wyatt said, ¡°You¡¯re staying with me.¡±


    Yunice frowned slightly but didn¡¯t argue,


    With Wyatt¡¯s status, his mere presence drew attention. <b>And </b>as the <b>woman </b>on his arm, she naturally became a subject of whispered scrutiny.


    A businessman came up to greet them. ¡°Mr. Cooper.¡±


    Then, turning to Yunice, he added. ¡°Mrs. Cooper.¡±


    Yunice gave a polite smile. ¡°Mr. Samuel. Good evening.¡±


    The man nodded with a smile and began chatting with Wyatt over champagne.


    Yunice smiled and listened, though her peripheral vision was busy scanning the room.


    She quickly picked up on the nces¨Cmostly from women¨Cconstantlynding on her.


    Some couples talked while asionally casting looks in her direction.


    She nced down at her phone. Still no message back from Oscar.


    Just then, another couple approached. The man started talking with Wyatt, while the woman looked <b>toward </b>Yunice and teased, ¡°Mr. Cooper, your wife¡¯s been standing in those heels for a while now. Must be


    tiring


    Wyatt <b>nced </b>down at Yunice. She quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll sit for a bit.¡±


    The woman smiled generously. ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡±


    Yunice offered a standard polite smile. Just as she pulled out <b>a </b>chair to sit, a sh of brilliant red cut right between them and dropped into the seat beside her.


    The woman froze, surprised by the sudden arrival.


    Freya waved her clutch yfully <b>and </b>grinned. ¡°Mrs. Cooper and I are acquainted. You don¡¯t mind if I sit here, do you?¡±


    The woman¡¯s expression tightened, but she couldn¡¯t very well tell Freya to leave,


    <b>to </b>sit down too.


    Wyatt gave Yunice a look, signaling he was stepping away for a bit,


    had no choice but


    apter 520 <b>ss </b>Towers


    Meanwhile, the man <b>speaking </b>with Wyatt cast a sharp nce at the woman seated at Yunice table unspoken warning. She looked clearly ufortable, as if the task she¡¯d been assigned har just be ten times harder.


    In a ce like this, no small talk was meaningless. Every conversation had a motive.


    Freya, wedged between Yunice and the other woman, made that motive harder to fulfill


    Freya sipped her champagne, eyes still on the ss, and casually said, ¡°Our little princess from the Crawford family has everything¨C<b>plenty </b>of resources, and a reliable man. No point wasting your time on her. She¡¯s not getting involved in your little <b>power </b>ys.


    The woman flushed at being so bluntly exposed


    In any negotiation, sess depended on offering what the othercked. You filled in each other¡¯s gaps.


    But Freya was right¨CYunice had it all: a powerful family, a perfect husband. She didn¡¯t need resources or allies. There was no reason for her topromise downward.


    The woman faltered. She nced toward the man who¡¯d sent her over, only to be hit with more pressure from his gaze.


    She started to rise¨Cthen sat back down.


    Turning to Yunice, she lowered her voice and said, ¡°Mrs. Cooper, do you really think your position is secure?¡±


    Seeing that neither Yunice nor Freya reacted, she continued, ¡°It¡¯s normal for men to be unfaithful. If your don¡¯t start preparing for yourself, you¡¯re the one who¡¯ll sufferter


    She leaned in slightly. ¡°Mr. Cooper¡¯s father is a perfect example, isn¡¯t he? If he¡¯d been loyal, Mr. Cooper wouldn¡¯t even exist.¡±


    The implication was clear: even the most respected wives couldn¡¯t stop their husbands from fathering illegitimate children. Was Yunice getting toofortable too soon<b>? </b>


    Still, both women stayed silent.


    Undeterred, the woman pushed on. ¡°Mr. Cooper isn¡¯t the only one in your life. Sure, no one dares send women his way openly now¨Cbut that¡¯s not because of you. It¡¯s because of another woman.¡±


    Freya¡¯s brow furrowed, her anger clearly rising.


    She hadn¡¯t heard about Nora yet, and was reacting on instinct¨Cjust the thought of Wyatt having another woman ticked her off


    She <b>was </b>about to speak when she felt a hand discreetly squeeze her leg under the table..


    It was Yunice.


    Freya caught the signal and leaned back in her seat, rxing.


    The woman. frustrated by theck of response, pressed on. ¡°I¡¯m serious. A few years ago, the Johnson family handed over a daughter they kept hidden. It happened during a dinner. They gave her to Wyatt-


    Chapter 520 ss Towers


    and he took her.


    She went on. ¡°After <b>that</b>, the door was wide open. Everyone followed suit, throwing women at him. When he refused publicly, they started sending them by force.¡±


    Then she added, ¡°Eventually, one of those women showed up in front of the Johnson family¡¯s daughter Wyattpletely lost it. Ruined her¨Cand her entire family. Took them from luxury to rock bottom in a month. That story made the rounds. You¡¯ve heard it, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    She looked back and forth between Yunice and Freya, desperate for a reaction.


    But all she saw were two calmi, unreadable smiles,


    The moreposed they looked, the more the woman¡¯s desperate attempts at sowing discord made her seem like a fool.

 Daghter 521

    Chapter 521 Rare Threads and Hidden Threads


    Chapter 521 Rare Threads and Hidden Threads


    Sensing the woman¡¯s unease, Yunice finally looked up and said calmly, ¡°Are you really more informed than the person actually involved?¡±


    The woman¡¯s face faltered with guilt, and she could no longer sit still. She stood up and left in embarrassment.


    Once she was gone, Freya turned to Yunice in frustration. ¡°So you¡¯ve known about this all along?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°There¡¯s no end to gossip. These people pick up a few scraps of half¨Ctruths and barge in like they¡¯ve uncovered some secret. If you take it seriously, you¡¯ve already lost.¡±


    Watching Yunice sip her drink with unshakableposure, Freya let it go as well.


    She said, ¡°One thing she was right about¨Cmen can¡¯t be relied on. But at least you have Mr. Crawford. He¡¯d never let you be treated unfairly.¡±


    Carl still carried guilt toward the Saunders family.


    Yunice traced the rim of her champagne ss with her fingers. She wasn¡¯t nning to reveal anything about Nora just yet.


    She didn¡¯t want to drag someone who loved her into a messy battle for her marriage. She wanted to reach a decision with Wyatt at the right time, in the right setting, calmly and directly.


    That moment woulde when Nora woke up.


    And when Wyatt no longer loved her.


    Only when Yunice truly decided to leave would this issue matter.


    Until then, she didn¡¯t see it as something that needed to be ¡°dealt with.¡±


    You can¡¯t let your life spiral over a hypothetical.


    this rob the


    The more people tried to use Nora as a wedge to shake Yunice, the more determined she became not to


    react.


    From an outsider¡¯s perspective, she and Wyatt were husband and wife¨Ca unit. What she needed to protect was Wyatt¡¯s public standing, not tear down her own marriage over a few calcted jabs.


    Once trust cracks<b>, </b>the first to suffer would be her.


    Marriage was like a career. If managed well, it could still thrive even without love.


    The danger was in grasping too tightly¨Clike trying to hold sand in your hand. The tighter you squeeze, the more it slips away.


    After that woman¡¯s failed attempt, no one else dared to bother Yunice again.


    Bored, Freya asked, ¡°Wyatt, won¡¯t let you make connections. So why bring you to <b>something </b><b>like </b><b>this</b><b>. </b><b>Just </b>exhausting.<b>¡± </b>


    Chapter <b>521 </b>Rare Threads and Hidden Threads


    Yunice shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Wyatt was hard to read. Maybe it was just a whim.


    Freya began flipping through the g¡¯s charity showcase catalog.


    At these events, guests would donate something valuable to auction off, with the proceeds going <b>to </b><b>charity </b>-often children¡¯s welfare institutions. Reports would follow, building the donor¡¯s phnthropic <b>image</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice skimmed the booklet and paused at the fabric section. ¡°Wyatt will probably bid on this set.


    Good fabric was rare. The fact that it showed up here meant someone had likely picked up on Wyatt¡¯s preferences.


    Freya scoffed. ¡°A man so into fabric auctions? That¡¯s such a weird quirk.¡±


    ¡°He likes making clothes,¡± Yunice said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Freya looked like she¡¯d just heard the juiciest gossip.


    ¡°I only found out recently. The clothes Wyatt gives me¨Che made them himself.¡±


    Freya blinked for two seconds, then nearly burst outughing. ¡°So he¡¯s handy<i>, </i>too?¡±


    Her eyes scanned Yunice¡¯s gown¨Cthe tailoring around the waist was so precise, <i>it </i>had clearly been made with care.


    Either the tailor had an obsessive eye for detail, or there were deep personal emotions stitched into every


    seam.


    Freya pondered that. The more she thought about it, the more intrigued she became by Wyatt.


    Yunice stopped flipping through the booklet. ¡°There¡¯s still genuine wild rhino horn out there? And vintage, no less.¡±


    Freya and Carl worked in the alternative medicine industry, so they knew how rare that was.


    Most of what you found on the market these days was water buffalo horn. Real wild rhino horn was practically a collector¡¯s item¨Crarely sold.


    It also happened to be one of the key ingredients in Emergency Neuro¨CCalming Capsules.


    ¡°I¡¯m bidding on that,¡± Yunice said, closing the catalog.


    Nothing tempts a doctor more than rare medical ingredients.


    The mingling wasn¡¯t over yet, but/Yunice was getting bored.


    Freya suggested they stretch their legs.


    Yunice grabbed a te of grilled fish from the buffet before heading out.


    At the garden fountain outside the hall, she crouched down and called softly, <b>¡°</b><b>Mimi</b><b>? </b>Mimi¡­<b>¡± </b>


    12:15 Sat, 26 Jul GG


    Chapter 521 Rare Threads and Hidden Threads


    s


    Freya stood a couple meters away, leaning against the artificial rockwork near the fountain. She lit a thin cigarette, exhaled a stream of smoke, and nced toward Yunice.


    From under the bushes in the garden, a small stray cat cautiously emerged. Yunice held out the te of fish. The cat sniffed tentatively, then dove in with gusto.


    It chewed with audible delight, letting out little ¡°mew¨Cmew¡± sounds between bites.


    Freya smirked. She had no idea when Yunice had first noticed the little creature<i>. </i>


    Yunice watched the kitten eat for a while, then pulled out her phone again.


    Still no word from Oscar.


    Something wasn¡¯t right.


    She called him again, but it rang until the line disconnected¨Cstill no answer.


    <i>What¡¯s </i><i>going </i><i>on</i><i>? </i>


    <i>Was </i><i>he </i>in <i>the </i><ib </i><i>and </i>didn¡¯t <i>see </i><i>his </i><i>phone</i><i>? </i>

 Daghter 522

    Chapter <b>522 </b>Bear Cub Trouble


    Chapter 522 Bear Cub Trouble


    Out of caution, Yunice checked Oscar¡¯s phone location.


    Not at theb?


    She zoomed in on the red dot, trying to pinpoint the exact spot¨Conly to let out a sudden <b>yelp</b>.


    Freya rushed over at the sound, immediately on alert, and grabbed a kid¡¯s wrist with a sharp scolding. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    The little boy kicked out defiantly. ¡°I¡¯m gonna beat the homewrecker! Let go! Homewrecker must die<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice hurriedly patted her head¨Cthis little brat had thrown a raw egg at her.


    Her forehead was red from the hit, and


    egg yolk and


    white were now clinging to her hair in a slimy


    mess.


    Freya was livid. She¡¯d been on guard against adults¨Cwho would¡¯ve thought a little menace would spring out of nowhere?


    The kid was agile, and when he realized he couldn¡¯t break free from Freya¡¯s grip, he whipped a water gun out from behind his waist and sprayed her straight in the face. ¡°Makeup remover attack! Watch the ugly witch turn into a ghost!¡±


    It waspletely unexpected. Freya got hit right in the eyes and instinctively let go.


    She nearly slipped on the egg on the ground, her heels skidding.


    The little boy spun the water gun and aimed at Yunice next.


    Then he froze.


    He looked up into the looming shadow above him.


    At some point, Yunice had stepped right in front of him. The kid flinched, then puffed up again and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m Silver Hills royalty! Youy one finger on me and you¡¯re finished! I mean it¨Cstand still or else¡­!¡±


    Before he could finish, he was screeching and iling, pping at his face in panic.


    Yunice had snatched the water gun from him and sprayed him full in the face.


    The gun was small, and the makeup remover inside quickly ran out. Yunice nced at the nearby fountain.


    She reached out¨Cno electric current.


    She turned back to the boy, grabbed his cor, and to dunk him into the water.


    But the moment she lifted¨Cshe stopped.


    He was too heavy.


    C


    Chapter <b>522 </b>Bear Cub Trouble


    The little menace had a weight advantage and, sensing it, twisted around and tried to bite her wast


    Yunice instinctively prepared to let go, but the kid¡¯s sharp teeth never made it to her skin. Instead, they snapped uselessly at air..


    She looked over her shoulder¨Cto see Wyatt.


    One hand in his pocket, he¡¯d effortlessly hoisted the chubby boy high over his head with the other. <b>His </b>expression was one of deep disgust andzy annoyance.


    Then, without so much as a second thought, he flung the kid into the water<i>. </i>


    Sploosh.


    ack up


    The boy sank, only to pop with the wildly.


    ter¡¯s pressure. He floated and iled, his hands thrashing


    Yunice handed Freya a bottle of water and some wipes to clean her face, all the while eyeing the approaching sound of hurried footsteps.


    She asked nervously, ¡°Should we pull him out and say he fell in? You know¨Cy the good Samaritan card¡­?¡±


    Wyatt ignored the struggling child. Instead, he raised his hand and started wiping the egg out of Yunice¡¯s hair.


    What kind of psycho kid used raw egg for an ambush?


    Yunice could read his mind. ¡°At least it wasn¡¯t acid or paint.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s brow darkened. If it had been something worse, that child wouldn¡¯t be floating right now¨C<i>he¡¯d </i>be in pieces on the ground.


    Freya¡¯s eyes were red from the makeup remover. Her perfectly styled makeup had melted. Furious, she snapped, ¡°Wyatt! Why the hell would you bring Yunice to a ce like this? You know how many people hate your guts! She¡¯s just coteral damage¨C<i>I¡¯m </i>coteral damage!¡±


    Yunice gave Freya an apologetic look and handed her more tissues.


    While Yunice helped Freya clean her face, Wyatt continued working through the mess in Yunice¡¯s hair.


    All three of them were upied in their own chaos when the footsteps arrived.


    ¡°Chad?! Chad?! Where are you, baby? Say something!¡±


    From the fountain: <i>blub </i><i>blub </i><i>blub</i><i>¡­ </i>


    As the silhouettes rushed over, Wyatt shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over Yunice¡¯s shoulders. Freya cursed silently¨Cnow <i>she </i><i>looked </i>way <i>worse</i><i>! </i>


    But with Wyatt here, Yunice, wouldn¡¯t suffer. Freya made a split¨Csecond decision and bolted in <b>the </b><b>opposite </b>direction, covering her face <b>as </b>she ran.


    Chapter 522 <i>Bear </i>Cub Trouble


    Secondster, the boy¡¯s family arrived. Someone spented the chadarykid og fox was w screamed. They leapt into the <i>water </i>and dragged the waterlogged child or by his armigers


    He copsed on the ground, bawling


    Each sob squeezed a spout of water out of his mouth like a boned from


    Three adults surrounded him, wailing and screaming in a chaotic mess


    Yunice nervously shifted behind Wyatt.


    <i>God </i>knows, <i>I </i>didn¡¯t do anything¡­


    After some chest presses and finger¨Cin¨Cthroat tactics, the kid coughed out a few more mouthfuls of weer and let out a sharp wail.


    The adults breathed a collective sigh of relief, nearly copsing from relief


    Then, ten secondster, one of the women snapped out of it. She turned and shouted the only two people nearby, ¡°Who pushed my son into the water?!¡±


    Her eyesnded on Wyatt¨Cthen quickly shifted past him toward Yunice, likely sensing he was too intimidating to provoke directly.


    ¡°You! Sneaking around back there<i>. </i>Was it you? Did you push my son?!¡°


    45 Free Coms


    Chapter 522 Bear Cub Trouble,


    22


    Secondster, the boy¡¯s family arrived. Someone spotted the chubby kid guzzling fountain water <b>and </b>screamed. They leapt into the water and dragged the waterlogged child out by his armpits.


    He copsed on the ground, bawling.


    Each sob squeezed a spout of water out of his mouth like a bloated frog.


    Three adults surrounded him, wailing and screaming in a chaotic mess.


    Yunice nervously shifted behind Wyatt.


    <i>God </i><i>knows</i>, I didn¡¯t <i>do </i><i>anything</i>¡­


    2


    After some chest presses and finger¨Cin¨Cthroat tactics, the kid coughed out a few more mouthfuls of water and let out a sharp wail.


    The adults breathed a collective sigh of relief, nearly copsing from relief.


    Then, ten secondster, one of the women snapped out of it. She turned and shouted at the only two people nearby, ¡°Who pushed my son into the water?!¡±


    Her eyesnded on Wyatt¨Cthen quickly shifted past him toward Yunice, likely sensing he was too intimidating to provoke directly.


    ¡°You! Sneaking around back there. Was it you? Did you push my son?!¡±


    Chapter 523 The Price of a Ssh

 Daghter 523

    Chapter 523 The Price of a Ssh


    <b>The </b>woman lunged forward, trying to shove Wyatt aside to drag Yunice out.


    Yunice ducked behind Wyatt, who stood in front of her like a wall, looking down at the woman with a cold. mountainous stillness.


    The woman hesitated, intimidated. She turned and muttered something to a man and an elderly woman nearby.


    The man¨Clooking like the kid¡¯s uncle¨Cand the elderly woman¨Cprobably his grandmother¨Cstepped forward and addressed Wyatt, trying to sound reasonable. ¡°Sir, could you ask thedy behind you toe out? We need to ask why she tried to drown my nephew.¡± D


    Wyatt curved his lips into a dangerous, mocking smile. ¡°So you¡¯re certain it was her who pushed your nephew?¡±


    The man replied, ¡°There¡¯s no surveince in this area, and only you two were here. Her hair¡¯s wet¨Cit must¡¯ve sshed up when she shoved him in.¡±


    Wyatt said calmly, ¡°Your nephew weighs a ton. You think my wife could lift him?¡±


    The man, sensing Wyatt wouldn¡¯t admit to anything, grew aggressive. ¡°She¡¯s wet, so it had to be her-<b>¡± </b>


    Before he could finish, Wyatt kicked him straight into the fountain.


    Ssh.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re wet too,¡± Wyatt said coolly.


    The boy¡¯s mother and grandmother screamed in panic. ¡°You¡¯re not even trying to reason with us!¡±


    ¡°Help! Someone¡¯s trying to murder us!¡±


    Wyatt stood there with his hands in his pockets<b>, </bpletely unfazed.


    From behind him, Yunice called out, ¡°It was your kid who sprayed me with makeup remover and threw a raw egg at me. The floor was slick from all that¨Che slipped and fell in on his own.¡±


    She poked her head out from behind Wyatt. ¡°And you still owe me for the dress.¡±


    The grandmother snapped, rushing to defend her grandson. ¡°You little girl,e out here! Don¡¯t lie through your teeth. If you hadn¡¯t provoked my grandson, would he have done anything? He must¡¯ve <b>been </b>bullied first! If his brain¡¯s damaged from choking, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re ruined!¡±


    No matter how much they screamed and cursed, Yunice stayed hidden behind Wyatt. ¡°Go ahead and call the police. His water gun only has his prints on it¨Cthey¡¯ll know exactly who it belongs to.¡±


    The grandmother¡¯s face flickered with guilt. She knew full well what kind of child she was raising.


    If the police tested the water gun, maybe they¡¯d find Yunice¡¯s prints too¨Cbut that¡¯d only prove she <b>took </b><b>it </b>from him, not that she used it first.


    Chapter <b>523 </b>The <b>Price </b>of a Ssh


    <b>Instead</b>, the grandmother stomped over and smashed the water gun with her heel. ¡°There. <b>Now </b><b>the </b><b>evidence </b>is gone!¡±


    Yunice nearlyughed. <i>Brilliant</i><i>. </i><i>The </i><i>only </i><i>shred </i><i>of </i><i>leverage </i><i>they </i><i>had</i><i>, </i>and they destroyed it themselves.


    Just then, another man arrived, rushing to the scene. Before he could assess what had happened, the <b>boy¡¯s </b>mother cried out dramatically, ¡°Honey! They tried to kill our son! Call the cops! Get them locked <b>up</b><b>!</b>¡±


    The man turned¨Cand froze.


    He recognized Wyatt immediately.


    His whole body stiffened. Then, without warning, he pped his wife across the face. ¡°Are you blind? That¡¯s Mr. Cooper!¡±


    The woman clutched her check, refusing to back down. ¡°You coward! He tried to drown our son and you¡¯re defending him?!¡±


    The man looked like he could explode. ¡°Mr. Cooper taught our son a lesson¨Cthat¡¯s a blessing! We raised this brat ourselves, and you have the nerve to make a scene?¡±


    Then he quickly turned to Wyatt and bowed his head, ¡°Mr. Cooper, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll make sure this stupid kid is properly disciplined!¡±


    Wyatt replied evenly, ¡°He¡¯s a kid¨Cdoesn¡¯t know better. We adults shouldn¡¯t stoop to his level. But take him home and put him on a diet before my wife ends


    up straining her wrist next time.¡±


    ¡°Diet?¡± the man echoed nkly. Then quickly nodded. ¡°Of course! We¡¯ll make him drop ten pounds!¡±


    Seeing Wyatt¡¯s expression darken, he blurted again, ¡°Thirty pounds! He¡¯ll lose thirty!¡±


    The mother¡¯s jaw dropped. Their kid only weighed sixty to begin with. Losing half his weight? Was he supposed to starve?


    But the man couldn¡¯t care less about her meltdown. Instead, he noticed Yunice¡¯s ruined dress and apologized profusely. ¡°About your gown¨Cwe¡¯ll cover it, of course!¡±


    Yunice sighed. ¡°Forget it.¡±


    No matter how expensive a recement was, it couldn¡¯t match the one Wyatt made by hand.


    It was a shame, though. The dress had nearly a thousand diamonds, each sewn on one by one. Who knew how much effort Wyatt had poured into it?


    Cashmere was so delicate¨Cand now it was drenched in


    raw


    egg.


    Yunice sighed again. ¡°I¡¯m going to go change.<i>¡± </i>


    The man bowed low, sweating as he watched the two of them walk away..


    Only once he was


    sure they were out of sight did he round on his son¨Cwho had just barely finished coughing up water¨Cand pped him hard across the face.


    <i>¡°</i>You little disaster! Of all the people


    to mess with, you pick <i>that </i>one? You almost cost me <b>everything</b><b>! </b>


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 523 The Price of a Ssh


    The chubby boy burst into tears, unable to say a word in his defense.


    *5 Free Coins


    None of them noticed the woman lurking in the corner, slipping away with a cold, impatient look on her face. (D)


    Back at the hotel, Yunice took a long shower.


    Her makeup and hairstyle werepletely ruined. Getting them redone would take too long.


    She really didn¡¯t feel like going back to the auction.

 Daghter 524

    apter 524 Unraveling Threads


    Chapter 524 Unraveling Threads


    s.


    Yunice sat at the vanity, towel¨Cdrying her hair, but her mind kept reying what that kid had said during the attack.


    Wyatt, noticing her gloomy expression, leaned against the back of her chair, his arms braced on either side. ¡°Still upset?¡±


    His gaze met hers in the mirror. ¡°Want His gaze met hers in the mirror. ¡°Want


    me to call that little brat back and hang him up for a beating?¡±


    Yunice muttered, ¡°That kid was strange. The whole time he was attacking me, he kept yelling he was punishing a homewrecker¡­¡±


    She turned toward Wyatt, her voice edged with frustration. ¡°How would he even know I¡¯m a homewrecker?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°You¡¯re not.¡±


    Yunice lowered hershes, then turned back to the mirror, slowly resuming drying her hair.


    She didn¡¯t speak again.


    Wyatt, clearly irritated, left for the balcony and lit a cigarette.


    He called Jordan. ¡°Get me the guest list from tonight¡¯s g.¡±


    That little hellspawn didn¡¯t know Yunice. He didn¡¯t even know who she was. There¡¯s no way he could¡¯ve known enough to target her with that kind of insult unless someone coached him.


    Wyatt had already dealt with the kid. Now he was going after whoever was behind it.


    It didn¡¯t take long for Jordan to report back. ¡°Wyatt, Maine showed up at the g. She left earlier, though.¡±


    1


    Wyatt ground his cigarette out between his fingers, his face clouded with anger.


    Just as he thought.


    His voice was cold and edged with hostility. ¡°If she¡¯s that bored, then give her something to do. I don¡¯t want her ying sentry on me like it¡¯s her full¨Ctime job¨Ctracking which women I talk to.¡±


    Jordan immediately responded, ¡°Understood. I¡¯m on it.¡±


    Meanwhile, Yunice stayed at the dressing table, knowing Wyatt would handle it. She didn¡¯t let the mi weigh on her.


    What really concerned her right now was Oscar.


    She frowned at her phone. Why was his GPS showing him at a police station?


    Right then, Owen¡¯s call came through¨Cabrupt and startling.


    Yunice jumped. Her phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor.


    Chapter 524 Unraveling Threads


    <b>Wyatt </b>reached it first and handed it back without a word.


    Yunice nced at him. Neither mentioned the earlier tension.


    Owen¡¯s call <b>was </b>still ringing. Yunice rejected it.


    Almost immediately, another unknown number popped up. She answered.


    Owen¡¯s voice roared out, already mid¨Crage, as if he¡¯d just snatched the phone, ¡°Yunice! You venomous bitch! Get out here! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you! Aaaaaagh-!¡±


    His sudden, vicious rage left Yunice stunned. She instinctively held the phone away from her ear, <b>staring </b>at the screen in disbelief.


    Owen¡¯s furious voice continued, ¡°I won¡¯t let you off the hook! I won¡¯t! You¡¯re going to pay for everything Elsie suffered¨Ctenfold!¡±


    Wyatt silently took the phone from her hand and hung up.


    When the unknown number tried again, he muted it and ced the phone face down on the table.


    He turned to Yunice, eyes calm but sharp.


    Yunice, still dazed, suddenly stood up, her voice tense. ¡°Something must¡¯ve happened!¡±


    Owen was hotheaded, sure¨Cbut this was beyond even him. He wouldn¡¯t make this kind of call out of nowhere.


    She pressed a hand to her chest, frowning. ¡°I have a really bad feeling¡­¡±


    She looked to Wyatt, who was typing on his phone. Then he looked up and said, ¡°Jordan¡¯s already investigating.¡±


    Yunice nodded grimly. ¡°I¡¯ll go change.¡±


    She needed to be ready to move.


    When she returned from the bathroom, she found Wyatt standing in the living room, hands in his pockets, face grim.


    Her heart dropped.


    She knew that expression too well.


    She asked, ¡°You found out?¡±


    Wyatt said evenly, ¡°Elsie was photographed being raped in a hotel.¡±


    Yunice jolted. That¡­ was a lot to process.


    No wonder Owen lost it. But what did it have to do with her? She wasn¡¯t the one who sent anyone to do that.


    She asked cautiously, <b>¡°</b>Could this be another one of Elsie¡¯s stunts?<b>¡± </b>


    <b>2/3 </b>


    1217 301 <b>26 </b>Jur


    Chapter <b>524 </b><b>Unraveling </b>Threads


    <b>She </b><b>felt </b><b>no </b>sympathy for Elsie<b>¨C</b>only wariness. She¡¯d been burned by her too <b>many </b><b>times </b><b>to </b><b>blindly </b><b>trust </b>anything involving her.


    Wyatt¡¯s <b>gaze </b>grew heavier, and after a pause, he dropped another bomb.


    ¡°The one who orchestrated it¡­ was Oscar.¡°¨C


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s response was instant and visceral. She didn¡¯t even register what Wyatt had said before her instincts kicked in, rejecting it at full volume.


    The sound of her own voice startled her. She lowered her tone. ¡°It has to be a setup.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t rush to reassure her. Instead, he calmly exined, ¡°There were multiple witnesses. The story¡¯s already hit the media. <b>It¡¯s </b>spreading fast online. Oscar¡¯s been taken into custody. No visitation allowed.¡±

 Daghter 525

    Chapter 525 Climbing the Edge


    Yunice clenched her fingers as she registered the most important detail in Wyatt¡¯s words.


    The story¡¯s already spread online<i>? </i>


    That meant this had been premeditated¨Cdeliberately staged for maximum exposure. Once it spiraled into a public scandal, it would no longer be easy to control or reverse. It was no longer just a case¨Cit had be a social event.


    And that¡¯s when Yunice understood.


    This wasn¡¯t about Oscar.


    It was about <i>her</i><i>. </i>


    That¡¯s why Owen had exploded on the phone¨Cbecause in his eyes, this wasn¡¯t just a betrayal from Oscar. This was a trap aimed at Yunice. Oscar¡¯s downfall was coteral.


    She thought of Oscar¡¯s unreachable phone earlier, and the three¨Cring missed call¨Cit must¡¯ve been his desperate final attempt to reach her before the police took him away.


    Yunice steadied her breath. A n formed instantly.


    ¡°I need to see Elsie,¡± she said, voice trembling.


    If this really was a rape case, she¡¯d definitely be at a hospital now.


    Whether this was a setup or not, Elsie would know better than anyone what had really happened.


    She was the key.


    Wyatt moved to follow, but Yunice hesitated. ¡°The g¡¯s not over. I can ask Freya toe with me.¡­.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t stop walking. ¡°You think I¡¯m letting you go alone?¡±


    Yunice fell silent. It was just a charity event. At most, some people would be disappointed. That hardly mattered now.


    Wyatt used a few tricks to find out which hospital Elsie had been taken to.


    But she was under heavy watch. Even in the examination room, two police officers stood guard outside.


    From a distance, Yunice spotted Owen pacing in front of the room, his eyes bloodshot, whole body radiating the kind of fury that made you wonder if he had a knife stashed under his shirt.


    Wyatt and Yunice didn¡¯t get close. They¡¯d already noticed a few undercover media nearby trying to snap photos, so they kept their distance from Elsie¡¯s room.


    Owen was just a pawn¨Cno use getting tangled up with him.


    Yunice scanned the area, then turned to Wyatt to speak-


    Chapter 525 Climbing the Edge


    Only to find her lips brushing his check.


    She instinctively pulled back, startled.


    When had he gotten so close?


    Wyatt,pletely calm, withdrew his gaze from the hallway and turned to her like nothing had happened. ¡°What?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even know how to respond.


    Refocusing, she said, ¡°The floor above the exam rooms has patient rooms. If I climb down from one of the windows, I can reach Elsie¡¯s exam room directly. It¡¯s a gynecological unit¨Cthere¡¯s usually one doctor and one female officer inside. I¡¯m guessing the evidence has already been collected and now <i>they¡¯re </i>waiting forb results.¡±


    In sexual assault cases, samples are collected as quickly as possible. The faster they acted, the higher their chance of catching the setup before it locked Oscar in a losing position.


    Yunice was already moving toward the stairs when Wyatt caught her wrist.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying you n to <i>climb </i><i>down </i>to Elsie¡¯s room?¡± he asked, brow tightening.


    Yunice blinked. ¡°Got a better n?¡±


    Wyatt exhaled sharply and tightened his grip on her wrist. ¡°You think I¡¯m just here to look pretty?¡±


    A woman risking her life to climb windows when there was a man standing right beside her? <i>That </i>wasn¡¯t initiative¡ªit was an insult.


    Yunice was stunned.


    She hadn¡¯t even considered asking him to do it.


    She was used to acting alone. Depending on others never felt safe. If you rely on a mountain, the mountain might copse. If you lean on a wall, the wall might run. She feared losing her ability to survive by leaning too much.


    Just like with Owen.


    Wyatt added, ¡°You and Elsie fight the moment you see each other. Even if you got in, she¡¯d withhold the truth just <i>to </i>spite you. But if I go in, at least she¡¯ll be afraid.¡±


    It was logical. She couldn¡¯t deny it.


    Still¡­ this was <i>her </i>problem. She wasn¡¯t used to letting others take the risk.


    Wyatt pressed his thumb to the grease between his brows. ¡°Jordan¡¯s bringing a drone. You¡¯ll stay with him


    and act as lookout.¡±


    He nced at his watch. ¡°I¡¯ll head up first.¡±


    As he turned to leave, his eyes briefly flicked to her lips¨Ca deliberate nce<b>. </b>


    <b>2/3 </b>


    <b>12:17 </b>Sat,


    Chapter 525 Climbing the Edge


    Once he disappeared around the corner, Yunice touched her lips with a sigh.


    That was intentional¡­ childish.


    +5 <b>Free </b><b>Coins </b>


    A head suddenly popped around behind her, grinning into her space. ¡°Mrs. Cooper? What are you thinking about?¡±


    Yunice flinched and turned¨Cface burning.


    ¡°Jordan?¡±


    He straightened up, all business. ¡°Where¡¯s Wyatt?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s upstairs already.¡± She quickly shifted the topic. ¡°Wyatt said you know how to handle a drone?¡±


    Jordan pulled apact drone from his bag and began assembling. ¡°I was in the drone club back in college. I¡¯m no pro, but good enough for surveince.¡±


    They picked a hidden corner near the building. Yunice kept watch on the exam room from a distance while Jordan guided the drone out through a venttion window and looped it around-


    Until it hovered outside Elsie¡¯s window.

 Daghter 526

    Chapter 526 Distraction and Entry


    Chapter 526 Distraction and Entry


    In the drone¡¯s live video feed, Wyatt¡¯s figure shed by the screen.


    ¡°Go up a little,¡± Yunice directed.


    Jordan nudged the drone higher, revealing Wyatt¡¯s form scaling the side of the building.


    ¡°Move it farther,¡± Yunice added. ¡°The noise draws attention.¡±


    The moment anyone looked up, they¡¯d see him.


    Jordan adjusted course, piloting the drone away. ¡°If we don¡¯t want him recognized, he could cover his <b>face</b>. Or pretend to be an AC repairman.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be cool,¡± Yunice said without looking away from the screen.


    Jordanughed. ¡°Cool is a vibe. Even with a mask, he¡¯d still be cool.¡±


    Yunice ignored him. Her eyes were glued to the feed as Wyatt carefully descended from the balcony above and caught the edge of the examination room window. With quiet precision, he slid it open from the outside.


    Perched on the windowsill in a half¨Ccrouch, Wyatt¡¯s tall frame moved with lean control. He turned his body sideways to peek inside before entering¨Cclearly someone was in the room.


    Yunice¡¯s eyesnded on his hand gripping the window frame.


    Tall men usually had good¨Clooking hands, and Wyatt¡¯s were no exception¨Clong fingers, visible veins, healthy pink nails.


    Just then, a buzzing sound came from the drone feed.


    Another drone was approaching the examination room.


    Yunice stiffened. If that drone caught Wyatt on camera-


    ¡°Crash it!¡± she ordered.


    Without hesitation, Jordan guided their drone into a collision course.


    A violent midair impact.


    Both drones spiraled downward.


    Yunice bolted out to check. One drone had fallen, its des busted. The other¨CJordan¡¯s<b>¨C</b>stabist moment and hovered back into the air.


    at the


    The downed drone¡¯s operator game running out, furious, clutching a remote as he retrieved the damaged machine.


    He looked up toward the rooftop. Yunice followed his gaze-


    12:17 Sat, 26 <b>Jul </b>(


    Chapter <b>526 </b>Distraction and Entry


    But Wyatt was gone.


    Had he gone back up? Or had he already entered Elsie¡¯s room?


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m calling the police!¡±


    The man¡¯s voice snapped Yunice back. He barked into the phone, ¡°I just saw someone using <b>a </b>drone <b>to </b><b>spy </b>on <b>a </b>sexual assault victim¡¯s medical exam! You¡¯d better send someone now!¡±


    Then he hung up and muttered bitterly, ¡°If I can¡¯t get the scoop, no one will.¡±


    <i>Of </i><i>course</i>. Yunice sighed. <i>Perfect </i><i>timing</i>.


    She knew the cops guarding Elsie¡¯s room would head in to investigate soon. She raced toward the hallway.


    Jordan, reading the situation, piloted the drone straight through the open exam window.


    Inside, Wyatt was indeed present. The drone circled him once, capturing the scene: both the doctor and a female officer were unconscious.


    The drone flew to Wyatt¡¯s side.


    Wyatt walked to Elsie¡¯s bed and reached out to draw back the curtain-


    Outside the room, the two officers received the tip¨Coff call.


    They tensed, one hand on their guns, the other reaching for the door.


    Suddenly, Yunice mmed into the doorframe, catching them both off guard.


    ¡°Yunice!¡± Owen¡¯s voice roared.


    His face twisted in rage. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±


    He lunged, grabbing at her cor. ¡°You think showing up all fake and concerned clears you of this? This is your fault too!¡±


    Yunice shoved his hand away, snapping, ¡°You think I came here to <ifort </i>her? I¡¯m here to ask that cold- blooded witch why she framed Oscar! No one wants her rotting body¨Cnot even for free! Oscar would <i>never </i>touch her! This whole thing is her own pathetic performance!¡±


    She spun back to the door, pounding on it with both fists.


    ¡°Elsie, open the damn door! I know you¡¯re in there! Hiding won¡¯t save you, you lying bitch! Framing Oscar? I¡¯ll tear that filthy mouth off your face!¡±


    The officers blinked¨Cstunned. Thisposed¨Clooking young woman had justunched into most vicious tirades they¡¯d ever heard.


    f the


    They reached out to restrain her, asking Owen, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Owen held the door tight, panicking. ¡°She¡¯s with the bastard who hurt my sister! You <i>cannot </i>let her in- restrain her, now!¡±


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 526 Distraction and Entry


    <b>Two </b>officers versus one woman- no contest.


    Except that Jordan suddenly threw himself into the mix.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± he yelled, yanking at their arms. ¡°What crime has Mrs. Coopermitted <b>that </b><b>gives </b>you the right to treat her like this?!¡±


    Owen¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°Jordan? You¡¯re helping <i>her </i><i>too</i>?!¡±


    Outside, chaos erupted.


    Inside the room, however, everything was silent.

 Daghter 527

    Chapter <b>527 </b><b>Pieces </b>on the Board


    Chapter 527 Pieces on the Board


    After a round of chaotic shouting and struggling, one of the officers finally realized something <b>was </b><b>off </b><b>and </b>shoved Owen aside, barging into the examination room.


    Yunice immediately dropped the fierceness and slipped in behind him like a fish darting through <b>water</b>.


    Owen tried to grab her but missed. One by one, they all flooded into the room.


    The officers¡® eyes first fell on the unconscious doctor and female officer sprawled on the floor.


    Yunice¡¯s gaze went straight to the bed.


    The curtain had been drawn back. Elsiey there, face pale as chalk,pletely unconscious.


    Owen rushed over and covered her with the nket, shielding her from view.


    Yunice didn¡¯t spare him a nce¨Cshe was scanning every corner.


    Wyatt was nowhere to be seen.


    That alone was enough to ease her tension.


    Then she turned¨Cand locked eyes with the lead officer, who looked absolutely furious.


    ¡°Everyone, back <i>to </i>the station!¡± he barked.


    Someone had managed to breach security and assault a protected witness on their watch. The consequences would be brutal.


    Yunice and Jordan were perfect scapegoats.


    As they were being led out, Jordan leaned close and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Cooper. They¡¯ve got no evidence.¡±


    Yunice, technically Elsie¡¯s rtive, might face a minor obstruction of justice charge. A couple of days in holding and a fine¨Cat most.


    As long as they hadn¡¯t caught Wyatt, they were fine.


    Yunice stayed quiet. She wasn¡¯t nervous¨Cshe was deep in thought.


    She¡¯d only seen Elsie briefly, but her years of medical experience told her one thing: Elsie wasn¡¯t faking.


    Her face had the dullness of prolonged unconsciousness. Real. Not an act.


    But why?


    If this was all to frame Oscar, why go so far?


    Why risk her own life when she hadn¡¯t even managed to hurt Yunice?


    <i>What </i><i>was </i><i>really </i><i>going </i><i>on </i><i>behind </i><i>the scenes</i><i>? </i>


    <b>12:18 </b><b>Sat </b><b>26 </b><b>Juf </b>Ga


    Chapter <b>527 </b>Pieces on the Board


    <b>As </b>expected, after the usual round of questions at the station¨Cand without any evidence<b>¨C</b><b>Wyatt </b><b>appeared </b>at the front doors and bailed them both out.


    <b>Back </b>in the car, once the door closed, Yunice turned immediately. ¡°What happened<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt said, ¡°She was already unconscious when I got there. I tried pressure on the philtrum¨Cshe didn¡¯t wake up.¡±


    Which meant they had no new leads.


    Seeing Yunice¡¯s brows furrow even tighter, Wyatt handed her hisptop.


    A video.


    Yunice pulled theputer onto herp. The footage was shaky, clearly taken in a rush.


    The camera zoomed in on the chaos at a hotel entrance.


    People bustled around, the angle jittered¨Cthen it centered.


    Elsie was sprawled inside a bathtub, her wrist shed open, blood everywhere. Her body was limp. It wasn¡¯t clear if she was alive or dead.


    In the same frame, Oscar stood in shock¨Cface pale, knife in hand, stunned and panicking, mouthing denials. He tried pulling out his phone, but someone bumped into him, and it flew out of his hand.


    Before he could recover it, police burst in and arrested him.


    Yunice stared, frozen.


    She¡¯d heard Oscar had been framed, but seeing it¨Cwatching it¨Cwas different.


    The visceral dread hit her in waves.


    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with all of this,¡± she muttered, her voice rising. ¡°None of this adds up. Nothing makes sense!¡±


    Elsie wouldn¡¯t go this far¨Cnot even she would bleed herself half to death to pull a stunt.


    And Oscar? As impulsive as he was, he¡¯d never use such violence.


    <i>So </i><i>what </i><i>the </i><i>hell </i><i>actually </i><i>happened</i><i>? </i><i>Who¡¯s </i><i>behind </i><i>this</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice pressed a hand to her forehead, dizzy with questions.


    Then a strong handnded gently on her back. Wyatt¡¯s voice was calm but grim.


    ¡°Oscar just got back into the country. He¡¯s had no time to make enemies. Whoever did this must be <b>close</b>. Someone around us<b>.¡± </b>


    The Saunders family was the most likely suspect. Or perhaps someone targeting Wyatt and Yunice directly.


    Yunice¡¯s frown deepened. ¡°Owen and Lily treat Elsie like she¡¯s untouchable. They¡¯d never risk her like


    Chapter 527 Pieces on the Board


    this. Could it be Peggy?¡±


    She thought aloud, Teggy¡¯s greedy. She werd Owen for money. She¡¯d definitely see Elde and Cheat 2 threats to her im on the Saunders inheritance. So maybe she set them both up


    Then she hesitated. ¡°But it could be someone else entirely.


    Wyatt said, ¡°If we¡¯re the real targets, then that makes things easier. If they want something from us, they¡® have to show their hand sooner orter¡±


    Yunice nodded, eyes still fixed on theptop as she rewound the video.


    She studied the angles, zooming in, checking every face.


    Elsie definitely knew who had done this. But now, with the botched hospital infiltration, it would be much harder to get near her again.


    Yunice closed theptop and exhaled.


    ¡°I need to visit the Saunders family.¡±


    Wyatt gave Jordan a nce. Jordan started the car and headed straight for the Saunders estate.

 Daghter 528

    Chapter 528 A Room Full of Shadows


    Chapter 528 A Room Full of Shadows


    Elsie was under tight police watch¨Ceven Owen wasn¡¯t allowed to see her. So the entire Saunders. household sat shrouded in a heavy silence, tension hanging thick in the air.


    As Wyatt¡¯s car pulled into the estate, Yunice noticed another car parked outside.


    ¡°Paul?¡± she murmured.


    The moment they entered the living room, Owen jumped up from the sofa, visibly agitated¨Cbut Peggy yanked him back down before he could charge over.


    ¡°This has nothing to do with Yunice,¡± she said tly. ¡°What are you trying tosh out at her for? It was Oscar who assaulted Elsie. Would she really sabotage herself just <i>to </i>take someone else down?¡±


    The moment she said ¡°assault,¡± Owen¡¯s fists clenched so hard they trembled. His mrs ground together with audible force.


    Elsie had been vited¨Cphysically and emotionally. He couldn¡¯t even bring himself to imagine the horror of it: Elsie alone, helpless, trapped in despair.


    But what shattered himpletely-


    Was that the bastard responsible might be his <i>own </i><i>brother</i>.


    Yes, he¡¯d known Oscar had issues with Elsie. But he never imagined Oscar¨Chis clean¨Ccut, ambitious brother¨Cwould do something this vile.


    Yunice nced toward Lily, who sat utterly still, eyes zed, like the life had been drained out of her.


    A scandal like this? Elsie¡¯s entire future was destroyed. Lily¡¯s dream of seeing her daughter married into a powerful family was now ash in the wind.


    Worse yet¨Cit was Oscar who had done <ol><li><i>it</i><i>. </i></li></ol>


    Despite her bias toward Elsie, Lily had always favored Oscar more deeply than anyone else. He was the only one she had raised herself.


    Now the eagle she¡¯d raised had gouged out her own eye¨Cand she had no tears left to shed. Now the eagle she¡¯d raised had gouged out he


    ¡°You¡¯re here to gloat?¡± The voice came from Paul.


    He sat with unnatural stillness on the couch. His tone was quiet but carried an eerie chill. The heavy makeup over his scarred face, paired with his sunken cheeks, made him look ghostlike.


    Anyone could tell just by looking¨CPaul had not been doing well. And it hadn¡¯t even been two year the engagement broke off.


    ce


    He barely looked human anymore.


    Yunice narrowed her eyes. ¡°And what are <i>you </i>doing here?¡±


    12.18 <b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>26 </b>Jul G


    Chapter 528 A Room Full of Shadows


    Lily answered before Paul could. ¡°Paul has a good heart. Elsie¡¯s been hurt¨Che feels <b>just </b><b>as </b><b>miserable </b><b>as </b><b>the </b>


    <b>rest </b>of us.¡±


    Then she slowly lifted her gaze toward Yunice. Her voice turned sharp.


    ¡°But <i>you </i>must be pleased, huh?¡±


    She had wanted revenge on the Saunders family. On Elsic.


    Well, now she had it.


    Yunice snorted. ¡°From the moment I walked in, all I¡¯ve heard is concern for Elsie. Funny how none of you seem to care that Oscar¡¯s rotting in a cell right now. He might get charged with assault¨Cand not one of you has even mentioned him.¡±


    At that, every face darkened.


    It was clear¨Cnone of them believed in Oscar¡¯s innocence.


    Yunice¡¯s voice sharpened. ¡°Lily, of all your children, Oscar is the only one you personally raised. Don¡¯t tell


    don¡¯t know what kind of man he is<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    me you


    Lily bit her lip, voice weak. ¡°He was holding the knife¡­ He cut Elsie¡¯s wrist. Everyone saw¡­<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Oh? So ¡®seeing¡® makes it true?¡± Yunice snapped. ¡°You already forgot how you and Elsie framed <i>me </i>back then?¡±


    Lily said nothing, stiff with resentment.


    Owen surged up again, trembling with rage¨Che couldn¡¯t take anyone insulting Elsie right now.


    But Peggy held him down firmly. She wasn¡¯t about to let him ruin things. Oscar and Elsie both being in trouble suited her just fine¨Cbut crossing their golden ticket? Not worth it.


    Instead, Peggy turned her eyes, shameless and bold, toward Wyatt.


    She recognized him instantly¨Cthis must be the legendary, mysterious husband of Yunice. The one whose name no one dared speak.


    So she smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Actually, I think Yunice makes a good point. There¡¯s definitely something off about this whole thing¡­¡±


    Then, fluttering hershes in Wyatt¡¯s direction, she added with a syrupy tone, ¡°This must be Wyatt, right? You can tell at a nce¡ªhe¡¯s the kind of man who handles serious business. With someone like him around, I just know Oscar and Elsie/will both get justice.¡±


    Lily and Owen both rolled their eyes at her tant ttery. They knew full well Yunice would onl finger to save Oscar¨Cnot Elsie.


    But Yunice noticed something far more interesting.


    The moment Peggy finished, Paul let out a quiet, mockingugh.


    <b>a </b>


    She stepped toward him, slowly, stopping right in front of his seat. She leaned down, eyes locked onto <b>his </b>


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 528 A Room Full of Shadows


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡±


    Paul¡¯s smirk faltered. His expression hardened.


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    He hated that look in her eyes¨Cthat calm, condescending gaze. Since when did Yunice get to look down on him?


    Yunice¡¯s gaze flicked across his face deliberatelynding on the scar beneath the thickyers of foundation.


    Her voice turned icy.


    ¡°No matter how much cream you smear on your face, it won¡¯t cover that scar. Guess some kinds of ugliness can¡¯t be hidden, huh?¡±

 Daghter 529

    Chapter 529 The Fox Shows Its Tail


    Chapter 529 The Fox Shows Its Tail


    Yunice heard the crack of Paul¡¯s knuckles and knew he was angry.


    But she also knew something more important¨CPaul was a coward. No, even worse than Owen.


    Owen, at the very least, would fight for the people he cared about. Paul? He was scum. The kind who would destroy lives for the sake of his own satisfaction. Just like when he let Gerardo die and triggered a citywide health scare. How many innocent people had suffered because he deliberately spread the illness?


    And yet here he was¨Cbold enough to sit calmly in the Saunders¡® living room like he belonged.


    Yunice let the sound of his popping joints fill the room, knowing full well Wyatt stood right behind her.


    Even if Paul had ten times the guts, he¡¯d never act out in front of Wyatt.


    It reminded her of the ¡°flea effect¡°-take a flea that can jump thirty centimeters, trap it in a ten¨Ccentimeter jar, and close the lid. After hitting the lid enough times, even when it¡¯s removed, the flea never jumps higher than ten centimeters again.


    Paul was that flea. After being crushed over and over by Wyatt, his spirit was permanently stunted.


    Yunice smirked, fearless. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask¨Cwho carved up your face?¡±


    Paul¡¯s expression dropped like a stone. Across the room, Owen looked stunned, like something <i>had </i>just clicked.


    He was the only one here who knew the truth¨Cthose scars on Paul¡¯s face had been carved by Oscar. With a scalpel.


    To defend Yunice.


    Now that he remembered, Owen¡¯s chest filled with dread. His eyes flicked nervously to Wyatt.


    Could Wyatt know?


    He and Oscar had visited Paul under Wyatt¡¯s arrangements. Someone might¡¯ve told him what had happened.


    Uneasy, Owen quickly avoided Wyatt¡¯s gaze. His hand clenched unconsciously around the armrest.


    Wyatt, as if sensing something, slowly turned toward him. Their eyes met for a split second¨Cthen Owen looked away again, his guilt written all over his face.


    Across the room, Paul¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. His eyes met Yunice¡¯s¨Cand for all his anger, he said nothing.


    A silent standoff. One full of tension.


    Yunice could see straight through him.


    Paul was never evil enough, never clever enough. His work was sloppy, always letting his tail show.


    <


    Chapter 529 The Fox Shows Its Tail


    She straightened up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    As she and Wyatt headed for the door, Owen suddenly stood. His eyes locked on Paul¨Cbut he addressed- Lily.


    ¡°Mom, go lock the door.¡±


    Lily didn¡¯t understand, but she obeyed.


    Owen walked toward Paul like he had a weight on his back. Once in front of him, he stared for a moment, searching his face.


    ¡°Was it you?¡± His voice was low, tense. ¡°Oscar carved up your face. You hate him. So you framed him¡­¡±


    His voice rose suddenly. ¡°But what the hell did Elsie ever do to you?! She¡¯s always been good to you!¡±


    He was shouting now. ¡°When you were nearly drowning at the Crawford estate, she jumped in to save you even though she was sick! She ended up with pneumonia and stayed in bed for half a month! She risked her life for you, and you did <i>this </i>to her?!¡±


    Paul didn¡¯t reply. But in his head, he wasughing bitterly.


    Good to me? Elsie was good to me?


    That woman slept with Morgan while I was still barely standing on my feet.


    Saving him? That was all for show. A meaningless performance. The same night she ¡°saved¡± him, she went off to roll in bed with Morgan.


    Paul¡¯s lips twisted into a cold sneer.


    Let¡¯s see how Owen reacts when he finds out Elsie was nearly killed by <i>Morgan</i><i>, </i>not Oscar.


    Meanwhile, outside the Saunders home, Yunice and Wyatt got back in the car.


    As soon as the door shut, Yunice pulled out her phone. Her voice was calm and serious. ¡°I nted a listening device in the Saunders¡® house.¡±


    Owen and Paul had been acting strangely.


    2


    She¡¯d sensed it and deliberately left, knowing they¡¯d talk once they thought she was gone.


    Slipping in her earpiece, she suddenly froze, blinking in surprise.


    ¡°Oscar¡¯s the one who carved Paul¡¯s face?¡±


    Wyatt looked puzzled for a second, then shrugged. ¡°Oscar always looked so mild. Guess appearanc <i>are </i>deceiving.¡±


    Yunice shot him a curious nce.


    Something about that felt¡­ off.


    But she had no time to dwell on it. She kept listening in.


    ally


    <b>12:18 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>26 </b>Jul


    Chapter 529 The Fox Shows Its Tail


    445 Free Cotes


    As expected, Paul refused to admit anything. Even after Owenid bare his motive, he yed dumb.


    A few minutester, Yunice heard the sound of a door and Paul leaving.


    She looked up¨Csure enough, Paul¡¯s car was rolling down the driveway.


    As it passed them on the road, Yunice lowered her window. Her gaze locked with Paul¡¯s through the ss.


    Just a few seconds of eye contact¨Cbut it was enough. Sparks flew between them, the air practically crackling with tension.


    ¡°Paul¡¯s definitely one of the masterminds,¡± she said tly.

 Daghter 530

    Chapter 530 Dreams Don¡¯t Lie


    Chapter 530 Dreams Don¡¯t Lie


    Yunice had her suspicions¨Cand she wasn¡¯t ready to share them with Wyatt just yet.


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    As they followed Paul¡¯s car, she watched the vehicle ahead with cool, focused eyes. Then, out of nowhere,


    she murmured. ¡°Hit him<b>.</b>¡±


    Wyatt nced at her, didn¡¯t ask why, and simply floored the gas. When their car pulled alongside Paul¡¯s, he yanked the wheel sharply,


    Inside his own vehicle, Paul had been lost in thought¨Cthinking about Yunice¡¯s face, her smooth neck, soft jawline, those slightly plush lips¡­


    He didn¡¯t even notice Wyatt¡¯s car until it swerved into him.


    With a startled yell, Paul mmed the brakes. His car screeched to a halt. Wyatt¡¯s returned to itsne, cool andposed.


    In the rearview mirror, they could see Paul¡¯s forehead had smashed against the steering wheel. His nose was bleeding, and bystanders were already gathering to check on him.


    Yunice turned away, satisfied but still preupied.


    After everything that had happened overnight, she knew Wyatt had work to get back to. She offered to head home and rest.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t hesitate¨Che dropped her off and headed to the office.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t rest either. Instead, she pulled open cabs and drawers, inspecting each piece of jewelry Wyatt had gifted her.


    Two trays of diamond rings alone were worth tens of millions.


    She packed them up and headed for the Crawford estate.


    With the Oscar¨CElsie scandal making national headlines, even the Crawfords were stirred into action.


    Yunice had a private conversation with Carl in his study for over an hour. When she came downstairs, she saw Freya preparing coffee.


    ¡°Freya,¡± she called softly.


    Freya turned around, rmed by Yunice¡¯s haggard face. ¡°You¡¯ve been up all night,.. Don¡¯t push yourself too hard, Yunice. Oscar¡¯s a good person¨Cthis will get resolved.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what Mr. Carl said too,¡± Yunice replied.


    Then she pulled out the diamond trays. ¡°Freya, do you have any contacts who can help me sell th


    Freya was startled. She nced at the rings¨Ctop¨Cquality, practically collectible¨Cgrade.


    ¡°Why sell them?¡±


    Chapter 580 Dreams Don¡¯t Lie


    Yunice shrugged. ¡°I have too many simr styles. I want to clear space for new ones¡±


    <b>A </b>reasonable excuse.


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    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around,¡± Freya agreed. Then she urged gently, ¡°Try to get some rest. Even the young can¡¯t burn the candle at both ends.¡±


    Yunice rubbed her temple. Sleep seemed impossible, so she prepared some medicine for herself.


    Freya added, ¡°Mr. Crawford just brought in a new batch of supplements. If you need anything, ask him.¡±


    Yunice looked up. ¡°Why bring that up now?¡±


    Freya smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were developing that Emergency Neuro¨CCalming Capsule? Wyatt bought all the wild rhino horn at the auction for you, didn¡¯t he?¡±


    Yunice paused. ¡°Wyatt and I didn¡¯t attend the auction.¡±


    Freya chuckled. ¡°He had someone bid for him. He probably hasn¡¯t had the chance to give it to you yet.¡±


    That made sense.


    As the medication kicked in, Yunice started to feel drowsy and eventually drifted off to sleep in the Crawford home.


    But her rest was far from peaceful.


    She dreamed¨Cagain and again¨Cof Elsie¡¯s assault. In her vision, Elsie was dragged to the bathroom, choking as someone strangled her and forced her under the shower. Her body thrashed¨Cthen went limp. The attacker fled.


    Momentster, Oscar entered. Shocked. Holding a bloodied knife.


    Media and hotel staff flooded in, witnessing the aftermath.


    Over and over, Yunice relived the scene. She desperately tried to see the attacker¡¯s face. But it remained blurred, like a censored image.


    <i>Could </i><i>it </i><i>be </i><i>Oscar</i><i>? </i>


    <i>No. </i><i>Impossible</i>.


    Oscar was obsessive about cleanliness. He flinched from handshakes and always wiped down with alcohol pads. Unless he had a hidden personality disorder, he could nevermit such an act.


    There had to be a third party.


    <i>Could </i><i>it </i><i>be </i>Paul<i>? </i>


    Paul liked it rough. He didn¡¯t care about a woman¡¯s history or hygiene. Even knowing about Elsie and Morgan, he might still want her. And he had a motive¨Cto frame Oscar as revenge.


    In the dream, the attacker¡¯s face flickered between shadows and Paul¡¯s features.


    Chapter 530 Dreams Don¡¯t Lie


    Yunice jolted awake.


    ¡°You¡¯re up?¡±


    45 Free Coin<b>: </b>


    Startled, she turned and saw Victor seated on a side chair, notebook in hand, quietly sketching or jotting something down.

 Daghter 531

    Chapter 531 Names in the Dark


    Chapter 531 Names in the Dark


    45 Free Coins


    ¡°I¡¯ve been reviewing Oscar¡¯s case,¡± Victor began. ¡°I think we need to start by digging into Elsie¡¯s private life.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s gaze flicked toward the doorway. Noticing this, Victor seemed to realize sitting at her bedside might be seen as inappropriate.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he said casually, ¡°your door was open. I figured you weren¡¯t really asleep.¡±


    Yunice had dozed off fully dressed, in one of the Crawford estate¡¯s side lounges¨Cso technically, it wasn¡¯t a true intrusion.


    She walked over and took the notebook from Victor, flipping through the pages filled with his analysis.


    ¡°To figure out who might be involved,¡± Victor continued, ¡°we need to identify everyone who could¡¯ve had rtions with Elsie¨Cexcluding spontaneous incidents.¡±


    Yunice picked up the pen and immediately jotted down: <i>Paul</i>.


    That one was beyond question.


    Then she added another name.


    Victor raised his eyebrows. ¡°Morgan?¡±


    He nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of him¨Che¡¯s somehow connected to Wyatt, isn¡¯t he?¡±


    Yunice knew more than anyone. Morgan was Nora¡¯s younger brother, and Wyatt spoiled him.


    Morgan had better not be involved. If he was, Wyatt might try to cover for him.


    That was exactly why Yunice hadn¡¯t discussed the case with Wyatt.


    She didn¡¯t trust herself to gamble on who held more weight in Wyatt¡¯s heart¨Cher or Nora. And if it came down to Oscar versus Morgan, who would Wyatt protect?


    She said, ¡°Morgan and Elsie had a fling. But right now, there¡¯s no solid link between him and the case.¡±


    She circled his name, adding a <i>pending </i>next to it.


    Victor mused, ¡°Other than those two, is there really anyone else?¡±


    Yunice stared at the notebook for a long while. Then, with a sardonic curve of her lips, she added a third


    name.


    Victor was visibly shocked. ¡°Owen?¡±


    Half¨Csiblings¨Csame mother, different fathers. Could something like that really happen?


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bold theory,¡± Yunice muttered. ¡°People wear masks. Who knows what they¡¯re really like in private?¡±


    Chapter 531 Names in the Dark


    s


    Her suspicion wasn¡¯t groundless. Elsie had suffered a miscarriage early on. But Paul was infertile, and Morgan had the XYY ¡°supermale¡± gene¡ªgically incapable of producing offspring.


    So who had gotten her pregnant?


    There had to be someone else.


    But only Elsie knew who it was.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who she slept with,¡± Yunice said as she set the pen down. ¡°I just want to know how Oscar got dragged into this mess.¡±


    Victor gave her a long look, then silently picked the pen back up and added another name.


    He slid the notebook across to her. ¡°Assumptions are the enemy of deduction.¡±


    Yunice looked down and saw it:


    Oscar


    Oscar, thirty years old. Ten years abroad. For a decade, he hadn¡¯t spoken to a single family member.


    Did they really know who he was?


    This was the same man who¡¯d carved letters into Paul¡¯s face with a scalpel¨Can extreme act by any standard.


    And what would Oscar truly think of Elsie, who had be the face of the Saunders family?


    Yunice¡¯s expression grew grim. She couldn¡¯t dismiss Victor¡¯s theory.


    Victor ced a hand gently on her shoulder. ¡°Whoever made the choice¨Cit¡¯s on them. Not on you.¡± Yunice nodded silently. But something felt off/She instinctively turned¨Cand froze.


    Victor felt the shift under his hand and looked up too.


    Wyatt stood at the door, jacket in hand, eyes dark with mockery.


    Yunice stood quickly, hand behind her back, casually flipping the notebook shut. ¡°You came to pick me up?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Wyatt replied, stepping into the room.


    He ced his hand firmly on her shoulder¨Cright where Victor¡¯s hand had just been¨Cand gave a deliberate squeeze.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I haven¡¯t slept in almost two days.¡±


    Yunice gave a quiet nod. She turned slightly to bid Vietor farewell, but Wyatt gently steered her away, blocking her view. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Behind them, Victor smirked.


    <b>12:18 </b>Sat, <b>26 </b><b>Jul </b>G


    Chapter 531 Names in the Dark


    <i>Jealous</i>, are <i>we</i><i>? </i>


    Outside the Crawford estate, with no one else around, Yunice spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Elsic.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t the type to catch feelings for a brother.


    Carl was her godfather. She and Victor had boundaries.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t dodge her meaning. ¡°You¡¯re not Elsie,¡± he said evenly, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t mean Victor isn¡¯t Owen.¡±


    1


    He added coldly, ¡°Pity is always the first step toward something more<i>.¡± </i>


    Then, sharper still, ¡°How do you know Victor doesn¡¯t have feelings for you?¡±

 Daghter 532

    Chapter 532 Jealousy Isn¡¯t the Point


    Chapter 532 Jealousy Isn¡¯t the Point


    Feeling Wyatt¡¯s possessiveness, Yunice suddenly felt a rebellious urge.


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    He could flirt with Nora, leave Yunice to be called a homewrecker, let everyone think her marriage was <b>a </b>joke.


    But the moment Victor casually put an arm around her shoulders, Wyatt jumped to conclusions.


    Turning to look at him, Yunice said, ¡°Even if he had something in mind, I¡¯m not that kind of person. I don¡¯t ept love from just anyone.¡±


    She continued, ¡°You seem to understand people¡¯s psychology so well¨Cwas it because the first time you saw Nora, you felt sorry for her? You were afraid if you didn¡¯t take her in, her family would punish her. right?¡±


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t a saint. He didn¡¯t just soften because someone begged a little or cried a few tears.


    Yunice still remembered the first time she ran into him in that ck market alley. His face had been full of disgust.


    Andter, when Paul tried to drag her away from the club, she had pleaded with Wyatt¨Cagain and again- not to let Paul take her. It took a long time before he stepped in.


    But with Nora, he wasn¡¯t like that at all.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze shifted across Yunice¡¯s face. After a few seconds, he asked curiously, ¡°Why <i>are </i>you so worked up? Why are you bringing up Nora?¡±


    The storm of jealousy raging in Yunice¡¯s chest instantly quieted at Wyatt¡¯s calm¡¯question.


    She realized she had lost control. Quickly changing the subject, she said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one spreading fake rumors about me?¡±


    Without waiting for a reply, she climbed into the car with an annoyed look.


    When Wyatt got in after her, Yunice immediately scooted over.


    She had been sitting in the middle. The moment he climbed in, she slid over to the window seat¨Cclearly throwing a tantrum.


    Wyatt reached out to pull her back, but Yunice yanked her arm away.


    Jordan, gripping the steering wheel up front, quickly averted his eyes and pretended not to see anything. Wyatt shot Jordan a look, then leaned closer to Yunice and said quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yunice turned her body to face the window.


    Wyatt sighed. ¡°Give me a break.¡±


    Yunice turned to look at him, her face expressionless, as if to say, <i>What </i><i>makes </i><i>you </i><i>think </i><i>your </i><i>pride </i><i>is </i><i>worth </i><i>so </i>


    <i>much</i><i>? </i>


    Chapter 532 Jealousy Isn¡¯t the Point


    ¡°Wyatt,¡± Jordan suddenly turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna get some cigarettes.¡±


    And he really did get out of the car.


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    Once the door closed, Wyatt ced his hand on the back of the front seat, effectively trapping Yunice in


    the corner.


    ¡°You¡¯re jealous, aren¡¯t you?¡± Wyatt asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m just sick of how suffocating you are,¡± Yunice snapped. ¡°I say a few words to Quinton and you re at him. Victor puts a hand on my shoulder and you act all sarcastic like a gossiping housewife. So just because I married you, I¡¯m not allowed to have a single male friend? Because I married you, I gave up basic rights and freedom? But what about you? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have women around¨CMaine, Elianna¡­¡±


    ¡°Because I love you,¡± Wyatt cut her off mid¨Crant.


    1


    Yunice suddenly found herself unable to meet his gaze, locked in by the intensity of his eyes.


    Frowning, she deliberately looked away.


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife,¡± Wyatt continued. ¡°You can control me too. You tell me not to see someone, I won¡¯t. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Yunice lifted her head, a bit defiant. ¡°You think I won¡¯t say it?¡±


    Did he think she was too easygoing <i>to </i>ever make such an unreasonable demand?


    She said on purpose, ¡°Then I want you to stop seeing Nora. And stop protecting Morgan and Mary. I can¡¯t stand them. Can you do that?¡±


    Almost before she finished speaking, Wyatt answered, ¡°I can.¡±


    Yunice was stunned.


    She stared at him, her gaze heavy, and suddenly it all felt pointless.


    Wyatt could go wherever he wanted, <i>see </i>whoever he liked. It wasn¡¯t like she could really stop him.


    Turning away, she sat up straight. ¡°Do whatever you want. Don¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    Sometimes she felt conflicted¨Cunsure of where she really stood. At times she felt guilty, like she had taken something that didn¡¯t belong to her, like a thief.


    But other times, she felt justified. She was Wyatt¡¯s wife. She had every right to speak up.


    Still, making demands like that¨Cit was cruel. It wasn¡¯t fair to Nora.


    Wyatt looked at Yunice¡¯s glum expression and turned away in frustration.


    Catching a glimpse of him out of the corner of her <i>eye</i>, Yunice thought<i>, </i><i>He¡¯s probably </i>sick <i>of </i><i>trying </i><i>to </i><i>cheer </i><i>me </i><i>up</i>. He <i>probably </i><i>doesn¡¯t </i><i>want </i><i>to </i><i>talk </i>to me <i>either</i>.


    She shut her eyes, unwilling to engage.


    <b>12:18 </b>Sat, 26 <b>Jul </b>G


    Chapter 532 Jealousy Isn¡¯t the Point


    Then she heard Wyatt say, ¡°Did you go overseas to buy cigarettes?¡±


    Jordan had been gone an awfully long time.


    Yunice paused, then heard the sound of the car door being pulled open.


    Then Wyatt barked, ¡°To Gardison Residence.¡±


    s


    Yunice¡¯s eyes flew open just in time to hear Wyatt mutter irritably, ¡°When people need me, I get a smile. When they don¡¯t, I get the cold shoulder. Hmph¡­¡±


    2


    ¡°You talking about me?¡± Yunice asked.


    ¡°Oh, look who¡¯s finally speaking to me,¡± Wyatt replied.


    2


    Yunice had no words.


    The car started heading toward the Gardison Residence.


    Up front, Jordan kept one hand on the wheel and used the other to secretly text Wyatt:


    ¡°Wyatt, are you seriously taking Madam to see Ms. Nora?¡±


    There was still time to change his mind.

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    Chapter <b>533 </b>Whose Fault <b>Is </b><b>It</b>?


    Chapter 533 Whose Fault Is It?


    Wyatt nced at the message but didn¡¯t reply.


    Nora was a vegetable now¨Cno thoughts, no movement. He couldn¡¯t let a single person dictate his <b>and </b>Yunice¡¯s life.


    The closer they got to Gardison Residence, the more uneasy Yunice felt.


    Even though she wouldn¡¯t have to face Nora directly, a lingering difort gnawed at her.


    Part of her worried¨C<i>Do </i>I <i>really </i><i>look </i>that <i>much </i><i>like </i><i>Nora</i><i>? </i>


    Just then, a hand slipped over hers. It was Wyatt.


    The furrow between Yunice¡¯s brows slowly eased. She didn¡¯t want him to notice her tension.


    ¡°Wyatt, is that Mr. Morgan¡¯s car?¡±


    Hearing Jordan¡¯s voice, Yunice looked out the window.


    Parked outside the Gardison Residence was a car. A man had stepped out and was now standing in front <b>of </b>it, staring directly toward them.


    It was Morgan.


    Didn¡¯t even Morgan have permission to enter the Gardison Residence?


    Was this ce truly Wyatt¡¯s private territory?


    Hands shoved in his pockets, Morgan strolled forward like some punk off the street.


    Jordan didn¡¯t dare hit him, so he had to stop the car.


    Morgan walked up to the side and turned his head toward the window.


    Unfortunately, from where he stood, he had a clear view of Yunice. The moment he saw her, his expression darkened with fury. His ck eyes seemed to catch fire.


    He immediately circled to the other side, yanked the car door open, and shouted at Wyatt, ¡°You actually brought <i>that </i>woman to see my sister?!¡±


    Wyatt lifted his eyeszily. ¡°She is my wife.¡±


    Morgan clenched his lips, seething/but unable to argue. ¡°I heard my sister¡¯s showing signs of consciousness. Let me in. I want to see her.¡±


    Wyatt stepped out. ¡°You haven¡¯t done what you promised. You don¡¯t have the right to <b>see </b><b>her</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice got out too, standing next to Wyatt. Morgan looked like a rabid dog lunging at <b>Wyatt</b>.


    ¡°You don¡¯t care about Nora anymore. You¡¯re not marrying her. But <b>you¡¯re </b><b>still </b><b>keeping </b><b>her </b><b>locked </b><b>up</b><b>! </b>That¡¯s abuse! ¡°Maine told me that if the people Nora cares about talk to her <b>every </b><b>day</b><b>, </b><b>she¡¯ll </b><b>wake </b><b>up </b>


    faster! But since you married this woman, how many times have youe to see Nora<b>? </b><b>How </b><b>often </b><b>do </b><b>you </b>speak to her? Be honest¨Cyou <i>want </i>her to stay unconscious <b>so </b>she won¡¯t disrupt your life!¡±


    He added, ¡°Maine was just standing up for Nora, and you went after herpany! You tried <b>to </b><b>ruin </b><b>her</b>! Was it her?!¡± He jabbed a finger toward Yunice. ¡°Was it <i>she </i>who told you to do it?!¡±


    He sneered, ¡°Yunice, you stole Nora¡¯s man, and messed with someone else. Have you no shame?!¡±


    Before he could finish, Wyatt pped him hard across the face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not Nora¡¯s man.¡± Wyatt snapped. <i>¡°</i>Ifore that upset and think I¡¯m abusing your sister, then take <b>her</b>.


    Take her away right now.¡±


    Morgan swallowed the taste of blood in his mouth, his eyes burning with hatred as he red <b>at </b>Yunice.


    ¡°Nora ended up in thata because she was trying to save him. He <i>owes </i>her. And you?¡± he said with venom. ¡°You swooped in while she was sick and stole her ce. Who gave you the right to be here?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice¡¯s expression turned cold. She turned and started walking away.


    She was tired of this¨Ctired of being stared at like she was a viin.


    All of this mess had started with Wyatt. She had been dragged into this marriage. What had she done wrong?


    <i>Why </i>did <i>I </i><i>even </i><i>bother </i><i>asking </i><i>about </i><i>Nora</i>? she thought bitterly.


    Whatever drama existed between Wyatt and Nora¨Cwhat did that have to do with her?


    Once she wrapped up the business with the Saunders family and the Powell family, she was leaving. Just then, her wrist was yanked back. She turned and saw Wyatt had pulled her toward him again.


    ¡°You feel bad for Nora?¡± he asked. ¡°Then do you know the steel nt explosion¨CNora caused it on purpose. Sure, she saved me. But do you realize how many people almost died in that fire? Do you know how Elianna¡¯s father died? Elianna still doesn¡¯t know it was Nora who killed him!¡±


    Yunice and Morgan both stared at Wyatt, shocked by the revtion.


    Morgan¡¯s jaw dropped. Then he burst out in anger. ¡°Wyatt! You¡¯re ndering Nora just to defend Yunice! Why would Nora do something like that? What did she gain from blowing up a steel nt?! Give me one good reason¨Cwhy would a living, breathing person destroy themselves and end up like that? Give me a reason!¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°The reason is simple. Nora was working for the Powell family. She was their pan. Understand? You should be thankful she backed off at thest second¨Cotherwise, you and the Johnson family wouldn¡¯t be standing today.¡±


    He continued coldly, ¡°I¡¯m telling you this now so you¡¯ll think twice. If you keep yelling in front of my <b>wife</b>, I can make sure there¡¯s no Johnson family left in Silverburgh.¡±


    Morgan froze. ¡°Wyatt, are you saying even Grandma doesn¡¯t matter anymore?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s tone was icy. ¡°Yourst name is Johnson. Mine is Cooper. Tell me¨Cwhose grandmother <b>is </b><b>she </b>


    really?<b>¡± </b>


    Morgan stood there, stunned, watching helplessly as Wyatt took Yunice¡¯s hand and <b>walked </b><b>right </b><b>past </b><b>him </b>


    He waspletely nk, his thoughts spinning in confusion.


    <i>Nora</i><i>¡­ </i><i>a </i><i>pawn </i><i>of </i><i>the </i><i>Powell </i><i>family</i><i>? </i><i>No </i><i>way</i><i>. </i><i>He¡¯s </i><i>lying</i>. <i>He </i><i>fell </i><i>out </i><i>of </i><i>love</i><i>, </i><i>and </i>now he¡¯s <i>ndering </i><b><i>her</i></b><b><i>! </i></b>


    The gates of Gardison Residence closed behind them, shutting Morgan out.

 Daghter 534

    Chapter 534 What You Don¡¯t Know Can Hurt You


    Chapter 534 What You Don¡¯t Know Can Hurt You


    15 Free Col


    Yunice was just as shocked as Morgan. It wasn¡¯t until they had walked quite a ways that she turned <b>to </b><b>Wyatt </b>with a puzzled, questioning look.


    She had just opened her mouth when Wyatt said, ¡°You¡¯re wondering if I¡¯m twisting the truth¨Cusing <b>the </b>fact that Nora can¡¯t wake up to pin something on her, to ease my own guilt?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t know. She hadn¡¯t been there. All she could do was piece things together from what everyone else said about Nora.


    So she asked for Wyatt¡¯s version. ¡°Nora was sent by the Powell family to hurt you?¡±


    If that was true, then Nora had pretended to fall in love with Wyatt, only to blow up the steel mill<b>, </b><b>causing </b>massive casualties. As the person in charge, Wyatt would have spent the rest of his life rotting in prison.


    Two or three years ago, Wyatt had been on the rise in Silverburgh. The Powell family had every reason to see him as a threat.


    Yunice asked, ¡°So the injury to your leg¨Cthat was from the steel mill explosion?¡±


    Wyatt gave a quiet ¡°Mm.¡±


    Yunice pressed on. ¡°When did you find out Nora was sent by the Powell family?¡±


    ¡°First time we met,¡± Wyatt said.


    Yunice wanted to ask, <i>Then </i><i>why </i><i>did </i><i>you </i><i>let </i><i>her </i>in? <i>Why </i><i>give </i><i>her </i><i>the </i><i>chance </i><i>to </i><i>hurt </i><i>you</i><i>? </i>


    She nearly said it aloud¨C<i>Was </i><i>it </i><i>because </i><i>you </i><i>liked </i><i>her</i><i>? </i><i>Did </i><i>your </i><i>feelings </i><i>cloud </i><i>your </i><i>judgment</i><i>? </i>


    But Wyatt cut her off. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±


    Yunice looked up to see Wyatt pushing open a door. Inside was the foot of a hospital bed and a room filled with machines.


    They had reached Nora¡¯s room.


    Yunice stepped in instinctively, leaving Wyatt behind at the doorway.


    This was her first time seeing Nora.


    The first thing she looked at was her face.


    Despite what people said, their features weren¡¯t all that simr. The resemnce was more of a feeling- something hard to put into words


    Still, with moderate nearsightedness, it would be easy to mistake one for the other.


    Yunice¡¯s heart raced a little. Her cheeks felt warm.


    Standing in front of Nora, she couldn¡¯t even understand her own emotions. Guilt, maybe<b>. </b>Shame. Or something even less admirable.


    <b>178 </b>


    |||


    O


    Chapter 534 What You Don¡¯t Know Can Hurt You


    After taking a good look at her, Yunice reached to feel the pulse on Nora¡¯s neck, then <b>moved </b><b>to </b><b>her </b>wrist


    Only then did Wyatt step inside, walking over slowly to watch Yunice fumble around.


    Yunice frowned slightly. ¡°Something feels off¡­¡±


    She pressed Nora¡¯s arm, then slid her hand behind her back.


    A momentter, she reached for the nket, intending to check Nora¡¯s legs¨Cbut Wyatt stopped her.


    ¡°She¡¯s not wearing anything.¡±


    Because of the monitors hooked to her body, Nora wasn¡¯t wearing outer clothes.


    Yunice awkwardly pulled the nket back up over her.


    ¡°She¡¯s been well cared for. Her muscles haven¡¯t atrophied, no bedsores, good skin sticity. <b>If </b>she <b>regains </b>consciousness, there¡¯s a good chance of full recovery.¡±


    It also proved, indirectly, that Wyatt had indeed taken good care of her.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes lingered on Yunice. He looked like he wanted to say something, but held back.


    Instead, he looked away coldly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen what you came to see. You¡¯ve heard what you came to hear. Can we stop the drama now?¡±


    Yunice stood up and looked at his bloodshot eyes fromck of sleep. She asked hesitantly, ¡°Can Ie again next time?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Why do you keep staring at her? I¡¯m the one you¡¯re married to.¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    She said nothing more and followed him out of Gardison Residence.


    2


    In the car, Wyatt leaned on the window, using his arm to prop up his head. He fell asleep like that.


    When they got back to Pavilion Hall, he didn¡¯t let Yunice leave. Even though she¡¯d already napped earlier, he still insisted on holding her in his arms like a human pillow.


    Her back pressed against his chest, she could feel his steady heartbeat. Once she was sure he was asleep, Yunice gently took his hand¨Chis fingers had snuck under her clothes¨Cand carefully moved it away, setting it beside him.


    To help him sleep better, she had even sprinkled a bit of sleep aid on her hair.


    So when she quietly slipped out of bed, Wyatt didn¡¯t wake.


    Yunice didn¡¯t stay in the room, She opened the door¡ªand was caught off guard as she locked <b>eyes </b>with someone sitting in the living room.


    The woman stood abruptly, clearly noticing Yunice fixing her hair.


    <b>278 </b>


    <b>Sun</b><b>, </b>27 Ju


    Chapter 534 What You Don¡¯t Know Can Hurt You


    Yunice had juste out of Wyatt¡¯s room, wearing pajamas, adjusting her hair. <b>Any </b><b>adult </b><b>would </b><b>know</b>. exactly what had just happened.


    Elianna frowned and almost blurted something out¨Cbut then remembered Wyatt¡¯s warning. She bit <b>it </b>back and slumped onto the couch.


    Sensing the tension between them, the maid quickly stepped in and apologized to Yunice. ¡°Madam<b>, </b><b>Miss </b>Elianna came by while you and Sir were resting. We didn¡¯t want to disturb you¡­ but we <b>also </b>couldn¡¯t <b>make </b>her wait outside¡­¡±


    Elianna shot a look over like she owned the ce<b>, </b>casually nibbling fruit off the coffee table.


    Yunice walked over, but before she could sit down, Elianna spoke up.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m here to see Wyatt¨Cnot you.¡±

 Daghter 535

    Chapter 535: A Past in Pieces


    Chapter 535: A Past in Pieces


    Even though Elianna clearly didn¡¯t wee her, Yunice sat down anyway. ¡°Wyatt¡¯s asleep. <b>You¡¯ll </b><b>probably </b>have to wait¡­¡±


    She did a quick calction. ¡°About four hours.¡±


    Elianna frowned. ¡°That long? Did you drug him?¡±


    Yunice raised an eyebrow without answering and casually changed the subject. ¡°Well, since we¡¯re both stuck here, how about keeping mepany with a chat?¡±


    Elianna brought a piece of fruit to her lips, clearly annoyed. ¡°Don¡¯t get friendly with me. There¡¯s no way <b>in </b>hell we¡¯re ever bing besties.¡±


    Yunice responded lightly, ¡°Is it because you were closer to Nora?¡±


    Elianna nearly choked on her lychee. ¡°You actually know¡­¡°¡ª


    She looked around, suddenly alert, like she was afraid someone might overhear.


    Wyatt never let them mention Nora, especially not in front of Yunice.


    Yunice said, ¡°I don¡¯t just know her. I¡¯ve met her.¡±


    Elianna stared at Yunice, her gaze even more judgmental¨Cand disgusted. ¡°Then you know everything. and you¡¯re still shamelessly clinging to Wyatt?¡±


    Yunice gave a shortugh. ¡°You¡¯ve got it backward. Wyatt¡¯s the one clinging to me¨Cnot the other way around.¡±


    Elianna was just about to argue when Yunice cut her off. ¡°Wyatt¡¯s not the kind of guy who just lets himself get clung to. If he didn¡¯t want this, who could possibly make him stay?¡±


    Elianna faltered. She had to admit¨CYunice


    had a point.


    Yunice nced toward the stairs. ¡°Come talk with me. I want to know more about Wyatt and Ms. Nora¡¯s past.¡±


    Yunice headed upstairs. Elianna hesitated, then followed, unsure of her own motives.


    They ended up in the dressing room. Elianna¡¯s attention was immediately drawn to the rows of dresses. Coming from the fashion world, she instantly recognized the quality and craftsmanship of the materials and cuts.


    But when she checked the tags and found none, she scoffed and lost interest.


    Yunice quietly observed her.


    If Elianna didn¡¯t recognize the clothes, then she clearly didn¡¯t know Wyatt could design and make them,


    Elianna leaned on the vanity. ¡°My dad used to be Wyatt¡¯s driver¨Cbefore Jordan. Wyatt took him everywhere. He handled a lot of Wyatt¡¯s errands. Since my mom passed away early, my <b>dad </b>had <b>to </b>shuttle


    <


    Chapter 535: A Past in Pieces


    me around too. So whenever Wyatt went to events, my dad would often bring me along to <b>wait </b>backstage


    She continued, ¡°I was there the day Wyatt first met Nora. She had a short bob back then<b>, </b><b>a </b><b>small </b>face, beautiful eyes<b>¡­</b>¡±


    She nced at Yunice. ¡°<i>You </i>


    Yunice frowned. No one <i>lik </i>


    do kind of look like her.¡±


    hearing they resemble someone else.


    Elianna went on. ¡°That day, the client basically pushed a woman at Wyatt¨Cmight as well have been <b>an </b>escort. They shoved Nora right onto him.¡±


    Even now, Elianna looked baffled. ¡°Stuff like that never worked before. But this time it did. None of us could figure out why Wyatt treated Nora differently. My dad said it was fate¨Clike they had chemistry.


    She added, ¡°Nora was gentle and cried easily. I didn¡¯t like her at first. But she was so considerate and sweet. She never minded me clinging to Wyatt, always reminded him to buy me gifts and take <b>care </b>of me because I didn¡¯t have a mom.¡±


    2


    She looked down for a second. ¡°Both my dad and I were grateful to her. But there was something strange -Wyatt never touched her. No hugging, no kissing, nothing. I asked my dad why. Didn¡¯t couples usually hold hands and kiss and stuff?<b>¡± </b>


    She shot Yunice a jealous look, clearly implying that Wyatt was much more physical with <i>her</i>.


    Yunice summed it up. ¡°So they had a tonic rtionship?¡±


    Elianna said, ¡°My dad said they were just shy young people.¡±


    <i>Shy</i>? That word didn¡¯t fit Wyatt at all. In bed, he was downright aggressive.


    Elianna continued, ¡°Still, even without touching, they¡¯d look at each other with so much feeling. Every time Wyatt looked at her, Nora would tuck her hair behind her ear and smile down. My dad said that was real love¨Cdeep, respectful, intimate.¡±


    Yunice listened quietly, her mind drifting to thoughts of her own father.


    If what Wyatt said was true, how would Elianna react?


    Yunice asked, ¡°Any other memories? Like birthdays? Eights?¡±

 Daghter 536

    <ol start="22"><li>22. </li></ol>


    Chapter 536 Different Versions, One Truth


    Chapter 536 Different Versions, One Truth


    Elianna paused, then said, ¡°They <i>did </i>fight.¡±


    She went on, ¡°It happened right here. I was with my dad, and I heard yelling<b>. </b>I snuck over <b>and </b><b>peeked </b>through a crack in the door. Nora was crying. There were clothes and makeup <b>scattered </b><b>all </b><b>over </b><b>the </b><b>floor</b><b>. </b>Wyatt just stood there with a cold face. He didn¡¯tfort her.¡±


    She added, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear much. My dad dragged me away and warned me not to repeat <b>a </b>word. <b>But </b><b>even </b>before the ident, I always felt their rtionship was¡­ off. But then Nora took that hit <b>for </b><b>Wyatt</b>, <b>and </b><b>I </b>suddenly respected what they had.¡±


    Yunice lowered her gaze. <i>Everyone </i><i>sees </i><i>what </i><i>they </i><i>want to </i><i>see</i>.


    To Maine, Wyatt and Nora were the picture of tragic romance.


    To Wyatt, they were ying a game¨Cmanipting and testing each other.


    Now Elianna¡¯s version painted a rtionship that was restrained, conflicted, and wrapped in <b>mystery</b>.


    And Yunice couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that Elianna¡¯s father knew more than he ever let on.


    Elianna said, ¡°Nora¡¯s a vegetable now. She¡¯ll never wake up. The past doesn¡¯t matter anymore. We¡¯ve all been standing up for her, but the dead are gone. The living have to move on. Wyatt¡¯s young¨Che can¡¯t mourn her forever.¡±


    She added, ¡°Yunice, I¡¯ve epted that you¡¯re with Wyatt. Everyone says you¡¯re good for him. Since marrying you, his leg¡¯s healed, his career¡¯s taken off, even the Powell family keeps hitting dead ends. Pavilion Hall needs a mistress eventually. If it¡¯s you, fine.¡±


    Yunice gave a faint smile. <i>There¡¯s </i><i>no </i><i>such </i><i>thing </i>as <i>¡°</i><i>good </i><i>match</i><i>.</i>¡± <i>Wyatt </i><i>made </i><i>his </i><i>own </i><i>luck</i>.


    Elianna sighed. ¡°As for Nora¡­ guess she just wasn¡¯t meant for happiness.¡±


    She fell silent after that.


    It was a harsh truth¨Ctoo cruel for anyone to really ept. But no one had a better answer, either.


    Just then, Yunice¡¯s phone buzzed. She looked down to see a massive deposit hade through. Freya had added a note: <i>Sold </i><i>part </i><i>of </i><i>the </i><i>diamond </i><i>rings</i>. <i>Still </i><i>looking </i><i>for </i><i>buyers </i><i>for </i><i>the </i><i>rest</i>.


    Just part of the collection had brought in 80 million dors.


    Elianna left the dressing room.


    Yunice had gotten the answers she needed. She saw no reason to entertain Elianna further.


    She sat down and wired 10 million dors to Quinton¨Cplus interest.


    The moment the payment cleared, Quinton called.


    ¡°You suddenly remembered to pay me back? You¡¯re not in trouble or anything<b>, </b><b>are </b><b>you</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    12


    Chapter 536 Different Versions<b>, </b>One Truth


    With all the noise around <b>Oscar¡¯s </b><b>case</b><b>, </b>Yunice should¡¯ve been swamped. <b>Why </b>was she <b>handling </b><b>this </b>now?


    Yunice said, ¡°I¡¯ve hit a wall. There¡¯s no new lead for now. No point in stressing<b>¡°</b><b>. </b>


    Quinton replied, ¡°I¡¯ve already got someone on it. A guy I know just got locked up<b>¨C</b><b>might </b><b>run </b><b>into </b><b>Oscar</b>. I¡¯ll have him poke around.¡±


    Yunice blinked. ¡°You went that far?<b>¡± </b>


    Quinton said, ¡°It worked out. Had a fall guy ready anyway¨Cneeded toy low for a bit.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t shy about it. Wyatt had just as many shady dealings.


    Yunice asked, ¡°Bobby still got enough of his meds?¡±


    ¡°Running low,¡± Quinton said. ¡°This batch got held up at customs. I even asked Mr. Carl<b>¨C</b>couldn¡¯t find more anywhere.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°Bobby can¡¯t miss a dose. He¡¯s finally improving. I¡¯ll figure something out.


    ¡°Great. Let¡¯s tag team this,¡± Quinton said.


    Bobby had soul¨Closs syndrome. Rhino horn was the only thing that helped.


    And Wyatt had just bought some at a charity auction. Yunice nned to ask him once he woke.


    Just then, Taylor called.


    She¡¯d been fighting with Paul for a divorce, but the Powell family kept dragging things out.


    Since Mr. Gerardo died, the Kendalls were struggling financially. K was scrambling to fix it, while Taylor was tangled in schemes and revenge, trying to honor her father¡¯s legacy.


    These days, Taylor was practically acting as a spy for Wyatt.


    Whenever something happened with the Powell family, she¡¯d immediately call.


    ¡°You won¡¯t believe the drama today!¡± Taylor sounded amused. ¡°Son beat up his own dad!¡±


    Since Paul got branded and publicly humiliated by the Chang family, he had be aplete joke in Silverburgh¡¯s elite circles.


    His former allies had scattered. Most had been disowned by their families¨Cincluding Paul himself.

 Daghter 537

    Chapter 537 Four Hours of Silence


    ¡°Jensen was so shaken by it, he started talking about having another kid at his age!¡± Taylor said over the phone. ¡°Paul walked in right as his dad <b>was </b>all over some eighteen¨Cyear¨Cold girl. Paul asked if he was nning to have a second child, and the old man didn¡¯t just admit it¨Che humiliated Paul right there. <b>Paul </b>snapped, grabbed a knife, and almost chopped off his dad¡¯s junk! You should¡¯ve seen it. Dog¨Ceat¨Cdog <b>carnage</b>!¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    Three generations of the Powell family had always been selfish and power¨Chungry.


    They protected their own¨Cbut never a <b>disgrace</b><b>. </b>Reputation was everything.


    Paul had crumbled, bing azy, self¨Cpitying mess. If he couldn¡¯t carry the family legacy, they¡¯d simply create a new heir.


    But Paul was sensitive and proud. He couldn¡¯t handle being cast aside.


    The more he shed with the Powell family, the more they looked down on him.


    The <b>more </b>they looked down on him, the more extreme Paul became.


    It was a vicious cycle, and eventually, Paul would fall right into the trap Yunice hadid long ago.


    She hadn¡¯t sunk all that money into baiting him for nothing.


    To elerate the tension between Paul and the Powell, family, Yunice gave Taylor a suggestion.


    After hearing it, Taylor chuckled darkly. ¡°We¡¯ll do it your way.¡±


    Yunice stepped out of the dressing room.


    Elianna was still on the sofa, flipping channels/with the remote like it was her house.


    Yunice went into the kitchen to help the maids prepare dinner. Elianna nced over, then went back to watching TV.


    One maid said nervously, ¡°Madam, Sir doesn¡¯t like youing into the kitchen<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice rolled up her sleeves and pulled ingredients from the fridge.


    Seeing this, the maid could only let her be.


    While slicing tomatoes, Yunice asked, ¡°Where did the items from the charity <b>g </b>the other night get stored?¡±


    ¡°In the collection room,¡± the maid replied


    <b>Anything </b>valuable was always cataloged and neatly stored in the collection room.


    Yunice removed her <b>apron </b><b>and </b>headed there.


    Chapter 537 Four Hours of Silence


    The <b>maid </b>stared at the half¨Ccut tomato on the board, unsure if she should touch it


    Yunice had full <b>ess </b>to Pavilion Hall¡¯s collection room. Wyatt had once promised her that. anything inside was hers to use or give away,


    She wanted to check the quality of the rhino horn Wyatt had won at the auction.


    But after searching through the medicinal storage cab, she couldn¡¯t find it.


    The maid, back in the <b>kitchen </b>chopping vegetables, turned to see Yunice holding a jar of epimedium.


    Then she returned to her task, slicing the tomato, ¡°I didn¡¯t see any rhino horn powder in there.¡±


    The maid blinked. ¡°Madam, only one set of fabric was delivered from the g. Nothing else. We logged it.¡±


    Yunice paused. ¡°Must¡¯ve been my mistake, then<b>.¡± </b>


    She went back to slicing tomatoes, then began preparing a piece of beef brisket.


    Night fell, and there was finally a sound from Wyatt¡¯s room.


    Elianna, half¨Casleep on the sofa, nced at the time. Exactly four hours.


    Yunice had been dead urate.


    She looked over to find Yunice working quietly at a table in the side room, tapping a stylus against her tablet every now and then.


    Wyatt emerged from the bedroom. Elianna jumped up sweetly. ¡°Wyatt!¡±


    His gaze brushed past her and moved on.


    A maid had just finished wiping the table and greeted him. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re awake. Madam made tomato- braised beef. It¡¯s been stewing for three hours, just waiting for you.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s expression shifted slightly. He walked toward the side room.


    Yunice stood up and met him halfway. ¡°Elianna¡¯s been waiting for you a long time.¡±


    Elianna bit her lip, eyes red. It stung, being treated like air.


    She watched Wyatt walk into the side room¨Cthene back out with Yunice by his side, as it were


    necessary<b>. </b>


    Only <b>when </b>he reached her did he say, ¡°Let¡¯s <b>eat</b>.¡±


    The table was already set. Wyatt guided Yunice to sit beside him on one side. Elianna hesitated, then sat


    across from them.


    Yunice got up, took the soupdle from the maid, and began serving.


    Wyatt gave her a once¨Cover. She wasn¡¯t usually this eager<i>¨C</i>what was she up to?


    Chapter 537 Four Hours of Silence


    Yunice served Wyatt first<b>, </b>then turned and served Elianna.


    Elianna gave a nce <b>that </b>screamed entitlement, like Yunice should be serving her.


    Wyatt¡¯s face darkened. He was just about to say something when Yunice kicked him under the table


    He looked stunned.


    Yunice <b>gave </b>him a nce like nothing had happened and sat beside him as if nothing was out of the <b>ordinary</b>.


    Elianna had already stuffed herself with fruit and snacks earlier. She had no


    erest in food¨Cjust Wyatt


    Wyatt, are you annoyed with me again?¡± she asked. ¡°You don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like¨CI had nowhere else to go. That¡¯s the only reason I came here¡­¡±

 Daghter 538

    Chapter 538 Shelter in the Rain


    Chapter 538 Shelter in the Rain


    Afraid Wyatt wouldn¡¯t believe her, Elianna mumbled. ¡°The Powell family¡¯s been fighting nonstop. Every time I go over there, they¡¯re always talking sarcastically to me.¡±


    She <b>added</b>, ¡°So I thought I¡¯d stay with Madam Mary, buttely she¡¯s been giving me the cold shoulder too¡­ I didn¡¯t feel right staying there any longer.¡±


    Since Wyatt married Yunice and distanced himself from Nora, both Mary and Morgan were naturally <b>upset</b>.


    Wyatt wouldn¡¯t visit them, and Elianna kept hanging around. They took their frustration out on her.


    But Elianna was still immature when it came to social cues¨Clike a child ying grown¨Cup.


    Wyatt said. ¡°Don¡¯t you have your own ce? You can¡¯t keep living in other <b>people¡¯s </b>homes. Everyone gets annoyed eventually¡±


    He shouldn¡¯t have said it.


    Elianna¡¯s eyes turned red immediately. ¡°Yeah, I have a ce. But I¡¯m all alone <b>there</b>¡­¡±


    She pouted and threw a sideways nce at Yunice. ¡°You get to sleep warm and cozy next to someone, but I¡¯m supposed to be okay sleeping alone in a cold, empty house? You think I don¡¯t get lonely or scared?¡±


    Yunice and Wyatt were both speechless.


    Tears welled up in Elianna¡¯s eyes. ¡°Wyatt, my dad¡¯s gone. My mom¡¯s gone too. They never gave me a sibling. You¡¯re the only person who even feels a little like family. People say home is a safe harbor¨Cbut I¡¯ve got the storm and no port. All I can do is get drenched out there<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>


    Her voice broke as she cried, face buried in her hands.


    Wyatt set down his spoon, annoyed, ready to shut her down¨Conly to feel a sharp jab in the ribs.


    He hissed and turned to Yunice.


    Yunice casually held her fork and whispered, ¡°Comfort her,¡±


    Wyatt turned to Elianna. ¡°You¡¯re an adult. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to keep living here¨C¡±


    Before he could finish, Yunice stood up and pushed the te of grilled ribs toward Elianna. ¡°Don¡¯t cry You¡¯re staying here tonight. No one¡¯s kicking you out.¡±


    Elianna froze. Wyatt turned to re at Yunice.


    Was she seriously contradicting him in front ofpany?


    Yunice ignored the warning in his eyes and pushed the te of grilled ribs toward him next. Try some.¡± <b>Elianna¡¯s </b>gaze bounced between them, suspicious. She caught the silent battle in their eyes¨Cthree seconds of silent struggle before Wyatt let out a cold snort and ignored the ribs altogether, taking two sips of the tomato beef soup instead,


    08:39 Mon, 28 Jul


    Chapter 538 Shelter in the Rain


    Now <b>Elianna </b><b>was </b>even more skeptical. Even with herck of social awareness, she could tell Yunice¡¯s distraction tactic was painfully clumsy.


    What shocked her more was that Yunice dared to speak for Wyatt¨Cand Wyatt actually let her.


    Catching Elianna¡¯s stunned look. Wyatt frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you eat the grilled rib?¡±


    Elianna pouted <b>again</b>. ¡°I¡¯m too upset to eat¡­ hic!¡±


    She hupped mid¨Csentence.


    Her face flushed as <b>she </b>pped a hand over her mouth.


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll have the maid make you some ginger tea. It¡¯ll help with digestion.¡±


    Elianna¡¯s head dropped even lower into her arms, humiliated.


    Before dinner even ended, she bolted to im a guest room¨Cjust in case they changed their minds and


    threw her out.


    In the dining room, Wyatt let his spoon drop, turned sideways in his chair, and gave Yunice a look like she had some serious exining to do.


    ¡°Why¡¯d you let her stay? Weren¡¯t you the one who said 1 should keep my distance from other women?¡± he asked, clearly annoyed.


    Yunice kept eating, unbothered. ¡°I¡¯m not as petty as you are. Elianna¡¯s just a kid starved for affection. If you kick her out, she¡¯ll me me for stealing you. When my dad passed, I leaned on my brother like a lifeline. So I understand what it feels like when <b>love </b>gets taken away. Honestly, if you can keep yourself in check, what¡¯s the point of worrying about how someone else feels<b>?</b>¡±


    Yunice rarely talked about her family. Wyatt watched her for a long time, his eyes fixed on <i>her </i>loweredshes.


    Then, <b>out </b>of nowhere, <b>he </b>said, ¡°When your love was taken away, did anyone take you in? Were you ever scared, sleeping <b>alone</b>?¡±


    A wave of heat rushed up Yunice¡¯s nose. Some old hurts, when buried for long enough, started to feel like they¡¯d been forgotten.


    But the moment someone brought them up, the ache always hit before the memory did.


    There was a


    time¨Cmore than once¨Cwhen Yunice had been shut out


    She remembered the second <b>year </b>Elsie came to the Saunders family. Owen had thrown a p., for her ssmates at home.


    No one had told Yunice about it. No one told her the house code had been changed¨Cbecause Elsie wanted to make it easier for the invited guests toe and go.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t been able to <b>get </b>inside. No one answered her calls. And then, to top it off, a guy on a motorbike snatched her phone <b>and </b>wallet.


    She <b>had </b>stood outside the Saunders residence, freezing to the bone..


    UB:39 Mon, zu


    Chapter 538 Shelter in the Rain


    She wandered for hours looking for a ce to stay. But every hotel turned her away¨Cno ID, no advance payment, no exceptions.

 Daghter 539

    Chapter 539 That Night, in the Snow


    After being rejected <i>by </i>yet another hotel, Yunice kept walking, hoping to stumble upon a 24¨Chour ce where she could rest for the night.


    She wouldn¡¯t go to Paul¨Che¡¯d try something


    She couldn¡¯t turn to Margaret either¨CMargaret had just divorced Jensen and was overseas at the time.


    She racked her brain but couldn¡¯t think of a single person who could help her.


    Then, behind her, a pair of headlights lit up the snowy street¨Cilluminating her entire back.


    She turned and squinted, the brightness forcing her eyes nearly shut.


    When she made out the license te¨Cperfectly sequential numbers¨Cher heart jumped.


    In Silverburgh, only socialites drove cars with tes like that.


    <b>And </b>after what <b>had </b>happened on the <b>ship </b>with those socialites, Yunice instinctively turned and ran, terrified she¡¯d fall into their <b>hands </b>again.


    But the snow made the roads slippery. She lost her footing and tumbled into a deep roadside <b>ditch</b>. Snow poured into her cor and pant legs, instantly sending chills through her body.


    Scrambling to her feet, she looked up at the road above. The car had stopped. Its headlights illuminated a long stretch of icy pavement.


    The car door opened. A man leaned over, holding an umbre, and called down, ¡°Miss, are you okay?¡±


    His voice <b>was </b>filled with concern. An older man.


    He rummaged through the car and turned on shlight, shining it down toward her. Yunice shielded her eyes with her arm.


    The man nced at the steepness of the ditch. ¡°<b>That¡¯s </b>a deep one¨Cand with all this snow, you¡¯re not gonna climb out on your own


    Then he pulled a climbing rope from his trunk and tossed it down. ¡°Grab the rope, youngdy: I¡¯ll pull


    you up.


    Yunice didn¡¯t move. She didn¡¯t trust him. Those socialites were <b>good </b>at ying tricks. How could she be sure this man didn¡¯t have others in the car waiting to trap her?


    ¡°If you don¡¯te up<b>, </b>you¡¯re going to freeze down there,¡± he said gently. ¡°Tell you what..¡±


    He <b>tossed </b>his cellphone down to her. ¡°Use it to call the police. At least that way you¡¯ll know I anything shady, right?¡±


    trying


    Yunice immediately picked up the phone and dialed Owen¡¯s number.


    It rang. And rang. And rang¨C<b>until </b>it disconnected. No one answered.


    C


    Chapter 539 That Night, in the Snow


    Thest sliver of hope in her eyes disappeared. She epted reality and called the police.


    After that, she finally grabbed the rope and let the man pull her <i>up</i>.


    As soon as she reached the top, he draped a suit jacket over her shoulders. It was still <b>warm</b><b>. </b>Ice¨Ccold and wary. Yunice shrank away from him, eyes filled with suspicion.


    The man patiently told her to stay on the call with the emergency line. That way, she could ask for help at any time if she felt <b>unsafe</b>.


    That night, forgotten by her own family, Yunice didn¡¯t freeze to death. A stranger saved her.


    Even now, thinking <b>back </b>on it, she still felt deeply <b>moved</b>. She looked up slightly and said, ¡°Yeah. A man helped me <b>that </b>night. He even gave me his jacket. I never got the chance to return it¡­¡±


    Wyatt looked at her <b>with </b><b>a </b>tenderness that reached deep into his chest ¡°What kind of man?¡±


    She thought for a moment. ¡°His hair was a bit <b>gray</b>,bed into a neat side part. He stood tall, straight- backed. <b>And </b>his smile¨Cit was so kind. When he spoke, he reminded me of my dad. Calm, steady, like nothing could shake him. Always optimistic.¡±


    She continued, ¡°After dropping me off at a hotel, he gave me his phone. Said when I got scared, I could go online to distract myself. I asked if I could return it, and he gave me a number. But when I called the next day, it was disconnected.¡±


    She turned her head to look at Wyatt. A faint smile tugged at her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve always been grateful to him.¡±


    When the world abandoned me, he didn¡¯t


    She set down her fork and left the dining room for her room.


    Wyatt remained in his chair, staring at the spot where she had just been. He didn¡¯t move for a long time.


    In the bathroom, Yunice rinsed her eyes with cold water before beginning her nightly routine.


    When someone lives too long in the shadows, even the smallest ray of light can feel blinding.


    Years had passed, and Yunice had learned to depend only on herself. Sleeping alone scared her. Made her feel lonely. But she still preferred it.


    In a world of one, there <b>was </b>no betrayal.


    The next morning, Wyatt knocked on Elianna¡¯s <b>door</b><b>. </b>


    She opened it slowly, wearing a frog¨Ceyed sleep headband. Her face was puffy and swoll she mumbled, ¡°Wyatt, what¡¯s going on..¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a ride to work, Wyatt said.


    Elianna grumbled, ¡°Wyatt, you must still be dreaming. When have I ever had a job?¡±


    ¡°You said you were applying at a design firm.¡±


    ith sleep, and


    Chapter 539 That Night, in the Snow


    Head still against the doorframe, she mumbled, ¡°Just go to work, Wyatt. I promise not to bully Yurare. You think I could outsmart her even if I wanted to.¡±


    34

 Daghter 540

    Chapter 540 What You Don¡¯t <b>Ask </b>For


    Chapter 540 What You Don¡¯t Ask For


    Elianna scratched her head in frustration. ¡°Ughhh, I was up all night gaining until 7 am. I¡¯ve only slept wo hours. Wyatt,e on, be nice¨Clet me sleep. I swear I won¡¯t evene downstairs. I definitely won t  a fight with her.¡±


    She slumped forward, nearly falling asleep with her forehead against the doorframe.


    ¡°Wyatt,¡± Yunice called from downstairs, ¡°stop bothering her.¡±


    Wyatt came down the stairs and said to Yunice, ¡°Come to the office with me


    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Yunice replied. ¡°I¡¯m making medicine today.¡±


    Wyatt followed her into the kitchen. ¡°What kind of medicine?¡±


    ¡°Whisperblend. But I¡¯m still missing one ingredient¨Crhino horn. It¡¯s rare on the market.¡±


    Wyatt paused


    Yunice was sorting herbs into a bamboo tray. When he didn¡¯t respond for several seconds, she looked up <b>and </b>added, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Mr. Carlter. Maybe he has some in storage.¡±


    Wyatt leaned against the ind counter in front of her. ¡°<b>Who¡¯s </b>it for? Is it important?¡±


    Yunice gave a light smile. ¡°Yeah. It is.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t take other people¡¯s problems too seriously, Wyatt said. ¡°Don¡¯t go bleeding yourself dry for someone else.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t reply. ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, you¡¯ll hit rush hour and need a helicopter.


    Wyatt let out a hum. ¡°I¡¯m still digging into Oscar¡¯s case. Don¡¯t stress.¡±


    Seeing Yunice was busy grinding herbs, Wyant walked to the foyer, grabbed his coat and keys, and left


    Only after his tall frame disappeared through the door did Yunice look up.


    He¡¯d lied<b>. </b>


    He had rhino horn¨Cbut didn¡¯t mention it. That meant he didn¡¯t <b>want </b>her to know what it was for.


    Whatever. He had enough secrets already. One more wouldn¡¯t change anything.


    Yunice called Quinton to apologize. She hadn¡¯t found any rhino horn, so she needed him to keep searching-


    If it really doesn¡¯t work out,¡± Quinton said, ¡°just use water buffalo horn instead.¡±


    It would be far less effective¨Cbut there was no other option.


    Yunice felt bad. Maybe if she¡¯d just asked Wyatt directly, there was still a chance.


    173


    Chapter <b>540 </b>What You Don¡¯t Ask For


    But she couldn¡¯t bring herself to throw away her pride like <b>that</b>. Not when she knew he¡¯d say no, th¨¤


    She couldn¡¯t stomach the humiliation of rejection.


    But she also couldn¡¯t help feeling like she was letting Bobby down


    Quinton hadn¡¯t hung up yet. ¡°By the way, that guy I know inside passed along a message. Oscar¡¯s doing okay¨Chasn¡¯t been beaten or anything. But he¡¯s not in great shape mentally. Keeps saying he¡¯s innocent. That he was framed.¡±


    If he was yelling about being framed, but not naming anyone, that meant he didn¡¯t know who had set him <ol><li>up<b>. </b></li></ol>


    That made things harder.


    Yunice thanked Quinton for the help.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends,¡± he said. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so formal.¡±


    That only made Yunice feel guiltier. She hadn¡¯t done nearly as much for him in return.


    After the call, she decided to contact Victor.


    Victor worked with Mr. Carl in the medicinal trade. Maybe he had a lead.


    ¡°Price isn¡¯t <b>an </b><b>issue</b>,¡± Yunice told him.


    Victorughed. ¡°You do realize this stuff isn¡¯t about money, right?¡±


    He paused. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not about the price. I¡¯ll ask around for you.¡±


    By noon, Elianna finally dragged herself downstairs, stretching dramatically.


    Yunice was <b>at </b>the kitchen ind, one hand steadying a stone mortar while the other ground herbs. Her tablet was propped up next to her, streaming a university lecture.


    Elianna strolled past her with a casual air. Neither of them acknowledged the other¨Cthey treated each other like they didn¡¯t exist.


    Elianna grabbed a bottle of milk from the fridge and drank straight from it, ncing sideways at Yunice.


    Seeing <b>Yunice </b>wasn¡¯t starting anything, she rxed. As long as the house was warm and she had a ce to sleep, she didn¡¯t care.


    A littleter, she came back downstairs with a photo frame <b>in </b>her arms<b>, </b>sat on the couch and started wiping it carefully.


    Yunice nced over. It looked like a memorial photo¨Cprobably Elianna¡¯s dad.


    Still, they didn¡¯t interact. Everything was quiet.


    08:40 Mon, 28 Jul <ol><li><b>IT</b>. </li></ol>


    Chapter 540 What You Don¡¯t Ask For


    When Wyatt came home <b>that </b><b>night</b>, both women seamlessly resumed their performance and civilized.


    Wyatt called Yunice to the bedroom. ¡°The police finished the evidence chain. Your brother¡¯s fingerprints are the only ones on the knife. Elsie confirmed the assault. There¡¯s tearing¨Cbut no trace of bodily fust¡±


    Which meant there <b>was </b>no DNA evidence from the suspect.


    That was both good and bad news. Without DNA, the casecked aplete chain of proof and no conclusive guilt could be established.


    <b>But </b>without another suspect, Oscar was still the prime one. He¡¯d been found at the scene, and the knife only had <b>his </b>prints.


    Yunice <b>said</b>, ¡°Fingerprints can be nted. If someone user rubber gloves to cut Elsie¡¯s wrist and m brother just happened to pick up the knife, it would exin everything¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°They checked the angle of the cuts. They were made by someone else.¡±


    Which ruled out the possibility of Elsie staging the whole thing.


    The clues led nowhere. The hotel surveince had been tampered with¨Cthe data was removed, and not even recovery was possible,


    33

 Daghter 541

    Chapter 541 Before the <b>End </b>


    Chapter 541 Before the End


    Yunice asked again. ¡°Has Elsie woken up?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s still unconscious. There¡¯s a chance she won¡¯t wake up again.¡±


    Elsie had always used her body as a bargaining chip for sympathy, time and time again. That kind of self- sacrifice took its toll. This <b>time</b><b>, </b>her brush with death and brought her even closer to the end.


    Yunice had imagined plenty of ways to defeat Elsie, but she never thought it would happen this abruptly.


    It felt like a story cutting off before the ending.


    If Elsie really didn¡¯t make it, then their only witness would be gone¨Cand Oscar¡¯s chances of clearing his <i>772 </i>would be <b>even </b>slimmer.


    In the middle of the night, Wyatt¡¯s phone began to buzz insistently.


    The sound woke Yunice. She opened her eyes and saw him answering the call.


    A tense voice came through the line. Wyatt¡¯s expression turned grim as he looked at her.


    Yunice instinctively sat up. The way he looked at her gave her a bad feeling.


    ¡°Elsie¡¯s in critical condition,¡± Wyatt said.


    At the hospital, the rms on Elsie¡¯s monitoring machines red loudly.


    Owen was in a frenzy, yelling at doctors to get into Elsie¡¯s room.


    Lily¡¯s legs <b>gave </b>out. She copsed to the floor, foo shocked to stand. Peggy tried to help her up but couldn¡¯t.


    Half an hourter, the doctors came out looking defeated.


    ¡°Mr. Owen,¡± one of them said gently, ¡°if you have anything to say to her¡­ you should do it now.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened. He grabbed the attending physician¡¯s coat in a panic. ¡°What do you mean?! My sister¡¯s still alive¨Cof course she can be saved!¡±


    The doctor, used to scenes like this, kept calm and tried to exin. ¡°We¡¯ve said this before. Ms. Elsie <b>has </b>suffered multiple injuries over time/ Many of her internal organs have permanent damage. This time, she lost too much blood for too long. Her organs are now starting to decay from the inside.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± Owen shouted, tears pouring down his face. ¡°You¡¯re doctors! Your job is to s sister isn¡¯t dead¨Cwhy would you <b>give </b>up?!¡±


    cople! <b>My </b>


    He shoved the doctor forward/crying out, ¡°Save her!¡±


    But the doctor had reached his limit. His voice turned firm. ¡°Mr. Owen, you are a doctor. If you have a


    Chapter 541 Before the End


    better way, then save her yourself. We¡¯ve done all we can.¡±


    He yanked his coat out of Owen¡¯s grip and left the room with the others, shaking his head and sighhig deeply.


    Seeing <b>this</b>, Lilypletely copsed, falling t on the floor. Her lips quivered with <b>sobs</b>, but she couldn¡¯t even form a coherent sentence.


    Peggy helped her up, patting her back and whispering for her to stay strong¨Cbut inside, she was rejoicing.


    She¡¯d been racking her brain trying to figure out how to get rid of Elsie, and now the wornan had just gone and died on her own. It was <b>like </b>food falling into herp, or an umbre handed to her in a storm.


    In the room, the doctors were all gone.


    Owen knelt beside Elsie¡¯s bed, gripping her icy <b>hands </b>in his own, trying to warm them back to life.


    Elsie hadn¡¯t died yet. She was hooked up to an oxygen mask, her eyes so red they looked like they were bleeding. She was struggling, clearly unwilling to go.


    ¡°Ow Owen¡­ help¡­ please¡­ help me¡­¡± Her slurred, gasping voice cut through him like knives.


    The sister he¡¯d always treasured was begging him to save her¨Cand he was powerless to do anything.


    Organ failure was irreversible.


    If it had <b>just </b>been one failing organ, he would have dly donated his own to save her. But not even that was an option now.


    He gently swept the damp strands of hair from her forehead, his voice hoarse. ¡°Elsie¡­ is there something you want to say? Tell me. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes¨CI¡¯ll make it happen!¡±


    Elsie¡¯s grip tightened around his hand, and she sobbed, ¡°I want to live¡­ I want to live! Do the surgery! Give


    medicine! Take me to the hospital, call the doctors-


    me


    She clearly wasn¡¯t thinking straight anymore. She didn¡¯t realize she was already in a hospital. That the doctors had already given up on her.


    Owen bit his lip, silently crying. He didn¡¯t have the heart to tell her the truth.


    Elsie was frantic. She couldn¡¯t die now¨Cnot when things with Yunice weren¡¯t settled. She hadn¡¯t made hereback yet. She couldn¡¯t go out like this.


    But even with the strongest will to liye, her body had reached its limit. Her heightened emotions only worsened the strain on her failing organs. A choking sound rattled in her throat, and then a rush of blood welled up and spilled <b>from </b>her mouth.


    Elsie clutched Owen¡¯s hand like it was herst lifeline. Her bloodshot eyes locked on him with desperation and rage..


    <b>Owen </b>felt like his heart was being torn <b>apart</b>. ¡°Elsie! Elsic! No, no, no!¡±


    Alongside the overwhelming sorrow, a tidal wave of fury surged inside him. He pulled her into his arms, face contorted with grief.¡±


    08:40 <b>Mon</b>, 28 Jul M <b>T </b>


    Chapter 541 Before the End


    ¡°Elsie, tulio did this to you?! Tell me! I¡¯ll avenge you<i>! </i>\


    them to pieces!¡±


    +10 Free <b>Col </b>


    Elsie¡¯s nails dug deep into the back of his hand, drawing blood. The suffocating pain made her realize the was running out of time.


    If she didn¡¯t speak now¨Cshe never would.

 Daghter 542

    Chapter 542 Dead Without Consequences


    Chapter 542 Dead Without Consequences.


    Mo. Mor ¡°Ebir began convulsing. Blond poured from the corners of her month in this relentless streams, quickly soaking the front of her hospital gown.


    Owen hadn¡¯t caught what she said. Frantically wiping the blood away, he asked again ¡°Who did this you? Was it Oscar? If it was Oscar, blink oncel¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes were wide open. Through a mix of blood and foam, she repeated faintly, ¡°Mor¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear you! I can¡¯t hear you, Eliel Owen shouted, stamping his foot in frustration.


    Just then. Lily stumbled into the room, crawling across the floor in panic. ¡°Flue. Elne, don¡¯t leave me alone.


    She threw herself onto the bed, clinging to Elsie¡¯s legs and wailing. ¡°You¡¯re my whole world How am F supposed to live without you!!¡±


    Elsie wasn¡¯t ready to die. If she died, Yunice would be the only daughter left in the Saunders i


    She had sacrificed her health to win the family¡¯s affection. If she died now, would Owen and Lily go back to loving <b>Yunice</b>?


    No. She refused to ept that.


    How could she lose so thoroughly?


    She had schemed for her entire life and only enjoyed three years of glory. Yunice had suffered for three years and then stepped into a brilliant future.


    With Wyatt and Carl on her side, it was only a matter of time before the Saunders family took Yunice back to stabilize their reputation.


    The thought made Elsie clutch Owen¡¯s hand tighter. She bit her tongue and forced herself to speak clearly


    ¡°Owen Mom¡­ promise me¡­ you¡¯ll only love me. <b>Never</b>.. never go back to Yunice. I hate her¡­ she¡¯s the one who ruined me¡­¡±


    Elsie broke down sobbing¨Cnot from regret, but from <b>fear </b>of death.


    Peggy stood just outside the rear, not bothering to the scene


    Feeling something off, she turned and <b>saw </b>Yunice and her husband standing behind her.


    She had seen Wyatt at the Saunders estate once before, but this <b>was </b>the first time she was standing this close to him. His sharply defined features seemed impossibly striking. Peggy¡¯s breath <b>caug </b>


    moment.


    But she didn¡¯t dare <b>stare</b>. She quickly looked away¨C<b>at </b><b>Yunice</b>.


    Yunice¡¯s expression was neutral, but her dark eyes shimmered with a trace of loneliness


    08:40 Mon, 28 Jul MT


    Chapter 542 Dead Without Consequences


    Inside the hospital room, right after Elsie begged Owen and Lily not to reconcile with Yunice, they both agreed without hesitation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll never take her <b>back</b>, Lily cried. ¡°I only have you¨Cyou¡¯re my one and only daughter. I¡¯ll never forgive her! If she hadn¡¯t kept hurting you, breaking your health down bit by bit, you wouldn¡¯t be leaving me so soon. Why couldn¡¯t it be her instead of you?¡±


    Your


    Owen wept beside her. ¡°Elsie, I swear, the Saunders family has only one daughter¨Cand that¡¯s you identity, in life and in death<b>, </b>will always belong to you. Yunice will never appear on our family record again.


    Yunice felt a warmth on her shoulder and turned her head. Wyatt had wrapped his arm around her


    Peggy, watching the room full of grief, curled her lips in a smirk. ¡°Dead people <b>making </b>life miserable for the living. That squatter pigeon finally dropped.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s strength drained the moment she finished speaking. Owen¡¯s eyes filled with panic as he watched her fingers unclench from his shirt and fall limply onto the nket.


    Her facial muscles <b>finally </b>rxed. The light in her pupils faded away.


    Owen¡¯s pupils contracted. He stared in horror at the change in her face. He wanted to yell for her not to sleep¨Cbut no words came out.


    Her head dropped sideways against his arm. Behind him, the monitor let out a long rm tone, its waveforms tlining into a single, steady line.


    ¡°No!¡± Owen pulled her into his arms, his howl of grief echoing down the hallway, drawing attention from


    the entire ward.


    His cries were s


    so raw and loud they drowned out even Lily¡¯s sobs at the foot of the bed.


    Peggy beamed with satisfaction. The one she hated most was finally dead.


    Yunice, meanwhile, felt like something in her chest had copsed. She slumped quietly into Wyatt¡¯s arms.


    Her face remained <b>nk</b>, but her eyes were full of frustration and injustice.


    Elsie had done so many terrible things. Why did she get to die like this?


    Yunice hadn¡¯t had the chance to expose her. Hadn¡¯t had the chance to make her answer for it.


    And worse¨CElsie had died at the height of her parents¡® grief. To Owen, she would always be the innocent.


    kind one


    From now on, no one would remember how Elsie had treated Yunice. No one would care. T


    If anyone brought it up again, they¡¯d say Yunice was ndering the dead. And with <b>no </b>one lett to testify, it wouldn¡¯t matter.


    Her revenge had ended¨Cjust like that¨Cbecause of Elsie¡¯s death. And that was the hardest part to swallow. Wyatt held her tightly and turned to leave, taking her with him,


    Chapter 542 Dead Without Consequences


    There was nothing left to ask. The person was gone.


    Outside the hospital, Yunice tilted her head up and looked at the sky full of stars.


    It was <b>early </b>winter <b>now</b>. The night air <b>had </b>grown cold


    She wasn¡¯t tired. She knew she wouldn¡¯t sleep at all <b>tonight</b>.


    Wyatt draped <b>his </b>coat over her shoulders. It was warm¨Cvery warm.


    Yunice lowered her eyes. Her brows twitched slightly. This feeling <i>it¡¯s </i>familiar.


    She leaned in subtly and inhaled. But the feeling was gone.


    Wyatt never wore cologne.

 Daghter 543

    Chapter 543 A Funeral of Fire and Lies


    Yunice <b>and </b>Wyatt returned to Pavilion Hall. As for the Saunders family, they clearly had no intention of letting Yunice be involved in Elsie¡¯s funeral.


    <b>And </b>Yunice <b>had </b><b>no </b>interest in being involved either.


    When they got home, Eliamma was still up after an all¨Cnighter of gaming. She came downstairs for ate- night snack and bumped into them at the door.


    ¡°Wyatt, where¡¯d you <b>guys </b>go?¡±


    She noticed something <b>was </b>off with Yunice and gave her a suspicious nce.


    Yunice didn¡¯t feel like talking and went straight to her room.


    In the living room, Wyatt and Elianna locked eyes. Then Wyatt nced at the cake in her hand and said impatiently, ¡°Can¡¯t you do something productive? You¡¯re twenty¨Cthree, for God¡¯s <b>sake</b>.¡±


    She was just eating cake. Elianna muttered, ¡°You¡¯re in a <b>bad </b>mood. Don¡¯t take it out on me..¡±


    She shot a nce toward Yunice¡¯s room, trying to guess what kind of drama they were dealing with this time


    Not wanting to be the next target, she grabbed her cake and ran back to her room.


    Back in her o own room, Yunice removed Wyatt¡¯s coat from her shoulders and hung it on the rack


    Despite her heavy mood, her mind was still running through ns.


    Elsie¡¯s death hadpletely shifted her strategy and derailed multiple parts of her setup.


    Oscar was still in jail. The only person who could back up his story was dead.


    Yunice was certain Paul wasn¡¯t innocent¨Cbut she still didn¡¯t know what role he had yed in all of this.


    Maybe she should drag him in and beat it out of him?


    But that kind of testimony wouldn¡¯t hold up in court.


    <b>And </b>asking the Saunders family to sign a letter of forgiveness for Oscar wouldn¡¯t work either. Even if Owen and Lily agreed¨Cwhich they likely wouldn¡¯t¨Csigning it would imply Oscar¡¯s guilt.


    Yunice leaned on the edge of the bed, rubbing her forehead. She felt exhausted.


    Her entire existence had be wrapped around the feud with the Saunders and Powell f didn¡¯t even know who she¡¯d be once it <b>was </b>all over. <ol><li>es. She </li></ol>


    From outside came the sound of the door closing. Wyau had entered the room.


    Not wanting to pass her bad energy to him. Yunice stood and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get some <b>rest</b>.¡±


    <b>1/3 </b>


    Chapter 543 A Funeral of Fire and Lies


    The next morning, Yunice woke upte..


    Still in pajamas, she stepped out to get a drink of water.


    Elianna was on the couch rating chips and looked stunned to see her. ¡°You¡¯re home?¡±


    Yunice rubbed her sore back <b>and </b>hummed in response.


    Wyatt had taken advantage of the excuse to ¡°help her relieve stress¡± the night before¨Cand didn¡¯t let her off until nearly dawn. She¡¯d passed out from exhaustion after that.


    She hadn¡¯t woken up until well past noon. Even Elianna, who was known for sleeping in, had gotten up


    carlier.


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t home.


    Yunice held her ss and sat down in the corner of the couch.


    Elianna, sprawled across the middle like she owned the ce, nced at Yunice¡¯s spot. What¡¯s with the merk act? Trying to win pity points from Wyatt?


    She immediately got defensive. ¡°Hey! Wyatt said you¡¯re the mistress of this house. Why don¡¯t you kick me off the couch and take the middle seat?¡±


    Yunice nced at the <b>idol </b>drama ying on the giant TV screen. ¡°As long as I¡¯m not sitting on the floor, a seat¡¯s a seat.¡±


    Elianna watched her, trying to read the calm face that didn¡¯t seem to care about anything. For some reason, it annoyed her.


    She tried to stir something up. ¡°Did you two fightst night or what? Just so you know, don¡¯t take advantage of Wyatt liking you <b>and </b>act all distant. He likes sweet, obedient girls.¡±


    Yunice scrolled her phone. ¡°Well, same goes for you.¡±


    Elianna rolled her eyes and turned back to the TV.


    On Yunice¡¯s phone, a video was ying¨Ca news segment covering Elsie¡¯s funeral.


    The murder¨Crape case involving Elsie had be <b>a </b>massive national controversy. Since the story broke, it had drawn the attention of the entire inte.


    Public opinion was overwhelmingly against Oscar, condemning him as immoral and perverse. Everyment section was filled with angry posts about women¡¯s safety and passionate demands for police transparency.


    But just as many people were focused on something else: how would the Saunders fam their biological son and daughter?


    <b>oose </b>between


    Elsie¡¯s death had reignited the media frenzy.


    Dozens of microphones were shoved <b>in </b>Owen¡¯s <b>face</b>. Camera <b>lenses </b>zoomed in on him from every angle,


    ¡°Mr. Owen,¡± a reporter asked, ¡°<b>how </b>do you feel about your sister¡¯s passing?¡±


    213


    Chapter 543 A Funeral of Fire and Lies


    Someone tried to escte the situation ¡°Will you use her death as a reason to repest Chear¡¯s releases


    After all, they were both his siblings. One was dead¨Cshouldn¡¯t he try to save the other


    Owen growled, ¡°Whoever caused my sister¡¯s death¨CI will never let them gr


    ¡°But what if it¡¯s your own brother?¡± another reporter pressed.


    ¡°Even if it¡¯s my brother, Owen shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡±


    The media immediately pounced ¡°Owen, could you be involved in this? Everyone knows you¡¯ve been trying to sell off the Saunders family medical group Yunice and Oscar both have shares. With both of them out of the picture, you stand to gain the most. Was this whole thing your n¨Cto take control of the hospital¡¯s assets?¡±

 Daghter 544

    Chapter 544 Ashes and Scandals


    Chapter 544 Ashes and Scandals.


    The moment the reporter said it, Owen snapped. His eyes were bloodshot as he shouted, ¡°Where did this nonsensee from? This is outrageous!¡°


    But the reporter calmly responded, ¡°Mr. Owen, if you want to deny it, then maybe you can exin tha?¡±


    He held up a photo for <b>everyone </b>to see.


    In the picture, Owen was sitting in what was clearly a woman¡¯s bedroom, his arm around Elsie. Her head rested on his shoulder with a blissful smile.


    Seeing her face and that familiar smile, Owen froze. For a moment, it felt like he had traveled back in time -back when Elsie was still alive, when she smiled at him, when she always stepped in to help him in difficult moments.


    He was briefly lost in that warm memory.


    But the rest of the press swarmed the photo like flies drawn to blood, snapping away with their cameras. ¡°Mr. Owen,¡± one of them asked, ¡°you seem quite intimate with your sister in this photo. Care <b>to </b>exin?¡±


    Owen snapped out of it, his face darkening in disgust. His sister had just died, and they were already spewing nder at her funeral?


    ¡°We were close, yes,¡± Owen said coldly. ¡°I¡¯m her brother, she¡¯s my sister. It was just a moment between siblings. Putting your arm around someone doesn¡¯t make it romantic.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Owen, you clearly don¡¯t understand boundaries. Anyone can see this is how couples behave.¡±


    Owen sneered, ¡°This isn¡¯t the Stone Age. You¡¯re fine with sons kissing their mothers, but <b>you </b>want to crucify me for putting my arm around my sister?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Owen, what we suspect is that you were in a rtionship with your sister. Oscar found out, and you killed her to cover it up¨Cand then framed him. Isn¡¯t that the truth?¡±


    Owen was shaking with fury. These reporters had no shame.


    His rage erupted. He lunged toward the reporter, trying to drag him out of <b>the </b>crowd. ¡°Come out and say that to my face, if you¡¯ve got the guts!¡±


    But the man quickly ducked into the press mob, disappearing before anyone could identify him.


    What <i>did </i>get captured, though, were Owen¡¯s twisted expressions of fury¨Cperfect material for malicious edits and online smear campaigns.


    With that photo as supposed ¡°evidence,¡± online spection about Owen and Elsie¡¯s rtionstup intensified. People iming to <b>know </b>them came forward with stories, pretending to speak as insiders to confirm the rumor.


    It wasn¡¯t just Owen. Reporters now swarmed Lily, <b>too</b>.


    ¡°Madam Lily, as the mother of three <b>children</b><b>, </b>what¡¯s your view on how your children behave?¡±


    <b>J08</b><b>:</b>40. Mon, 28 <b>Jul </b>


    Chapter 544 Ashes and Scandals


    ¡°Is it true that nice and Owen <b>had </b>an incestuous rtionship? Are you really okay with letting your children behave like that?¡±


    ¡°Madam Lily, was it Owen who framed Oscar? Say something! Are you mute, or are you too guilty to speak?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t <b>there </b>another girl wrongly used during the SAT scandal also named Yunice Saunders? What¡¯s your connection to that case?¡±


    ¡°Madam Lily, do you want Oscar released, or do you want him prosecuted?¡±


    Lily was shoved back and forth in the chaos. The reporters, desperate for a reaction, shoved microphones into her face<b>. </b>


    She cried out and fell to the ground, getting stepped on several times in the scuffle


    Eventually, security from the funeral home pushed the swarm of reporters away, clearing a path so Lily and Owen could escape.


    The media coverage uploaded to the inte stopped there.


    Yunice scrolled through thements under the video. Netizens were acting like detectives, each spinning theories about her and Owen. Conspiracies about the Saunders family were being posted like fact. The whole family had been demonized.


    What disgusted her most was seeing her name¨CYunice Saunders¨Cattached to Elsie¡¯s crimes, even in death.


    That name had been given to her by her father. Even if she would never be part of the Saunders family again, even if she and Owen were no longer siblings, she couldn¡¯t allow that name to be dragged through the mud.


    Back at the funeral home, Owen cradled Elsie¡¯s <b>urn</b>. Lily held her portrait. Both of them wept as they staggered out the back exit.


    ??


    Once the door shut, the noise finally faded.


    Lily stroked the edge of Elsie¡¯s photo frame, her voice hollow with Katred. ¡°Why won¡¯t they let us be? Even after you¡¯re gone, they won¡¯t stop. Are they trying to drive us to death, <b>too</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Owen sank to the ground, pressing his cheek to Elsie¡¯s urn, as if that would bring her back.


    Then a pair of polished leather shoes stopped in front of them.


    Startled, both Owen and Lily looked up.


    It was Paul, dressed in a ck suit, a white mourning flower pinned to his chest. One har he stood there at an odd angle, his whole posture twisted and grim.


    his pocket,


    Aside from the carved scars on his face, he now had a fresh wound on his forehead¨Can ugly, dark <b>red </b>scab.


    Owen swallowed hard, heart pounding.


    <b>9/21 </b>


    Chapter

 Daghter 545

    545: Ashes in the Wrong Hands


    Chapter 545: Ashes in the Wrong Hands.


    <b>Owen </b>and Paul had grown up together. He always thought their friendship was solid¡ªespecially during those two years when Paul was dating Elsie. Back then, Owen had even taken to calling himself Paul¡¯s <b>brother</b>¨C<b>in</b>w. It gave him some pride


    But at


    some point, something shifted. Paul had developed an unsettling presence. Now, whenever Owen saw him, a chill ran down his spine.


    <b>Even </b>though he suspected Paul might know something about what happened to Elsie, he didn¡¯t dare confront him directly.


    He was <b>afraid </b>of being wrong and provoking him.


    Word was, Paul <b>had </b>gone off the <b>rails</b>¨Che¡¯d even attacked his own father with a knife.


    And before Elsie died, Owen had asked her who hurt her. She hadn¡¯t had the strength to say it clearly, but he was <b>sure </b>she <b>hadn¡¯t </b>meant Paul.


    Paul stared at <b>the </b>urn in Owen¡¯s hands <b>and </b>curled his lips. ¡°I came to see Elsie off.¡±


    Owen breathed a little easier, thinking Paul still held some lingering affection for her.


    Then Paul added, ¡°Can I have a moment alone with her?¡±


    Both Owen and Lily hesitated. Something about Paul¡¯s expression didn¡¯t sit right. It didn¡¯t look like he was here to mourn sincerely. They didn¡¯t want to let <b>go </b>of the urn.


    But Paul said, ¡°Madam Lily, just set down her portrait. I want to pay my respects.¡±


    Lily rxed and set the photo aside.


    Mother and son moved off to the side, keeping/a wide distance.


    Lily wiped her tears and whispered to Owen, ¡°What happened to Paul? He¡¯s seriously creepy now.


    Owen frowned, straining to catch what Paul was <b>saying</b><b>. </b>


    Paul bowed slightly, then ced a bouquet in front of Elsie¡¯s portrait.


    He smirked, a mocking glint in his eyes. ¡°You loved your little games, didn¡¯t you? I was nning to rope you into a real one. Who knew a single move would be enough to kill you? Elsie, I wasn¡¯t done with you. If you¡¯re feeling wronged, be a ghost ande find me. We¡¯ll keep ying. You were useless when alive, but in death? You¡¯re perfect¨Can ideal tool for revenge.¡±


    His grin turned twisted. ¡°You hated Yunice, didn¡¯t you? That makes us allies. Once I bring W torment the two of them for you, Just watch.¡±


    Town 17


    Paul seemed to be mumbling to himself. From where he stood, Owen could only see his lips moving¨Che couldn¡¯t hear a word.


    Then Paul raised his <b>hand </b>and dragged his knuckle across Elsie¡¯s photo.


    08:41 Mon, 28 <b>JO1 </b>


    Chapter 545: Ashes in the Wrong Hands


    Owen sighed. ¡°I guess losing Elsie really hit Paul hand. He diel care for her.


    Lily wiped her tears again, then nced toward the car where Peggy was waiting. Without her daughter ¡ª around, how was she supposed to hold her ce in this house?


    Paul turned away from Elsie¡¯s portrait. Not a single tear had fallen from his eyes,


    Lily approached him with a heavy heart. ¡°Paul, for the sake of what you had with Elsie, our families should stay in touch. You shoulde by the Saunders residence more often¨Cit¡¯s full of memories of you and


    her.¡±


    Paul gave azy nod, clearly not interested.


    Once Paul¡¯s luxury car pulled away, Owen opened the door and weakly asked Peggy to switch seats with


    him.


    He wasn¡¯t in the mood to drive.


    Peggy got behind the wheel and nced at Owen cradling the urn.


    ¡°Owen, the bridal boutique called a couple days ago to schedule a fitting¡­ And the venue reached out too<b>. </b><b>I </b>told them the wedding is still on¡­¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Elsie just passed away, and you¡¯re still thinking about a wedding? Cancel it No celebrations for the Saunders family for the next three years.¡±


    As soon as he said it, the car jerked forward. Owen hadn¡¯t buckled up¨Che nearly dropped the urn.


    Peggy had mmed the brakes.


    After the shock passed, Owen yelled, ¡°Can¡¯t you drive properly?¡±


    He frantically checked the urn, terrified it had been damaged.


    Peggy nced at him coldly, arms crossed. ¡°We¡¯re getting married whether you like it or not. I¡¯m not waiting three years.


    ¡°You live in my house. What difference does it make?¡± Owen snapped. ¡°If someone in <b>your </b>family had just died, would you be throwing a party right after?¡±


    Peggy huffed, ¡°I¡¯ll <b>give </b><b>you </b>one month. That¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°Elsie wasn¡¯t a celebrity. No one will remember when she died. My wedding is what matters!¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t bother arguing anymore. He¡¯d drag it out however long he could.


    Once they were home, Peggy called Yunice.


    ¡°Can you talk to the venue manager? See if they can push my banquet back one month?¡±

 Daghter 546

    Poison in the House


    Chapter 546 Poison in the House


    On the other end of the call, Yunice sounded conflicted. ¡°Peggy, you know how hard it is to book Ocea Silverburgh. I only got you that spot by pulling a lot of strings. If you change the dare now, everyone¡¯s schedule shifts¨Cand you¡¯ll get cklisted by the manager.¡±


    Peggyined, ¡°Elsie just died! Owen refuses to let the wedding happen¡­¡±


    Yunice said tly, ¡°Then there¡¯s nothing I can do. I¡¯ll book you for a few yearster¡±


    ¡°<b>What</b>?¡± Peggy nearly shricked. ¡°I can¡¯t wait that long!¡±


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°Ocean Silverburgh is a business. Even if it¡¯s family¨Crun, we serve paying clients. I can¡¯t just kick someone out to make room for you.¡±


    ¡°Three years is out of the question!¡± Peggy barked..


    Yunice said smoothly, ¡°Then maybe think it over.


    Peggy hung up and looked upstairs.


    Owen¡¯s bedroom door was locked..


    He always kept her out, guarding his room like a vault.


    Her eyes drifted to the room next door¨CElsie¡¯s.


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of keeping a dead girl¡¯s room? Might as well give it to someone who needs it.¡±


    She stepped into Elsie¡¯s room and spotted the urn sitting on thevender bedspread.


    Her face twisted. ¡°Freak. Is he turning the house <b>into </b>a mausoleum?¡±


    She picked up the urn. ¡°What a waste. Even your dad didn¡¯t get this treatment.¡±


    She scanned the room and spotted a jar of cogen powder.


    Then she looked back at the urn.


    Meanwhile, Owen had been scrolling through hatefulments online, growing more and more furious. After a while, he noticed something strange¨Cthe house was too quiet.


    Normally, if he locked her out, Peggy would be banging on the door nonstop.


    <b>Then </b>he remembered the urn <b>next </b><b>door</b>.


    He bolted out of his <b>room </b>and flung open the door¨Cto find Peggy in Elsie¡¯s room.


    He stormed in and yanked her around. ¡°Who said you could be in here?!¡±


    But then he paused.


    Pere was holding a trowel, digging in the potted nt¡¯s soil. There were pale grey flecks mixed in¨Csom?


    08:41 Mon 2820


    Chapter 546 Poison in the House


    kind of fertilizer.


    He <b>quickly </b>looked at the urn. It was still on the bed, untouched.


    His temper cooled a bit. ¡°From now on, stay out of this room.


    Peggy <b>tossed </b>the trowel aside and snapped. ¡°Why? I¡¯m the woman of this house! Half of this property is


    mine!¡±


    She added, ¡°What, you want to turn this room into a shrine? Keep her ashes in here forever? Well, I won¡¯t allow it. <b>You </b>put <b>that </b>urn here, I¡¯ll toss it out myself¡°.


    Owen seethed. ¡°You-¡±


    Peggy cut him <b>off</b>. ¡°I¡¯ve been way too patient with you! I want this wedding in three days. Not <b>a </b>dayter. Or I¡¯ll ruin you. I¡¯ll drag your whole family into the tabloids!¡±


    He raised his hand.


    Peggy smirked, lifting her phone¨Calready dialing the press. Her eyes dared him to strike.


    Owen¡¯s hand dropped. His face darkened.


    Peggy smiled, victorious. ¡°You don¡¯t want me in your room? Fine. This one¡¯s mine now.¡±


    She added, ¡°There¡¯s a ce for the living and a ce for the dead. If you don¡¯t put her ashes where they belong, I will.¡±


    She walked past him, whistling, and started banging on Lily¡¯s door, ordering her to make dinner.


    Owen shut his eyes, suffocating under the pressure.


    1


    That night, Yunice and Elianna showed up at the Saunders residence.


    Wyatt had been swampedtely, alwaysing home in the dead of night.


    Elianna, bored out of her mind, begged to tag along when she heard Yunice was going out.


    She didn¡¯t know the family well. When they arrived, Owen mmed his fork down and stood up. ¡°What are you doing here? You¡¯re not wee in this house!¡±


    Meanwhile, Peggy was all smiles, rushing over to pull out a chair for Yunice <b>and </b>eyeing Elianna <b>with </b>curiosity and calction


    Elianna nced at the table. <b>Only </b>Beggy had meat and vegetables in her bowl.


    Everyone else had a mess of rice and broth¨Cbarely more than scraps.


    She wrinkled her nose. What kind of house was this? Even dinner felt nasty and mean.

 Daghter 547

    Chapter 547 A Taste of Bitterness


    Chapter 547 A Taste of Bitterness


    What Lily didn¡¯t know was that life in the Saunders household was just as miserable for her and Owen


    Peggy waszy and definitely unwilling to cook or care for the whole family.


    She didn¡¯t want to hire anyone either¨Cafraid their family¡¯s dirtyundry would be aired out, and <b>even </b>more unwilling to <b>spend </b>the money.


    So she made use of what she <b>had </b>and put Lily to work around the house. But she was also afraid Lily would poison her like Elsie supposedly did. That¡¯s why, every time they ate, Peggy would scoop her food into Lily <b>and </b>Owen¡¯s bowls, pouring the sauce from every dish into their portions and mixing it all <b>up</b>. If there was poison, at least they¡¯d all go down together.


    Lily found it disgusting. Whenever she refused to eat, Peggy would force¨Cfeed her with a spoon.


    Owen and Lily were both miserable, but they had no way to fight back.


    Seeing the two of them suffering actually <b>made </b>Yunice feel pretty pleased.


    She said leisurely, ¡°Before Elsie passed, what did she say to you?¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes were cold as she shot Yunice a sidelong nce. ¡°She¡¯s already gone, and you still won¡¯t let it go.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Elsie may be dead, but my brother is still alive.¡±


    She hadn¡¯te for Lily or Owen¨Cshe came for Oscar. Her eyes swept over the attic of the Saunders home, <b>and </b>she said softly. ¡°This ce is barely recognizable anymore. It doesn¡¯t even look a bit like it used <b>to</b>. When I walked in just now, I couldn¡¯t <b>even </b>tell what happened to the swing in the yard. And you, Lily- you must¡¯ve forgotten, haven¡¯t you? Over twenty years ago, you were sitting on that swing, and my brother was behind you, pushing.¡±


    A <b>faint </b>shadow of time passed over Lily and Owen¡¯s faces. It was true¨Cif she hadn¡¯t been reminded, who would¡¯ve remembered something <b>from </b>over twenty years ago?


    It felt so far <b>away </b>that Lily had nearly forgotten it herself.


    Her heart, <b>hardened </b>for two decades, suddenly softened with a pang of sourness at the memory of those <b>warm </b>days in the Saunders home.


    Compared to then¡­ life now was unbearably hard.


    Yunice seemed to read her mind and sneered. ¡°Is it harder than back in the mountains?¡±


    Lily was startled and looked at Yunice with aplicated expression.


    Yunice <b>scoffed</b>. ¡°Some people reflect on the past with gratitude. Others don¡¯t know how good they had it The difference between people really is something¡±


    If Lily had returned to the Saunders family and managed things fairly¨Cguided the kids to get along properly¨Cthings wouldn¡¯t have turned out like <b>this</b>.


    Yunice raised her eyes again. ¡°I didn¡¯te here to reminisce. If you won¡¯t help Oscar, I will.¡±


    <b>108 </b>


    Chapter <b>547 </b>A Taste of Bitterness


    Then she turned to Owen. ¡°What did Elsie say to you before she died?


    Yunice knew Elsie well¨Cshe was always clear about her goals. If she knew she was dying there was no wa she wouldn¡¯t <b>leave </b><b>a </b>final message.


    If someone had harmed her, she would¡¯ve told Owen.


    Peggy frowned like she was trying to remember, then suddenly said loudly. ¡°That¡¯s right, Owen, didn¡¯t you <b>ask </b>her? I remember hearing you ask!¡°.


    ¡°So, who was it that killed Elsie?¡±


    <b>Elianna </b>also looked at <b>Owen</b>. With all the online chatter around the case, she was curious like everyone


    else.


    Owen frowned. ¡°Elsie barely had the strength to speak. I <b>couldn¡¯t </b>make out who she said.¡±


    Yunice cut in sharply, ¡°So you do know it wasn¡¯t Oscar, <b>right</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Peggy was stunned. ¡°But didn¡¯t Owen just say he couldn¡¯t hear <b>clearly</b>? He didn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t Oscar-¡± If it wasn¡¯t Oscar, that would mean he mighte back to im his share of the inheritance. Yunice sneered and reminded Peggy, ¡°The inheritance <b>was </b>written into my father¡¯s will. <b>Even </b>if my brother ends up in prison, what¡¯s his stays under his name.¡±


    The only way someone else could get the inheritance was by impersonating, like Elsie did.


    Peggy¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment, exposed by <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>words.


    Yunice turned calmly to Owen again, her tone <b>mocking</b>. ¡°Oscar is the obvious first suspect. So when Elsie left her final words, we were all <b>subconsciously </b>inclined to interpret whatever name she said as ¡®Oscar. If <b>she </b>had <b>said </b>Oscar¨Ceven if it was faint¨Cyou¡¯d have recognized the sound. But you said you couldn¡¯t <b>make </b>it out at all. <b>That </b>means the name she said soufided nothing like Oscar. Not even a single syble matched.¡±


    Peggy turned to Owen in surprise. Owen still frowned but didn¡¯t refute Yunice¡¯s deduction.


    Elianna looked like she was watching a juicy drama unfold.


    At that moment, Yunice stood up. ¡°Now that I know my brother¡¯s not the one, I can rest easy¡±


    She sneered as she added. ¡°The Saunders family is already falling apart. I¡¯m sure without my brother around, you all must be sleeping even better these days.¡±


    With a coldugh, Yunice walked out. Elianna quickly got up and followed.


    Owen and Lily sat there, feeling deeply unsettled.


    There was a high <b>chance </b>Oscar had been wrongfully used. His arrest hadn¡¯t done the Saunders family any good.


    Should they help <b>clear </b>Oscar¡¯s name?


    Yunice drove Elianna away


    from the Saunders home.


    Chapter 547 A Taste of Bitterness


    As soon as the front of their car pulled out, another vehicle¡¯s headlights shed directly at them, blinding Yunice through the windshield.


    She slowed down, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the re. Only then did she roll down the window and nce outside.

 Daghter 548

    Chapter 548 Reckless Gambit


    Chapter 548 Reckless Gambit


    A car was parked by the roadside, and someone was standing next to the door.


    It was Paul.


    His car was positioned sideways in the middle of the road,pletely blocking Yunice¡¯s path.


    So this was an ambush?


    Yunice¡¯s car slowed to a stop. Elianna caught on quickly and grabbed Yunice¡¯s wrist. ¡°Lock the doors! I¡¯ll call Wyatt!¡±


    ¡°Paul¡¯s crazy¨Che¡¯s mentally unstable! If you get out now, he¡¯ll kill <b>you</b>!¡±


    What terrified Elianna the most was bing coteral damage. What if Paul killed <b>Yunice </b>and then came for <b>her</b>!


    Yunice didn¡¯t get out recklessly. People like Paul were capable of anything. Without knowing the full situation, she wasn¡¯t going to put herself in danger.


    Paul didn¡¯t approach either. He just smirked <b>and </b>raised his phone to his ear.


    A momentter, Elianna¡¯s phone started ringing.


    She looked at the caller ID and broke out in goosebumps. ¡°It¡¯s Paul¡­¡±


    ¡°Pick up.¡± Yunice <b>said </b>calmly.


    Gritting her teeth, Elianna answered. Paul¡¯szy voice came through the speaker. ¡°Let Yunice answer.


    Yunice reached out, took the phone from her hand, and said in a low voice, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Backing down already?¡± Paul chuckled darkly. ¡°I thought hanging around Wyatt would¡¯ve toughened you <b>up</b>.¡±


    Yunice snapped, ¡°Spit it out.¡±


    ¡°Come down. Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    She said nothing.


    As expected, after a few seconds, Paul dropped the games and got to the point. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know more about your brother¡¯s case?¡±


    ¡°You know <b>something</b>?¡± Yunice asked, baiting him.


    Paul sneered. ¡°Of course,¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t believe you unless you were personally involved.¡±


    His eyebrows lifted unevenly. With a greasy grin, he said, ¡°You could say I was<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¦°


    173


    Chapter 548 Reckless Gambit


    ¡°Which part did you help with? The assault? Drugging? The cover¨Cup? Framing him?¡±


    Paul snorted. ¡°Get out of the car, and 11 tell you.¡±


    As soon as she heard that, Elianna grabbed Yunice <b>again</b>. ¡°I know you care about your brother, but you can¡¯t get out! If anything happens to you, Wyatt will me me!¡±


    ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t be stupid! Don¡¯t drag me into this¡±


    Yunice nced at her. Does she think I¡¯m that dumb?


    She looked through the windshield toward <b>Paul </b>with a mocking expression. Why should she get out!


    Did he think blocking her in would scare her?


    He still underestimated her¨Cjust like always.


    Yunice¡¯s face went cold. Her right hand pulled the handbrake as she said, ¡°Buckle up.¡±


    Elianna let out a surprised yelp. Before she could react, the car lunged forward, mming her back against the seat as the front of the car shot straight toward Paul!


    She screamed, clinging to the grab handle like it was a lifeline.


    Outside the windshield, Paul clearly <b>hadn¡¯t </b>expected this move. He flinched and reflexively dove out of the way!


    Just before mming into Paul¡¯s car, Yunice yanked the steering wheel. The vehicle swerved, brushing past Paul and his car by mere inches before flying forward!


    Paul was clipped. Losing his bnce, he toppled over and crashed into the roadside ditch with a thud.


    Yunice brought the car to a stop. Next to her, Elianna was curled up, clutching her chest and breathing rapidly, her eyes wide in shock.


    Then she heard a car door open. Startled, she whipped her head around, thinking Paul had dragged himself up and was about to wrench open the door.


    But it was Yunice who had pushed the door open and stepped <b>out</b>.


    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?!¡±


    The <b>road </b><b>was </b>clear now¨Cwhy wasn¡¯t she leaving?


    Instead of checking on Paul, Yunice slowly crouched down and pulled a steel pipe from under the driver¡¯s


    seal


    Then she walked calmly to the side of the road and squatted down


    The streetlights were sparse here, and visibility was low


    Paul, in the ditch, looked like some rat rummaging through a sewer.


    The ditch wasn¡¯t deep. H¨¦ quickly found footing and started pulling himself up by the tufts of <b>grass</b>,


    08:41 Mon, 28 Jul <b>MT </b>


    Chapter 548 Reckless Gambit


    That¡¯s when he felt pressure¡ªand pain¨Con the top of his head.


    His face darkened. He looked up.


    A halo of light surrounded the figure above him. Within it, he saw the outline of a woman.


    A slender figure crouched at the edge, her wrist delicate, gripping one end of a long rod.


    One end was in her soft <b>hand</b>. The other was pressed against his skull, holding him in ce.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± Paul let out a low growl. This bitch actually dared to toy with me like this?


    He reached up, grabbing at the steel pipe<b>, </b><b>intending </b>to yank Yunice into the ditch and strangle her right then and there. Let¡¯s see who the real boss is


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t around. Who the hell did she think she <b>was</b><b>? </b>


    But before his fingers even grazed the pipe, it whipped through the air with a sharp gust- ¨Cand smashed into his temple with a sickening crack.


    <b>3/3 </b>

 Daghter 549

    Chapter 549 Blood and Truth


    Chapter 549 Blood and Truth


    Paul¡¯s vision went ck, and he fell straight back into the ditch.


    It took him more than ten seconds toe to. Clutching his head through gritted teeth, he slowly started to get up again.


    But just as he lifted his head, that same steel pipe pressed down on his skull once more.


    Paul:


    His face turned a ghastly shade, and his teeth ground so hard they nearly cracked. He was furious¡ªbut no matter how angry he got, he didn¡¯t dare move a muscle.


    He knew exactly what Yunice meant: if he so much as twitched, she¡¯d strike again.


    The steel pipe felt like it was filled with lead. A hit in the wrong ce could kill a man.


    Paul might be violent, but he wasn¡¯t suicidal.


    Yunice found the whole scene hrious.


    ¡°That scowl¡¯s fierce¨Creal gangster¨Cvibes. But your eyes? Why do they look so scared?¡±


    She tilted her head and grinned. ¡°Paul, do you really think making faces like that gives you the <b>same </b>presence as Wyatt?¡±


    <b>Then </b>she burst <b>out </bughing,


    The pipe on Paul¡¯s head slowly slid down, lifting his chin with a taunting touch, forcing him to look up at


    her<b>. </b>


    Yunice¡¯s gaze swept across the changes in his skin. ¡°Did you get work done to get rid of the letters on your face? Looks like it didn¡¯t turn out too well.¡±


    Then she added, ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me¨Cwhat did you do to piss my brother off so bad he carved your face?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face flushed red, then turned green, then red again, teeth clenched so hard his jaw trembled.


    Seeing the shift in his expression, Yunice¡¯s smile faded. Quietly, she pulled the pipe back from under <b>his </b>chin.


    Paul wasn¡¯t a <bplete </b>idiot. The change in her energy told him she was about to strike again, and he quickly <b>said</b>, ¡°It was because of Wyatt!¡±


    ¡°Wyatt told your brothers about me on purpose¨Che wanted to force them to take a side and turn against <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    Sure, Oscar had carved his face and turned him into an enemy, but Owen hadn¡¯t lifted a finger to defend


    Yunice.


    Yunice had guessed Oscar¡¯s <b>actions </b>were somehow tied to her. She hadn¡¯t expected Wyatt¡¯s hand was in i


    La


    Chapter 549 Blood and Truth


    too.


    She pressed further. ¡°So you held a grudge against my brother. You killed Elsie and framed him, thinking you could get back at both of us in one move<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>Paul </b>didn¡¯t deny it right away. Instead, he let out a twistedugh. The way he looked at Yunice¨Clike she was some clueless clown¨Cmade her skin crawl.


    ¡°I <b>wasn¡¯t </b>the one who killed Elsie,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then who was?¡± Yunice demanded.


    Paul held out a hand. ¡°Pull me up, and I¡¯ll tell you.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Try that again, and I¡¯ll beat you,¡± she warned tly.


    ¡°¡­¡± Paul still wouldn¡¯t behave. He smirked and said mysteriously, ¡°You should ask Wyatt instead. He <b>knows </b>better than I do¡­¡±


    Then, like a lightbulb had gone off, he added with a sly smile, ¡°Oh¨Cwait. Don¡¯t tell me Wyatt didn¡¯t say anything to <b>you</b>? Makes sense, I guess¡­ after all, the one who framed your brother was his¡­¡±


    He deliberately stopped right at the most crucial moment and fell silent.


    Yunice¡¯s lips pressed into a hard line. She stood <b>up</b>¨C<b>and </b>swung the pipe again!


    As Paul copsed with a <b>groan</b><b>, </b>she leapt down into the ditch after him in a fit of rage.


    From the roadside, Elianna let out a gasp.


    <b>She </b><b>was </b>scared out of her mind, but still cursed under her breath and jumped out of the car to check on Yunice.


    The ditch was pitch ck¨C<b>just </b>two <b>shadows </b>thrashing about.


    Elianna quickly turned on her phone shlight and aimed it down.


    There was <b>Yunice</b>, standing tall, gripping the steel pipe like a <b>nail </b>driver, mming it into Paul¡¯s body again and again.


    Her arms weren¡¯t strong enough to run the pipe through him, but the blows were more than enough to <b>make </b>Paul howl in pain and <b>twist </b>away.


    Elianna took two steps back in terror. Yunice¨Cwho always acted delicate and soft¨Chad just revealed her


    real self.


    A wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing.


    At some point, the pipe struck something sensitive¨CPaul coughed up blood on <b>the </b><b>spot</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice, like a woman possessed, didn¡¯t stop. Paul couldn¡¯t defend himself. He could only crawl backward, spitting up frothy blood, one hand raised in surrender. ¡°It was Morgan!¡±


    ¡°Morgan was the one who framed your brother!¡±


    Chapter 549 Blood and Truth


    Yunice froze.


    She slowly crouched down in front of him and asked, ¡°How do you know it was Morgan?


    ¡°What do you mean how?¡± Paul snapped. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes!¡±


    Yunice narrowed her eyes. ¡°Why would you see it? You and Morgan don¡¯t even talk. You expect me to believe he let you watch while hemitted a crime?


    Paul snorted,ughing at her naivety. ¡°You forgot Morgan stole my woman? You know what kind of freak he is.


    Of course Yunice knew. Paul only acted crazy¨CMorgan was crazy,


    With his super¨Cmale gene, Morgan¡¯s personality was inherently unstable.


    Him stealing Paul¡¯s woman and then showing off just for spite made perfect sense.


    Yunice asked, ¡°What proof do you have that it was him?¡±

 Daghter 550

    Chapter 550 No Deal


    ¡°I don¡¯t have proof, Paul sneered, ¡°but you¨Cafter I¡¯ve told you the truth, why don¡¯t you believe me? You scared this¡¯ll mess things up between you and Wyatt?¡±


    ¡°On one side, you¡¯ve got your own brother. On the other, the man Wyatt¡¯s protecting. You¡¯re afraid that once you know the truth, you¡¯ll humiliate yourself, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    He smirked, voice mocking. ¡°Guess you really are a coward. Elsie was killed by Morgan. Then he lured Oscar over to take the fall for him.¡±


    ¡°But if you used your brain for once, you¡¯d figure it out¨CMorgan¡¯s a psycho. You really think he¡¯s smart enough to clean up all the evidence by himself? The reason the police haven¡¯t found a second suspect is because someone powerful is pulling strings behind the scenes.¡± 1


    Yunice gave a cold <bugh</b><b>. </b>¡°So what you¡¯re trying to say is, Wyatt helped Morgan but not me?¡±


    Paul replied smoothly. ¡°I get it. You want a good life with Wyatt. You rely on him, after all. And sure, maybe he helped Morgan walk free, but that doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t help you. Maybe he¡¯ll even pull some strings and shave a few years off your brother¡¯s sentence. You should be grateful.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just pretend tonight never happened. I never said Morgan was the one who did it, and you can keep pretending you don¡¯t know. Go home, y the perfect couple with Wyatt. Let your brother do a few years in prison¨Cit¡¯s a small price to pay for a lifetime of security.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even flinch. Calm and


    drama¨Cbut you left out one key detail<b>.</b>¡±


    Posed, she said, ¡°I get your desperate little game, trying to stir up


    ¡°Elsie <b>was </b>pregnant. That means besides you and Morgan, there was another man in her life.¡±


    Which meant <b>Paul¡¯s </b>nder didn¡¯t hold water<b>. </b>


    He stiffened for a second, probably surprised to learn Elsie had ever been <b>pregnant</b>.


    But then heughed¨Ca foul, ugly sound.


    ¡°That¡¯s your reason for ruling Morgan out?¡± Paul sneered. ¡°You didn¡¯t see that oneing, huh? Elsie¡¯s pregnancy? That was my doing.¡±


    ¡°She was used up by Morgan¨CI wouldn¡¯t touch her after that. But I was still pissed. So I gave her some drugs, brought in seven or eight homeless guys, and let them take turns on her all night.¡±


    h her.


    ¡°Hahaha! And when she woke up the next morning, she actually thought I was the one who slep That filthy slut got pregnant with a beggar¡¯s kid. Shame she didn¡¯t get to have it¨Cman, I would¡¯ve loved to see her face when she found out the truth. Hahaha<b>!</b>¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face darkened. She hadn¡¯t imagined the reality would be this sickening.


    But thinking it over, everything lined up. Everyone¡¯s behavior made sense now.


    She stood up. She¡¯d gotten the answers she needed. There was no point wasting another second with Paul, ¡°Yunice,¡± Paul called from where he <b>sat</b><b>, </b>¡°I¡¯ve still got solid proof. Proof that Morgan¡¯s the one who killed


    Chapter 550 No Deal


    Elsie


    ¡°But if you want it, there¡¯s something I want in return.¡±


    ¡°I want your scar cream. Once my scars are gone, 111 give you the evidence. You can take it, blow it up online, stir the pot¨Cthen even Wyatt won¡¯t be able to keep your brother locked up.¡±


    He knew Yunice had scar medicine. Back when he¡¯d injured her, the wound on her face had been deep.


    Everyone thought she¡¯d be aughingstock at her wedding with Wyatt.


    But she¡¯d healed her face in secret¨Cand stunned them all.


    Paul had tried everything to fix his own face, but every method had its drawbacks. <b>Yunice </b>was hisst hope<b>. </b>


    She didn¡¯t stop walking. ¡°No.¡±


    She had zero intention of trading with <b>him</b>¨Czero intention of giving him any hope.


    *..!¡± Rejected again, <b>Paul </b>snapped. Staring at her back, rage boiling over, he lunged and grabbed her ankle.


    <b>Yunice </b>was<b>¨C</b>walking up a slope. With one sharp tug, she lost her bnce and fell back into the ditch. With a hiss of friction, she hit the dirt¨CPaul pounced, hands flying to her throat!


    Elianna screamed. She wanted to help but took two fearful steps back. She nced around wildly, debating whether to go get help.


    lled up nearby.


    Just then, headlights approached¨Cand a car pulled up


    The door burst open, and two bulky men in ck jumped out.


    Elianna had no idea who they were. Terrified, she backed up and ducked into the car, locking the doors. tight.


    But the two men sprinted straight toward the roadside.


    Before they even got there, a dull thud echoed from the ditch, followed by a pained cry.


    By the time they reached it, Yunice had already climbed out.


    Pauly writhing in the pit, hands cupping his groin¨Cclearly kicked.


    Yunice looked up at the two men. Her expression finally softened a little.


    She asked coldly. ¡°You two have been following me this whole time?¡±


    The men immediately bowed. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Wyatt assigned us We¡¯re here to protect you ¡°We¡¯ll report everything that happened tonight to Mr. Wyatt. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡±

 Daghter 551

    Chapter 551 Silence at All Costs


    Chapter 551 Silence at All Costs.


    Yunice¡¯s expression turned even colder. ¡°No one is to tell Wyatt what happened tonight.


    The two men in ck froze.


    ¡°First, you failed to protect me. Second, I let myself fall into someone¡¯s trap. If you go reporting this to Wyatt, both sides are going to take the fall. Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡±


    Their faces twitched with awkwardness.


    She was right. They had failed their job¨Ceven if Yunice walked away unharmed, there was no escaping punishment once Wyatt found out.


    Yunice raised her eyes. ¡°Not a word of this leaves here. If I find out otherwise<b>, </b>don¡¯t me me for reporting you and making the consequences worse.¡±


    The two bodyguards were speechless.


    After a tense silence, they both nced nervously toward Yunice¡¯s car.


    <b>Yunice </b>followed their gaze¨Cinside, Elianna was curled up like a frightened animal, phone pressed to her


    <b>car</b><b>. </b>


    She turned to the bodyguards. ¡°You two head back.¡±


    Then she walked to the car.


    But the door was locked.


    Reaching through the half¨Copen window, she unlocked it from inside, pulled the door open, and slid into the driver¡¯s seat. Without a word, she snatched the phone from Elianna¡¯s hand and ended the call.


    Elianna shrieked in surprise, then blinked hard when she saw who it was. ¡°You you¡¯re alive?¡±


    She had just been about to report Yunice¡¯s death to Wyatt


    Now she stared at her with sheer terror¨Cthis woman had taken down a <b>man </b>like Paul with her bare hands. She was <b>terrifying</b>.


    Yunice looked at the call <b>log</b>. The call to Wyatt had onlysted three seconds. Elianna hadn¡¯t had time to spill anything yet.


    She turned her head. ¡°What did you hear just now?¡±


    Elianna, not <b>thinking</b>, blurted out, ¡°I heard everything you said to <b>Paul</b>¨CPaul said your brother was framed, that <b>the </b>real one <b>who </b>killed Elsie was-


    She didn¡¯t get to finish. A force mmed into her, smashing the back of her head into the window,


    <b>Yunice </b><b>had </b>lunged forward and mped her hands around Elianna¡¯s neck


    Elianna¡¯s face flushed red. Her breaths caught in her throat, panic and fear written all <b>over </b>her face,


    Chapter 551 Silence at All Costs


    She hadn¡¯t expected Yunice to attack her¨Cshe didn¡¯t even know what she¡¯d done wrong, Was It because she ran off and didn¡¯t help?


    Yunice squeezed tighter, her voice low and sharp. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear anything tonight. And if you did, you better bury it. If you breathe a single word to anyone. I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Elianna was shaking.


    Yunice let go.


    Elianna gasped and tried to bolt, but the doors had already been locked by Yunice. She scrambled at the handle to no avail.


    Yunice sat calmly beside her, <b>watching</b>. Then she handed Elianna her phone back and said coldly, ¡°Cill Wyatt. Tell him we were in a car ident and he needs toe pick us up. Now,¡±


    Elianna gaped. ¡°Huh?¡±


    She didn¡¯t understand <b>what </b>Yunice meant.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes dropped to hers, icy and threatening¨Clike she could kill without blinking.


    Elianna burst into tears. Her voice trembled. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m stupid, okay? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying- Please, tell me exactly what to say!¡±


    Yunice snatched the phone, dialed Wyatt, then pressed it to Elianna¡¯s ear.


    Caught off guard, Elianna froze. She had no n, no script¨Cpanic gripped her throat.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice came through the line, calm but with an edge: ¡°You¡¯re with Yunice?¡±


    He¡¯d been notified by his security team that the two had gone out together.


    <b>And </b>when Elianna called earlier, the call hadsted just three seconds before being cut off. That almost never happened.


    So he¡¯d gotten in his car immediately.


    Elianna looked to Yunice, overwhelmed with fear. She sobbed, ¡°Y¨CYeah, I¡¯m with Yunice¡­¡±


    Her voice trembled with real fear¨Cevery nerve in her body broadcasted her <b>panic</b>.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice tightened. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Elianna nced at Yunice again, then parroted the line she¡¯d been told. ¡°We¨Cwe were in a car ar ent Wyatt,e get us, please!¡±


    On the other end of the call, the sound of tires screeching echoed faintly. Wyatt was already driving.


    His tone dropped. ¡°Is Yunice okay?¡±


    Elianna looked to her again. She hadn¡¯t been told how to answer that <b>one</b>.


    Then Yunice¡¯s voice came through steadily from the side. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. Elianna¡¯s just a bit


    Chapter 561 Silence at All Costs


    sluken?


    Wyan finally rxed a bit. Then, ¡°Can the car still move? If not, get out and sat on the mode?


    Vinice replied, ¡°Just a scratch Nothing serious.


    Wyatt said firmly, ¡°Send me your location. I¡¯ll be there soon


    ¡°Okay,¡± Vunice answered.


    wait


    She was about to hang up when Wyatt¡¯s voice returned, sharp andmanding


    ¡°Don¡¯t hang up until I get there¡±


    He needed to hear her breathing Needed to know the was still okay.

 Daghter 552

    Chapter 552 One Word and You¡¯re Dead


    Chapter 552 One Word and You¡¯re Dead


    Yunice hesitated for just a moment, then answered with a quiet ¡°Mm¡± and sent the location to <b>Wyatt </b>while still on the call.


    But barely a few secondster, she hung up.


    Elianna¡¯s eyes widened in shock, just about to shout, Didn¡¯t you promise Wyatt you wouldn¡¯t hang up?!


    Before she could say anything. Yunice calmly took her phone, popped it open using a hairpin, and removed the battery. Without even looking up, she said, ¡°If he asks, tell him your phone just ran out of power¨Cthat¡¯s why the call dropped.¡±


    Elianna was speechless.


    She held her now¨Cdead phone in her hands, curled up in the passenger seat, stealing nces at Yunice with growing dread.


    The woman in front of her was nothing like the soft, obedient girl she used to imagine.


    Yunice was terrifying, Calcting. Ruthless.


    Yunice released the handbrake and drove off, passing Paul¡¯s abandoned vehicle and exiting the Saunders family¡¯s grounds. When they arrived at the location she had just sent Wyatt, she brought the car <b>to </b>a stop and unlocked the doors


    ¡°Get out,¡± she told Elianna.


    <b>Elianna </b>stumbled out, sobbing and shaking, too afraid to disobey.


    But the moment she stepped outside, she heard the roar of an engine and a sharp rush of air behind her.


    She turned¨Cjust in time to see Yunice¡¯s car m into a tree.


    ¡°Bang!¡±


    Elianna instinctively shielded her head. A few seconds passed. Smoke billowed out from under the crumpled <b>hood</b>.


    The windshield <b>had </b>shattered into <b>a </b>spiderweb of cracks. Yunice¡¯s condition inside the car was unclear.


    The ck car carrying the two bodyguards screeched to a stop behind them. The men leapt out in <b>a </b><b>panic</b>.


    They were stunned. Wasn¡¯t she the one who said to keep things quiet? How did this escte so fast?


    How the hell were they supposed to exin this to Wyatt now?


    As if summoned, a <b>ck </b>luxury car screeched around the corner and stopped with a sharp turn.


    Wyatt jumped out, his face tense with worry.


    Elianna, tears streaming, immediately lit up at the sight of him. She rushed forward. ¡°Wyand¡°.


    HI


    13


    Chapter 552 One Word and You¡¯re Dead


    She nned to block his path <b>and </b>finally spill everything¨C<b>Yunice¡¯s </b>schemes, the truth of what happened


    But before her hand could even <b>brush </b>his sleeve, Wyatt swerved past her without a second nce, ever locked on the wreck,.


    vehicle.


    Elianna froze.


    Her arms remained outstretched, trembling as she watched Wyatt race forward.


    His usually polished hair was tousled from the wind. He didn¡¯t look at anyone. Didn¡¯t speak. Just moved.


    In the blink of an eye, he pulled open the car door and reached inside.


    The next second, he carried Yunice out in his arms.


    Elianna scrambled forward. ¡°Wyatt! Yunice, she-


    Wyatt scowled, cutting her off. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to hang up the phone?¡±


    Stunned by the reprimand, Elianna was too flustered to respond.


    Before she could even stammer out an excuse, Wyatt was already walking away, carrying Yunice to the car.


    He didn¡¯t spare Elianna another look.


    She stood there, stunned and dejected.


    Wyatt really¡­ only sees Yunice.


    They¡¯d both been through the same ordeal. But he only had eyes for Yunice.


    As she stood there wallowing, Jordan rolled down the passenger window. ¡°Elianna! Get in


    Sniffling, Elianna wiped her face and quickly climbed in, afraid any dy would make Wyatt me her for holding up Yunice¡¯s treatment.


    Jordan hit the gas. As the car sped up, Elianna nced again at Yunice, whoy motionless in Wyatt¡¯s arms.


    Eyes closed. Unmoving.


    Is she unconscious?


    Elianna clenched her fists, torn. Should she tell Wyatt what Yunice had done?


    He clearly cared about her deeply. If she stayed quiet, he¡¯d be tricked for <b>who </b>knows how lor


    Her nails dug crescents into her palms. Elianna hardened her resolve. ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    His heavy gaze shifted to her.


    And just like <b>that</b>, the words died in her throat¨Cbecause Yunice opened her eyes.


    dazed. Her gaze was steady, cold, and silent as a de.


    2:3


    (MON) 20


    Chapter 552 One Word and You¡¯re Dead


    She stared at Elianna, ck eyes filled with quiet warning


    There was no fear in them. No panic.


    Only certainty.


    The kind that said: Say whatever you want. I¡¯ll make sure he never believes you.


    That chilling threat¨Cquiet and calcted¨Cwas louder than a <b>scream</b>.


    Elianna¡¯s throat closed up like she¡¯d swallowed iron. She couldn¡¯t get a single word out.


    Wyatt frowned at her trembling silence, clearly annoyed. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Elianna felt like she <b>was </b>bncing on a tightrope¨Cwolves <b>ahead</b><b>, </b>tigers behind. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend either side. All she could do was <b>shake </b>where she sat.

 Daghter 553

    Chapter 553 Everyone¡¯s Lying


    Chapter 553 Everyone¡¯s Lying.


    ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s soft voice instantly drew Wyatt¡¯s attention.


    With the pressure off her, Elianna finally exhaled a shaky breath of relief.


    Yunice furrowed her brows, attempting to sit up, but Wyatt quickly said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    Car idents often caused internal injuries. Even though he¡¯d checked her already and only saw some bruising on her neck, he wasn¡¯t about to let his guard down.


    Yunice stayed obediently nestled in his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t me Elianna¡­ she didn¡¯t hang <b>up </b>on purpose¨Cher phone just died.¡±


    Elianna:¡°¡±


    She felt like she¡¯d just swallowed a cactus. She wanted to defend herself but didn¡¯t dare say <b>a </b>word.


    Yunice continued softly, ¡°I should


    be thanking her, actually. If she hadn¡¯t called you, you wouldn¡¯t have arrived so quickly. I didn¡¯t expect her to help me like that¡­¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s expression softened. His eyes held a glint of guilt, clearly feeling bad for having snapped at Elianna earlier.


    Elianna: ¡°..¡±


    Now she truly understood what it meant to manipte <b>men </b>like they were puppies. Yunice, you two¨Cfaced little witch!


    At the hospital, Yunice was <b>sent </b>in for a full check¨Cup.


    Standing at the door, Wyatt nced at the disheveled <b>Elianna </b>and said, ¡°You should go in too.¡±


    Elianna frowned and stepped back. ¡°No way.¡±


    She <b>had </b>no interest in being stuck in a room with Yunice.


    Wyatt noticed her tightly knit brows and how she kept rubbing her hands nervously behind her back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve been acting weird all day. Just say what¡¯s on your mind.¡±


    Elianna¡¯s heart skipped. Without thinking, she blurted, ¡°Wyatt, Yunice¡­ she¡¯s lying to you!¡±


    If she didn¡¯t say it now, she¡¯d never get another chance.


    ¡°Lying?¡± Wyatt, phone in hand, paused mid¨Cmessage. ¡°What is she lying about?¡±


    ¡°She met with-


    Just then. Wyatt¡¯s phone rang.


    Chapter 553 Everyone¡¯s Lying


    Elianna¡¯s words cut off mid¨Csentence as both of them looked at the phone.


    Wyatt, visibly irritated, held it up and said. ¡°Whatever it is, we¡¯ll talkter.


    He walked off while answering the call.


    Elianna stared after him, heart sinking. He hadn¡¯t taken her seriously at all. Even if she told him the truth, he¡¯d never believe her over Yunice.


    Disappointment hit <b>hard</b>. Has he really forgotten about me ever since he got a wife


    But then a thought stopped her cold.


    Wait. If he cares about Yanice so much, why did he leave before her results came out?


    Ihat kind of call can¡¯t be answered right outside the exam room?


    Her instincts kicking in, she quietly followed him.


    Wyatt walked down the corridor<b>, </b>alone.


    ¡°She doing <b>okay</b>?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt, Ms. Nora <b>has </b>shown repeated response to the rhino hompound. She could wake up any minute. If you¡¯re not there when she does, you may miss it.¡±


    ¡°If she wakes up and doesn¡¯t see you, it could cause <b>her </b>emotional distress.¡±


    Ms. Nora<b>? </b>


    Nora¡­ is waking up?


    Elianna¡¯s breath caught in her <b>throat</b>. But realizing she¡¯d just made a sound, she quickly turned and rushed back to the waiting area.


    A few minutes passed. Wyatt didn¡¯t return.


    Her heart was pounding.


    What is going on?


    He was protecting Yunice on one hand, and saving Nora on the other.


    Who does he really love? Or is he trying to have it both ways¨Cone as his ideal, one as a substitutet


    Elianna had once thought Yuniced Wyattpletely under her thumb. But now¡­ Yu piece on the board <b>too</b>.


    <b>was </b>just a


    Frowning, Elianna realized she didn¡¯t understand the game at all. She didn¡¯t <b>dare </b><b>take </b>sides anymore.


    ¡°Whatever. Let them lie to each other all they want. I¡¯ll <b>just </b>live easy. No matter who the wife is, I¡¯m still Wyatt¡¯s little sister.¡±


    When Yunice came out of the exam room, she saw Elianna swinging her legs <b>on </b>a bench, looking idle and


    Chapter 553 Everyone¡¯s lying


    carefree.


    Odd.


    After being humiliated by Yunice earlier, Elianna should¡¯ve been stomping in anger in front of Wys


    Yunice asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Wyan?¡±


    Elianna looked upzily, just about to reply when a familiar voice came from behind Yunice.


    ¡°I¡¯m here<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice turned. Wyatt stood there holding a takeour bag. ¡°I went to get us something to eat. Are you hungry?¡±


    From her seat in the back. Elianna¡¯s expression shifted. She recognized that bag¨Cit came from a ce at least ten minutes away.


    But she had just overheard Wyatt¡¯s phone call barely moments ago. There was no way he had gone out himself.


    So someone else bought it for him. He was just covering up his absence.


    Elianna stared at the couple, her mind in knots. They¡¯re both so two¨Cfaced. Is this what aplicated marriage looks like?


    She knew everything.. but chose to stay <b>quiet</b>.


    Wyatt looked down at his phone. ¡°The doctor already sent me your scans. You¡¯re lucky¨Cno internal injuries.¡±


    He looked up, gaze drifting to Yunice¡¯s neck. Her skin was pale and slender, so even the faintest bruises stood out starkly.

 Daghter 554

    Chapter 554 Games Beneath the Surface


    Wyant reached up, his knuckles brushing lightly over the reddish bruises on Yunice¡¯s neck.


    They didn¡¯t look like a result of a car crash¨Cmore like hand marks.


    Yunice replied calmly. ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s soft tissue bruising, likely from some essory in the car that hit me during the impact. It¡¯ll fade in a few days¡±


    Elianna dropped her gaze, eyes darting.


    That¡¯s a lie. Paul strangled her. And Paul also said the one who framed Owcar was Morgan.


    O


    So that¡¯s why Yanice staged the car ident-


    To exin away the marks on her neck..


    That way, Wyatt wouldn¡¯t suspect she¡¯d met with Paul¨Cor that she knew the <b>truth</b>.


    Wyatt invited both women to eat thete¨Cnight meal together.


    His phone buzzed several more times during the meal, but he ignored it.


    The two bodyguards, now thoroughly disgraced, stood nearby with pale faces and stiff postures, nervously watching Wyatt for any sign of fury.


    They had failed to stop Yunice from crashing into a tree.


    This was on them.


    Yunice <b>said </b>softly, ¡°It all happened so suddenly! They didn¡¯t have time to react. Please don¡¯t punish them.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t reply¨Che <b>just </b>helped her to a few dishes in silence.


    After a few minutes, he got up and made an excuse to step out. The two ck¨Csuited bodyguards immediately followed him, their faces drawn like men walking to their executions.


    Once they were gone, Yunice slowly put down her fork and nced at Elianna, who <b>was </b>still eating. Her tone was cool. ¡°Nothing you want to say?¡±


    Elianna looked rxed, almost smug. ¡°You thought I¡¯d rat you out, huh? Don¡¯t worry¨CI¡¯m not that stupid¡±


    ¡°Wyatt trusts you more than anything. Even if I told the truth, one word from you and I¡¯d be the one getting med


    She snorted inwardly. Go on, be sinug while you can. Just wait until Nora wakes up. Then you¡¯ll learn what real Jirvoritism looks like.


    Yunice studied her for a moment, then looked away. As long as Elianna kept her mouth shut, that was enough<b>. </b>


    O


    Chapter 554 Games Beneath the Surface


    Just then, Yunice¡¯s phone rang. She looked at the screen and answered. ¡°Victor..¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re at the hospital?¡±


    kay. Where are you? I¡¯lle get


    you.


    Elianna perked up her ears, listening in.


    Yunice stood and said. ¡°If Wyattes back, tell him I went to meet a friend.¡±


    +10 Free Cons


    Meanwhile, Wyatt stood outside, his expression grim as he questioned the two bodyguards. ¡°What did Yunice do today? What exactly happened?¡±


    In his mind. Yunice was always calm and collected.


    And the site of the crash had no other vehicles in sight. Why would she crash into a tree on her own?


    The guards, stiff with nerves, answered carefully. ¡°Ms. Yunice and Ms. Elianna <b>visited </b>the Saunders family. They stayed for about <b>half </b>an hour. When they came out, she didn¡¯t look well¡­ maybe she was emotionally overwhelmed ¡±


    Wyatt frowned. The Saunders family?


    She must¡¯ve been upset about Oscar.


    Now that Elsie was gone and her body cremated, the chain of evidence was weak. Without new suspects. Oscar was going to carry this me to the end.


    <b>No </b>wonder Yunice was distressed.


    He¡¯d have to cheer her up.


    ¡°Victor


    Yunice found him waiting quietly in the corridor.


    He still carried that soft, schrly aura as he smiled lightly. ¡°What happened this time? Why are <b>you </b>at the hospital again?¡±


    Yunice smiled sheepishly. <i>¡°</i>Just a minor scratch. V


    overreacted¨Cit¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    Victor¡¯s eyes twinkled with something unreadable. ¡°He¡¯s so concerned, and yet¡­ why c you?¡±


    ¡°He had something to deal with


    hee


    with


    Victor iled faintly and didn¡¯t press. Instead, he looked down and handed her a small box. ¡°No more games¡­ Here, Rhino horn. Lhope you still need it.¡±


    The moment Yunice saw what was


    inside, her e


    eyes lit up.


    ¡°You actually found it!¡±


    Chapter 554 Games Beneath the Surface


    Victor smiled. ¡°It¡¯s rare, yes¨C<b>but </b>not impossible to get if you¡¯re determined enough


    <b>Yunice </b>couldn¡¯t help but feel like his words held a deeper meaning.


    Victor, still smiling, added, ¡°Go ahead. Use it to save whoever you want


    Just as she reached out to <b>take </b>it-


    A familiar voice called out behind her, light and teasing: ¡°Nuonuo, why didn¡¯t you bring me along to meet your friend?¡± (


    Yunice turned <b>around</b>. Wyatt was strolling toward them casually, eyes locked on Victor with a sardoni gleam.


    He was always like this around Victor¨Clike the moment they locked eyes, he turned hostile.


    Yunice quickly stepped in to smooth things over. ¡°Wyatt, Victor¡¯s here because I asked him to bring me something. Don¡¯t always be at odds with him.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept to the wooden box in her hands, then he lifted his own identical box with a raised brow ¡°He gave you one¨Cbut is his better than mine?


    Yunice¡¯s expression wasplicated.


    Whopares gifis right in front of someone like that?


    Before she could speak, Victor stepped into the fray.


    Still smiling, he said, ¡°Gifts aren¡¯t about value¨Cthey¡¯re about whether they reach the heart¡± Wyatt¡¯s lips quirked into <b>a </b>cool smile. ¡°And you¡¯re that sure yours did?¡±

 Daghter 555

    Chapter 555 Two Horns, One Heart


    ¡°Open it and have a look.¡± Wyatt said, ignoring Victor now.


    Yanice¡¯s expression shifted slightly. His confidence intrigued her¨Cwhat had he given her that made him so certain it would win her favor over Victor?


    Her hand hovered over Wyatt¡¯s box. A quiet weight settled in her chest.


    This was a delicate moment. No matter what Wyatt had brought, she had to be diplomatic. Disappointing either man would cost her.


    Victor had clearly gone to great lengths to procure the rhino horn. She couldn¡¯t afford to let his effort feel overlooked.


    But Wyatt was making it a direct challenge¨Che wouldn¡¯t let her brush it off.


    So Yuniceplied and opened the box.


    Victor kept a neutral face, but his eyes flicked toward it. He was curious <b>too</b>, <b>even </b>if he believed nothing Wyatt could offer would beat what he¡¯d brought


    After all, Yunice needed rhino horn most right now.


    ¡°Rhino horn?¡± Yunice¡¯s voice held <b>a </b>flicker of genuine surprise.


    Victor¡¯s brow furrowed. His gaze turned slightly strange as he looked down at the box in Wyatt¡¯s hand. Inside was, unmistakably, a rhino horn.


    Wyatt looked satisfied. ¡°Happy with it? Didn¡¯t you say just a few days ago that you needed rhino horn to help your friend?¡±


    But the expression on both Yunice and Victor¡¯s <b>faces </b>wasn¡¯t quite what Wyatt had expected..


    Sharp as ever, Wyatt immediately sensed something was off. His smile faded slightly. Then, without a word, he lifted the lid of Victor¡¯s box.


    Inside was another rhino horn¨Cnearly identical.


    His eyes widened for two seconds before his expression cooled, jaw tightening.


    Yunice tensed.


    Then Wyatt curled his lips. ¡°So you asked Victor for one too. Guess mine was a bit redant. (2)


    Before Yunice could speak, Victor smoothly cut in. ¡°Don¡¯t sell yourself short, Mr. Wyatt. Since <b>you </b>knew she needed rhino horn, she must¡¯ve told you about it personally. I only got here first.¡±


    Wyatt nced up and down Victor with a smirk. ¡°You really know how to make an insult sound polite.


    So I¡¯mte, and that means I don¡¯t care enough? Is that it?


    The air between them grew sharp.


    Yunice quickly stepped in. ¡°Enough. Rhino horn isn¡¯t easy toe by¨CI know that henter than any Thank you both for going through so much trouble for me.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s ever anything you need from me, just ask.¡±


    Wyatt buffed. ¡°What are you talking about? You¡¯re my wife. Helping you doesn¡¯t count as ¡®trouble


    Clearly directed at Victor¨Ca dig for trying to score points.


    Victor didn¡¯t react, only smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll remember that and ask you for help next time


    Yunice nodded with a polite smile


    Victor added, ¡°Now that I have the rhino horn, keeping it does me no good. I¡¯ll leave it with you¨Cfor future needs.


    He looked at Wyatt calmly, then turned and walked away without a fuss.


    Back in the car, Freya was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat ying a mobile game. She didn¡¯t even look at Victor as she asked, ¡°What took you so long? Weren¡¯t you afraid Wyatt would throw a jealous fit?¡±


    Victor fastened his seatbelt. ¡°It¡¯s because I ran <b>into </b>Wyatt <b>that </b>it took so long.¡±


    Freya looked over, interested. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he brought Yunice <b>a </b>rhino horn too?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Victor said evenly.


    Freya didn¡¯t seem surprised. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not shocking. Rhino horn isn¡¯t some cheap<b>, </bmon item<b>. </b>If Yunice needed it, of course she asked around. Wyatt getting one too makes sense.¡±


    Victor nodded. ¡°When she first came to me for help, I thought Wyatt was indifferent to her. But now, it seems I misjudged him.¡±


    Freya raised an eyebrow. ¡°That¡¯s riching from you. Weren¡¯t you the one who can¡¯t stand his arrogant capitalist attitude?¡±


    Victor let out a softugh. ¡°Because I know exactly how hard it is to get rhino horn.¡±


    ¡°You forgot?¡± he added, his voice thoughtful. ¡°The one I found this time was originally part of a matched same root, same origin. I thought it would be more stable medicinally, so I tried to get both


    Freya¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Oh right. But wasn¡¯t there another buyer who keptpeting with <b>us </b>for the pair? Some mystery client. We almost lost both horns to them. We only got one in the end thanks to decades- old ties with the supplier. D


    Victor¡¯s tone was cool. ¡°That mystery client¡­ was Wyatt. His horn was the other from the same batch.¡±


    Freya whistled. ¡°No wonder it was so damn <b>hard</b>. We were butting heads with each other and didn¡¯t even know it.¡±


    Both <b>chasing </b>the same goal for Yunice. And it cost them weeks of effort¨Call because neither knew what


    the other was doing.


    But in the end, it all worked out<b>. </b>


    And for that.. no one had anything left to say.

 Daghter 556

    Chapter 556 What Counts as Owed


    Chapter 556 What Counts as Owed


    At the hospital, Yunice held both wooden boxes in her arms while Wyatt stood beside her, hands stuffed <b>in </b>his pockets, face still cold.


    Yunice waited for him to speak.


    Wyatt waited for her to speak first.


    A full few minutes passed¨Cuntil Wyatt, impatient as always, broke the silence first, grumbling, ¡°You wanted rhino horn. Why didn¡¯t you just ask me? Why go to Victor?¡±


    Yunice replied quietly, ¡°I <i>did </i>ask you¡­¡±


    He¡¯d said he didn¡¯t have any, hadn¡¯t he?


    Wyatt snapped, ¡°Yeah, you asked. Did I ever say I wouldn¡¯t get it for you?¡±


    Yunice frowned. ¡°When someone¡¯s sick, every second counts. I didn¡¯t have time to sit around waiting for some surprise.¡±


    Sure, he hadn¡¯t said <i>no</i>, but he hadn¡¯t said <i>yes </i>either. So how was she supposed to sit there and wait on a promise that never existed?


    Wyatt paused, momentum lost.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to get one,¡± he muttered. ¡°So I didn¡¯t promise. But that doesn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t trying.¡±


    2


    Yunice blinked in confusion. That rhino horn¨Chadn¡¯t he gotten it at the charity auction?


    He wasn¡¯tcking money. For him, it should¡¯ve been as easy as raising a hand.


    And he¡¯d had it for a while.


    Victor, on the other hand, must¡¯ve gone through far more effort.


    She nced up, catching a flicker of Wyatt¡¯s expression.


    They had both gone out of their way to bring her the same rare gift.


    If she kept sulking, it would seem ungrateful.


    So Yunice softened her tone, offering a way to ease the tension. ¡°Could you carry one of the <b>boxes </b>for me? My wrist really hurts¡­ I think I sprained it in the crash.¡±


    At her words, a flicker of guilt shed across Wyatt¡¯s eyes. He took both boxes from her arms, tucked <b>them </b>under one arm, and gently cradled her wrist with his other hand, rubbing it softly. ¡°Does it still hurt? Maybe you should have it checked again.¡±


    Yunice shook her head slightly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt¡­ not if you stop scolding me.¡±


    O


    Chapter 556 What Counts as Owed


    Wyatt froze<b>. </b>He looked up at her slowly¨Cclearly caught off guard by the line. They <b>locked </b><b>eyes </b>for a few seconds, and he seemed¡­ awkward. Even his stance grew stiff.


    Hearing her speak so gently made him feel like aplete jerk.


    He looked away and said stiffly, ¡°I wasn¡¯t scolding you. What I mean is, if anythinges <b>up</b><b>, </b>I¡¯ll <b>handle </b><b>it </b>for you. But when you ask Victor for help, no matter what it is, if he helps you, you¡¯ll owe him <b>a </b>favor, right?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a simple person. If you <i>own </i>someone, you¡¯ll definitely pay it back. And how could I be <b>okay </b>


    with that?¡±


    Yunice murmured, ¡°But¡­ if I ask <i>you </i>for help¡­ don¡¯t I owe you a favor <i>too</i>?¡±


    Wyatt lifted his brows, chest puffing up slightly. ¡°How can I be the same as anyone else? I¡¯m your husband. Between us, there¡¯s no such thing as favors.¡±


    Yunice looked up, uncertain. ¡°So I don¡¯t have to repay you?¡±


    He looked left and right, rubbed the back of his neck, then muttered, ¡°Mm.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but smile¨Cand with that, the fight melted away. They turned and walked back together.


    Midway, Yunice asked, ¡°Can I see Nora again?¡±


    She nced at the two boxes in his arms. Now that she had two horns, one would be enough to <b>cure </b>Yuanbao.


    Nora had the same symptoms. Rhino horn would work on her, too.


    Yunice and Wyatt weren¡¯t going tost. If she could wake Nora up, maybe it would be her parting gift to


    him.


    Wyatt was silent for a good ten seconds before responding. ¡°Isn¡¯t your brother¡¯s case more urgent?*


    Talk about striking a nerve. The mention of Oscar instantly reminded Yunice of Morgan.


    She had no idea how deep Wyatt¡¯s hand ran in that whole case. But she wasn¡¯t nning on confronting him outright¨Cnot when she¡¯d lose without a doubt.


    1


    Her only option was to save Oscar before Wyatt even realized what she was doing.


    She smiled and said, ¡°My brother¡¯s case can¡¯t be rushed. Visiting Nora won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Wyatt frowned. ¡°Why do you keep thinking about her?¡±


    Yunice gave him a look¨C<i>Shouldn¡¯t </i>you <i>be </i><i>the </i><i>one </i><i>thinking </i><i>about </i><i>her</i><i>? </i>


    Why else keep her alive? Guard her house?


    But she said nothing else. Some truths only make things harder when spoken aloud.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 556 What Counts as Owed


    Back at the west wing, Elianna iminediately retreated to her room. <ol start="15"><li>Free Coins </li></ol>


    Neither of those two lunatics were people she could afford to offend. Or outy. Might as well y dumb and keep her head down. (1)


    Wyatt remained busy as always. The next morning, he stood behind Yunice¡¯s vanity, carefully applying ointment to the bruises on her neck before heading out.


    Elianna leaned out the window, snacking on sunflower seeds as she watched his car disappear.


    ¡°Is he really off to work, or sneaking off to see Nora again?¡± she muttered. ¡°Ugh. Men. Only my dad¡¯s ever made me feel secure.¡± (3)

 Daghter 557

    apter 557 The Man Who Saved Her


    Chapter 557 The Man Who Saved Her


    s


    To be honest, Elianna was pretty disappointed in Wyatt. Ever since she realized he was stringing along two women, his image in her heart hade crashing down from the heavens.


    She paced her room restlessly, then took out her father¡¯s portrait and carefully wiped it clean again.


    Though he had passed away three years ago, that frame was spotless. It was her spiritual anchor.


    As she rambled softly to her father¡¯s photo, a knock came at the door.


    Thinking it was a maid delivering lunch, Elianna didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°Come in¡±


    The doorknob turned, and Yunice stepped inside.


    Seeing Elianna¡¯s back to her, Yunice stopped at a distance and said, ¡°Elianna.¡±


    Elianna flinched and spun around. ¡°Why is it you?!¡±


    Startled, she shot to her feet, and the portrait in her hands slipped and fell to the floor.


    Yunice quickly moved to pick it up. But when her eyesnded on the photo, she froze.


    Elianna snapped back to her senses and snatched the portrait away, holding it behind her. ¡°What are you trying to do with my dad¡¯s picture?!¡±


    Yunice gave a quietugh. ¡°What could I possibly do to a photo?¡±


    She looked at it again. ¡°That¡¯s your dad?¡±


    There was something strange in Yunice¡¯s eyes¨Csomething Elianna couldn¡¯t quite read. Frowning, she didn¡¯t answer but looked deeply guarded.


    Yunice¡¯s voice warmed, a faint joy in her tone./¡±Did you know? Your father saved my life four years ago. I still remember him. He left his coat in my car¨CI¡¯ve kept it at the dry cleaner this whole time, and I¡¯ve always meant to return it to him with his phone¡­¡±


    Her words faltered.


    This was a memorial portrait.


    Elianna¡¯s father was already gone. He had died in the steel mill ident, sacrificing himself to prevent a catastrophe and save hundreds of workers.


    The man Yunice had long wanted <i>to </i>thank had¡­ quietly passed away.


    Her throat tightened. When she looked at Elianna again, her gaze was full of reverence¨Clike she was seeing a treasured relic of someone irreceable.


    Elianna was creeped out. She shouted, ¡°What¡¯s with that look?! And when the hell did my dad save you? Stop trying to manipte me¨CI¡¯m not falling for any of it! I don¡¯t care about you and Wyatt. Just leave me out of it!¡±


    Chapter 557 The Man Who Saved Her


    s


    Trying to prove herself, Yunice continued, ¡°Back then, your dad was driving a red Hongqi H9. The license te was all matching numbers-¡±


    Elianna sneered. ¡°That¡¯s Wyatt¡¯s car. Anyone in Beijing knows that.¡±


    ¡°My dad was Wyatt¡¯s driver. Of course you¡¯d know the te number.¡±


    Yunice said firmly, ¡°He was driving that car when he saved me on Xiangjiang Road.¡±


    Elianna rolled her eyes. ¡°Even more impossible.¡±


    Yunice frowned. ¡°Why are you so sure?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re lying,¡± Elianna said sharply. ¡°That car was Wyatt¡¯s personal vehicle. It¡¯s not registered under thepany, and no one can track it. He only uses it for private trips. Normally, he drives it himself. My dad wasn¡¯t even allowed to ride in it.¡±


    She paused and narrowed her eyes. ¡°There were a few rare exceptions when he let my dad drive¨Cbut Wyatt was always there.¡±


    She stared Yunice down. ¡°So if my dad was driving when he saved you, then you must¡¯ve seen Wyatt. Did you?¡±


    Then she added coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t believe for a second that if you¡¯d seen him, you wouldn¡¯t remember.¡±


    And she was right.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t seen anyone else that night.


    All she remembered was Elianna¡¯s father stepping out like a beam of light. That moment was burned into her memory.


    Still, she pressed. ¡°There wasn¡¯t even one exception?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t believe that Elianna¡¯s father had never driven that car alone.


    <i>If </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>had </i><i>been </i><i>there</i>, <i>why </i><i>didn¡¯t </i><i>he </i><i>remember </i>it <i>when </i>I <i>brought </i><i>it </i><i>up</i><i>? </i>


    Elianna said, ¡°Don¡¯t believe me? Let¡¯s check.¡±


    Yunice blinked. ¡°Check¡­ how?¡±


    Elianna pulled a phone out from a drawer. ¡°I¡¯m a coward. My dad used to send me a message every time he left the house<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°When exactly did this happen?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°February 3rd, 20XX. Around 11:30 PM.¡±


    Elianna typed quickly, searching her chat history. Her eyes lingered on the screen.


    Yunice leaned in. On the screen were the following messages:


    ¡°Sweetheart, go to bed early. i will be home reallyte tonight.¡±


    Chapter 557 The Man Who Saved Her


    Elianna: ¡°Howte?¡±


    Dad: ¡°Around 1 or 2 in the morning.¡±


    Elianna: ¡°That¡¯s notte at all. I¡¯ll wait up. I want a midnight snack!¡±


    Dad: ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t stay up.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes drifted to the timestamp¨Cjust after midnight.


    Her chest tightened. The timing matched exactly.


    * Free Com

 Daghter 558

    Chapter 558 The Unraveling Thread


    Chapter 558 The Unraveling Thread


    Elianna suddenly looked up. ¡°What hotel did you stay at that night


    ¡°Silverburgh.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there a barbecue shop near the Silverburgh Hotel?¡±


    ¡°There is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­ that really was my dad?¡± She frowned. ¡®Ile came home reallyte that night. I had already fallen asleep. But he brought me some barbecue. It was cold by morning, totally gross


    Yunice looked down, eyes resting on the small remarks Elianna had written beneath each message.


    She must¡¯ve loved her father very much to remember things so clearly after so many years¨Cand even write down notes like this every day.


    When she looked up again, Yunice¡¯s eyes were rimmed red.


    Elianna looked annoyed. ¡°My dad saved a lot of people. You¡¯re not special.¡±


    Yunice nodded faintly, but inside she thought¨C<i>I¡¯ll </i><i>never </i>make things hard for Elianna again.


    She had a good father.


    That afternoon, Quinton arrived to collect the medicine for Yuanbao, nearly bowing in thanks. ¡°Ms. Yunice, if it weren¡¯t for you, we wouldn¡¯t have gotten that prescription together.¡±


    Yunice said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the help of friends.¡±


    ¡°I owe you big for this!¡± Quinton said.


    More favors stacking up.


    A maid came in to serve tea. Quinton looked around¨Cseeing that Wyatt wasn¡¯t home, he stayed a bit longer.


    ¡°How¡¯s your brother¡¯s situation?¡± he asked in a lower voice.


    Yunice shook her head. Her resources were limited right now. She couldn¡¯t do much from the outside.


    Even if Owen¡¯s family testified, they didn¡¯t have any real evidence to back it up.


    Quinton leaned in and said quietly, ¡°Hire a scapegoat. A few million, and people are lining up for that kind of deal.¡±


    one will step up. Plenty of


    Yunice knew that trick. In upper circles, this kind of backdoor arrangement was nothing new.


    And she <i>could </i>do that¨Cbut it came with the risk of being exposed.


    00.423,


    Chapter 558 The Unraveling Thread


    * Free Cous


    Oscar was innocent, not a real criminal. If she used this kind of shortcut, the waters would only get muddier.


    The one who really deserved to be on the hook was Morgan.


    She didn¡¯t care what Morgan¡¯s rtionship was with Nora, or how much Wyatt doted on Nora. If Morgan dared to cross her, she would never let it go.


    Call it¡­ taking out the trash for society. [1


    ¤Ê


    After tea, Yunice headed upstairs to the vault room and selected a few collectibles to pack into her bag.


    Then she left the house.


    Since being frightenedst night, Elianna no longer followed her around, which was actually convenient.


    The only nuisance was the two bodyguards always trailing her.


    But Yunice had her ways.


    She stopped by a women¡¯s spa, parked her car out front, threw on an oversized coat, and slipped out the back. A biker was waiting and whisked her away.


    Her destination: the asylum.


    She was going to see Kingsley.


    She brought the usual tea and cigarettes.


    ¡°Kingsley, I need everything you¡¯ve got on Morgan¨Chis whereabouts, his crimes. Best case, someone close enough to get him talking.¡±


    ¡°When my brother¡¯s case is cleared, and the Powell family is dealt with, I¡¯ll leave with the rest of you.¡±


    Kingsley tapped the rim of his pipe. ¡°You¡¯ve decided, then?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°I stayed before¡­ because of Madam Melina.¡±


    ¡°But now, her time¡¯s nearly up. She might not make it through next summer.¡±


    ¡°She can¡¯t be saved?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes dimmed. ¡°Her spirit¡¯s/broken. No matter how well we hide things, as her grandmother, she still senses our lies.¡±


    When someone¡¯s will to live is gone, no medicine can bring them back.


    And Yunice had no power to bring Lauren back from the dead¨Cso she had no way to revive Madam Melina¡¯s heart either.


    It was a dead end.


    08:42 Tue,


    Chapter 558 The Unraveling Thread


    Kingsley let out a long sigh. ¡°Just my luck wrong ce, wrong time..


    He meant Lauren.


    Lauren had died unjustly. Yunice had taken the fall unjustly. <i>Fate </i>had yed in creed gene


    If Yunice hadn¡¯t left the asylum with Kingsley that day, Lauren might will be alive.


    Kingsley asked, ¡°And Wyatt? You can leave him behind?¡±


    Yunice said lightly. ¡°There¡¯s no kid. What is there to hang onto?¡±


    From the start, she¡¯d never imagined things would work out with Wyatt


    They weren¡¯t from the same world. Their hearts had never been in the same ce


    Kingsley agreed to help extract evidence from Morgan.


    Once the target was locked in, gathering proof would be much easier.


    That night, Yunice appeared at the Silverburgh Club.


    Morgan was there too¨Cwasted, not even noticing who was around him.


    He swaggered down the hall, an arm around each of hispanions: a woman on one side, a pretty boy on the other,ughing like a fool.


    Yunice¡¯s brows drew tight. <i>Disgusting</i>.


    Just as she set down her wine ss, Morgan entered a private room.


    Yunice slipped in a wireless earpiece and began real¨Ctime monitoring.


    Someone inside the room had been nted by Kingsley.


    3.3

 Daghter 559

    Chapter 559 Tangled Games


    Chapter 559 Tangled Games


    The headset crackled with the sounds of chaos¨Cmixed with a woman¡¯s teasing voice.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan. I only want to be with you. I get all shy when there are others around¡­¡±


    ¡°Shy my ass, you old whore,¡± Morgan sneered. ¡°What are you giggling at? You think the two of us came here to serve you?¡±


    With a cigarette clenched between his teeth, Morgan grinned like a thug. Tonight, you both better get on your knees and stick your asses up.¡±


    The woman blinked at that, her expression turning awkward as she nced toward the other man. If Morgan was this filthy, what kind of man would hang out with him?


    A sick feeling rose in her gut, and she began to hesitate.


    Morgan noticed immediately. He grabbed a fistful of her long hair and yanked her head toward him.


    The burning tip of his cigarette hovered dangerously close <i>to </i>her heavily made¨Cup face, as <b>if </b><b>it </b>might sear a ck hole into her smooth skin at any moment.


    ¡°Mr. Morgan¡­¡± the woman trembled, pleading.


    Morgan tilted his head. ¡°Go clean yourself up.¡±


    She stumbled to her feet and rushed into the bathroom.


    Morgan then turned his attention to the simp. He didn¡¯t say a word¨Cjust gave a look and tilted his gaze toward his crotch. The message was crystal clear.


    The simp didn¡¯t flinch. ¡°Mr. Morgan, your idea of fun is too tame. I¡¯m bored.¡±


    Morgan¡¯s eyes darkened. Looked down on him?


    Was there anyone in Silverburgh City who yed dirtier than he did?


    The simp pulled out a small object, pinching <i>it </i>between two fingers.


    Morgan scoffed at the brightly colored pill. ¡°That¡¯s it? I thought it was something rare. Amateur.¡±


    The simp said, ¡°This one¡¯s not like the stuff you find on the street. Just one and it¡¯ll blow your mind. Guaranteed.¡±


    Morgan¡¯s interest was piqued. He took the pill and rolled it between his fingers,


    Then he smirked. ¡°Give it to that dumb woman. I want to see if it works.¡±


    Outside, Yunice was listening in. Morgan was scum, sure¨Cbut not stupid.


    It wasn¡¯t going to be easy to bait him.


    ¡°Wyatt, the neurosurgeon¡¯s been waiting a while. He needs to discuss Ms. Nora¡¯s condition with us in


    40.42


    Chapter 559 Tangled Games


    person,¡± Jordan said as he walked alongside Wyatt.


    a


    With one hand in his pocket, Wyatt didn¡¯t stop walking. After rounding the corner of the hallway, he suddenly paused and nced in a specific direction.


    From his spot upstairs, he could see a woman sitting alone in a booth on the ground floor.


    He said, ¡°Tell the neurosurgeon to wait a bit longer.¡±


    Jordan blinked. ¡°He¡¯s already been waiting a long time¡­ and he¡¯s nearly impossible to book.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s hand stayed pressed to her ear as the situation inside spiraled out of control.


    The simp imed he only had one pill, saying it was wasted on a hostess. Morgan insisted the woman take <ol><li>it. </li></ol>


    The woman sobbed, torn but too scared to defy Morgan. In the end, she swallowed it.


    Morgan still didn¡¯t take the bait, and now the simp was stuck.


    Just then, a voice spoke up beside Yunice.


    ¡°Get her a different juice,¡± Wyatt said casually as he moved Yunice¡¯s winess to sit in front of him instead.


    Yunice¡¯s heart jumped¨Cshe almost gasped out loud.


    Shocked and rmed, she turned to look at Wyatt.


    Why was he here?


    Had he figured out her n? Or was it just a coincidence?


    Wyatt nced at the lone ss on the table, then looked up at her. ¡°Came alone?¡±


    Yunice hesitated before giving a soft ¡°Mm.¡±


    Wyatt asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡±


    How <i>could </i><i>I </i><i>call </i><i>you </i>when I¡¯m <i>doing </i><i>something </i><i>shady</i>? she thought.


    When she didn¡¯t answer, Wyatt pressed his lips together, his striking eyes fixed solely on her.


    He reached behind her neck and leaned in, closing the distance between them. ¡°Are you mad at me because I¡¯ve been distanttely?¡±


    He had been busy, but doing what, she didn¡¯t know.


    Then he added, ¡°Your brother¡¯s eating and sleeping well inside. <i>No </i>one¡® keep frowning for his sake, I might have to reconsider.¡±


    So he thought she was here drinking alone, upset about Oscar.


    ssing with him. But if you


    Since he said it that way, Yunice figured she might as well y along. ¡°Then let him out, and I won¡¯t worry anymore.¡±


    08:42 Tue, <b>29 </b>Jul <b>M </b>


    Chapter 559 Tangled Games


    Wyatt crossed one leg over the other and leaned back on the couch. ¡°The police station doesn¡¯t belong to your husband, you know. Don¡¯t make things hard for me.¡±


    Funny how <i>eager </i>you were <i>to </i><i>clear </i><i>Morgan¡¯s </i>name, Yunice thought.


    Just then, the waiter arrived with her juice.


    Yunice kept still, trying not to move too much¨Cafraid Wyatt would notice her hidden earpiece.


    If he caught her listening in on Morgan, that would be far worse than just being seen with an earpiece.


    She wanted to turn it off but hadn¡¯t found the right moment.


    Then Wyatt¡¯s phone rang.


    He nced at it and declined the call.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°You here for business?¡±

 Daghter 560

    Chapter 560 Unspoken Tensions


    * me toma


    Yunice had never asked about Wyatt¡¯s schedule, so she had no clue what he did each day. But asking no It was a not¨Cso¨Csubtle way of saying. <i>Go </i><i>do </i>whatever it is you¡¯re supposed to do just stop bothering me


    But Wyatt either didn¡¯t catch on or ignored itpletely. He stayed seated beside her, steady as a mock Yunice had no idea what he was thinking.


    Momentster, his phone rang again. Yunice nced at the caller ID and gave him a quiet reminder<i>. </i>¡°You should answer that. What if it¡¯s urgent?¡±


    Wyatt casually tossed the phone into herp. ¡°You answer it¡®


    Yunice was speechless.


    She picked it up, and Jordan¡¯s anxious voice immediately came through. ¡°Wyatt, you need to get over here now! Mr. Jordan¡¯s leaving¨CI can¡¯t stop him!¡±


    Yunice looked up at Wyatt. She¡¯d put the call on speaker, so he definitely heard every word.


    Jordan sounded desperate, yet Wyatt didn¡¯t budge. What was he ying at?


    Yunice could only step in. ¡°Mr. Jordan, tell Mr. Jordan we¡¯ll be there right away.¡±


    Jordan seemed surprised to hear her voice on the line,


    He hesitated but didn¡¯t press. ¡°Then please, talk some sense into Mr. Wyatt.¡±


    After hanging up, Yunice looked at Wyatt, who still lounged without a care in the world. ¡°What? Do you want me to beg you?¡±


    Seriously, what kind of twisted logic was this?


    If she weren¡¯t trying to keep things smooth for Jordan¡¯s sake, she wouldn¡¯t waste a word on him.


    Wyatt chuckled. ¡°Wow, so now you <i>do </i>care about what I do?¡±


    Yunice had no reply for that.


    People could be so frustrating sometimes.


    She stood up and tugged on his arm, finally getting him to move his royal behind. He rose and walked with her.


    As he stood, Yunice used the moment to discreetly remove her earpiece and slip it into her purse. Whatever was happening on Morgan¡¯s end¨Cshe¡¯d have to let it go.


    When they reached the room J?rdan had mentioned, Yunice saw two men struggling at the doorway.


    Jordan was gripping a middle¨Caged man by the waist. ¡°Mr. Jordan, I swear I¡¯m not lying¨CMr. Wyatt will be here any second. He really will!¡±


    Chapter 560 Unspoken Tensions


    Mr. Jordan retorted, ¡°Mr. Jordan, I truly can¡¯t help you with this. Please stop putting me in this position


    Jordan insisted, ¡°Mr. Jordan, you¡¯re one of the most renowned neurosurgeons in the world. If even you say you can¡¯t help¡­ then there¡¯s no hope left!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jordan¡­¡± Yunice called out as she approached.


    Both men turned. Jordan looked confused, clearly wondering why Wyatt had brought Yunice along


    Mr. Jordan stepped up to Wyatt, speaking earnestly. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, I told you three years ago that I couldn¡¯t treat Nora¡¯s condition. I¡¯m telling you the same thing now. I can¡¯t help her. Please stop pushing me.¡±


    Nora?


    So this was who Mr. Jordan had been brought in for.


    Yunice¡¯s chest tightened. She turned her head slightly¨Conly to see Wyatt watching her closely, as if reading her reaction.


    She frowned and pretended he didn¡¯t exist.


    Wyatt spoke. ¡°Why are we still standing out here? Let¡¯s <i>go </i>in and talk.¡±


    Mr. Jordan, who had just been arguing moments ago, lost his edge immediately.


    Not knowing Yunice¡¯s identity, he spoke freely in front of her. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, I¡¯ve reviewed Nora¡¯s brainwaves multiple times. Her brain is fully functional. In my professional opinion, it¡¯s psychological. No drug or surgery will help.¡±


    Jordan, noticing Wyatt¡¯s silence, guessed he might be holding back because of Yunice¡¯s presence. So he jumped in, speaking on Wyatt¡¯s behalf. ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is¡­ Ms. Nora doesn¡¯t want to wake up?¡±


    Mr. Jordan replied, ¡°There are cases like this internationally. Some people, under immense psychological stress, choose to escape from reality. They fall into a mental slumber, retreating deep into their minds. It¡¯s a psychological disorder.¡±


    Yunice added, ¡°I agree. Last time I checked her pulse, her body functions and brain signals were perfectly normal. Her health is well maintained, and her eye nerves don¡¯t twitch involuntarily. She seems more like someone who¡¯s just asleep.¡±


    Mr. Jordan nced at her. She was young, but her exnation earned a nod of approval.


    Yunice continued, ¡°If she really doesn¡¯t want to wake up, what about a shock¨Cbased therapy? Pain can trigger the body¡¯s self¨Cdefense instincts. It might wake her up.¡±


    Jordan asked, ¡°What¡¯s pain therapy?¡±


    Yunice answered bluntly, ¡°Using intense pain to stimte her¨Ctargeting her most sensitive pressure points, for instance.¡±


    As she spoke, she watched Wyatt from the corner of her eye, wondering if this suggestion would anger


    him.


    Mr. Jordan considered it. ¡°It¡¯s a viable method. And it won¡¯t physically harm Ms. Nora.¡±


    Chapter 560 Unspoken Tensions


    s


    Wyatt replied coolly, ¡°Easy for you to say. She¡¯s in a vegetative state, not dead. You think she can¡¯t feel pain?¡±


    Yunice frowned. Wyatt might¡¯ve been addressing Mr. Jordan¨Cbut the jab was clearly meant for her.

 Daghter 561

    Chapter 561 The Breaking Point


    Chapter 561 The Breaking Point


    Yunice was clearly upset. She turned her head¨Conly to find Wyatt still staring at her.


    It was like he hadn¡¯t looked away the entire time she¡¯d been talking to someone else.


    And he never made any effort to be subtle when looking at people¨Chis gaze was always direct, almnes intrusive, like he had no regard for how others might feel.


    Irritated, Yunice snapped at him. ¡°So do you want her to wake up or not? Mercy at the wrong time does more harm than good.¡±


    Wyatt shot back, ¡°And what about you¨Cdo <i>you </i>want her to wake up or not?¡±


    Yunice stood up. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with me?¡±


    As she left with a cold expression, Jordan rushed over to Wyatt and whispered, ¡°Wyatt, Yanice is mad


    Wyatt actually chuckled. ¡°She is?¡±


    Jordan was exasperated. ¡°You seriously can¡¯t tell?¡±


    Wyatt stood abruptly, one hand in his pocket, and strolled after her at a leisurely pace.


    With his long legs, he caught up to her without needing to hurry.


    Yunice knew he was right behind her, but she didn¡¯t slow down or look back.


    Wyatt stepped in front of her, turning his body sideways to face her. He walked backward, keeping an eve on her expression. ¡°Still mad?¡±


    Seeing his yful look only made Yunice roll her eyes harder.


    He kept going. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who imed to be the generous, official wife? You even helped me take in mistresses¡­ If you¡¯re jealous, just say so. I won¡¯tugh.¡±


    Yunice snapped, ¡°Keep blocking my path and I¡¯ll make sure you end up limping again.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t take it to heart. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re so busy being mad, you¡¯re not even curious? Don¡¯t you have <i>anything </i>you want to ask me?¡±


    Yunice was just about to speak when her eyes shifted past him, clearly distracted by something behind his back.


    After a couple of seconds, Wyatt noticed and turned to look downstairs.


    A drunk man was stumbling out of a private room and copsed onto o. lounge area.


    the leather sofas in the


    A nervous server followed behind, trying to help him up. ¡°Mr. Morgan, sir, you¡¯ve had too much. Please. let me take you back to your room¡­¡±


    The man iled awkwardly, flipping over and revealing his face.


    13


    Tue, 29 JUI


    Chapter 561 The Breaking Point


    Wyatt frowned slightly. It was Morgan.


    His whole demeanor was off¨Chis pupils looked deranged, his expression nk and unstable. Sometimes he stared into space for a full ten seconds without blinking.


    The server tried to drag him back, but Morgan suddenly regained strength and yanked the man bey his tie pulling him close with a snarl. ¡°You little shit, you darey hands on me? Do you even know who I am!! I¡¯m Morgan! Even if I kill someone, no one would dare touch me! You hear me?!¡±


    He jabbed a finger into the server¡¯s chest over and over, sending the poor guy trembling in fear,


    Then, with brute force, Morgan flipped him over and started yanking at the man¡¯s pants, pinning him down right there in the hall.


    The server screamed, struggling in panic. ¡°Mr. Morgan, what are you doing?¡±


    Morgan growled, ¡°Stay still! If you piss me off like that slut Elsie did, I¡¯ll kill you too!¡±


    Both Yunice and Wyatt froze.


    They hadn¡¯t expected Morgan to blurt out something like that in front of everyone.


    Wyatt instinctively looked at Yunice¨Cand she looked right back at him.


    But what Yunice cared about most was how he nned to clean up this mess.


    This was the main hall of an exclusive club. Silencing one person was easy¨Csilencing a crowd was another


    story.


    Wyatt hesitated, then muttered, ¡°He¡¯s high¡­¡±


    He was trying to say Morgan wasn¡¯t in his right mind, that his words couldn¡¯t be trusted.


    But he stopped short.


    Because Morgan never knew how to shut up.


    Who knew if what he said was true or not?


    Yunice didn¡¯t bother with Wyatt. She started walking down, wanting to provoke Morgan further¨Cmaybe get more out of him.


    But just as she moved, Wyatt grabbed her wrist, stopping her.


    Within seconds, the police arrived.


    They said they¡¯d received a tip about suspected drug use¨Cand promptl


    sted Morgan.


    Yunice followed them down and caught a glimpse of someone in the corner¡­


    The simp from earlier gave a discreet ¡°OK<i>¡± </i>gesture before slipping out the back exit.


    He wouldn¡¯t be showing his face in the country for a while. No one would suspect Yunice had anything to


    Chapter 561 The Breaking Point


    do with it. Everyone would assume Morgan simply lost control during a bender and exposed himmelf.


    And through the entire arrest, Wyatt never intervened. He didn¡¯t even make an appearance.


    Later that night, they both returned to Pavilion Hall.


    As soon as she heard the car engine, Elianna came ttering down the stairs. ¡°Wyatt! Did you see the news? They said Morgan was high and went crazy in public¨Che was arrested by the police! And they¡¯re saying he confessed to killing Elsie!¡±


    She turned and saw Yunice standing there, and suddenly realized¨Cthe fallout from this mess didn¡¯t just affect Wyatt.


    It involved Yunice too.

 Daghter 562

    Chapter 562 Old Shadows and New Storms


    Chapter 562 Old Shadows and New Storms.


    If Elsie really had been killed by Morgan, wouldn¡¯t that mean Oscar was finally in the clear?


    Yunice didn¡¯t seem too thrilled by the thought. ¡°I¡¯m going back to my room,¡± she said tly


    45 Free Cand


    Elianna blinked in surprise. Once Yunice had gone upstairs, she turned to Wyatt. ¡°Why is she in a worse mood than you are?¡±


    Logically speaking, if Oscar was about to be cleared of suspicion, Yunice should be the happiest person in the house.


    Still, Elianna quickly moved on to gossip. ¡°So, Wyatt¨Cnow that Morgan made the news, how are you nning to smooth things over?¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Wyatt ignored her and walked right past, heading upstairs after Yunice.


    Yunice sat in front of her vanity, brushing her hair and removing her makeup.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was low. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±


    Why was she upset about Morgan getting arrested?


    Yunice replied, ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Speak.¡± Wyatt turned her face toward him by the chin.


    Yunice met his eyes, clearly annoyed. ¡°You¡¯re still going to help Morgan, aren¡¯t you? Even though he framed my brother?¡±


    Wyatt fell silent.


    Her hand gripped the brush tightly, eyes turning red.


    Seeing that she was genuinely upset, Wyatt finally said, ¡°We don¡¯t even know the full truth yet. And now you¡¯re ming me?¡±


    ¡°Oh please. You already-¡± She caught herself before she could say too much and quickly changed course. ¡°You love Nora, don¡¯t you? You¡¯ve been doing everything you can for her family. If Morgan goes to prison, how will you exin that to Nora?¡±


    As she spoke, Yunice threw a sidelong nce at him, acting a little smug¨Clike she wanted to sting him.


    Wyatt tilted his head at her, but she looked away.


    Several quiet seconds passed.


    Wyatt reached out to pull her up.


    Yunice brushed him off.


    Chapter 562 Old Shadows and New Storms


    He caught her wrist easily, voice gentler this time. ¡°Come to the station with me?


    s


    Yunice looked down, rubbing her wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t act all righteous in front of me if you¡¯re going to do something else behind my back.¡±


    Wyatt tugged her to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She followed him with a dragging gait, like a sulky ox being pulled by the reins.


    Wyatt opened a drawer and sifted through several car keys, eventually picking one.


    Yunice noticed it was an old key¡ªthe paint on the fob had even worn off.


    When they got to the underground garage, Wyatt pressed the button, and the mechanical lift kicked in with a whir. A car descended from the upper tform.


    Wyatt walked over and drove it out.


    Yunic¨¨ stood aside, watching as the vehicle rolled into the light.


    A <i>H9</i><i>¡­ </i>


    She instinctively looked at the license te, though it was different from what <i>it </i>had been four or five


    years ago.


    From the clean tire marks, it was obvious the car hadn¡¯t been driven in ages.


    As it pulled up, she ced her hand on the door. A wave of nostalgia hit her like a flood.


    Elianna¡¯s father used to drive this exact car. Even the little hand¨Cpainted trim near the damaged edge looked exactly the same.


    Wyatt tapped on her window, silently asking what she was spacing out for.


    Yunice got in, fingers brushing the door as memories stirred.


    Wyatt asked what was on her mind.


    She hesitated. She wanted to ask him¨Cwas he there the night Elianna¡¯s father helped her?


    But she thought back to theirst conversation. If he didn¡¯t bring it up then, it probably meant he didn¡¯t remember.


    In the end, she said nothing.


    Wyatt waited a few more seconds before starting the car and driving off.


    Yunice had assumed he would at least use his connections to get some intel at the station, maybe make a show of being fair in front of her.


    But he didn¡¯t.


    Before they got out of the car, Wyatt rummaged through a box in the back seat and pulled out two ck baseball caps and face masks.


    ?????


    Chapter 562 Old Shadows and New Storms.


    He handed one set to Yunice.


    She curiously examined it.


    But Wyatt had already put his on and stepped out of the car.


    He walked around to her door, bracing one hand on it and signaling her with his eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯re sneaking in with the reporters.¡±


    Yunice turned and saw that the area outside the station was crawling with press.


    Some were openly staking out the front entrance. Others, dressed in camouge<i>, </i>were hiding in the bushes.


    The strangest ones were perched in trees with massive zoom lenses.


    Yunice frowned and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re not using your connections?¡±


    Wyatt scanned the area calmly. ¡°If I show my face, it¡¯ll be a mess.¡±


    But since they were already here, Yunice had no choice but to pull on the disguise and follow his lead.


    Just as Wyatt was about to move, his phone rang from inside his coat pocket.


    He paused and nced at <i>it</i>¨Cit was a call from Madam Mary.


    Yunice pursed her lips. Of course she knew why Madam Mary was calling now.


    Wyatt frowned and answered. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Madam Mary¡¯s heart sank the moment she realized he hadn¡¯t greeted her like he usually did.


    She knew Morgan had been spiraling out of control these past couple of years, bing more reckless and harder to manage. And she also knew Wyatt had grown colder toward the family because of it.


    What terrified her most was the possibility that this time, Wyatt really wouldn¡¯t help clean up Morgan¡¯s


    mess.


    1

 Daghter 563

    5 Free Coles


    Chapter 563 Stolen Sips and Subtle Tricks


    Chapter 563 Stolen Sips and Subtle Tricks


    s


    ¡°Wyatt,¡± Madam Mary said, her voice sharp with emotion. ¡°You must¡¯ve seen the news today. That Morgan -he¡¯spletely out of control. Even I, his own grandmother, wanted to beat him to death when I saw what he did!¡±


    She huffed angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare clean up his mess this time. Let the cops lock him up for ten days or two weeks. Let him finally understand what consequences mean! Make him see that no one¨Cexcept you- has ever spoiled him!¡±


    Yunice gave a dry, mocking smirk. The old woman sure knew how to y her cards¨Cretreating in order to advance. She was hoping Wyatt would give Morgan a p on the wrist, feel satisfied, and still end up stepping in.


    Yunice stayed silent, standing with her back to Wyatt, watching the absurd parade of reporters nearby.


    Wyatt, still looking at her, spoke into the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get involved this time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wyatt,¡± Madam Mary began.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got something to do. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Wyatt ended the call.


    On the other end, Madam Mary clutched her chest. A wave of dread swept through her, leaving her breathless. That sinking feeling only confirmed what she feared¨Cthis time, Wyatt might really let Morgan fall.


    Meanwhile, Yunice had already walked away and blended into the crowd behind the reporters. The obvious, out¨Cin¨Cthe¨Copen journalists were chatting among themselves, waiting to pounce on anyoneing out of the station in hopes of squeezing out a fresh quote¨Cmaybe even score a headline.


    But those were low¨Ceffort tactics. At best, they¡¯d get a polished press statement.


    Yunice turned her gaze toward the ones hiding in trees, camouged in bushes, sneaking in under cover. Those were the real pros¨Cthe ones chasing firsthand intel.


    Just then, her hand suddenly warmed.


    Wyatt had taken her hand in his palm, then slipped it into the pocket of his long coat along with his own.


    Eyes scanning the area, he said, ¡°Looks like this¡¯ll be a long night.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t move. Her hand stayed in his pocket, but she turned her gaze away from his profile and said with a scoff, ¡°What could you possibly learn by waiting here? You¡¯re just trying to mess with me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Wyatt replied calmly, ¡°Ever heard of cutting in line?¡±


    ¡°Let others do the hard work¨Cwe swoop in and take the prize.


    Yunice followed his gaze toward a police vehicle that had just arrived.


    The door opened, revealing five or six young men in handcuffs, shirts stained with <i>blood</i>. They looked like they¡¯d been arrested for a group fight.


    Chapter 563 Stolen Sips and Subtle Tricks


    Yunice raised a brow. Were they trying to infiltrate the station from the inside?


    The fighters were taken in.


    Outside, the reporters were still chattering away, exchanging mockery, sarcasm, and backhandedpliments like it was a sport.


    Yunice found it oddly entertaining.


    The only downside was the cold. Her feet were freezing.


    +5 Free Coms


    She had on little leather shoes, and within minutes, her toes had gone numb in the winter night air.


    Her eyes flicked down to where her hand was tucked into Wyatt¡¯s coat pocket.


    So <i>warm</i><i>. </i>


    If only she could sneak her frozen feet into the heat of his waistline¡­


    She noticed Wyatt move, and quickly turned her gaze away!


    ¡°Here.¡± Wyatt held out a steaming can of pear juicebel removed, lid popped.


    Yunice blinked. Where had thate from?


    She looked him up and down. How had she not noticed him carrying something that big and hot?


    Wyatt said, ¡°If you don¡¯t drink it now, it¡¯ll get cold.¡±


    Without thinking too much, Yunice took it.


    She¡¯d barely taken two sips when a woman nearby began rummaging through her bag, shouting, ¡°Hey! Where¡¯s my pear juice?! Who took my pear juice?!¡±


    Yunice froze, staring down at the warm can in her hand. As the woman¡¯s voice rose, the juice suddenly felt like a live grenade.


    <i>Wyatt</i>!


    <i>You </i><i>lunatic</i>¨C<i>you </i>stole this for me?!


    The woman sniffed the air, and her gaze snapped toward Yunice like a heat¨Cseeking missile.


    Panicked, Yunice grabbed Wyatt and buried her face in his chest.


    ¡°Ah-¡°Wyatt hissed, stumbling back.


    Yunice had wedged the can of juice between them, trying to hide t


    But she moved too fast¨Cthe can tipped and spilled right onto Wyatt¡¯s shirt, soaking his abdomen.


    She clung to him, giving him frantic side¨Ceyes.


    <i>She </i>could handle <i>death</i>¨Cbut not public humiliation!


    <b>08:43 </b><b>Tue</b><b>, </b>29 Jul M


    Chapter 563 Stolen Sips and Subtle Tricks


    Theirmotion had already drawn the woman¡¯s full attention. Her gaze swept over both of them like a radar scanner.


    She sniffed again and slowly crept toward Yunice.


    Wyatt, pressed so close, could hear how fast her heart was racing.


    The corners of his mouth twitched upward. He pulled her even closer.


    The woman definitely suspected her¨Cbut one look at the tall man beside Yunice made her hesitate. She was clearly intimidated.


    After a few tense seconds, the woman pped her forehead. ¡°Oh! Wait¨CI put my pear juice in my other bag!¡±


    She crouched down and rummaged through a different bag near her feet, eventually pulling out a different bottle of pear juice, clearly from a different brand.

 Daghter 564

    apter 564 Smokescreens and Misfires


    Chapter 564 Smokescreens and Misfires


    Yunice was stunned speechless. As the woman happily tipped her pear pic and raid her m Yunice stood stiff <b>as </b>a board.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice brushed her ear. ¡°You really don¡¯t trust me, do you?¡±


    She turned, flustered¨Cand her soft lips identally grazed Wyatt¡¯s check.


    He smiled faintly, then slowly straightened. Only after she stepped away did he lower his eyes to nce a the wet patch on his shirt.


    Pear juice wasn¡¯t like water¨Cit was thick and sticky with sweetness.


    Soaking through his shirt, it clung unpleasantly, Worse, the night air quickly turned that warm into a freezing, mmy chill.


    Yunice felt her cheeks heat with guilt. She had spilled it. She had wronged <b>him</b><b>. </b>She couldn¡¯t just let Wyatt freeze like this.


    ¡°Do you have a change of clothes in the car?¡± she asked, face flushed.


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow. ¡°Who keeps spare clothes in their car?¡±


    He was looking at her the way he always did¨Cpredatory and intent, as though constantly plotting how to devour her.


    Yunice met his gaze. That line¨Cwho keeps spare clothes in their car¨Clingered in her mind, and her throat tightened involuntarily.


    When she didn¡¯te up with a solution, Wyatt said in a low voice, ¡°Let¡¯s buy something. There¡¯s a store nearby. It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    Yunice hesitated. What if news broke while they were gone?


    But Wyatt stood there, pitifully damp, his soaked shirt shivering in the breeze.


    Yunice sighed in defeat. ¡°Fine, but let¡¯s be quick.¡±


    The nearby shop wasn¡¯t a luxury brand¨Cjust a basic clothing store.


    Yunice darted in, scanning racks of clothes. Wyatt followed, casting one disdainful nce at <i>the </i>store¡¯s tragically tastelessyout.


    But trying another shop would waste time.


    To make up for her mistake, Yunice threw herself into the task of


    was panning for gold.


    At checkout, the total came to <i>150 </i>yuan.


    ing through piles of shirts like she


    She shot a sheepish look at Wyatt. The man normally wore socks that cost several grand¡­


    Chapter 564 Smokescreens and Misfires


    Whatever, she thought. <i>He¡¯s </i><i>only </i>wearing this once amjens


    After paying, she handed him the new outfit and suggested he change in the fingers


    Wyatt refused.


    ¡°You think water stays where it¡¯s supposed to?<i>¡± </i>he murmured out of care of the d


    Yunice¡¯s gaze followed the water stain down his shirt. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess far the one had seen


    It must¡¯ve been miserable the whole way here.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the car,¡± she muttered.


    She pulled the car into a shadowed spot. Wyatt climbed into the back to change.


    ¡°Wet wipes.¡±


    Yunic¨¨ passed them back without turning around.


    Rustling sounds followed¨CWyatt wiping off, changing¨Cand then his voice came again. ¡°What, you cRE¨¦T even look at me?¡±


    Yunice gripped the steering wheel, eyes forward. ¡°Nothing worth looking at.¡±


    <i>Staring </i>would be <i>way </i>weirder, she thought.


    A moment passed. Then. ¡°Pass me my coat.¡±


    She reached back to hand him the coat on the passenger seat.


    Her hand brushed something unexpectedly firm and warm.


    Startled, she turned¨Cand saw Wyatt half¨Cdressed in the wine<i>¨C</i>red shirt she¡¯d picked. The buttons weren¡¯t done. He¡¯d leaned forward, and her hand had ended up right against his chest.


    Wyatt tugged at the shirt. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice when you picked this? It¡¯s missing two buttons.¡±


    She frowned and reached for the cor, inspecting it herself. Sure enough¨Ctwo buttons were gone.


    ¡°I checked before I bought it,¡± she muttered. ¡°You probably popped them off.¡±


    Wyatt arched a brow. ¡°There you go again¨Calways assuming the worst of me.¡±


    <i>Okay</i><i>, </i><i>maybe </i><i>she </i><i>had </i><i>jumped </i><i>to </i><i>conclusions </i><i>about </i><i>the </i><i>pear </i><i>juice</i><i>, </i>Yunice admitted silently<i>. </i>But <i>the </i>buttons<i>? </i>No way.


    She looked up and said dryly, ¡°If you¡¯re trying to seduce me, just games.¡± <ol><li>so. Don¡¯t y these roundabout </li></ol>


    Wyatt didn¡¯t even <i>try </i>to deny it. Instead, he caught her wrist before she could pull away. ¡°So you prefer things direct? However you like it¡ªI can do that too.¡±


    ¡°I like the kind of man who can clear my brother¡¯s name,¡± she replied without missing a beat.


    Chapter 564 Smokescreens and Misfires


    Wyatt raised his brows, then smiled faintly, She really knew how to seize an opening and climb


    When he finally let go, Yunice started the engine and drove them back toward the police station


    Wyatt, usually dressed in ck, now stood out in the wine¨Cred shirt she¡¯d picked for him. Tall and broad- shouldered, he cut a striking figure in the dark.


    Yunice stood by his side, scanning the area for any sign of insider movement. Maybe someone would slip up and reveal something important.


    Then her eyes froze.


    Across the crowd, someone met her gaze.


    A man with a cigarette between his fingers. He was squinting slightly as he took a drag. When he locked eyes with her, he calmly looked away, as though nothing had happened.


    Yunice didn¡¯t react either. She pretended not <i>to </i>know him and nudged Wyatt toward the other side of the crowd.


    Wyatt tapped her shoulder and jerked his chin toward the fire escape at the side of the station.


    A janitor, work badge swinging from his chest, was walking out of the building.

 Daghter 565

    Chapter 565 The Climb and the Catch


    Chapter 565 The Climb and the Catch


    ¡°Why would an indoor janitor have a sunburned neck like that?¡± Yunice murmured. ¡°See that pale strap mark? Thates from wearing a camera while doing outdoor stakeouts. He¡¯s been out in the sun for long periods.¡±


    The so¨Ccalled janitor wasn¡¯t a janitor at all¨Cjust a reporter in disguise.


    Reporters weren¡¯t just keyboard warriors or gossip¨Cmongers. In their line of work, entric talents thrived. When they wanted a story, they¡¯d pull tricks that even thieves would admire.


    And judging by how confidently this one was slipping out of the building, he¡¯d likely scored something valuable.


    Yunice and Wyatt exchanged a look, then instinctively tugged their baseball caps down lower and began circling to intercept the ¡°janitor.¡±


    Yunice whispered, ¡°I saw a motorcycle shoot down the back alley just now¨Cprobably his ride out of here.¡±


    That side of the building was remote and partially walled off. No regr car could get through. Obviously. the reporter had arranged his getaway carefully.


    If they wanted to beat him there¡­


    Yunice looked up at the wall ahead.


    If they could climb it, they¡¯d catch him in time.


    Wyatt sped his left wrist with his right hand, crouched low, and jerked his chin toward <i>the </i>top of the wall. ¡°Up.¡±


    He was offering her a lift.


    Yunice nodded with surprising seriousness, backed up two steps, then ran forward¨Cvaulting, stepping onto his arm-


    And slipped.


    She ended up dangling awkwardly from his arm.


    Wyatt couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Can¡¯t even make it up a wall?¡±


    He¡¯d always suspected Yunice wasn¡¯t as delicate as she let on.


    After all, how could someone with her supposedly fragile frame survive three years in a psych ward?


    Girls like her had died in there.


    When she¡¯d nodded so confidently just now, he¡¯d actually believed she could do it.


    Yunice clutched her chest, wincing. ¡°You lifted too high!¡±


    Wyattughed harder. ¡°If I went any lower, you wouldn¡¯t reach the top at all.¡±


    Chapter 565 The Climb and the Catch


    He looked up. ¡°Want me to go first and pull you up?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t like that either. This was about Oscar¨Chow could she let anyone else take charge?


    She stared at the wall, unwilling, ¡°What if you go up first, then pull me?¡±


    That worked.


    15 Free Coins


    Wyatt backed up, took two steps, and pushed off the wall. In seconds, he was perched on top, legs astride the concrete edge.


    He leaned over and held out a hand. ¡°You really ought to practice. How else are you gonna keep up with me?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice stretched out but couldn¡¯t quite reach.


    So she ran off, grabbed a nearby brick, and stepped up on it.


    Wyatt¡¯s big hand gripped her smaller one¨Chis rolled¨Cup wine¨Cred sleeves revealed lean¨Cforearms with defined veins.


    With a sharp pull, Yunice practically flew upward.


    He caught her by the waist, hoisting her onto the ledge with ease.


    Yunice stared at him in awe.


    <i>So </i><i>strong</i><i>. </i>


    There was a kind of force in Wyatt she¡¯d never felt from Paul, Owen, or any man around her before.


    Wyatt smirked. That was the effect he was going for.


    Just as they dropped down the other side, the ¡°Janitor¡± emerged. He tossed his cart aside, pulled off his mask and hat, and ditched the rest of his disguise.


    The moment he nced up to locate his ride, Wyatt lunged from the shadows and pinned him down. Yunice quickly frisked him, and sure enough¨Cfound a tiny hidden camera tucked against his body.


    When the man saw his precious footage being taken, he began to struggle, but Wyatt had him locked in ce.


    Yunice extracted the memory card and transferred the data to her own drive. She gave Wyatt a signal.


    Wyatt released him¨Cand the man/erupted in fury, but before he could do anything, Wyatt grabbed Yunice¡¯s hand and bolted.


    She ran fast, even nced back mid¨Cstride¨Cbut wasn¡¯t worried. With Wyatt holding her, she wouldn¡¯t fall. As they ran, Yunice burst outughing.


    TU


    Chapter 565 The Climb and the Catch


    It had been years since she¡¯d done something this openly rebellious.


    Grab and dash.


    Wyatt slowed once he confirmed no one was chasing them.


    Yunice, gasping, held her side. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other way besides this¡­ indecent method?¡±


    Wyatt grinned. ¡°Fun, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    She didn¡¯t realize it herself, but in her usual, polished interactions with Wyatt, she always seemed guarded and distant. Perfectly polite.


    But when sheughed like this¨Cit was real. Genuine.


    Still, the moment passed. She quickly returned to her usualposure, pulling out her phone to review the footage.


    ¡°This guy¡¯s actually pretty good. He really filmed Morgan.¡±


    Morgan was supposed to be in the interrogation room, a ce no one could get into except authorized personnel. Yunice had no idea how this reporter pulled it off.


    The footage didn¡¯t show faces¨Cit was pitch ck. But you could hear the cops grilling him<i>, </i>and Morgan ranting incoherently.


    A cop barked, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Elsie?!¡±


    Morganughed like a maniac. ¡°She¡¯s my stallion¨CI ride her, giddy¨Cup, giddy¨Cup!¡±

 Daghter 566

    Chapter 566 For the Public Good


    Chapter 566 For the Public Good


    From the chaotic tone of Morgan¡¯s voice, it was clear the drugs hade ses off per


    Any testimony given under such conditions wouldn¡¯t be simieste, bot it was eight finder case involving Elsie.


    The officer asked again, ¡°Where were you at 8 PM on November 28! What were you doing? Can apar confirm your whereabouts?¡±


    Morgan rambled incoherently, his drug¨Caddled mind unable to form coherent responses. He snapped viciously, ¡°Elsie was just a bitch. She¡¯s dead, so what? I did the world a favor! Why the hell are grassying He up? Let me go! Aaahhh!¡±


    The sound of handcuffs clinking echoed through the video.


    ¡°¡­


    Yeah, I strangled her. When I did it, she kicked like <i>a </i>little chick. She bruised my lex You think I was gonna take that? After I strangled her, I pped her across the face more than a dozen mes?¡±


    The officer continued, ¡°And after you strangled her? Did you slit her wrists with a knife? Did you ser alone. or did someone help you? Why wasn¡¯t there any trace of you at the scene? Did you clean it up yourself, or did someone else do it for you?¡±


    Morgan¡¯s head suddenly slumped forward. The drugs had finally knocked him out.


    The officer flipped his notebook closed and said, ¡°This Morgan guy¡¯s <i>a </i>regr in our records. He¡¯s definitely involved in this. We can¡¯t let him go. We¡¯ve got to use the lead and dig up concrete evidence before his holding period¡¯s over.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart surged with excitement. They¡¯d finally dragged Morgan into this!


    Her tion faded as she remembered Wyatt standing next to her. Morgan getting locked up was good news for her¨Cbut trouble for him.


    Noticing her gaze, Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°What are you looking at me for? I told you, I¡¯m not helping Morgan. He¡¯s the one who walked into this. I couldn¡¯t stop him even if i tried. His sister¡­¡±


    Wyatt clearly had more to say, but Yunice¡¯s eyes drifted past him, and there was a flicker of unease in <i>her </i>expression.


    Sensing her difort, Wyatt turned around and saw a wiry old man.


    The man held a slender ck cigarette between his fingers¨Csame brand as the ones Wyatt usually had custom¨Cmade.


    Wyatt nced from the cigarette to the man¡¯s eyes.


    Among men, there¡¯s a primal instinct for sensing danger.


    Yunice noticed Wyatt subtly shifting his stance, moving just slightly to shield her behind him.


    It was instinct¡ªa subconscious protective response.


    08:43 100, <b>29 </b><b>108</b><b>, </b>29


    Chapter 566 For the Public Good


    He¡¯d sensed something threatening ahead.


    Yunice grew tense, watching Kingsley from behind Wyatt. She had no idea why he had shown up.


    Kingsley was someone who rarely appeared in broad daylight.


    Had she said something she shouldn¡¯t have? Was Kingsley here to back her up? To confront Wyatt on <i>her </i>behalf?


    Kingsley approached and asked Wyatt, ¡°Hey, kid. Got a light?¡±


    The cigarette in his mouth was still unlit.


    Wyatt gave a crooked smile, pulled a lighter from his pocket, and flicked it on. He leaned forward to light the cigarette for him.


    As the me went out, Wyatt said, ¡°Nice smoke.¡±


    Yunice was on edge, terrified they might sh. And if they did¨Cwho was she supposed to side with<b>? </b>


    Kingsley took a long drag, eyes narrowing slightly. ¡°Your girl¡¯s pretty loyal.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°They just brought in a suspect today. You two here for the same reason?¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°You too?¡±


    Kingsley let out a dry chuckle. ¡°See, a man with a daughter like me can¡¯t stand to see girls get hurt. I heard the one they caught¡¯s some spoiled rich brat. Got off easy more than once already. So I figured¨Cif he gets away again this time, I¡¯ll take justice into my own hands.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s smile was deep and unreadable. After a pause, he said, ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±


    With the cigarette still mped between his teeth, Kingsley strolled off with his hands behind his back.


    Yunice¡¯s palms were slick with cold sweat. Kingsley had all but spelled it out. There was no way Wyatt didn¡¯t catch his meaning.


    Sure enough, once Kingsley was fully gone, Wyatt turned to Yunice with a frown. ¡°Elsie had someone like that for a godfather?¡±


    Yunice blinked. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°You didn¡¯t catch it? He was saying he wanted <i>to </i>avenge Elsie.¡±


    Yunice said nothing,


    She quickly masked her surprise and didn¡¯t correct Wyatt¡¯s assumption.


    He continued, ¡°Remember what that guy looked like. If you ever. and Elsie didn¡¯t get along. I¡¯m worried he mighte after you.¡±


    ¡­ Got it,¡± Yunice said softly, nodding.


    nim again, tell me right away. You


    Although Yunice and Wyatt had managed to intercept the footage from the journalist, she had returned


    08:43 Tue, <b>29 </b>Jul M


    Chapter 566 For the Public Good


    the memory card after making a copy.


    So the very next day, explosive news about Morgan went viral online. The police were furious and ramped up security measures.


    But it was like trying to stop a flood. Morgan had taken Oscar¡¯s ce in the public spotlight, and one by one, stories of his past bullying surfaced. Scandal after scandal was unearthed.


    It wasn¡¯t just Morgan going down. The entire Johnson family was caught in the fallout. Morgan¡¯s father was even suspended from his position due to the public outcry.

 Daghter 567

    Chapter 567 A Dangerous Investment


    Chapter 567 A Dangerous Investment


    5 rise Come


    Yunice had been watching Wyatt closely, waiting for him to make a move¨Cbut he simply went about his work as usual. Nothing suggested he intended to get involved.


    <i>Could </i>it be <i>that </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>had </i><i>finally </i><i>grown </i><i>tired </i><i>of </i>Morgan¡¯s behavior? Maybe he really didn¡¯t want to step in this time.


    After all, passion could be drained, and even a sense of responsibility had its limits.


    That¡¯s why great favors often turned into deep resentments.


    Yunice was practicing her spoken English at home, headphones on, when she received a message from Kingsley.


    Apparently, some of the men involved inst night¡¯s brawl had been nted by Kingsley<i>. </i>ording to word from inside, Morgan was now officially under criminal detention¨Ca warrant had been issued for his


    arrest.


    This meant the police had finally secured concrete evidence, not just spection like the night before.


    The truth was inching closer.


    Meanwhile, at the Powell estate¡­


    Paul furiously smashed whatever he had in his hand. ¡°All that nning, and I didn¡¯t ount for that idiot Morgan!¡±


    He ran his fingers over the carved letters on his face, seething with rage <i>at </i>Morgan for ruining everything. And he was even more furious that Yunice still hadn¡¯t given him any scar removal treatment!


    Just then, a maid hurried past him and dropped what she was carrying.


    Paul looked down and saw evening primrose oil, DHA, and other supplements¨Cclearly the kind women used for nourishment..


    Already in a bad mood, he grew even more irritated. ¡°Sneaking around with all this¨Cstealing from the house, are you?¡±


    The maid was visibly shaken and quickly waved her hands, panicking. ¡°Sir, I swear it has nothing to do with me! Mr. Powell gave them to me! He told me to¡ª¡±


    She stopped short, then burst into frightened tears. ¡°He told me not to say anything! Mr. Paul, please let me go just this once, I swear I didn¡¯t steal it¡­¡±


    Paul grabbed her hair and snarled/¡°Are you gonna talk or not? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have someone string you up and beat the truth out of you!¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯ll talk!¡± The maid clutched her own hair, sobbing. ¡°It was Mr. well. He told me to send these to the guesthouse. He said the woman there is pregnant and needs to be taken care of so she can give him a fat, healthy son¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes bulged. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the old man was sterile? What pregnancy?!¡±


    Chapter 567 A Dangerous Investment


    The maid cried, ¡°Mr. Powell arranged for an overseas expert. They did V. He men picked o embryos, just in case¨Che said at least one¡¯s bound to take


    Paul¡¯s teeth ground together audibly.


    So his damn father hadn¡¯t given up on having another child after all.


    Paul let go and stormed off toward Jensen¡¯s study.


    The maid quickly wiped her tears and gathered the supplements, scurrying off to a corner


    ¡°Taylor¡­¡±


    Taylor had been watching the whole thing. She held a card between her fingers and handed it to the st ¨Ca clear message that she was never to show her face at the Powell estate again


    That had been Yunice¡¯s idea.


    She¡¯d said, <i>It¡¯s </i><i>bad </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>too </i><i>desperate</i>.


    Paul needed to feel threatened. Only then would he strike back.


    If Jensen really had another child, Paul would be cast out of the Powell family for good


    Of course Paul wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen. And Taylor had made sure the maid let it slip that Jensen had more than one child, hidden in different ces. That way, even if one pregnancy failed, it wouldn¡¯t stop the threat.


    If Paul wanted to win, his only choice would be to take <i>a </i>gamble¨Cand wrest control of the Powell family for himself.


    Paul barged into Jensen¡¯s study, rifling through drawers, prying open the safe, and pulling out the Powell family¡¯s asset agreement.


    He stared at the document with cold fury and muttered through clenched teeth, ¡°Dad. Grandpa. You betrayed me first¨Cdon¡¯t me me for fighting back. If you won¡¯t let me inherit the family business, I¡¯? build my own empire. One that belongs to me.¡±


    Taking the agreement, Paul called the project lead of the supposedly high¨Creturn investment he¡¯d been -eyeing.


    ¡°Hello? I¡¯m ready to invest. One hundred billion.¡±


    Yunice finally received the call she¡¯d been waiting for.


    She smiled and spoke through a voice modtor, ¡°One hundred billion won¡¯t cut it.¡±


    Paul snapped, ¡°Half a year ago, you said the threshold was one hu bankrupt and now you can¡¯t even handle my deal?¡±


    ed billion. What, yourpany go


    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± Yunice said with a smirk. ¡°Mr. Paul, as you said, one hundred billion was the standard six months <i>ago</i><i>. </i>Now, ourpany only epts investments of one trillion and up.¡±


    Paul growled, ¡°Are you ying me?¡±


    08:44 <b>Tue</b>, 29 <b>Jul </b>M&


    Chapter 567 A Dangerous Investment


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°Mr. Paul, my time is worth billions per second. Are you sure you can afford to waste it?¡±


    His face darkened at her arrogance. ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky.¡±


    Turning down business like this¨Cwho did she think she was?


    But before he could say more, the line went dead.


    Paul froze. He redialed, only to be met with a busy tone.


    Again and again, same result.


    Then it hit him¨Cthis only happened when you were blocked.


    Paul stared at his phone in disbelief.


    <i>Could </i><i>they </i><i>really </i>not <i>care </i><i>about </i><i>working </i><i>with </i><i>someone </i><i>like </i><i>me</i><i>? </i>

 Daghter 568

    Chapter 568 Leverage and Leverage Alone


    Chapter 568 Leverage and Leverage Alone


    *Free Coins


    Panic began to creep up on Paul. That number was the only contact he had that could yield fast, liquid capital.


    Every other investment or new venture would take too long to turn a profit.


    By the time any startup of his seeded, the old man¡¯s second child would probably already be born.


    Paul didn¡¯t have that kind of time. He messaged the number again¨Cthis time far more politely, humbly asking for another chance to invest.


    But still, no reply.


    He didn¡¯t know if they were ignoring him on purpose or if his message was buried in spam and simply never read.


    Whatever the reason, he couldn¡¯t get through, and the missed opportunity gnawed at him with bitter


    regret.


    He became obsessed with breaking through. One trillion¡­


    Paul pulled up his ount records. Since the Powell family had cut him off, his bank cards and dividends were frozen. All he had left was a few million in pocket money.


    If he wanted to reach one trillion, he had no choice but to tap into the Powell family¡¯s resources.


    His eyes turned ruthless. ¡°If the Powell family is just going to hand everything over to some bastard child in the end, then I might as well be the one to use it. I¡¯ll make them see¨CPowell Corporation belongs to me and me alone.¡±


    Yunice casually nced at her phone and read the message Paul had sent her.


    She knew it wouldn¡¯t be long before he took the bait.


    She wasn¡¯t in any hurry.


    The more thoroughly she vanished, the more desperate Paul would get¨Cand the less he¡¯d think.


    ¡°Bad news! Someone¡¯s banging on the gate! Demanding to see Mr. Wyatt!¡±


    Yunice raised a brow, mildly intrigued.


    Who would be that bold?


    The butler hesitated. ¡°It¡¯s someone from the Johnson family¡­ Mr. Morgan and Madam Mary¡­<i>¡± </i>


    e she¡¯s about to copse. If she


    He added, ¡°Normally it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but Madam Mary is elderly and not in great health. Both of them are insisting on staying out in this freezing weather. She loo¡® faints at our door and Mr. Wyattes back¡­¡±


    They all knew how Wyatt indulged the Johnson family. The staff had done their research.


    173


    Chapter 568 Leverage and Leverage Alone


    If Madam Mary got hurt because they mishandled things, Wyatt might take it out of them


    Yunice gave a cold smile. <i>She </i><i>knows </i><i>she¡¯s </i><i>not </i><i>well </i><i>and </i>still insists on freezing outside? That¡¯s nothing but motional ckmail.


    She said, ¡°How could we let Madam Mary stay out in the cold? Invite them in. Now!


    The butler bowed respectfully. ¡°Madam Mary, Mr. Morgan, Ms. Yunice invites you toe inside and rest.¡±


    Sitting in her wheelchair, Madam Mary gave him a sideways nce. ¡°I came to see Mr. Wyatt Who wants to see her? Where¡¯s Wyatt?¡±


    The butler was no fool. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Wyatt is still at work at this hour. Ms. Yunice is the only one avable to receive you.¡±


    Madam Mary folded her hands. ¡°Is Yunice ill?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s perfectly healthy. I¡¯m not sure why you would think otherwise, ma¡¯am.¡±


    Madam Mary sneered. ¡°If she¡¯s not sick, why didn¡¯t shee greet me herself? Is <b>this </b>how she treats her elders?¡±


    The butler¡¯s lips pressed into a line. Even he could see she was being deliberately difficult.


    ¡°The Pavilion Hall is Mr. Wyatt and Ms. Yunice¡¯s home,¡± he said calmly. ¡°If she chooses not toe out, no one has the right to demand it.¡±


    Wyatt had made that clear¨CYunice was to be respected. If she couldn¡¯t have a say in her own home<b>, </b>then what was the point of calling it a home? How could he im to protect her?


    Now that it was obvious Madam Mary hade here to stir trouble, the butler¡¯s tone lost its earlier deference.


    If she didn¡¯t want to enter, then so be it.


    He stood silently nearby, offering no further words.


    Sure enough, after several seconds of silence, Madam Mary frowned and said stiffly, ¡°Push me in.¡±


    Only then did the butler step forward and wheel her into the Pavilion Hall.


    As the wheelchair rolled across the carpet in the living room, Yunice stood inside, slowly pacing with a book in hand, murmuring lines aloud. She was reading a ssic moral text.


    Right as they entered, she deliberately read aloud, ¡°Respecting elders is virtue¡­¡±


    Madam Mary gave a pointed cough, clearly trying to draw atten


    o herself.


    Morgan, standing behind her, red at Yunice like she was a junior family member who had failed to show proper manners.


    Yunice turned her head. Even when she saw them, she made no move to greet them warmly. Her tone was t. ¡°Mr. Morgan. Madam Mary. Mr. Wyatt won¡¯t be home until <i>after </i>four. You¡¯re wee to wait here


    Chapter 568 Leverage and Leverage Alone


    until then.¡±


    Seeing Yunice holding a book, cool and distant, not making any friendly gesture at all, Madam Mary couldn¡¯t resist putting on airs. ¡°You¡¯ve been married to Wyatt for so long. Has he never hired anyone to teach you proper etiquette?¡±


    Yunice nced at her book. ¡°I¡¯ve read the ssics. They teach that elders and virtuous people should be respected. But only the virtuous, the righteous, the honest, and the kind are worthy of such respect. So tell me, Madam Johnson¨Cwho once schemed to frame my own brother¨Cwhich of those virtues do you


    embody¡­ to deserve my respect?¡±

 Daghter 569

    The Real and the Recement


    Chapter 569 The Real and the Recement


    Madam Mary¡¯s eyes flew wide in disbelief she hadn¡¯t expected Yanice to talk back so sharply, in mercilessly.


    She snapped, ¡°You think just because Wyatt spoils you, you can


    Yunice looked up and calmly cut her off. ¡°And you think just because Wyatt indulges your family, you can do whatever you want?


    Morgan¡¯s crimes go far beyond what he did to Elsie. He won¡¯t escape thew, no matter who you beg Instead ofing here to stir up trouble, maybe go tell your precious grandson to confess and take responsibility while he still has a shot at leniency.¡±


    Madam Mary opened her mouth but couldn¡¯te up with a single word in response.


    But her son behind her wasn¡¯t as restrained. Humiliated by how his mother was being talked down in front of others, Mr. Morgan surged forward and raised his hand, aiming to p Yunice across the face.


    ¡°Trash will always be trash! No manners at all!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t move, but the p nevernded.


    The butler had stepped in front of her, gripping Mr. Morgan¡¯s wrist tightly.


    His voice was icy. ¡°Mr. Morgan, take a good look. This is the Pavilion Hall. Ms. Yunice is the mistress here. You, as an outsider, dare to raise your hand against thedy of the house¨Chave you forgotten whose home you¡¯re in?¡±


    Mr. Morgan scoffed, ¡°She¡¯s nothing but a decoration Wyatt married for show. And you people are really treating her like she matters? What a joke.¡±


    But no matter how much he look


    ed down on Yunice, the butler held his wrist in a vise, leaving him no chance to even touch her.


    Yunice actually felt a little disappointed. If that p hadnded, she could¡¯ve put on a nice little performance for Wyattter. Still, the way the butler and staff protected her caught her off guard¨Cand even moved her a little.


    Seeing the tide turning against them, Madam Mary red up, spitting, ¡°Ms. Yunice, you¡¯ve been living off the benefits of looking like my granddaughter, lording it over her family. Don¡¯t you feel the slightest bit ashamed?¡±


    But Yunice didn¡¯t step into that obvious trap. She answered coldly, ¡°Funny, I was just thinking how shameful it is to enjoy the benefits your granddaughter left behind and use them to throw your weight around.


    You raised Morgan¨Cscum of society¨Cand now you run aroun


    ing to get him out of trouble. Honestly,


    your morals and values aren¡¯t even close to qualifying you to juu, anyone.


    ¡°You-!¡± Madam Mary was shaking. ¡°Everyone knows Oscar was a depraved murderer! You¡¯re just trying to get him off the hook by making Morgan the scapegoat!¡±


    Chapter 569 The Real and the Recement


    Yunice said calmly, ¡°My brother¡¯s charges are still under investigation. But Morgan fix crimes are set in stone. Otherwise, why would you go through the trouble ofing all the way here?


    ¡°You-!¡±


    Madam Mary¡¯s face turned pale. She clutched her chest, gasping for breath.


    Mr. Morgan instantly rushed to her side in panic. ¡°Mom! Don¡¯t scare me! Yunice, if anything happens to her, you¡¯re responsible!¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Only a judge can decide who¡¯s responsible. Andst I checked, Mr. Morgan, you don¡¯t have a judge¡¯s license.¡±


    Mr. Morgan gritted his teeth. ¡°Don¡¯t think that sharp tongue of yours means you¡¯ve won. Wait till Wyattes home¨Csee if you can still smile then!¡±


    Yunice sat back down on the sofa. She had no intention of waiting on the Johnsons.


    Upstairs¡­


    Elianna had cracked the door open and peeked at the drama below. She wasn¡¯t foolish enough to jump into that mess.


    Quietly closing the door, she sent Wyatt a message, reporting everything that had happened at home. She was genuinely curious¨Cbetween the Johnson family and Yunice, who would Wyatt side with? She expected a dramatic standoff, but before Wyatt even returned, Madam Mary and Mr. Morgan were suddenly called away by a phone call.


    Yunice only caught a few words as Madam Mary picked up. ¡°Nora¡¯s awake? Are you serious?¡±


    She watched the two of them leave Pavilion Hall, crying with joy. Her grip tightened around the book in her hand, and she found herself struggling to <i>breathe</i>.


    <i>The </i><i>Nora </i><i>Madam </i>Mary <i>mentioned</i><i>¨C</i>it had <i>to </i><i>be </i><i>that </i><i>Nora</i>.


    <i>Was </i>she <i>really </i><i>awake</i>?


    After three years, if the first thing she said was a plea for Wyatt to save her brother¡­ would Wyatt be able to refuse?


    A man¡¯s weakness for his first love was often incurable.


    Elianna strolled leisurely down the stairs. ¡°Wyatt¡¯s definitely noting home tonight.¡±


    Three years apart¨Cand now Nora was awake. How could he not <i>go </i>see her? What reason did he have not


    to?


    Elianna plopped down on the sofa and nced at the silent Yunice. ¡°You¡¯ve got the energy to trade barbs with the Johnsons, but maybe you¡¯d be better off getting your brother a decentwyer<i>¡­ </i>Not that it¡¯d help much. No one beats Wellinges Pharma¡¯s legal team.¡±


    Chapter 569 The Real and the Recement


    In her eyes, if Nora hadn¡¯t woken up, Yunice might¡¯ve had a shot at turning things around.


    But now that she had¡­ Yunice was finished.


    After all, Yunice was only a stand¨Cin. A counterfeit can never be ced on the same pedestal as the <i>real </i>thing.

 Daghter 570

    Chapter 570 The Rift


    Chapter 570 The Rift


    Yunice clenched the book in her hands for so long that by the time she came to, she realized she¡¯d nearly scratched the ink right off the page¨Cone entire paragraph had disappeared under her fingers.


    She took a deep breath. She had to stay focused. She had her own way of bringing Morgan to justice.


    Just then, Elianna turned back casually¨Cand suddenly froze, eyes fixed on something behind Yunice. ¡°Wyatt? Why are you back?¡±


    Startled, Yunice turned around and saw that Wyatt really had returned.


    She stood up in a daze, just as Elianna continued, ¡°Madarn Mary got a call earlier. Nora¡¯s awake. She and Mr. Morgan already rushed over to see her. So why didn¡¯t you go, Wyatt¡­¡±


    But as soon as the words left her mouth, something clicked. Everyone knew how Wyatt felt about Nora.


    There was no way he¡¯d skip seeing her.


    Elianna quickly recovered and grinned like she¡¯d figured it out. ¡°Oh! You must¡¯ve found out before everyone else and already spent the whole day with Nora, right? Now you¡¯re justing back to give her some space to be alone with her family!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s lips twitched, almost imperceptibly. Her expression shifted, clearly uneasy.


    Wyatt changed into his indoor shoes, hung up his coat, and shot Elianna a sidelong nce. ¡°Keep spouting nonsense and I¡¯ll toss you out of Pavilion Hall myself.¡±


    Elianna pouted. ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡±


    Wyatt gave Yunice a quick nce before turning back to Elianna. ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense right in front of Yunice: What are you trying to do? Start a fight between us?¡±


    Elianna didn¡¯t back down. ¡°But I¡¯m just telling the truth. Nora¡¯s awake. Of course she¡¯sing back to Pavilion Hall. Yunice¡¯s gonna find out sooner orter, right? You really think Nora would want to live here with Yunice and¡­ with you? You know how proud she is.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face darkened. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean? Nora¡¯s too proud to live with me in Pavilion Hall, and I¡¯m so shameless that I¡¯d be willing to stay and¡­ share a husband with her?¡±


    Elianna was stunned for a second, then frowned. ¡°Why are you taking it out on me? I don¡¯t care who bes my sister¨Cinw, whether it¡¯s you or Nora. But I¡¯m just stating the obvious.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t wrong, even if her tone was nasty.


    Two tigers can¡¯t live on the same mountain. Two women can¡¯t share the same house as its mistress.


    Now that Nora was awake, it was time to decide¨Cwho would stay, and who would leave?


    Yunice turned to Wyatt. ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s Friday. The civil affairs office getting the divorce certificate


    s open. We won¡¯t have


    any


    trouble


    Her revenge n was moving along smoothly. The bait had already been taken. She no longer needed


    Chapter 570 The Rif


    Wyatt¡¯s power to make her move CD


    Hoe waking up gave her du perfect excuse to walk away. it was the best me to eat le


    Wypu met her spate, <i>simmering </i>gaze, and his face felt. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t hear that today. Pour if you bring up divorce again, I¡¯ll drag you to Cardoys and register a marriage certificate instead


    Yunice froze. Cardova was the only country in the world that explicitly forbade divorce.


    Watching him storm off toward the bedroom<i>, </i>Yunice felt her temper re. What the hell was that supposed to <i>meant </i>


    Did he think he was some kind of dictator just because he had power? Was he nning to take multiple wivest (D


    Was he hoping for some twisted fairytale where she¡¯d be the mistress while Nora became the legal wife?


    With a loud smack<i>, </i>Yunice threw the book in her hand aside and stormed after him.


    Elianna wanted to follow and eavesdrop, but Yunice mmed the door shut behind her.


    Elianna flinched, Jeez, she¡¯s got a temper,


    Yunice marched straight up to Wyatt. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡±


    Wyatt fired right back. ¡°What do you want? You believe everything anyone else says, but not a <b>single </b>word from me. You won¡¯t even ask me about it. You just make up your mind and dere me guilty. Wow, you must be really impressive!¡±


    Yunice snapped. ¡°You didn¡¯t go see Nora? You didn¡¯t know she was awake?¡±


    Wyatt scoffed, ¡°I knew. So what? I didn¡¯t go.¡±


    Yuniceughed coldly, ¡°You didn¡¯t go see her?¡°/


    He sneered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one threatening to divorce me? But now here you are, getting jealous and yelling like you actually love me or something.¡±


    Yunice was speechless.


    Wyatt scowled and rolled the wedding ring on his finger, grinding it with the other hand.


    After a long silence, he finally muttered to Yunice, who was now sitting there quietly with a storm in her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t go see Nora. Believe it or don¡¯t.¡±


    Then he stood up, clearly agitated,/grumbling as he walked off. ¡°Every time shees up, we fight. What the hell did I do to deserve this?¡±


    He kicked a chair out of the way and disappeared into the bathroom.


    The sound of running water started soon after.


    Yunice sat outside, pressing her fingers to her temples in frustration.


    Chapter 570 The Rift


    the sudde¡¯t have other cool like that. <b>It </b>wasn¡¯t worth it.


    hy Why


    The mos Nors woke up, she jumped to give up her ce¨Cas if she was the guilty one

 Daghter 571

    Chapter 571 The Distance


    With that thought, Yunice opened her eyes. No¨Cshe couldn¡¯t just assume things. Even if they were <b>going </b>to get divorced, it had to be on her terms, with full rity.


    She wasn¡¯t going to slink away quietly, branded as the third party.


    The night Nora regained consciousness, no one in the house slept peacefully.


    Yunicey on the edge of the bed with her back to Wyatt, her small frame taking up barely a <b>corner</b><b>. </b>


    Wyatt¡¯s phone kept buzzing nonstop. It sounded like someone was bombarding him with messages. Yunice kept her eyes closed, pretending to sleep, but her mind was filled with restless images. After a while, she heard Wyatt sit up in bed.


    Then, a few secondster, his voice came from behind her. ¡°It¡¯s just a group chat


    Yunice opened her eyes.


    ¡°Nora posted something in her Moments. Everyone in the old friend group is talking about it.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help turning around, confused as to why he was telling her this. If he¡¯d kept it to himself, <b>she </b>wouldn¡¯t have known at all.


    Wyatt tossed her his phone. ¡°See for yourself.¡±


    Yunice frowned. Her pride told her not to look, but her curiosity eventually won.


    It was a chat group of Wyatt¡¯s friends¨CYunice wasn¡¯t a part of it.


    Someone named Bale had posted a screenshot/


    It was a photo Nora had just posted.


    Shey in a hospital bed, oxygen tubes still on her face, smiling weakly at the camera while shing a peace sign. Her caption read:


    ¡°¡­I can see the world again, but I¡¯m not happy¡­¡±


    Bale didn¡¯t say a word after posting the image.


    But the silent members in the group lit up


    like firecrackers.


    ¡°Nora¡¯s awake?¡±


    ¡°Holy crap, she really is! That¡¯s a medical miracle!¡±


    ¡°I heard only patients with a deep obsession even have a chance of waking up from something <b>like </b><b>that</b>¡­..¡±


    Someone posted a drooping emoji.


    O


    Chapter 571 The Distance


    <b>Another </b>followed it with a dust<b>¨C</b>covered, haggard one.


    Then five minutes passed with no one saying anything.


    Finally, a new message popped up¨Cfrom Maine. She didn¡¯t say anything either. Just tagged <b>Wyatt</b>.


    Yunice felt a tight squeeze in


    her chest.


    No one had said anything pointed, but anyone who knew the story could tell¨Cthey were <b>trying </b><b>to </b>test Wyatt¡¯s reaction to Nora waking up.


    They kept posting to make sure he¡¯d see it. When he didn¡¯t respond, someone finally tagged him <b>outright</b>.


    If he kept ignoring it now, it¡¯d look deliberate.


    Yunice hesitated before handing the phone back to Wyatt.


    At the end of the day, she was just a bystander. She couldn¡¯t make choices for anyone.


    Wyatt took the phone with one hand¨Cand with the other, pulled Yunice, who had been curled up <b>on </b>the edge of the bed, straight into his arms.


    Because of the way they were positioned, she had no choice but to rest her head on his shoulder<b>¨C</b>and <b>that </b>let her see his phone screen too.


    With one hand, Wyatt typed out a single word in the chat: ¡°Congrattions.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes flickered with surprise.


    That single word said everything about where he stood.


    It carried distance.


    It wasn¡¯t something you¡¯d say to your girlfriend.


    After he hit send, the chat went dead¨Clike the entire group had lost connection.


    Then a voice message popped up from Maine, full of rage: ¡°Wyatt, say that again!¡±


    But it cut off halfway through¨Clike someone had stopped her mid¨Csentence.


    Another message followed: ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Yunice froze when she saw the sender¡¯s name.


    <i>Nora</i><i>. </i>


    <i>So</i><i>¡­ </i><i>Nora </i><b><i>was </i></b><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>group </i><b><i>chat</i></b>.


    That meant she¡¯d seen everything their mutual friends had said¨Cand Wyatt¡¯s cold <b>reply </b>too?


    Even from outside the screen, Yunice felt the secondhand embarrassment and <b>pain</b>.


    Wyatt had been merciless. Polite, but barely.


    Distance


    <b>He </b>looked down at hershes and said, ¡°What? You think stringing her along <b>would¡¯ve </b><b>been </b><b>better </b>


    Yunice hadn¡¯t said a word. She had just¡­ empathized.


    Empathized with a woman who had loved too deeply.


    Nora had been willing to die for Wyatt. Yunice could never match that kind of love.


    Right then, Yunice¡¯s phone buzzed.


    She nced at it¨Cand immediately shot upright.


    Wyatt had added her to the group chat.


    New members were always highlighted. And to make it worse, Wyatt had tagged Nora directly:


    ¡°This is my wife, Yunice.¡±


    Her brain went nk. It felt like her entire body had been thrown into a fire.


    Gardison Residence.


    Maine¡¯s voice cut through the air like a siren. ¡°Wyatt, you bastard!¡±


    Noray in the hospital bed, surrounded by flowers, their mutual friends crowding the room.


    When she woke up, the first person she saw was Maine.


    Maine had been overjoyed, quickly spreading the news. <i>All </i>their old friends came to visit¨Cexcept Wyatt.


    Everyone could see the disappointment in Nora¡¯s eyes. That¡¯s why they¡¯d tried <i>to </i>nudge him in the group chat, hoping he¡¯d respond.


    But it had backfired, leaving Nora even more humiliated.

 Daghter 572

    Chapter 572 No Peace Tonight


    Watching the light fade from Nora¡¯s eyes, Amyra finally whispered, ¡°Nora¡­ Wyatt got <b>married </b><b>a </b><b>year </b><b>ago</b><b>. </b>


    Bale frowned and nced at Amyra, but ultimately stayed silent.


    No one else spoke up either.


    That was the reality. They¡¯d done what they could to help¨Cto push Wyatt for an answer. And <b>Wyatt </b><b>had </b>made it clear, he was leaving the past behind.


    Truth be told, none of them really cared who Wyatt ended up marrying. His choice was their <b>stance</b>, <b>too</b>. The only reason they even showed up today was to case their own conscience.


    Before long, someone changed the subject and tried to lift the mood. ¡°Nora, what did the doctor say? <b>How </b>long until you¡¯re fully recovered?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, get better soon. You¡¯ve got a second chance now. Maybe you¡¯ll even go back to work¡­¡±


    But they stopped mid¨Csentence, faces stiffening. Nora used to work at Huaxin. After her ident, the department had been dissolved.


    The more they talked, the more awkward things became. The atmosphere turned so ufortable that each of them began making excuses to leave, mumbling about letting her rest as they quietly filed out.


    In the end, only Maine remained.


    Her eyes were red and swollen like walnuts. ¡°They never meant to help you! What kind of friends are those?!¡±


    Noray motionless in bed, her pale face so eerily simr to Yunice¡¯s, dim and expressionless. ¡°Don¡¯t me them. They can¡¯t change how Wyatt feels. After three years, they still came to see me¨C<i>that¡¯s </i>already more than I could ask for.¡±


    But Maine wasn¡¯t angry about that. Her voice cracked with helpless fury. ¡°You¡¯re really okay with letting Yunice steal Wyatt from you?¡±


    Nora spoke quietly. ¡°Even if I¡¯m not okay with it¡­ what can I do? Beg Wyatt to look at me again?¡±


    Maine looked down at the group chat, eyes burning. Yunice¡¯s name in that list was a stab to the heart. ¡°Who does she think she is?<b>¡± </b>


    Then, more bitterly, she muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t even think it¡¯s Wyatt who wants to keep his distance. <b>I </b><b>bet </b>it¡¯s Yunice clinging <i>to </i>him, making him do it!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been married a year. Why didn¡¯t she show up in the group before? Why now, rig when you wake up, just to rub it in your face?¡±


    ¡°Maine, she¡¯s Wyatt¡¯s wife. She¡¯s done nothing wrong. Don¡¯t speak about her <b>like </b>that, <b>Nora </b>said <b>firmly</b>.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Maine copsed into a chair. ¡°Everyone else fights tooth and nail, and <b>you </b><b>just </b><b>give </b><b>everything </b><b>lip </b>


    <b>You¡¯re </b>too damn kind. That¡¯s why you lost Wyatt in the first ce!¡±


    Seeing Nora still so passive, Maine couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Do you even know? To please Yunice, <b>Wyatt </b>threw Morgan in jail to take the fall for her brother!¡±


    Nora¡¯s brow furrowed, shocked. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    Maine¡¯s frustration poured out. ¡°You have no idea how far Wyatt spoils Yunice. She¡¯s been milking her resemnce to you, asking him for everything!¡±


    ¡°He helped her cheat on her SATs, bribed universities, fabricated awards in her hospital ward¨Canything <b>to </b>make her look like an aplished academic, just to scrub off that mental hospitalbel and make her shine!¡±


    ¡°But you, Nora¡­ You spent more than ten years overseas, studying until your family hardly recognized you. Everything you earned¨CYunice got in a single year.¡±


    Nora¡¯s fingers twitched, barely noticeable. She frowned. ¡°Maine, I¡¯m concerned about Morgan. Please don¡¯t bring up anything unrted.¡±


    Maine fell silent, then pulled up an article on her phone. ¡°This was a week ago¨C<i>a </i>huge rape and murder case in Beijing. The suspect who got taken away in front of everyone was Yunice¡¯s biological brother, Oscar.¡±


    ¡°But yesterday, Morgan was suddenly found high at a club. While barely coherent, someone led him into confessing that he killed Elsie. Now he¡¯s behind bars. They say he¡¯s facing the death penalty¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam Mary and Mr. Morgan were frantic. They went to Pavilion Hall to beg Wyatt for help, but he wasn¡¯t home. And those two elders had to endure Yunice¡¯s cold face¨CMadam Mary almost fainted from the stress.¡±


    Nora¡¯s eyes turned red, veins pulsing at her temples.


    She tried to sit up, tried to get out of bed. But after three years of lying still, even simple movements drained her¨Cthere was no way she could stand.


    Maine saw the tears streaming down her cheeks and the veins straining in her neck as she struggled. Heart aching, she rushed to prop her up. ¡°Look at you like this, and Wyatt still doesn¡¯t care! For all we know, those two bastards are cuddling in bed right now!¡±


    ¡°Maine!¡± Nora snapped.


    Pavilion Hall.


    There was no sleep <i>to </i>be had tonight.


    Wyatt reached out to hold Yunice¡¯s hand as she faced away from him..


    Without even turning her head,/she jabbed him with her elbow.


    He easily caught her arm and pulled her back into his arms. ¡°What are you sulking about now<b>?!</b>¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even know what she was mad at. She just<b>¡­ </b>couldn¡¯t bring herself to feel at <b>ease</b><b>, </b><b>being </b>protected by Wyatt while Nora was still there¨Chovering, wounded, and watching.


    O

 Daghter 573

    Chapter 573 Acknowledgments


    ¡°Come on,¡± Wyatt said. ¡°We¡¯re adults. Who doesn¡¯t have a couple of past rtionships? You were <b>engaged </b>to Paul for ten years¨CI never held that against you. So why can¡¯t you let go of mine? Is that fair<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice replied, ¡°But Nora was willing to die for you.¡±


    And she had actually done it.


    Wyatt answered, ¡°I owe her. I can repay that debt. But just because she saved me doesn¡¯t mean I have to repay her with love.¡±


    ¡°She and I broke up before her ident. I feel responsible for her¨Cbut I don¡¯t love her.¡±


    Yunice blinked, stunned. Wyatt rarely spoke so directly about his rtionship with Nora.


    If they had already broken up before Nora¡¯s ident, then Yunice wasn¡¯t a homewrecker after all.


    That lifted a weight from her chest¨Cbut she still didn¡¯tpletely trust his words.


    After <i>all</i><i>, </i>men <i>lie</i><i>. </i>


    The next day, Wyatt asked Yunice toe to the office with him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Yunice said. ¡°I need to study. Finals areing up. If I don¡¯t pass, I won¡¯t get credit, and it¡¯ll affect my graduation.¡±


    Wyatt closed her book. ¡°There¡¯s room for you


    at my


    desk.¡±


    Yunice frowned and stared him down.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t flinch. He looked right back at her.


    She sighed. ¡°What are you even trying to do now?¡±


    ¡°Build our rtionship,¡± he replied. ¡°Look, I¡¯m busy with work and social events all day. You¡¯re always studying at home. We barely spend time together, and when we do, we¡¯re always fighting. And you never text me during the day.¡±


    ¡°I want a real rtionship with you, not some act. Come to work with me.¡±


    He pulled her to her feet, insistent.


    From the second¨Cfloor railing, Elianna rested her chin in her hands, watching them leave. ¡°So boring¡­ Maybe I should find a man too?¡±


    In the car, Wyatt strapped Yunice into the passenger seat and started the engine. ¡°From now o you everywhere. Watch closely see if I ever go to meet Nora


    ¡±


    n taking


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yunice was at a loss.


    Sometimes Wyatt waspletely unpredictable¨Chard to read. Other times, he hit you head¨C<b>on </b><b>with </b><b>such </b>direct honesty, you didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    O


    <b>1/3 </b>


    Chapter 573 Acknowledgments.


    Yunice usually took the VIP elevator straight to Wyatt¡¯s office. But today, he insisted on holding <b>her </b><b>hand </b>and parading her through the main office, right in front of the secretarial team.


    To everyone who looked their way, he introduced her inly. ¡°This is my wife.


    Yunice quickly texted Laurie for help.


    Within minutes, Laurie showed up with her white coat draped over her shoulders like a cape, walking <b>with </b>wide strides like a boss<b>. </b>


    ¡°Hey, Mr. Wyatt,¡± Lauric said, tapping his shoulder with the folder under her arm to get his attention. ¡°Mind lending her to me for a bit? Jacky¡¯s out today. I¡¯m swamped.¡±


    She was talking about Yunice, obviously.


    Yunice gave Wyatt a hopeful look. Please let me go. Please don¡¯t make me endure all this staring.


    Wyatt nced at Laurie. ¡°No.¡±


    Laurie pressed on, ¡°Her internship paperwork still needs my signature. She¡¯s got onest practical to finish. You want her to fail and dy graduation?¡±


    At the words ¡°your wife,¡± Wyatt¡¯s eyebrows lifted slightly.


    Seizing the chance, Laurie grabbed Yunice by the wrist. ¡°I¡¯m taking her. If you want her back,e pick her up at theb.¡±


    She turned decisively.


    Yunice shot Wyatt onest look. He didn¡¯t stop them.


    Delighted, she quickly followed Laurie.


    But just then, Laurie came to an abrupt halt.


    Yunice followed her gaze¨Cand froze in ce, as if struck by lightning.


    Down the hallway, Maine was pushing a wheelchair.


    In it sat Nora.


    A thin nket was draped over her legs. She wore a white shirt dress. Her long ck hair hung neatly around her pale, delicate face.


    From a distance, she looked eerily simr to Yunice¨Cmaybe 70% alike.


    <b>atose </b>


    Laurie stared for a moment. When she realized who it was¨Cher former colleague who¡¯d <b>beer </b>for three years¨Cher expression flickered, then quickly returned to normal. She tugged Yunicem.


    ¡°Come on.¡±


    But Yunice didn¡¯t budge. She was rooted in ce, eyes


    Laurie nced at Wyatt, trying to read the situation.


    locked on Nora.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    <b>08:29 </b>Wed, <b>30 </b><b>Jul </b>20


    Chapter 573 Acknowledgments


    s


    Wyatt hadn¡¯t been paying attention¨Cuntil he noticed Yunice wasn¡¯t moving. Then he turned, smiling at


    first.


    But the moment he saw Nora getting closer, his smile faded. His face darkened, unreadable.


    Nora stopped in front of them.


    The wheelchair halted. Maine gave Yunice a disdainful re.


    Nora offered a soft, gentle smile. ¡°Hello, Mrs. Cooper.¡±


    <i>Was </i><i>she </i><i>letting </i><i>go</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice responded, ¡°Hello.¡±


    Nora continued, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I¡¯m only here to gather some personal things I left behind three years ago.¡±


    Maine scoffed. ¡°Nora used to work at Wellinges Pharma. She didn¡¯t get a chance to clean out her stuff before the ident. Her department may be gone now, but her things should still be around.¡±

 Daghter 574

    Chapter 574 Lines in the Sand


    Wyatt walked over and stopped beside Yunice. ¡°Three years ago, Jordan sent all your <b>things </b><b>back </b><b>to </b>the Johnson family. Didn¡¯t you see them?¡±


    Nora turned her gaze to him, her voice still calm and gentle. ¡°I did. But one item was missing.


    ¡°Whoever packed up must¡¯ve overlooked it. I wouldn¡¯t havee otherwise, but that item is <b>very </b>important to me.¡±


    Maine¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, it¡¯s just a small item, right? You¡¯ll let Nora retrieve it, won¡¯t <b>you</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s expression went cold, lips tightening. ¡°Tell Jordan what¡¯s missing¨Che¡¯ll find it. This is a restricted area. Outsiders aren¡¯t allowed.¡±


    Maine shot Yunice a pointed look, clearly implying, <i>And </i><i>she¡¯s </i><i>not </i><i>an </i><i>outsider</i>?


    Laurie wasn¡¯t having it. She scoffed, ¡°ording to marriagew, half of Wellinges Pharma belongs <b>to </b>Yunice. She¡¯s got every right toe and go.¡±


    Maine nearlyughed out loud. ¡°Half thepany? Did Wyatt agree to that? You people really have no shame.¡±


    Laurie shot back, ¡°Whether he agrees or not, that¡¯s between husband and wife. What¡¯s it to you, nosy <b>hag</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    2


    ¡°You-!¡± Maine was ready to throw hands.


    Yunice quickly stepped in front of Laurie.


    Maine sneered, gritting her teeth. ¡°Rats getting their day¡­ You all think you¡¯re so high and mighty now. But everyone knows Nora was-¡±


    ¡°Maine,¡± Nora cut her off, sternly.


    She turned to Wyatt, voice steady. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, please allow me to retrieve it myself. No one else can find <i>it</i>.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t want to concede.


    But Maine took the chance to push Nora¡¯s wheelchair past him, toward the executive office.


    Yunice looked over¨CWyatt¡¯s office was right next to the main secretarial department.


    After all, he hadn¡¯t kept a secretary/around in years. Only Jordan remained as his assistant.


    Wyatt followed them.


    Yunice and Laurie stayed back. Laurie muttered, ¡°She¡¯ll leave once she gets her <b>stuff</b><b>. </b><b>No </b><b>more </b><b>excuses </b><b>to </be back.¡±


    Yunice heard the protective tone in Laurie¡¯s voice and felt a twinge of warmth. ¡°Laurie.. <b>everyone </b><b>says </b><b>I¡¯m </b>the homewrecker. You don¡¯t think so?¡±


    Chapter 574 Lines in the Sand


    Laurie rolled her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s it got to do with you? When you met Wyatt, Nora <b>wasn¡¯t </b>even <b>in </b><b>the </b>picture. If anyone¡¯s to me, it¡¯s Wyatt for not cleaning up his own mess<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    She really didn¡¯t hold back.


    Laurie continued, ¡°Next time they try toe at you with their passive¨Caggressive crap<b>, </b>don¡¯t <b>just </b>stand there. Fire back. Stop acting like you¡¯re guilty or something.¡±


    Then she shot a nce toward the secretarial office. ¡°There¡¯s nothing simple between those two. <b>Especially </b>Nora. She ys the whole calm and pure routine, but she¡¯s sharp¨Ccalcting.¡±


    pure routine, but she¡¯s sharp¨Ccalcting


    ¡°She came here on purpose. To let


    <i>you </i>see her.¡±


    She looked Yunice up and down. ¡°You¡¯re not in the wrong,


    him away.¡±


    but if you


    back down now, someone <b>will </b><b>take </b>


    Yunice pressed her lips together and stayed quiet.


    Nora sat in her wheelchair, Wyatt leaning against a wall in the distance.


    Maine was moving furniture around, searching through the gap between the desk and wall.


    The room was silent.


    Nora watched Maine for a moment, then slowly turned her gaze toward Wyatt, her eyes soft with lingering affection.


    ¡°¡­Wyatt, it¡¯s been three years. Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡±


    Wyatt nced her way, but didn¡¯t meet her eyes¨Cand didn¡¯t answer.


    Nora bit her lip, then tried again after a few seconds. ¡°Maine told me¡­ you used rare rhino horn to save me. Yunice even fought with you over it¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Wyatt let out a cold chuckle. ¡°My wife argued with me? What, did she crawl under my bed and report back to you?¡±


    Her expression dimmed. ¡°Do you really have to be so harsh with me, Wyatt? You know how rare my recovery was<b>¡­</b>¡±


    They¡¯de so close to being lost forever. Couldn¡¯t he show even a little gratitude for the miracle?


    Wasn¡¯t it only after losing something that people truly learned to treasure it?


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t show a hint of warmth.


    Nora¡¯s eyes reddened. She bit her lip and said softly, ¡°If you¡¯re trying to cut ties with me¡­ the youe at all? Aren¡¯t <i>you </i>worried Yunice might get the wrong idea?¡±


    y <i>did </i>


    Wyatt replied, ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong. I came to keep an eye on you two. Don¡¯t say anything in front <b>of </b><b>my </b>wife that¡¯ll upset her. If you do, I¡¯ll be the one stuck trying to cheer her upter¨Cand trust me, <b>she¡¯s </b>impossible to coax.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± Mame snapped, furious<b>, </b>mming her fist on the desk.


    VYEU<b>, </b>DU <b>JUI </b>


    Chapter 574 Lines in the Sand


    Wyatt shot her a look. ¡°Find the thing quickly. Don¡¯t waste time. You¡¯ve got three minutes.


    Wyatt¡¯s words were razor sharp.


    15 Free Couns


    Nora lowered her eyes. When her tears fell, she wiped them away and rolled her wheelchair forward. From the gap beside the desk, she pulled out a bracelet.


    ¡°Maine, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Maine shot Wyatt a venomous re, then pushed Nora out of the office.


    Nora nced up.


    The hallway was empty.


    Yunice and Laurie were gone from where they¡¯d been standing.

 Daghter 575

    Chapter <i>575 </i>More Than a Game


    Nora gave a softugh. ¡°Wyatt, your wife trusts you a lot. That¡¯s nice.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression darkened, just as Jordan approached. He extended a hand to Nora. ¡°Ms. <b>Nora</b>, <b>let </b><b>me </b>walk you out.¡±


    Nora nodded. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Jordan.¡±


    Outside Wellinges Pharma, Maine was still fuming. But when she turned to Nora, she saw <b>a </b>faint smile <b>on </b>her face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding,¡± Maine said. ¡°Wyatt treats you like <i>that </i>and you¡¯re smiling?¡±


    Nora¡¯s tone wasposed. ¡°Before I saw Yunice, I was uncertain. But after today, I actually <b>feel </b><b>relieved</b><b>. </b>She stroked the bracelet in her hand and smiled. ¡°Wyatt and Yunice aren¡¯t a real couple. Can¡¯t you <b>tell</b><b>? </b>With confidence, she added, ¡°Wyatt married someone who looks like me on purpose¨Cto spite me. That means he still cares. He¡¯s just acting childish and petty because he can¡¯t deal with his feelings.¡±


    4


    Maine looked skeptical. ¡°Nora¡­ don¡¯t you think you¡¯re reading too much into this? Wyatt¡¯s a practical guy. You think he¡¯d do something so¡­ emotional?¡±


    Nora smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Maine. Men stay boys their whole lives. Wyatt¡¯s no different. I made mistakes before. He¡¯s still resentful. That¡¯s why he refuses to acknowledge his feelings. But I believe¨Che¡¯ll forgive me. Because deep down, he still loves me.¡± 3


    Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Maine didn¡¯t know how to respond.


    But in her gut, Maine felt Wyatt¡¯s feelings for Yunice were real. 2


    Still, she knew it was better for Nora to keep fighting. Because only by fighting could she find out who the real winner would be.


    Nora noticed the change in Maine¡¯s expression. ¡°You¡¯re wondering how I can be so sure?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Yunice doesn¡¯t care enough.¡±


    ¡°She knows I¡¯m a threat¨Cher biggest threat. But when I was alone with Wyatt, she didn¡¯t follow us in, didn¡¯t even wait outside to see what would happen. That tells me she doesn¡¯t care if Wyatt and I


    reconnect.¡±


    Maine frowned. Something about Yunice didn¡¯t sit right with her. ¡°Just¡­ stay on your guard<b>, </b>okay? <b>There¡¯s </b>something off about that girl.¡±


    <b>wer </b><b>no </b>


    She didn¡¯t know exactly what it was¨Cbut she¡¯d looked into Yunice¡¯s background. A girl <b>with </b><b>I </b>influence, and no backing, yet somehow she¡¯d managed to survive political <b>chaos</b><b>, </b><b>danger</b><b>, and </b><b>infighting </b>___ like a tiny boat riding massive waves.


    That wasn¡¯t normal.


    173


    Chapter <b><i>575 </i></b>More Than a Game


    Wellinges Pharma.


    Yunice had spent the whole day in theb.


    She rubbed her neck and headed to the locker room to change out of her protective <b>gear</b>. <b>When </b><b>she </b>turned around, she caught sight of someone from the corner of her eye.


    Her breath caught¨Cthen she realized it was Wyatt.


    He stood there with arms crossed, face grim, radiating pure impatience.


    Yunice thought to herself, What¡¯s he <i>mad </i><i>about</i>? <i>He </i><i>just </i><i>saw </i>his <i>ex</i>. <i>Shouldn¡¯t </i><i>I </i>be <i>the </i><b><i>one </i></b><b><i>annoyed</i></b><b><i>? </i></b>(1)


    But she¡¯d learned her lesson. She didn¡¯t question Wyatt about personal matters anymore.


    As she walked past him, Wyatt reached out and hooked a finger in her cor.


    Yunice stopped. ¡°Workday¡¯s over.¡±


    Time to go home.


    Wyatt kicked the locker room door shut behind them. The space instantly felt smaller.


    His eyes pinned her in ce, and Yunice instinctively stepped back a couple of paces.


    ¡°So Nora came to see me,¡± Wyatt said. ¡°And you¡¯re just okay with that?¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be? If you wanted to lie, I¡¯d never find out. And if you wanted to tell me, why would I need to chase after you?¡±


    Wyatt gave a short, bitterugh. ¡°So zen about it, huh? Guess you don¡¯t even care what she wanted from me.¡±


    Yunice flinched and shot him a sharp look. Then she grabbed her clothes and turned to leave.


    But Wyatt caught her wrist, softening his tone. ¡°If you already know what she wanted, then why won¡¯t you tell me what you think?¡±


    <i>Tell </i><i>him</i><i>? </i>


    And <i>what </i><i>good </i><i>would </i><i>that </i><i>do</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice was sick of them dragging her into their unfinished business. ¡°Fine. Then I¡¯ll say it. I don¡¯t want <b>you </b>to listen to her. I want Morgan to die in prison, and I want Oscar to be released without charges. Can you do that?!¡±


    Wyatt leaned casually against the wall,


    like a mischievous schoolboy who¡¯d just <b>wo </b>


    <b>ight </b>


    ¡°Of course I can.¡±


    That was exactly what he wanted to hear.


    He wanted Yunice to know she could ask him for anything¨Cthat she had more <b>right </b><b>to </b><b>ask </b><b>than </b><b>Nora </b><b>ever </b>


    Chapter 575 More Than a Game.


    did.


    +5 Free Cs


    He leaned closer, studying her furrowed brow. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You that happy, you forgot how to show it? Or do you think I¡¯m just messing with you?¡±


    Yunice stared at him, serious. ¡°You mean it?¡±


    Wyatt sneered. ¡°You think I treat marriage like a joke?¡±


    If he didn¡¯t mean it, why marry her at all?


    He pulled out a cigarette and held it between his lips. ¡°Let me make it clear¨Cright now, I have zero interest in Nora. She¡¯s awake now. Whatever responsibilities I had to her are done. But I can¡¯t say what she still feels. So I need you, as my wife, to stand with me. Always.¡±.


    <b>3/3 </b>

 Daghter 576

    Chapter 576 The Gambit


    Wyatt let out a quiet sigh. ¡°You think too much. You overanalyze. From now on, if anyone says something that upsets you, you tell me first¨Cgive me a chance to exin. I¡¯ll handle the rest. Understand<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice looked up at him. ¡°Sure.¡±


    <i>Let¡¯s </i><i>see </i><i>if </i><i>you </i><i>actually </i>mean <i>that</i>.


    2


    She didn¡¯t expect that moment would be tested so soon.


    Not long after they returned to Pavilion Hall, Yunice received a call from Quinton.


    He told her that a contact inside the prison had just passed on a message, Oscar had been taken for a formal interrogation.


    That very night, the media released more details about Morgan¡¯s alleged involvement in the Elsie <b>case</b><b>, </b>further cementing his connection to the crime.


    Yunice had barely begun to feel hopeful when things took a sharp turn.


    Just as the police publicly confirmed Morgan as a key suspect and announced his formal arrest¨CMaine stepped in with a bombshell.


    ¡°I have Morgan¡¯s alibi!¡± she dered.


    At a hastily arranged press conference, Maine made her im. ¡°Morgan and I have been in a <b>secret </b>rtionship for the past three years! The night the crime urred, he was at my private vi. We spent the night together. He couldn¡¯t have been at the scene.¡±


    She even produced surveince footage. ¡°These are the security recordings from my property and from the public road cameras nearby. They prove what I¡¯m saying is true.¡±


    The footage showed Maine¡¯s car arriving at her vi around 4 PM on the day of the incident.


    It wasn¡¯t until the next afternoon that another vehicle was seen leaving the property..


    Vi surveince also captured Morgan and Maine, arms around each other, entering the house together. Later, another camera caught two figures¨Cclearly resembling Morgan and Maine¨Cembracing in front of arge ss window.


    All of it supported Maine¡¯s im that Morgan had been with her that night.


    With tears in her eyes, Maine cried, ¡°I¡¯m six years older than Morgan. His family has always disapproved of our rtionship. He chose to protect me by staying silent¨Che¡¯d rather confess than let me be <b>dragged </b>into it. But as his girlfriend, I won¡¯t let him take the fall for someone else¡¯s crime!¡±


    She looked into the cameras, pleading. ¡°Please believe me! No woman would risk <b>her </b><b>own </b>reputation to lie! Morgan is innocent!¡±


    Yunice mmed her phone face¨Cdown on the table.


    Chapter 576 The Gambit


    <b><i>Fake</i></b>. All <i>of </i>it was <i>fake</i><i>! </i>


    <i>Maine </i>was <i>lying</i>!


    She had bet everything¨Cher reputation, her name¨Con this borate gamble.


    Yunice was furious. She couldn¡¯t understand why Maine would go to such lengths for a <b>man </b><b>used </b><b>of </b>inurder.


    She slowed down the video footage, even brought it to professionals for analysis. Every single one of <b>them </b>said the same thing, there were no signs of tampering. The footage was authentic.


    Wyatt stepped out of the bathroom and saw Yunice fuming, her delicate face scrunched in anger. He strolled over and leaned casually beside her, grabbing her phone and ncing at the screen.


    He knew exactly what was upsetting her¨Cso he got straight to work.


    He sent a message and, without even looking up, said, ¡°The Elsie case is being handed over to the Z Task Force tomorrow.<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice blinked in surprise.


    In recent weeks, while gathering evidence to help Oscar, she¡¯d learned a lot about criminal investigations.


    The Z Task Force was the most elite and precise forensic unit in the country.


    There might be such a thing as a perfect crime¨Cbut fake alibis rarely hold up under that team¡¯s scrutiny.


    If Maine was lying, they¡¯d expose it.


    Still, even with Wyatt going out of his way to help, Yunice couldn¡¯t shake her anxiety. <i>What </i><i>if </i>the task force confirmed Maine¡¯s story?


    She pressed her palm to her forehead, unwilling to stop searching for a w herself, when Owen¡¯s call came through.


    She answered, and his furious voice exploded through the receiver. ¡°Elsie¡¯s been dead fifteen days, and her final moments are still being dragged all over the inte! I¡¯ve told you again and again to get those videos


    taken down, but you haven¡¯t done a damn thing!¡±


    Already on edge, Yunice snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t own a PRpany. How am I supposed to delete anything?¡±


    Owen yelled even louder. ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t, but Wyatt does! You¡¯re Elsie¡¯s sister¨Chow can helping her be so hard for you? Don¡¯t you feel anything when you see her being ndered like this <b>every </b>night?!¡±


    Yuniceughed coldly. ¡°I sleep just fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you want the posts gone? I¡¯ve got a better idea! Powell¡¯s family owns a PRpany too. Didn¡¯t <b>Paul </b>love Elsie so deeply? Get him to help! Oh, wait¨Cyou probably already know he won¡¯t <b>lift </b>a finger for <b>you</b><b>. </b>


    She didn¡¯t stop./


    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll teach you a trick. Link Paul and Elsie¡¯s names. Create a scandal and <b>st </b><b>it </b><b>to </b><b>the </b><b>top </b><b>of </b><b>the </b>trending searches. Let¡¯s see if that motivates him to clean up the mess<b>.¡± </b>


    <b>08.30 </b>Wed 30 JUL 15 ¨C


    Chapter 576 The Gambit


    Owen exploded. ¡°What the hell kind of garbage idea <b>is </b>that?!¡±


    Yunice let out a cold chuckle and jabbed one final de straight into his heart.


    ¡°Oh, and by the way¨Ccongrats on your wedding.¡±

 Daghter 577

    Chapter 577 Total Copse


    Oh right¨Calmost forgot to mention, Owen and Peggy tied the knot at Ocean Silverburgh just <b>five </b><b>days </b>


    ago.


    The ceremony had no blessings, only spectators waiting tough.


    A few of the younger Terrance family members dragged Owen into a drinking contest, egging him <b>on </b>to show some dominance and ¡°put his wife in her ce. Fueled by alcohol and peer pressure, Owen- thinking Peggy would hold back since it was their wedding¨Cactually called her out in public and pped her across the face. (2)


    That blew up fast.


    Peggy went ballistic, wrecked the wedding, and gave Owen a thorough public beatdown. She pinned him to the ground and rubbed his face into it. 1


    That day, Owen¡¯s dignity as a man was left in pieces at Ocean Silverburgh.


    Even Yunice, who hadn¡¯t attended, heard about the scandal that quickly became the talk of the town.


    Her deliberate absence also robbed Owen of a chance tosh out at her.


    And now, Yunice twisted the knife right where it hurt. Her words cut deep, leaving no blood.


    Owen was so furious, it sounded like his blood vessels were about to burst through the phone.


    Yunice listened to his strangled breathing with great satisfaction, then calmly hung up.


    <i>What </i><i>a </i><i>relief</i><i>. </i><i>Sometimes </i><i>you </i><i>just </i><i>need </i><i>a </i><i>punching </i><i>bag </i><i>to </i><i>let </i><i>the </i><i>frustration </i><b><i>out</i></b>.


    <i>No </i><i>wonder </i><i>Owen </i><i>used </i><i>to </i><i>torment </i><i>her </i><i>so </i><i>much </i><i>back </i><i>at </i><i>the </i><i>Saunders </i>family<i>¨C</i><i>he </i><i>never </i><i>had </i><i>to </i><i>pay </i>a <i>price </i><i>for </i>it. Just <i>like </i>I¡¯m <i>doing </i><i>now</i>. <i>Only </i><i>difference </i><i>is</i>, <i>I¡¯m </i><i>finally </i><i>fighting </i><i>back</i>.


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t done. <i>Since </i><i>the </i><i>pot¡¯s </i><i>already </i><i>boiling </i><i>over</i><i>, </i><i>might </i><b><i>as </i></b><i>well </i><i>drink </i>it <i>hot </i><i>and </i><i>toss </i><i>in </i><i>another fish</i>. She leaned back in her chair, fingers flying across her phone screen, typing up an article.


    By the time her eyes lit up in satisfaction, Wyatt reached over, grabbed her phone, and saw what she¡¯d been working on.


    He snorted. ¡°You spent half an hour writing an expos¨¦ on Paul just to post it on your little public ount?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t have a PR firm¨Cthis was the only outlet she had.


    Wyatt forwarded her article to his own phone.


    ¡°Scheduled for 2 a.m.,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s the prime time for clicks.¡±


    It was a ruthless move.


    That night, the Powell Corporation¡¯s entire PR team was dragged out of bed and rushed <b>to </b><b>the </b><b>office </b>to


    13


    ¨C


    Chapter 577 Total Copse


    delete <b>posts </b>and manage the damage<b>. </b>


    But Wyatt¡¯s firm wasn¡¯t some backroom outfit. They were the best in the industry. If Wyatt¡¯s <b>team </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b>number one, no one was.


    Without even needing to boost it, Paul shot to the top of the trending topics, his name tangled <b>up </b><b>with </b><b>the </b>pseudonym ¡°Yunice,¡± bringing a flood of attention with it.


    The Powell Corporation couldn¡¯t suppress it at all.


    By morning, Yunice got another lovely call from Owen.


    She let him shout to his heart¡¯s content beforezily replying, ¡°Every time you yell at me, I¡¯ll leak another little story about Elsie. You curse me twice, I¡¯ll leak twice¡±


    She was making one thing very clear: those days of venting anger on her without consequences were over.


    Owen could only grit his teeth until they cracked. Then came another phone smash.


    Things weren¡¯t looking good on the Powell side either. The unexpected scandal had rocked their <b>stock</b>, and Jackson was furious. He dressed Paul down in front of the whole household.


    Paul, of course, burned with humiliation¨Cand stored that rage deep in his bones<b>. </b>


    He clenched his fists, desperate to seize control, to grow stronger, to crush everyone who looked down on him.


    Lately, he¡¯d been trying to reach out to that mysterious number again, while also knocking on other doors<b>. </b>


    But the people he could reach were more ruthless than ever. Folks who used to grovel at his feet now had the nerve to tell him no.


    Some even had the audacity to eye the scar on his face and suggest he give up. Better to live out his days as a pampered idle prince than keep making a fool of himself.


    Let¡¯s be honest¨Cbehind his back, they all mocked him for the words carved into his skin.


    Paul pushed back, arguing that Wyatt had been a cripple when he rose to power. <i>If </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>could </i><i>do </i>it, <i>so </i><i>can </i><i>I. </i>


    But instead of respect, all he got was louder, meanerughter.


    His pride shattered, Paul grabbed a wine bottle and smashed it over one man¡¯s head.


    The guy, clutching his bleeding scalp, ran straight to the old man toin¨Cand that was right before Paul¡¯s name hit the hot search.


    Bad luck came in waves. Pressure was mounting, and Paul¡¯s mind was twisting further by thay.


    He kept switching numbers, calling that mysterious contact again and again, but no one <b>ever </b>picked up.


    That drifting lifeline Yunice had dangled in front of him was driving him mad. He couldn¡¯t sleep, couldn¡¯t eat¨Ccouldn¡¯t think straight./


    Bad luck came in waves. Pressure was mounting, and Paul¡¯s mind was twisting further by thay.


    He kept switching numbers, calling that mysterious contact again and again, but no one <b>ever </b>picked up.


    That drifting lifeline Yunice had dangled in front of him was driving him mad. He couldn¡¯t sleep, couldn¡¯t eat¨Ccouldn¡¯t think straight./


    Meanwhile, Elsie¡¯s <b>case </b>kept building momentum with Maine now involved, and public attention <b>only </b>

 Daghter 578

    Chapter 578 Buried Landmines


    Chapter 578 Buried Landmines


    A storm of spection swept through the inte, and with it came a wave of deep dives into the personal histories of Morgan, Maine, and Oscar.


    Surprisingly, Oscar came out the cleanest. His private life was uneventful¨Che¡¯d spent the past ten years <b>in </b>theb, leaving no dirt forizens to dig up.


    But Maine? She practically set andmine for herself. People dug up stories of her bullying ssmates back in elementary school, and how she¡¯d gone through a string of rtionships during middle school.


    One girl even came forward iming Maine had oncee between her and her boyfriend. She called Maine a two¨Cfaced fraud who used the excuse of being ¡°one of the guys¡± to flirt with close friends¡® boyfriends. The girl even leaked chat logs, painting a picture that sounded rmingly usible.


    Yunice could only marvel at how strange and diverse the world truly was.


    <i>Maine </i><i>once </i><i>pointed </i><i>at </i><i>me </i><i>and </i><i>called </i><i>me </i><i>a </i><i>homewrecker</i>. <i>Back </i><i>then</i><i>, </i><i>I </i><i>felt </i><i>ashamed</i><i>. </i><i>Insecure</i>. Like I didn¡¯t belong<i>. </i><b><i>But </i></b>now? Look <i>who¡¯s </i><i>the </i><i>real </i><i>hypocrite</i>.


    <i>People </i><i>really </i><i>shouldn¡¯t </i><i>take </i><i>themselves </i><i>too </i><i>seriously</i>.


    Meanwhile, Maine was about to lose her mind.


    She paced restlessly around Nora¡¯s apartment while her phone buzzed and rang non¨Cstop from where ity on the bed.


    The calls were from her parents¨Cno doubt to scold her.


    After all, her testimony in Morgan¡¯s favor had dragged the entire Zach family down with her. Even Zach Corp¡¯s public image was tanking.


    They couldn¡¯t understand why Maine insisted on getting involved in the Johnson family¡¯s mess.


    Maine didn¡¯t dare answer. Not until she figured out a way to fix this.


    way fell


    When the battery finally died and the phone fell silent, she felt a moment of relief.


    ¡°Nora, I¡¯ve sacrificed so much to help you and Morgan. You better win this. If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t even have a home to <i>go </i>back to.¡±


    Nora was gripping the parallel bars in her rehab setup, drenched in sweat as she forced herself to move forward step by step.


    After lying in bed for three years, her mind was awake again¨Cbut her body needed intense physical therapy to return to what it once was<b>. </b>


    But she hadn¡¯t made it halfway across the bars before she copsed with a sharp cry, falling ground.


    to <b>the </b>


    The thud of bone hitting floor made Maine flinch. She rushed over and helped her up, choking up.


    <b>1/2 </b>¡°Nora, you can¡¯t rush this! You¡¯ll only end up breaking something, and then your recovery will take even.


    Chapter 578 Buried Landmines


    longer!¡±


    Clutching her leg, Nora gritted out, ¡°I just hate being this useless<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Maine¡¯s voice was tight with emotion. ¡°I get it. I do. But even if you break yourself trying, what good does it do? He won¡¯t care. He won¡¯t evene see you!¡±


    ¡°He knows how much you love Morgan, and he still chose to protect Yunice and her brother. He doesn¡¯t care if you and Morgan live or die! If he hadn¡¯t pressured the police so hard, I never would¡¯ve had to lie on the stand!¡±


    Nora stared at Maine, moved to tears. ¡°Why are you doing all this for me?¡±


    Everyone else had only cared for her because of Wyatt¨Cand they abandoned her just as quickly when Wyatt turned cold. Only Maine had stood by her. Whether she was in aa or drowning in despair, Maine had always been there.


    <i>Can </i>friendship really <i>drive </i><i>someone </i><i>to </i><i>do </i><i>this </i><i>much</i><i>? </i>


    Maine¡¯s voice cracked. ¡°You¡¯re up against Wyatt. If I don¡¯t help you, who will?¡±


    Nora said, ¡°But what if I drag you down too? Wyatt¡¯s protecting Yunice like his life depends on it. He¡¯ll take this case all the way to court. I heard he even brought in the z<b>¨C</b>special investigation team¡­¡±


    ¡°Like it¡¯s some huge national case¨Cplease,¡± Maine scoffed. ¡°They¡¯re only involved because someone pulled strings.¡±


    They both knew who Wyatt was aiming at.


    Maine grew impatient with Nora¡¯s helpless look and leaned in to whisper an idea in her <i>ear</i>. ¡°Nora, listen to me. Here¡¯s what you need to do¡­¡±


    These days, Wyatt and Yunice were together around the clock. She barely had a moment alone.


    Madam Mary hade by twice trying to smooth things over but hadn¡¯t even gotten to see Wyatt.


    After her failed visit, she returned home and saw Nora sitting in her wheelchair. Without a word, she pped her across the face.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve just let you die in thata. Waking up turned out to be even more useless.<b>¡± </b>


    Nora¡¯s face twisted from the blow, but she didn¡¯t say a word.


    She was used to this kind of treatment in the Johnson family.


    After Madam Mary stormed off, Mr. Johnson came forward ying the good guy.


    ¡°Nora, apologize to your grandmother.¡±


    Expressionless, Nora turned her head and said tly, ¡°Sorry, Grandma.¡±


    Madam Mary gave a cold snort and rolled her chair away.

 Daghter 579

    Chapter 579 An Uneasy Encounter


    Chapter 579 An Uneasy Encounter


    14 Free Coins


    Mr. Johnson stayed behind to talk with Nora. ¡°Nora, you can¡¯t me your grandma. She¡¯s just upset because of Morgan. You¡¯re his real sister¨Cyou haven¡¯t forgotten how close you two were when you were kids, have you? How protective he was of you? He¡¯s the one person in this world who loves you most. No matter what, you can¡¯t be the one to abandon him, right?¡±


    Nora¡¯s swollen lips tugged into a faint smile. She looked up and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯ll save my brother.¡±


    Seeing her so obedient, Mr. Johnson lowered his voice. ¡°You still have some sway with Wyatt. Sometimes you have to take the initiative. Don¡¯t y so high and mighty. He¡¯s only known Yunice a few days¨Cyou and he have real history.¡±


    Then, with a note of regret, he added, ¡°Back when Yunice, that outcast from the Saunders family, was engaged to Morgan, we didn¡¯t think much of her. If I¡¯d known Wyatt would end up picking her, we should¡¯ve locked her and Morgan in a room and gotten it over with. Would¡¯ve saved us all this trouble.¡±


    But it was toote for regrets now.


    After that, Mr. Johnson offered one final reminder. ¡°Wyatt doesn¡¯t want to see you right now, but I paid a lot to get my hands on his schedule. Find the right moment and get him on your side. If you fail, your grandma won¡¯t let you back in the house, and I won¡¯t be able to help you either.¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, Fath¨¦r,¡± Nora said softly.


    Northvale Hospital had been running smoothly for three months now.


    Wyatt brought Yunice along to inspect the premises¨Chis version of a surprise visit to observe how things were operating.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t know a thing about medicine, but Yunice could tell at a nce who actually knew what they were doing and who was just leeching off a cushy position.


    She handled the assessments; Wyatt jotted down names in his little notebook, ready to call them out in a meetingter to make an example of them.


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± Jordan jogged over to them. ¡°Wyatt, Ma¡¯am, the director said there¡¯s a new batch of medicine that might be problematic. A few doses have already been used. We need someone both skilled and trustworthy to assess the potential fallout.¡±


    Skilled and trustworthy¨Cobviously, that meant Yunice.


    She had a background in pharmaceuticals and medicine, and as Wyatt¡¯s wife, she was the perfect candidate.


    The three of them headed toward the director¡¯s office. As they passed the rehab center, Yunice suddenly felt lightheaded.


    ¡°Jordan! I¡¯m notte, am I?¡± Joe/rushed over, then lit up when he spotted Yunice. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re here to Great, the more the merrier!¡±


    Jordan quickly exined, ¡°The director didn¡¯t know you¡¯d be helping, so he notified Joe first.¡±


    <b>08:30 </b><b>Wed</b>, 30 Jul 3 <b>CO </b>


    Chapter 579 An Uneasy Encounter


    But that wasn¡¯t a problem. Another pair of hands was always good.


    Just then, Yunice said, ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    Wyatt shot her a look, clearly picking up on something. Yunice said, ¡°I just want to walk around a bit. <b>One </b>of the school research projects is rted to these departments. If I don¡¯t check now, I¡¯ll have toe backter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle with you,¡± Wyatt offered.


    ¡°No need. The director¡¯s probably waiting on your decision.¡±


    Then she frowned. ¡°Stop hovering. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m noting back.¡±


    Jordan and Joe exchanged a look. These two were practically glued <i>to </i>each other.


    Yunice shooed Wyatt away, and he didn¡¯t press the issue.


    Lately, she seemed to realize the upper hand she had and was much quicker to snap at him. He had no choice but to indulge her.


    After Wyatt disappeared down the hall, Yunice pressed a hand to her forehead and turned toward the rehab center.


    There was something about the smell in there¨Cit made her dizzy and nauseous.


    She walked in and spotted something stuck to the doorframe: a dried reed stick.


    Its tip was charred ck, still glowing faintly at the core as it released a thin stream of white smoke.


    Burning dried reed stems was a traditional mosquito repellent¨Cnatural and effective.


    But Yunice was extremely sensitive to the smell. Just a whiff gave her vertigo and nausea.


    She plucked it down, pulled a spray bottle from her bag, and doused the ember until it went out.


    Open mes were banned in hospitals anyway. This thing was definitely against the rules.


    She was just about to head to the director¡¯s office when she suddenly heard a loud thump behind her¨Cthe unmistakable sound of a body hitting the ground hard.


    Yunice knew that sound well. She¡¯d heard it countless times in hospitals. It was the kind of fall that happened when a frail patient lost control of their body. No defense, no warning. The kind of fall that could mean broken bones¨Cor worse.


    She looked back instinctively, but the rehab center seemed empty.


    She stepped inside and found the source.


    Underneath a pair of parallel bars, a womany copsed on the floor.


    Even from behind, it was clear she had a delicate frame, long ck hair falling <b>in </b>soft <b>waves </b><b>over </b><b>her </b>pale neck. One look, and you could tell she was <b>a </b>striking young woman.


    C


    <b>2/3 </b>


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    Chapter 579 An Uneasy Encounter


    Hearing footsteps, the girl turned her head.


    Yunice stopped in her tracks.


    The woman on the floor¡­ was Nora.


    +5 Fred Coins


    <b>08:30 </b><b>Wed</b><b>, </b><b>30 </b><b>Jul </b>0

 Daghter 580

    Chapter 580 A Calcted Fall


    Chapter 580 A Calcted Fall


    5 Free Coins


    Yunice frowned as she stared at the extinguished reed stick in her hand. The scent told her everything she needed to know.


    At first, she¡¯d been intrigued¨Csurprised that someone still knew how to use this old¨Cschool mosquito repellent.


    But seeing Nora now made it clear: it had been ced there specifically to lure her in.


    Because very few people knew she w


    allergic to the smell of burning reed.


    Nora was curled up on the floor. Yunice stood several paces away, the two of them quietly sizing each other up. Neither made the first move.


    After more than ten seconds, Nora bit her lip, her eyes soft. ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you going <i>to </i>help me up?¡±


    She winced as she pressed a hand to her bleeding knee. Her¨Cbrows pinched together, and she looked at Yunice again. ¡°I really don¡¯t think I can get up¡­¡±


    She was trying to bait Yunice into helping her.


    Yunice had seen this trick too many times on <i>Lily </i>to fall for <i>it</i>. The moment she reached out a hand, someone would appear behind her¨Cjust in time to see her ¡°pushing¡± Nora to the floor.


    Still, Yunice stepped forward and took Nora¡¯s arm, pulling her upright.


    Nora¡¯s legs had no strength in them. Her whole body looked frail and sickly.


    She hesitated, eyes scanning Yunice¡¯s face up close¨Cthose features <b>so </b>simr to her own¨Cand couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll say you pushed me?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°You can try.¡±


    Nora¡¯s brows furrowed deeper. She gripped Yunice¡¯s wrist tightly, as if trying to force her to take her seriously. Her tone turned bitter. ¡°We¡¯re romantic rivals. You really believe Wyatt will always take your -side?¡±


    Yunice looked steadily at her. Did Nora know why she had helped her up?


    Because she wanted to see what Nora would do¨Cand how Wyatt would respond.


    Yunice asked, ¡°You think we¡¯re romantic rivals?¡±


    A flicker of guilt crossed Nora¡¯s gaze. She bit her lip.


    Yunice pressed, ¡°Before your ident, while you were still conscious¨Cdid Wyatt break up with you?¡±


    ¡°That answer matters to me. You can lie, but I¡¯ll ask him to confirm.¡±


    Nora wouldn¡¯t meet her eyes/ But Yunice¡¯s calm confidence seemed to provoke her. She lifted her chin. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever asked Wyatt how he described our rtionship?¡±


    C


    Chapter 580 A Calcted Fall


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard enough versions from everyone else,¡± Yunice said. ¡°Now I want to hear yours.¡±


    Nora stared at her for a long moment before she gave a wry smile. ¡°You really like to get to the bottom <b>of </b>everything, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been cursed as a homewrecker, a mistress, for so long because no one rified what your rtionship with Wyatt was. I need to know.¡±


    The amusement drained from Nora¡¯s eyes. She gripped Yunice¡¯s other arm now too, as if trying to lean <b>all </b>her weight on her.


    Her voice turned intense. ¡°Then tell me first¨Cwhat did he say about us?¡±


    Yunice frowned. She understood the need to hear how someone you loved spoke of you.


    She wasn¡¯t the kind to sugarcoat things, especially in matters of the heart. There was no such thing as a kind lie. Only truth and rity could lead to the right choices.


    So she told her honestly, ¡°Wyatt said you two were together once. Thatter, you broke up. You¡¯re his ex.¡±


    ¡°He said you approached him with ulterior motives, and that you caused the steel mill ident. But <b>when </b>things went south, you had a change of heart and used your life to save his.¡±


    Yunice paused. ¡°Is there anything I should add?¡±


    Nora just stared at her, expression unreadable. Her eyes shimmered with madness and sorrow, darting over Yunice¡¯s face like she was trying to figure out how much of that was real and how much was a lie.


    Then she gave a lowugh. ¡°That¡¯s what he told you?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brow creased. ¡°You¡¯reughing. So he lied?¡±


    But Nora wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. Her eyes had gone hollow, filled with something deeper<b>¨C</b>something


    lost.


    And then she looked past Yunice¡¯s shoulder.


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank. She realized immediately¨CWyatt was probably behind her.


    She looked down at Nora, still half¨Cheld in her arms, and waited for the stunt she assumed wasing.


    But Nora looked up and met her gaze,/smiling faintly. ¡°Yunice, your husband¡¯s here.¡±


    Wyatt stepped inside just as Yunice settled Nora into a wheelchair.


    His gaze dropped <i>to </i>Nora, who discreetly pulled her skirt over the blood on her knee.


    1


    Nora caught the motion too, and as Wyatt neared, his hand reached out naturally and rested on Yunice¡¯s


    wrist.


    With a serene smile, Nora said, ¡°Wyatt, I slipped during rehab earlier. If it weren¡¯t for your wife<b>, </b>I <b>don¡¯t </b>know how I would¡¯ve gotten up.¡±


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 Daghter 581

    The Truth Beneath the Bruises


    Chapter 581 The Truth Beneath the Bruises


    Nora¡¯s calf, only partially concealed, was mottled with bruises¨Cno telling if they were from falling or being hit.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze moved to her face, noting the swollen check and distinct handprint from a p.


    Sensing his attention, Nora lowered her eyes and subtly turned her injured side away so he couldn¡¯t see it.


    Yunice noticed the exchange and voiced the alone?¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t respond.


    uestion for him. ¡°Where¡¯s your nurse? Why are you here


    Wyatt answered, ¡°Maine was arrested an hour ago for perjury,¡±


    Yunice turned to him, stunned. That fast?


    Wyatt looked to Nora. ¡°There¡¯s no turning back for Morgan now. ept.it.¡±


    Just as Wyatt was about to leave, Nora lifted her head. ¡°I know you want to help Oscar. But what if there¡¯s apromise? I¡¯m Morgan¡¯s sister¨CI know him. He¡¯s reckless<b>, </b>sure, and he takes things too far sometimes. But have you forgotten? He has a blood phobia. Even if he wanted to kill Elsie, he wouldn¡¯t have used wrist¨Cslitting. Morgan is Grandma¡¯s whole world. If he dies, she won¡¯t survive it. Even if you won¡¯t help Morgan directly, at least help uncover the truth. Help him get amuted sentence.¡±


    Yunice frowned slightly.


    Morgan¡¯s charges weren¡¯t limited to Elsie. With everythinging to light, every crime he¡¯dmitted was surfacing in court. Acquittal was impossible¨Cbut amuted sentence could be negotiated.


    Nora¡¯s logic was clear. As long as he was alive, there was hope.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t reply. He took Yunice and left the rehab room.


    Only when they were alone did Yunice ask, ¡°Who hit her? The bruises on her face?¡±


    ¡°Probably her father.¡±


    ¡°Her father?¡±


    ¡°The Johnson family favors boys over girls. They¡¯ve always treated their daughters like pawns. Nora was sent abroad for training when she was little. As soon as she grew up, they brought her back to use as a bargaining chip. Her father¡¯s always been hard on her. With Morgan arrested, he probably took it out on her.¡±


    Yunice frowned. ¡°What about her grandmother?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the only one in the family who treats her well, but she¡¯s old now¨Cnot much she can do.¡±


    Yunice gave Wyatt a strange look.


    He clearly didn¡¯t understand the dynamics within the Johnson family.


    He clearly didn¡¯t understand the dynamics within the Johnson family.


    <b>1/2 </b>


    Chapter <b>581 </b>The Truth Beneath the Bruises


    The marks on Nora¡¯s face weren¡¯t left by Duncan.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t seen it happen, but her knowledge of anatomy told her the handprints were too <b>narrow </b>and short, especially at the knuckle spacing, to belong to a man. A man¡¯s hand¨Cespecially Duncan¡¯s¨C<b>would </b><b>be </b>longer and broader.


    Rose was overweight; her hand would¡¯ve left wider prints.


    But Madam Mary was thin to the bone¨Cher hand structure matched perfectly.


    Wyatt said Mary couldn¡¯t help Nora. But that wasn¡¯t right either.


    Back when Mary and Duncan had gone to see her, it had been clear that Mary was in charge. Duncan respected her.


    If Mary wanted to protect Nora, would Duncan really darey a hand on her?


    Yunice stopped walking. ¡°Wyatt, can you tell me something? Why do you always shield Morgan? Why <b>are </b>you always cleaning up his messes?¡±


    Wyatt, seeing that she was full of questions today, said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere else.¡±


    The hospital was too crowded and noisy.


    Just down the street was a French restaurant.


    A server came over to rmend dishes. ¡°Sir, our signature is the white wine mussels. Thedy might enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± Wyatt said, not even looking at the menu. ¡°Chateaubriand steak, truffle mushroom cream soup with poached egg¡­ apple pie and vani ice cream.¡±


    The server nodded politely and walked off.


    Yunice gave him a curious look. ¡°Why¡¯d you skip the mussels?¡±


    ¡°You like them?¡± Wyatt asked tly.


    Yunice¡¯s heart skipped. That feeling again. ¡°You knew I don¡¯t like them?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Just a guess.¡±


    Just then, the server returned with the vani ice cream.


    Yunice drifted into thought, her mind stuck on the mussels.


    Years ago, Paul had taken her to a/French ce¨Cwith a female guest in tow.


    That girl had tried to provoke her, saw that Yunice wasn¡¯t touching the mussels, andughed thnaybe she didn¡¯t know how to eat them.


    When Yunice ignored her, she amped it up¨Cpouting to Paul that Yunice was being rude.


    Paul, annoyed, told Yunice to just eat one and be done with it.


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 Daghter 582

    Chapter <b>582 </b>Owed Debts and Old Wounds


    Chapter 582 Owed Debts and Old Wounds


    Back then, Yunice had taken the path of least resistance. Rather than make a scene, she¡¯d simply <b>eaten </b><b>at </b>bite of the mussels without fuss. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t eat them¨Cshe just didn¡¯t like them.


    And she was certain almost no one knew that.


    So how had Wyatt predicted such a personal, obscure preference? Was it really just a lucky guess<b>? </b>


    Wyatt brought the conversation back to her earlier question. ¡°Helping Morgan is a matter of repaying a debt.¡±


    Yunice countered, ¡°But didn¡¯t you say Nora deceived you, even got Mr. Fiona killed? And you still owe her a debt? Morgan¡¯s a piece of trash.¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Who said I¡¯m doing it for Nora?¡±


    Yunicezily scooped up a bit of vani ice cream with her gold dessert spoon. ¡°That¡¯s what everyone <b>says</b>. Haven¡¯t you heard?¡°.


    ¡°Wise people don¡¯t believe rumors,¡± Wyatt said calmly.


    1


    Her hand paused mid¨Cair, and she shot him a look. Was he calling her stupid?


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze lingered on the long, elegant spoon, resting between Yunice¡¯s pale fingers. Her nails <b>were </b>soft pink and translucent, and somehow, the sight tugged at something unspoken and suggestive.


    Sensing his gaze, Yunice set the spoon down quietly and lowered her hand beneath the table.


    Wyatt continued, ¡°I¡¯m helping Morgan because Madam Mary asked me to.¡±


    He went on, ¡°The Powell family probably brought this on themselves. After all their misdeeds, every child born into that familyes into the world under a curse.¡±


    Come to think of it, that wasn¡¯t wrong.


    Margaret hadn¡¯t just been pregnant with Paul¨Cshe¡¯d lost several children before him. When she finally did carry Paul to term, she nearly died in childbirth. If it hadn¡¯t been for Will, both mother and child might¡¯ve been lost.


    And Wyatt¡¯s own mother? Jackson had disregarded her. When she went intobor, no one even opened the door to let her through.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t been around back then, but she could imagine just how brutal it must¡¯ve been for Wyatt¡¯s mother to survive.


    Wyatt twirled the ss in his fingers, recalling, ¡°Nobody helped her. They would¡¯ve been d if she¡¯d died with the baby. They heard her cries for help and ignored them¡±


    He smirked bitterly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lucky enough to have your dad around to deliver me.¡±


    Yunice could hear the resentment. Was he really still hung up on the fact that her father had delivered


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    Chapter <b>582 </b><b>Owed </b>Debts and Old Wounds


    <b>Paul</b><b>? </b>


    <b>She </b>changed the subject. ¡°So what happened <b>next</b><b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°My mom didn¡¯t want to die. She climbed the wall and ran.¡±


    Yunice felt a chill. How much strength and willpower did it take to be nine months pregnant, <b>in </b><bbor</b>, <b>and </b>still manage to scale a wall just to survive?


    ¡°She copsed in front of a car. The drive


    ok her t


    the hospital. That¡¯s when she found out the <b>one </b>


    who helped her was Madam Mary.¡±


    Yunice finally understood. That kind of life¨Csaving debt wasn¡¯t easy to repay.


    No wonder Wyatt had let Madam Mary bite through his wrist during an episode. She¡¯d saved his mother¡¯s life.


    ¡°When Nora was sent to me by the Johnson family, it was also Madam Mary who contacted me. She said


    of her, not make things harder for her.¡± Nora wasn¡¯t wee at home, asked me to take care


    Wyatt smirked. ¡°Somehow, that turned into ¡®love at first sight.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t going to go around clearing it up, telling everyone I was just paying off a debt.¡±


    Yunice was surprised. So it hadn¡¯t been infatuation or favoritism?


    Wyatt remained casual. ¡°Later I figured out she was nted with an agenda, so I yed along<i>. </i>We were together for a while, and when I exposed her, I ended it. She probably wanted revenge. That¡¯s why she staged the steel mill incident¨Cto die with me. Then she backed out.¡±


    Two years of dating, dismissed in a few offhanded sentences.


    Yunice frowned. With Wyatt¡¯s personality, it wasn¡¯t surprising. He was capable of far worse.


    Just like he¡¯d said¨Che never really saw people as people. Maybe he¡¯d just been bored.


    ¡°Helping Morgan is about keeping Madam Mary happy.¡±


    He looked away, voice low. ¡°The so¨Ccalled high society? It¡¯s just a den of beasts. People chase thrills, status, whatever they need. There¡¯s no fairness. No one climbs to the top for justice. This isn¡¯t a fairytale where good wins.¡±


    Yunice realized he was justifying himself.


    Wyatt pressed his lips together, recognizing that he sounded defensive. He knew what he was doing wasn¡¯t good.


    He might be rotten¨Cbut Yunice wasn¡¯t. And deep down, he wanted her to understand him. To stand beside him.


    Because no matter how he spun it¡ªhe cared what she thought. Too much.

 Daghter 583

    Chapter 583 The Line Between Pity and Weakness


    Yunice, ever perceptive, picked up on the shift immediately. It was only when someone truly cared <b>that </b>they sought understanding, worried how the other person saw them. If Wyatt hadn¡¯t cared, he <b>wouldn¡¯t </b>bother exining¨Cjust like she hadn¡¯t when she silently ate those mussels in front of Paul to avoid a


    <b>scene</b>..


    The realization hit her again: Wyatt might actually be serious.


    And that unsettled her. She had never nned on spending her life with anyone.


    Sitting up straighter, Wyatt reminded her, ¡°Just one look from me and you¡¯ve given up on the ice cream?¡±


    The clever always caught subtle cues.


    Just as Yunice had sensed Wyatt¡¯s approach, he too had noticed her pullback.


    For a moment, he¡¯d actually been pleased, thinking Yunice¡¯s¨Cquestions about Nora meant she was finally taking interest in his affairs¡­


    He poured her a small ss of Calvados and shifted the topic. ¡°Now that Maine¡¯s been arrested and Morgan¡¯s going to confess, your brother will be out soon.¡±


    ¡°Morgan? Confess?¡± Yunice raised her brows. That arrogant lunatic? Even if the evidence piled <i>a </i>mile high, he¡¯d never admit guilt.


    But Wyatt met her gaze calmly, his voice smooth but firm: ¡°He will.¡±


    There was more beneath that statement. Yunice could hear it.


    Outside the restaurant, Nora rolled along alone in her wheelchair. A ck, polished car sat nearby, and as she approached, the door swung open.


    Duncan climbed out eagerly<i>, </i>one foot hitting the pavement. ¡°Well? Did Wyatt say when Morgan¡¯s getting released?¡±


    He didn¡¯t even bother asking <i>if </i>it would happen¨Cso sure Wyatt would cave for Nora¡¯s sake. Nora looked at him evenly. ¡°Morgan won¡¯t be released. But I can make sure he doesn¡¯t die.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Duncan¡¯s face contorted. Gone was the fake smile¨Che couldn¡¯t even maintain the act.


    ¡°What use are you then!¡± he barked, raising a hand and pping her across the face.


    Nora¡¯s head jerked to the side, her mouth bleeding. But she red back. ¡°You raised me?¡± D Where had the Johnsons been during her three years in aa?


    She dared talk back, so Duncan lifted his hand again¨Conly to have it caught mid¨Cair.


    ¡°Mr. Johnson.¡±


    <b>173 </b>


    Chapter <b>583 </b>The Line Between Pity <b>and </b><b>Weakness </b>


    <b>Nora </b>looked up<b>. </b>Someone had stepped out from the shadow of <b>Duncan¡¯s </b><b>car</b>. Slowly<b>, </b><b>his </b>face emerged under the sunlight.


    <b>Her </b>expression shifted¨Cfearful, guarded.


    It was Paul. Wearing a low¨Cbrimmed baseball cap, he walked over and eyed Nora with <b>an </b><b>amused </b>smirk.


    ¡°She always had this kind of temper?¡±


    Duncan chuckled awkwardly. ¡°She spent two years with Wyatt and thought she mattered. Got <b>all </b><b>uppity</b><b>.. </b>


    Paul cut him off with a raised hand. ¡°Don¡¯t change her. I like her just like this.¡±


    His words unsettled Duncan.


    Paul crouched, locking eyes with the woman in the wheelchair.


    Nora¡¯s pupils flickered. She turned her head, frightened.


    Then, without warning, Paul shoved her wheelchair¨Cflipping <i>it</i>.


    Nora cried out,nding hard in a muddy puddle, soaked and humiliated.


    ¡°Mr. Paul, what are you-¡± Duncan was stunned.


    Paul brushed his hands off. ¡°Creating an opportunity.¡±


    He looked down the road toward the restaurant. Wyatt¡¯s car was parked outside. He¡¯d have to pass by <b>here </b>on his way out.


    ¡°Get in,¡± Paul told Duncan.


    Duncan hesitated, ncing at Nora lying helplessly in the mud. Even if he didn¡¯t love her, this felt too cruel.


    Paul, already back in the car, said coldly, ¡°She¡¯s not yours to pity.¡±


    Gritting his teeth, Duncan climbed in. The car pulled away quickly.


    Nora, now alone and caked in mud, reached for her wheelchair. Her hand slipped. Instead of helping, she identally knocked it farther away.


    It just kept getting worse.


    When Wyatt¡¯s car passed the scene it did, as expected, slow down.


    Sensing the change in speed, Yunice looked up. In the rearview mirror, she saw the overturned wheelchair and the figure in the puddle.


    A woman, hair a mess<b>, </b>soaked in mud, no one to help her.


    ¡°Stop the car!¡± she said sharply.


    Wyatt hit the brakes<b>. </b>


    08:17 Thu, <b>31 </b>Jul 3 )


    Chapter 583 The Line Between Pity and Weakness


    ¡°That¡¯s Nora, isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked.


    Wyatt frowned. ¡°She¡¯s faking. Don¡¯t worry¨Csomeone will pick her up.¡±


    s


    Yunice said nothing for a moment. She knew it too¨Cthis was likely orchestrated. Too conveniently timed. Still¡­ watching someone lie in a filthy puddle without aid¨Cit tugged at something. Some part of her not yet hardened by this world.


    373

 Daghter 584

    Chapter 584 The Price of Pity


    Yunice frowned, clearly annoyed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have anything better to do?¡±


    Why go to such exhausting lengths to cling to a man who¡¯s already married?


    When she spotted a couple riding past on an electric scooter, she rolled down the window. ¡°Excuse <b>me</b><b>, </b>could I ask a favor?¡±


    The couple eyed her warily, especially when she held out a stack of hundred¨Cdors bills. Suspicion crept into their expressions¨Cit probably looked like some borate scam.


    Yunice pointed to the woman lying in the distance. ¡°Could you help her into her wheelchair and take her to the hospital? This is for your trouble.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a scammer. You can record everything, just in <b>case</b>.¡±


    Tempted by the money, the couple decided to take the risk. The woman even recorded the whole thing, clearly afraid of being med for something.


    Once they headed off toward Nora, Yunice rolled the window back up, and Wyatt drove off without another nce.


    True to their word, the couple helped Nora back into her wheelchair. Nora immediately started looking around, trying to find Wyatt¡¯s car.


    But he was long gone.


    Still, Nora quickly convinced herself. <i>Wyatt </i><i>holds </i><i>grudges</i>. <i>He¡¯s </i><i>probably </i><i>still </i><i>angry </i>with <i>me</i>. <i>If </i><i>I </i><i>hadn¡¯t </i><i>caused </i><i>Mr. </i><i>Fiona¡¯s </i><i>death</i><i>, </i><i>he¡¯d </i><i>have </i><i>forgiven </i><i>me </i><i>sooner</i><i>¡­ </i>


    <i>Mr. </i><i>Fiona</i>?


    A sudden spark lit up Nora¡¯s eyes¨Can idea.


    Back in the car, Yunice received the video from the couple. It showed Nora in her wheelchair, captured from behind.


    Nora had refused their offer to take her to the hospital and had wheeled herself away instead.


    ¡°She¡¯s safe,¡± Yunice reported.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Wyatt said, brows furrowed.


    ¡°Do you really not love her at all?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Dated her, never loved her.¡±


    It was a brutally honest answer and a little cruel.


    Dating doesn¡¯t always mean love. Adults make choices. That¡¯s all.


    Yunice didn¡¯t romanticize rtionships. She wasn¡¯t the type to nitpick his words¨Cshe simply nodded.


    Èý


    O


    <b>0817 </b>Thu s? l?i


    Chapter 584 The Price of Pity


    <b>¡°</b>Good. Next time I see her, I¡¯ll know what to do.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>What <b>are </b>you nning?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°If you don¡¯t love her, then be firm about it. That¡¯s better for everyone.¡±


    In her eyes, being ruthless wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. The earlier you woke up from a lic, <b>the </b>sooner you could move on. Better a clean break than wasting your youth in a slow¨Cburning tragedy.


    Wyatt nced at her. ¡°So you¡¯re nning to treat me the same way?¡±


    He leaned toward her, eyes locking on hers. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. But don¡¯t even try to run from me.¡±


    When they got married, Yunice had only been focused on surviving Wyatt¡¯s schemes. She never <b>expected </b>him to be so¡­ persistent.


    Two dayster, the special task force made a huge breakthrough in the Elsie case.


    They found traces of Morgan¡¯s skin cells on the murder weapon¨Cconclusive DNA evidence.


    It was the final nail in the coffin: Morgan <i>had </i>killed Elsie.


    And Oscar? For the first time, there was a glimmer of hope.


    When he was arrested, his bloodwork had shown traces of sedatives. Back then, it was written off¨Cjust cold meds with drowsy side effects. Nothing serious.


    But with Morgan now confirmed as the killer, it was possible Oscar had been framed. Maybe the sedative had rendered him groggy, and someone had nted the weapon on him to stage a second suspect.


    Next¨Csteps would include detailed fingerprint analysis¨Cchecking angles, grip patterns, and pressure points to determine whether Oscar had ever actually held the knife.


    This progress lit a fire of hope in Yunice.


    Still, major cases take months to fully resolve. Until the final report came through, Oscar would remain behind bars.


    But while Yunice felt buoyant with hope, the Johnson family grew increasingly frantic.


    What they did wasn¡¯t her concern.


    All Yunice knew was that when she was in a good mood, everything felt easier.


    So when Paul called again¨Cthis time from yet another new number¨Cshe actually picked up.


    His first words were bursting with ambition. ¡°I¡¯m investing the full 100 billion!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even flinch. ¡°Mr. Paul, we have internal asset verification systems. ording to our reports, you don¡¯t even have close to that. We suspect fraud. We won¡¯t be taking your business.¡±


    She was about to hang up when Paul shouted, ¡°Wait!¡±


    <b>2/3 </b>


    UO 17


    Chapter 584 The Price of Pity


    ¡°Just three seconds! Please, just three seconds!¡± he begged, clearly fumbling with something on the other


    end.

 Daghter 585

    Chapter <b>585 </b>The Rotten Core


    Chapter 585 The Rotten Core


    Three secondster, Paul¡¯s voice rang out, full of pride. ¡°I¡¯ve already wired the full 100 billion <b>to </b><b>your </b>old ount! You can verify the assets now!¡°,


    Sure enough, Yunice received the notification.


    Still, she stayedposed. ¡°To avoid any future legal issues, I still have to ask¨CMr. Paul, can <b>you </b><b>confirm </b>that these funds came from a legitimate source?¡±


    Paul sounded annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ve already wired the money¨Cwhat more do you want? Isn¡¯t it all about money in the end? Who cares where ites from?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re unwilling to disclose the source,¡± Yunice replied calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll have the funds returned immediately.¡±


    Paul was practically fuming.


    He knew he was being strung along like a donkey chasing a carrot¨Cbut he couldn¡¯t help it. His hunger for power, wealth, and recognition was too strong.


    He was desperate to convert potential into real authority. If he could rise quickly through <b>the </b>Powell ranks, he could finally crush those illegitimate brats Jensen had hidden away.


    So he caved. ¡°I mortgaged the Powell Corporation¡¯s assets at the bank. I¡¯m the sole heir, thepany will be mine eventually. I just took early control, that¡¯s all. Nothing wrong with that, right?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s lips curved. ¡°Then congrattions, Mr. Paul. May you soar to the heights of power, with the world bowing at your feet.¡±


    Paul¡¯s breath quickened with excitement. He could already picture himself towering over everyone who had ever looked down on him.


    Yunice ended the call and raised an eyebrow. <i>Still </i><i>the </i><i>same </i><i>delusional </i><i>fool</i>.


    She nced at the massive sum now sitting in a cross¨Cborder virtual ount. With Kingsley¡¯s help, the money had been washed clean multiple times overseas. No trail. No trace. No return.


    <i>If </i><i>the </i><i>Powell </i><i>family </i><i>ever </i><i>finds </i><i>out </i><i>they </i><i>raised </i><i>such </i><i>a </i><i>moron</i><i>, </i>I <i>wonder </i>how <i>they¡¯ll </i><i>react</i>.


    1


    She quickly unlinked the phone number used for Paul¡¯s contact, wiping all traces.


    Then she called Taylor. ¡°Ms. Taylor, did you carry out the n I mentioned?¡±


    ¡°All done,¡± Taylor replied. ¡°I conjured it out of thin air¨Cleveraged eight hundred million from the bank. Now my identity is officially deep in debt.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not divorced yet,¡± Yunice reminded her. ¡°Which means Paul shares the liability. It¡¯smunity debt.¡±


    But even with that, once the Powell family copses, Paul¡¯s losses will still outweigh Taylor¡¯s. She¡¯ll end up holding the short end of the stick.


    <b>1/2 </b>


    08:17 <b>Thu</b><b>, </b>31 Jul Jun


    Chapter 585 The Rotten Core


    Luckily, Yunice had already thought of a contingency.


    Unaware of Paul¡¯s impending downfall, Taylor grumbled, ¡°Paul still won¡¯t agree to the divorce<b>, </b><b>and </b>the court won¡¯t force it through. That¡¯s why I had to resort to this self¨Cpreservation y.¡±


    She sighed bitterly. ¡°If I¡¯d just listened to you back then, I never would¡¯ve married into the <b>Powell </b><b>family</b><b>. </b><b>I </b>should¡¯ve gone for Wyatt instead.¡±


    Realizing what she¡¯d just said, she immediately covered her mouth. ¡°Yunice! That was a joke, okay? <b>Please</b>. don¡¯t be mad!¡±


    Yunice sighed. <i>Taylor </i><i>really </i><i>never </i><i>learns</i>.


    ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t a game.¡±


    Taylor picked up on the edge in her voice. ¡°You really think marriage is a trap?¡±


    A lot of Taylor¡¯s girlfriends had told her the same thing¨Cget married and your life goes downhill.


    She went quiet, then spoke softly. ¡°When my dad passed, I resented myself. I hated that I needed a man. I swore I¡¯d never trust one again. But my mom told me the problem wasn¡¯t marriage¨Cit was the person. Was it Paul who made you give up on love?¡±


    There was a long pause.


    Then Yunice replied quietly, ¡°I¡¯ve never really seen a happy marriage.¡±


    Not between her mother and father. Not in three generations of the Powell family. Not even Wyatt and Nora. It seemed like love only ever led to pain.


    In the end, it always crumbled.


    Sometimes, she thought Mr. Carl was the wise one. Maybe he had feelings for Freya. But he never acknowledged them¨Cso there was no betrayal, no heartbreak. Their silence preserved what little they had.


    ¡°Not all marriages are doomed,¡± Taylor argued. ¡°My parents were proof. My mom still honors everything my dad left behind. They showed me whatsting love looks like. Just because we took the wrong ride once doesn¡¯t mean we give up on life. Especially you¨Cyour family treats yo¨´ terribly, and you¡¯ve got no one to lean on. Don¡¯t you get lonely?¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Got <i>it</i>. Thanks.¡±


    She didn¡¯t argue. Taylor wasn¡¯t wrong.


    But different people live different lives.


    Taylor had seen the light.


    Yunice never had.

 Daghter 586

    Chapter 586 Ties That Bind


    s


    It was precisely because she had no one to rely on that Yunice refused to tie herself to anyone.


    She knew better than anyone: once you entrust someone with your heart and they abandon you, the pain can make you want to die.


    She hadn¡¯t said it aloud, but Madam K had been the same. Feeling too deeply was a weakness. If not for protecting Taylor, even she might not have made it through.


    That was how Yunice¡¯s father had died back then.


    And that was what Yunice feared most.


    Promises weighed too heavily¨Cshe didn¡¯t want to touch them.


    She ended the call, setting the Powell family matters aside for now.


    Next up, the Saunders family.


    Oscar was finallying home. As his little sister, shouldn¡¯t she prepare a proper wee?


    After years of leeching off the Saunders family, wasn¡¯t it time Owen and Lily gave something back?


    And then there was Elsie¨Clucky to have died early, maybe, but even in death, her name still smeared Yunice¡¯s reputation. That, Yunice couldn¡¯t ept. Even with a new identity, she refused to let her father¡¯s daughter be remembered in disgrace.


    Resting her chin on her hand, Yunice flipped the hourss beside her and let out a coldugh.


    Did they think Elsie¡¯s death erased all debts?


    <i>Dream </i><i>on</i><i>. </i>


    Things needed to get even messier for the Saunders family. Owen wanted to seize the family¡¯s private assets?


    She wouldn¡¯t let him have his way.


    Ever since that disastrous wedding and the scandal surrounding Oscar and Elsie¡¯s murder case, the Saunders family had gone quiet.


    They were living under a microscope. Owen had been hiding at home, and apart from Peggy dragging him into a mountain of debt, nothing else had stirred.


    But Owen knew the family¡¯s reputation was in ruins. He couldn¡¯t bear to stay in Silverburgh any longer.


    That¡¯s when Lily knocked and came in, looking somber. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the updates on Oscar¡¯s case, hav you? I heard once the final ruling is in, he¡¯ll be released without charges.¡±


    Owen quickly covered the papers on his desk.


    Lily gave a knowing nce. ¡°Don¡¯t bother hiding it¨CI know it¡¯s the hospitalnd contract.¡±


    Chapter 586 Ties That Bind


    Caught, Owen flushed and looked away.


    ¡°Sell it now,¡± Lily advised calmly..


    *5 Free Coins


    He feigned hesitation. ¡°Mom, Dad¡¯s will includes Yunice and Oscar in the estate division. If I make the decision alone¡­¡±


    Wouldn¡¯t that be a little much<i>? </i>


    Lily raised her eyes, expression unreadable. ¡°If you want me to y the viin, then I¡¯ll be blunt.¡±


    Owen rxed, releasing the breath he¡¯d been holding.


    Lily smirked. Of course he was waiting for her to take the fall.


    It was clear to everyone: Oscar¡¯s imprisonment had done the family no good. But his release wouldn¡¯t help them either.


    He and Yunice had long stopped seeing themselves as part of the Saunders n. They wouldn¡¯t lift <i>a </i>finger for the family¡¯s sake.


    The hospital couldn¡¯t function anymore¨Cstaff had quit, sries couldn¡¯t be paid, and the business was circling the drain. If they didn¡¯t sell now, it would <i>go </i>bankrupt.


    If they waited for Oscar¡¯s release, he¡¯d im his share¨Cand help Yunice im hers too.


    That would leave Owen with barely anything.


    And after all, he believed that being the one to ¡°provide for the family¡± meant he deserved the lion¡¯s share.


    Lily said coldly, ¡°Yunice isn¡¯t even part of this family anymore. Her share should <i>go </i><i>to </i>us. As for Oscar¡­ he¡¯s already been gone ten years. What¡¯s a few more?¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes widened. He wasn¡¯t sure what Lily was nning, but she seemed more ruthless than he¡¯d imagined.


    Her proposal was shocking. ¡°The hospital, and this house¨Cwe can sell them both. They¡¯re worth quite a bit. Once we cash out, we¡¯ll go abroad and start fresh. If we make it big, we can alwayse back.¡±


    Owen was stunned. ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t this a bit extreme?¡±


    The Saunders family had lived in Silverburgh for generations. He had never even considered leaving the city.


    But Lily was decisive. ¡°Without the hospital, what future do you have here? What work can you do? Paul¡¯s in no position to help you. Yunice and Oscar are circling like vultures to snatch everything away.¡±


    She nced at the door, adding pointedly, ¡°And let¡¯s not forget that leech Peggy, just waiting to bleed you dry.¡± ¨C


    ¡°If we don¡¯t leave,¡± she warned, ¡°we¡¯ll be left with nothing.¡±


    Owen frowned deeply, turning it all over in his mind.


    ?


    s


    Chapter 586 Ties That Bind


    When had everything fallen apart?


    Once, his life had seemed charmed, smooth sailing.


    Now, he was surrounded by enemies¨Cand the only person left to rely on¡­ was his mother.

 Daghter 587

    Chapter 587 The Bait Is Taken


    Chapter 587 The Bait Is Taken


    Owen¡¯s fingers clung siginly to Elsie¡¯sum. If she were will alive, the thought of eniging with so hard to bear. But now<i>, </i>without her, the idea of leaving made the house feel empty and holo


    Lily noticed and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ve said my piece. Think it over


    ¡°But time¡¯s tight. Once Yunice and Oscar catch wind of this, we might not even have the funds to leave


    Starting a new life overseas would require deep pockets,


    After Lily left, Owen closed his eyes, When he opened them again, he made a call to a persistent buyer who had been offering a high price.


    ¡°I¡¯ve decided to sell the hospital,¡± he said. ¡°But the sale must include a confidentiality agreemens, and the Saunders family vi will be bundled with it. If you agree to both, we¡¯ll sign the contract this afternoon


    The buyer asked, ¡°In such a rush? What¡¯s the price?¡±


    ¡°Two hundred billion,¡± Owen said tly. ¡°No negotiations. Our equipment alone is worth that much<b>. </b><b>If </b>I weren¡¯t in a hurry to offload¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the buyer cut in. ¡°Three hundred billion. Sign today.¡±


    Owen¡¯s jaw dropped, unable to close his mouth.


    He figured he must¡¯ve just struck gold.


    Even in Silverburgh, there were only a handful of people who could casually drop 300 billion on a rundown hospital.


    But all Owen cared about now was the money.


    He didn¡¯t care who the buyer was. Money talked. And with more of it, even better.


    He had a fleeting suspicion it could be a trap set by Yunice, but he brushed it aside.


    That afternoon, he met with the buyer¡¯s representative at a teahouse and signed the contract. The representative was as efficient as promised, transferring the full amount into Owen¡¯s ount on the spot.


    Seeing that six¨Cfigure bnce, Owen¡¯s anxiety finally melted away.


    Feeling triumphant, he casually asked, ¡°Mind sharing who you represent? Maybe we¡¯ll do business again.¡±


    The man smiled coldly. ¡°Mr. Saunders, you must be joking. You¡¯ve got no foothold left in Silverburgh and no real talent to speak of. That 300 billion shouldst you the rest of your life, but if you try investing it? With your skills, you and my client won¡¯t be working together again.¡±


    Stung by the insult, Owen left in a huff.


    He watched from his car as the agent rode off on a motorcycle and immediately guessed the buyer had to be Wyatt.


    C


    08.17


    Chapter 587 The Bait Is Taken


    The hospital was already doomed. No one would buy it unless they had another purpose. Who else would throw money at a dead business?


    Back home, Owen began preparing for immigration paperwork¨Cbut only for himself and Lily.


    Peggy? She could rot in Silverburgh for all he cared.


    Peggy hadn¡¯t noticed a thing. Owen came and went as usual, and she assumed the hospital was operating just fine. She continued living the high life as the ¡°director¡¯s wife,¡±


    That day, she dressed to the nines and headed out. Her goal: Pavilion Hall


    If she could get a few photos at the famed estate, she¡¯d boost her image among the other wealthy wives. None of them had ever set foot there.


    Being the first would make her the center of attention.


    She hadn¡¯t married Owen for his petty cash. He was a stepping stone. Once she climbed high enough, she nned to kick him to the curb.


    But just as she lifted her hand to open the car door, a middle¨Caged man¡¯s voice startled her. ¡°You must be Owen¡¯s woman, huh?¡±


    Peggy screamed and flinched.


    She tried to leap out of the car, but the man grabbed her wrist.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? Some homeless beggar? Let go! I¡¯ll give you money, okay?¡± she shouted in a panic. Judging by his thick ent, she assumed he was either a vagrant or a mugger¨Cclearly no good.


    But the man just calmly locked the car doors and shed a crooked grin. ¡°You might not know me, but I bet you¡¯ve heard of me. I¡¯m Yunice¡¯s father.¡±


    Peggy red at him. ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? Her dad¡¯s been dead for years! Who do you think you are?¡±


    The man just grinned wider, revealing two rotting teeth. ¡°My daughter¡¯s name is Yunice. But her nickname¡­ was Elsie. You know her, don¡¯t you?¡±

 Daghter 588

    Chapter 588 The Man from the Past


    Chapter 588 The Man from the Past


    s


    Peggy scoffed in disbelief. ¡°Of course I know Elsie. Her father was the great Dr. Will, my father¨Cinw<i>. </i>I¡¯ve never seen a photo of him, but he sure wasn¡¯t some greasy old lowlife like you! Quit trying to scam me. I¡¯ll give you two hundred bucks¨Ctake it and get out, or I swear I¡¯ll have someone beat you to death.¡±


    She yanked two bills from her wallet and arrogantly tossed them at the man.


    He let the money fall to the floor, unmoving. ¡°I really am Elsie¡¯s father. Call Owen. Or Lily. I know them both.¡±


    Peggy¡¯s patience wore thin. ¡°Ugh, I don¡¯t have time for this. Just get out of my car already¡­¡±


    But before she could finish, something cold and sharp pressed against her neck.


    The man held a knife and growled, ¡°Call Owen and Lily. Tell them toe home. Or I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Peggy turned pale. No matter how loud her mouth, she wasn¡¯t about to y tough with a de at her throat.


    Raising her hands in surrender, she stammered, ¡°Okay, okay! I¡¯ll call! Just take the knife away!¡±


    She quickly dialed Owen, only for the bastard not to answer.


    Panicking, she kept calling while cursing him under her breath.


    On the third attempt, Owen finally picked up, sounding annoyed. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say not to call unless it¡¯s important?¡±


    ¡°You think I want to call you? The study¡¯s on fire! Get back here now or the whole house is gone!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Owen instantly believed her.


    His and Lily¡¯s passports were in the study. If they burned, it¡¯d take time to rece them and dy their emigration ns.


    He immediately called 119 and rushed home.


    He arrived at the same time as the fire trucks¨Conly to find the house perfectly fine.


    Realizing he¡¯d been duped¨Cand now potentially charged with making a false emergency report¨COwen was about to explode on Peggy when he froze.


    There, behind her, stood the middle¨Caged man, gripping her wrist tightly.


    Recognition struck Owen like a blow.


    He quickly masked his reaction as firefighters approached, exining calmly that it was a misunderstanding caused by a marital spat, and epted the fine withoutint.


    He had to keep things quiet. If anyone discovered that man¡¯s identity, Elsie¡¯s reputation¨Cand the truth about her background¨Cwould unravel.


    <


    Chapter <b>588 </b><b>The </b><b>Man </b><b>from </b>the <b>Past </b>


    That man was counting on it, standing boldly right in front of him.


    Once the firefighters left, Peggy started yelling, panic giving way to rage. ¡°You son of a bitch<b>! </b><b>You </b><b>were </b>gonna let this guy kill me, weren¡¯t you? Just so you could be rid of me!¡±


    Owen shot her a re. ¡°Shut up, idiot.¡±


    Then he turned to the man, face grim. ¡°Come inside. We¡¯ll talk.¡±


    He locked Peggy in a room before returning to face the man, his expression furious.


    ¡°Timothy. You dare show your face at the Saunders house? Are you looking to die?¡±


    Timothy¨Cthe man Lily once sold Elsie to¨Cwas her biological father.


    Back when Lily was rescued, Elsie hadn¡¯te with her. Owen had gone into the mountains himself and bought Elsie back for 200,000 dors.


    At the time, Timothy had called her a worthless burden and promised never to show up again.


    But now here he was, breaking his word.


    Unbothered by Owen¡¯s fury, Timothy sat on the couch like he owned the ce. He picked up an apple, bit into it with his rotting teeth, and saidzily, ¡°Didn¡¯t Elsie die? Why so cautious?¡±


    Owen snapped, ¡°She may be dead, but her name lives on. If people find out she was the daughter of a human trafficker, and that she lived under someone else¡¯s identity-¡±


    But Timothy only smiled oddly, sending a chill down Owen¡¯s spine.


    ¡°What are you smiling at?<i>¡± </i>Owen asked warily.


    Timothy raised his hands in mock surrender. ¡°Rx. I just didn¡¯t expect you to still care about that worthless girl. But now that I know you do, I¡¯m relieved.¡±

 Daghter 589

    Chapter 589 The ckmail


    Owen¡¯s brow furrowed deeper. ¡°What are you so relieved about?¡±


    V5 Free Coins.


    Timothy wiped his grimy hands casually across the leather couch. ¡°Elsie had a stake in Saunders Hospital -10%. <b>I </b>did my homework before I came. Even if you sold it cheap, that 10% would fetch at least 200 million. As her biological father, I¡¯m entitled to inherit her assets. Nothing wrong with that, is there?¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes bulged. The sheer stunned him.


    udacity


    ¡°That¡¯s the Saunders family¡¯s property! You have no right to inherit any of it!¡±


    Timothy chuckledzily. ¡°Watch your mouth, Owen. You know better than anyone where Elsie really came from. There are still people alive who know the truth.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t just about Elsie¡¯s reputation anymore¨Cit could implicate Owen in serious crimes.


    Owen gritted his teeth. He could see exactly what Timothy was after. ¡°Elsie¡¯s dead. Her body was cremated. What proof do you have she wasn¡¯t a Saunders? The real daughter¡¯s still alive, and you, me, and Oscar <b>are </b>all alive too. You really think she won¡¯te out and tell the truth?<b>¡± </b>


    His face went pale.


    Timothy continued, calm and unbothered. ¡°Be smart. I¡¯m only asking for 10%. I¡¯m not trying to take everything. That portion was rightfully Elsie¡¯s anyway.¡±


    ¡°It had nothing to do with Elsie! That was my dad¡¯s inheritance to Yunice!¡± Owen snapped, only to realize toote that he¡¯d said too much. His face flushed green with regret.


    Timothy sprawled out on the couch, ncing around. ¡°Nice house. If you can¡¯t give me the shares, I¡¯ll take this ce instead. It¡¯s a fair trade. Don¡¯t worry¨Cyou two can keep living here even after it¡¯s mine.¡±


    Then heughed. ¡°Where¡¯s your mom? Haven¡¯t seen her in years. Is she still ying thedy of the house? Bet she¡¯s even prettier now.¡±


    ¡°You son of a-¡± Owen couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He lunged, grabbed Timothy by the cor, and yanked him up.


    Timothy sneered,pletely unfazed. ¡°Don¡¯t get any ideas. I¡¯ve got a house here in Silverburgh. I¡¯m not some backwoods nobody anymore. If anything happens to me¨Cif I vanish or die¨Cyou¡¯re going down for it.¡±


    He was ready for this. He came prepared.


    Owen¡¯s jaw clenched so tight his bones cracked. In the end, he let go. Left with no other option, he made a call to Yunice.


    She had just received full ownership of Saunders Hospital and the Saunders estate.


    She had been the true buyer behind the scenes.


    More than a year ago, when the hospital¡¯s profits began to slide, Yunice had used intermediaries to approach Owen about acquiring it, always offering generous terms. She¡¯did the trap slowly, carefully


    Chapter 589 The ckmail


    weakening Owen¡¯s support, isting him bit by bit until he had nowhere else to <b>turn</b>.


    Like a slippery loach forced to burrow into chilled tofu¨Cstuck between difort and desperation.


    Her trap gave him no real choice. It offered temporary relief while ensuring a longer, more painful fall. There was no way back.


    Owen thought he had scored a great deal by selling for 30 billion, not realizing he had fallen right into Yunice¡¯s hands. She had just swindled 100 billion from Paul. She didn¡¯t care about money at all. Her bait had paid off far beyond expectation.


    When her phone rang and she saw Owen¡¯s name, Yunice already knew what he was calling about.


    She answered slowly, her voice cool. ¡°Hello?¡±


    Owen lowered his voice, frustrated and agitated. ¡°Nuonuo, could you do me a favor?¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Yunice replied tly.


    Owen froze. His brows twitched with surprise and¨Csomehow¨Chope.


    He had expected Yunice to snap at him like before, <i>to </i>argue. But instead, she sounded calm. Cooperative.


    He started to wonder if she was softening. Maybe now that Elsie was gone, with the obstacle between them out of the way, she wanted toe home again.


    People were like fallen leaves, after all¨Calways returning <i>to </i>their roots.


    And with a family like theirs, no matter how bad the fights got¡­ didn¡¯t they always end up back together in the end?

 Daghter 590

    Chapter 590 No One¡¯s Problem but Yours


    Chapter 590 No One¡¯s Problem but Yours


    Owen said, ¡°Yunice, Timothy came to the house and won¡¯t leave. Can you figure out a way to get rid of him?¡±


    Worried Yunice might not remember who Timothy was, he added quickly, ¡°You know, that guy.¡±


    Yunice asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s he here for?¡±


    Owen replied vaguely, ¡°Trying to extort some money, of course.¡±


    Yunice let out a soft ¡°oh¡± and said lightly, ¡°Just a hundred, maybe two hundred grand, right? Treat it like giving to a beggar¡­ If it¡¯s a big deal, I can even pay it for you.¡±


    Owen¡¯s teeth clenched. Timothy wasn¡¯t asking for pocket change¨Che wanted 10% of the hospital. That was two hundred million.


    Yunice tossing out twenty grand like spare change made it clear: there was no way she¡¯d give him two hundred million.


    Frustrated, Owen grumbled, ¡°You kn


    ow how greedy that guy is. If we give him anything, he¡¯lle back again and again. It¡¯ll never end.¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°True. So what do you want to do?¡±


    Owen said, ¡°He ims to have a home here in Silverburgh. Can you look into his background, see if there¡¯s a weak spot? Maybe even get him sent back to the mountains where he came from!¡±


    He lowered his voice and added, ¡°Even better if you could trick him into some ck mine, or sneak him onto a smuggling ship. Let him spend his life as a ve somewhere. I can¡¯t stand the sight of him living well!¡±


    In Owen¡¯s mind, if not for Timothy, their father would still be alive, and the Saunders family wouldn¡¯t have fallen apart like this.


    But Yunice replied with a slow drawl, ¡°You should be thanking Timothy. If not for him, you wouldn¡¯t have


    would you have ended up had such a considerate little sister like Elsie. If he hadn¡¯t taken our mom away, running the family?¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for him, Yunice wouldn¡¯t have suffered so terribly either.


    Owen choked on her sarcasm, assuming she was just talking nonsense again. ¡°When are you going to grow up? You¡¯re not a kid anymore. Can¡¯t you learn some tact? No one wants to hear you talk like this.¡±


    ¡°Truth usually isn¡¯t pleasant,¡± Yunice said calmly.


    Owen was done arguing. ¡°Just handle it, will you? I can¡¯t stand having that man in my house another day.¡±


    Yunice sneered. Even now, with trouble knocking at his door because he stole her rightful 10% of the inheritance, he still wouldn¡¯te clean.


    Her tone turned frosty. ¡°I never agreed to help you. What you¡¯re asking me to do is illegal. Are you teaching me to knowingly break thew? What if I take care of Timothy for you, and then you report me


    <b>1/2 </b>


    <b>08:18 </b><b>Th? </b>7 JU


    Chapter 590 No One¡¯s Problem but Yours


    to the cops afterward?¡±


    ¡°You¡± Owen didn¡¯t expect her to think like that.


    ??


    He lowered his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t act naive. You know the kind of things Wyatt¡¯s involved in. Even if he really did send someone off, do you think I¡¯d have the chance to report it? Don¡¯t be ridiculous.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°And don¡¯t you be ridiculous either. Why would Wyatt help me? Just because we¡¯re married? You think that means we share everything¨Cmoney, power, favors?¡±


    Owen bit back, ¡°Why not? He¡¯s your husband. Isn¡¯t it natural for you to use his resources?¡±


    Yunice smiled coldly. ¡°Great point. Then howe, when <i>Peggy </i>asked to work at Saunders Hospital the other day, you didn¡¯t let her? You two are married too. Why not let her use your money and resources? Isn¡¯t that ¡®natural¡® too? Why didn¡¯t you like it then?¡±


    Truly, Owen held everyone to different standards.


    Yunice tapped at her keyboard and added, ¡°I can¡¯t get rid of him for you. But I did find out he does have a legal residence here in Silverburgh. He even owns property.¡±


    ¡°Property?¡± Owen was stunned.


    Because purchasing real estate in Silverburgh required more than money. You needed to have family ties or five years of legal residence.


    Timothy, a hick from the mountains with no money or power¨Chow could he possibly own a house here?


    Yunice said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you the sales contact that helped him buy the ce. You can see if that leads anywhere.¡±


    As she was about to hang up, Owen snapped, ¡°Can¡¯t you just handle it for me while you¡¯re <i>at </i>it?¡±


    Yunice sighed in exasperation. ¡°Can you get one thing straight? This is <i>your </i>mess. Timothy¡¯s got nothing to do with me. I don¡¯t owe him anything. I¡¯m already being nice just looking into it for you, and now you expect me to do everything for you? What are you thinking?¡±


    She hung up without waiting for a response.


    Still holding her phone, Yunice immediately dialed Peggy.


    Peggy was currently locked upstairs by Owen, pacing frantically and trying to figure out how to escape- when Yunice¡¯s call came in.


    The moment she answered, her tone turned sickly sweet. ¡°Yunice, darling, I was just thinking ofing over to visit you today. My friend grows lychees on her farm, and I was nning to bring some over for you to taste. But that wretched Owen locked me in the house! Can you believe it?¡±

 Daghter 591

    Chapter 591 Let the Snakes Eat Each Other


    <b>88</b>%


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Peggy couldn¡¯t stop ranting and muttered mysteriously, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, someone weird showed up at the house today. Do you know him?¡±


    Yunice sighed. ¡°Of course I do. That¡¯s exactly what I called toin about¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Peggy perked up. Someone like Yunice hadints? That was rare.


    Yunice spoke softly, ¡°You came to our familyte, so there¡¯s a lot you don¡¯t know. Elsie¡­ she was never really a Saunders.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Peggy blinked.


    Yunice asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever wonder who I really am in the Saunders family?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Peggy paused. She¡¯d always assumed Yunice was some kind of cousin. Some old¨Cfashioned families gave simr names to kids of the same generation, and she figured that was the case here. Maybe ¡®Yunice¡® was a given name, and ¡®Elsie¡® just a nickname.


    Now Yunice had thrown herpletely off.


    If Elsie wasn¡¯t a real Saunders, then who was Yunice?


    Yunice sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a family secret. But you¡¯re my sister¨Cinw now¨Cnot exactly an outsider. I¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the real daughter of the Saunders family. That weird man you mentioned¨CTimothy¨Cis actually Elsie¡¯s biological father.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Peggy¡¯s eyebrows shot up, her eyes lighting up with the thrill of fresh gossip. She didn¡¯t realize the gravity of what she was hearing. ¡°You mean Mom had an affair, and brought the bastard child home to raise?¡±


    She cackled, ¡°Didn¡¯t think she had it in her. Still, what a disgusting taste¡­. picking a guy like that¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s tone dropped. ¡°She didn¡¯t do it willingly.¡±


    She had no sympathy for Lily, but as a woman herself, Yunice wasn¡¯t about to mock her over something like that.


    Peggy caught the chill in her voice and backtracked quickly. ¡°Oh¨Cright, sorry.¡±


    Yunice continued, ¡°Owen gave Elsie a legitimate identity by letting her take my ce. But the real issue is that identity came with 10% of Saunders Hospital. That so¨Ccalled ¡®weird man¡® is here to take a piece of the family fortune.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Peggy shot up in rm.


    One dead Elsie trying to steal the inheritance was bad enough¨Cnow there


    was another?


    She shrieked, ¡°Yunice, this is your family¡¯s fortune. You can¡¯t just let this go!¡±


    Chapter 591 Let the Snakes Eat Each Other


    45 Free Coin


    Yunice sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not legally part of the Saunders family anymore. The shares aren¡¯t in my name. I don¡¯t have any say in what happens.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only telling you this because I don¡¯t want to see you kept in the dark. If someone¡¯s going to walk off with the Saunders fortune, I¡¯d rather it be you than an outsider.¡±


    Peggy growled, ¡°Damn right! I¡¯m the realdy of the Saunders house. The whole fortune should be under my control! Why should some outsider¨Csome rapist¨Cget a cut?!¡±


    Then, brimming with self¨Crighteousness<b>, </b>she said, ¡°Yunice, thank you for warning me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect the Saunders fortune.¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved.¡±


    Just as she was about to hang up, she added casually, ¡°Oh, right. My father¡¯s will should be in my brother¡¯s study, in the safe. If you can find it, you¡¯ll have the upper hand.¡±


    Peggy nodded eagerly. ¡°Got it!¡±


    Yunice hung up, fully satisfied.


    Let them fight.


    The more chaos, the better. Let the vermin rip each other apart over that 300 billion.


    A servant knocked at her door. ¡°Someone¡¯s asking for you at the gate.¡±


    Yunice looked toward the pool, where Wyatt was swimming. Seeing he wasn¡¯t paying attention, she lowered her voice. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°She said her name is Nora. She¡¯s in a wheelchair.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even blink. Coolly, she said, ¡°Tell her to leave. I¡¯m not letting her in.¡±


    The servant hesitated. ¡°She said she knew you wouldn¡¯t, <i>so </i>she asked me to pass along a message. She wants you to let her friend Maine go.¡±


    ¡°¡­She actually said I wouldn¡¯t let her in?¡± Yunice asked coldly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°Then go tell her something from me, too.¡±


    The servant bowed and headed out to deliver the message.


    It was winter. Snow was falling, nketing the trees and rooftops with a thick, glistening white coat.


    The servant stood before the grand, ornate doors of Pavilion Hall as they slowly slid open with a low hiss, triggered by the motion sensor.


    Chapter 592 Burying the Past in Snow

 Daghter 592

    Chapter 592 Burying the Past in Snow


    38761


    s


    Outside the gate, Nora sat motionless in her wheelchair, lifting her cold, pale eyes at the sound of the doors opening.


    She held an umbre that was now fully nketed in snow, hiding its original design. The snow on her shoulders remained, never melting. Her hand gripping the umbre handle had turned red from the cold.


    It was the second time the servant had seen Nora.


    And yet, even having seen her once before, she was still taken aback. At first nce, the resemnce between this woman and her mistress was uncanny¨Cat least seventy percent simr.


    But a closer look showed the differences.


    Nora looked more like how Madam Yunice had appeared when she first arrived at Pavilion Hall: cold, quiet, lonely, her gaze tinged with detachment.


    Yunice no longer looked that way. Now her eyes glowed with a warmth of life, which made her seem less and less like Nora<i>. </i>


    The servant stepped outside and spoke politely, ¡°Ms. Nora, I¡¯ve delivered your message. But Madam said she¡¯s not free to listen¨Cand I mean, Mr. Wyatt isn¡¯t interested either.¡±


    Nora¡¯s expression tightened, her grip on the umbre slightly clenching.


    The servant continued, ¡°Sir said he doesn¡¯t meet with irrelevant people. He also said Maine brought this on herself. It wasn¡¯t a setup. So please don¡¯te here again about this matter.¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t hear what she¡¯d hoped for. Her voice rose with disbelief, ¡°Wait¨CWyatt isn¡¯t even home today, is he? These things you¡¯re saying¡­ Yunice must¡¯ve told you to say them, didn¡¯t she? She just wants me to give up and stop clinging to Wyatt. If that¡¯s the case, then tell her I¡¯m not here for that. I just want to save my friend¡­¡±


    The servant frowned. ¡°Ms. Nora, you¡¯ve misunderstood. Let me make things clear. I don¡¯t know where you heard that Mr. Wyatt isn¡¯t home. But he is. He was going to go out this morning, but when he saw Madam Yunice trimming the snow¨Ccovered branches in the garden, he changed his mind.¡±


    She added calmly, ¡°And whether it was Madam or someone else who asked you to leave¨Cit¡¯s Mr. Wyatt¡¯s will. Do you really think Madam would act on her own without his approval?¡±


    Nora sat in stunned silence.


    It wasn¡¯t just the fact that Wyatt had canceled his ns over something Yunice did¨Cthough that was painful enough. He had always been a workaholic, never stopping for anyone, not even her.


    What hit her harder was the servant¡¯s final statement.


    It was Wyatt who had told her to leave.


    He was still ying the cold card. Still punishing her.


    Her expression dimmed. ¡°My friend got dragged into this because of me. If I don¡¯t help her¡­ I won¡¯t be


    Chapter 592 Burying the Past in Snow


    able to live with myself¡±


    The servant stood silently, unmoved.


    s


    Nora slowly looked up and met her gaze. She knew the servant had been left there to make sure she left.


    Not wanting to make things difficult, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait further away, out of sight.¡±


    Then she turned her wheelchair around and began rolling it slowly away from Pavilion Hall.


    The servant frowned with annoyance and went back to report.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, Nora is still out in the snow. She refuses to leave.¡±


    Yunice looked up. Another guilt y.


    She had to admit, this tactic did work¨Con men anyway.


    Yunice herself had used it many times.


    When it came to men, there were really only a few tricks. Either they worked, or they amused.


    By now, Wyatt had finished his swim, showered, and changed clothes. He walked over and nced <i>at </i>Yunice, who was loungingzily on a deck chair.


    ¡°You¡¯re always like this,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s why your immune system¡¯s so weak¨Cno exercise.¡±


    As he spoke, he picked up the ss on the table and took a sip.


    Then he paused. ¡°This your cup?¡±


    She nodded.


    He turned to the servant behind him. ¡°Bring her a new one.¡±


    But he didn¡¯t return the used cup¨Che kept drinking from it.


    Wyatt sat on the lounge chair opposite her and pulled out his phone to deal with some emails.


    Yunice said casually, ¡°Nora came to see you earlier. I turned her away in your name. But she¡¯s still outside waiting.¡±


    ¡°In this weather, with her condition, she¡¯ll probably faint in less than three hours.¡±


    Wyatt frowned, took out his phone and called the Johnson family.


    ¡°Tell Duncan toe get his daughter off my doorstep immediately. Or his son¡¯s going to pay for it.¡±

 Daghter 593

    Chapter 593 The Weight of a Favor


    Chapter 593 The Weight of a Favor


    Yunice arched a brow. This tactic of using one force to counter another was exactly her style. Clearly, if someone truly wanted to solve a problem, there was always a way.


    Not like some people¨Cusing decency and good intentions as an excuse to y the benevolent fool for


    everyone<b>. </b>


    Shemented idly, ¡°So you¡¯ve finally cut ties with the Johnsons? No more ying the grateful benefactor?¡±


    Still working on his phone, Wyatt replied, ¡°There¡¯s a limit to paying back a favor. Who wants to carry a parasite on their back?¡±


    Especially one so shameless.


    He had already severed ties with the Powells and firmly established his footing. Four years of repaying the Johnsons was more than enough.


    Yunice quirked an eyebrow. ¡°Wow. What a selfless act of service to the people.¡±


    After a moment, Wyatt asked, ¡°What about you? When are you going to clear your own debt?¡±


    ¡°Melina,¡± he added, hinting at the woman she was still taking care of.


    Yunice¡¯s gaze dimmed. ¡°She doesn¡¯t ask for anything. Just giving her food is enough. I¡¯ll take care of her until the end.¡±


    After a while, she noticed Wyatt watching her. She lifted her eyes from the book, frowning.


    What was he looking at?


    Why was he staring at her with that sympathetic, pained expression?


    She even nced down at herself. Nothing seemed out of ce.


    Wyatt said in a low voice, ¡°I looked into Melina. She had a granddaughter named Lauren who died in a psychiatric ward¨Can ident.¡±


    So how had Yunice gotten entangled with Melina? What kind of bond made her feel indebted?


    He¡¯d tried <i>to </i>investigate, but the orderlies had changed too many times, and the rest were all mentally ill- nothing useful.


    He wanted to know what had happened. What could have made Yunice, who hated owing favors and stepping into others¡® karmic messes, ask him to take care of someone else?


    The only thread tying Yunice and Melina together was Lauren.


    And Lauren was dead..


    But how? And why?


    <b>1/3 </b>


    Chapter <b>598 </b>The <b>Weight </b><b>of </b>a <b>Favor </b>


    <b>Yunice </b>had never mentioned Melina publicly¨Cafraid someone would tell the <b>woman </b><b>that </b>her


    granddaughter had died. Only Owen, who had handled Lauren¡¯s death certificate, had <b>caught </b>onto a few


    clues.


    Back then, Yunice feared she wouldn¡¯t survive the ward herself. If she died, Melina would be all alone. That¡¯s why she¡¯d asked Wyatt to step in.


    Now Melina was terminally ill¨Cstage four cancer. No cure, only a few months left. There was no need <b>to </b>keep hiding the truth.


    Yunice said, ¡°The patients there didn¡¯t recognize people, only things. One day Lauren identally <b>wore </b>my bag, and they mistook her for me. During one of their ¡®games, they got too rough. It ended in <b>an </b>ident.¡±


    Her tone was light, but Wyatt¡¯s expression grew heavier, even trembling slightly.


    ¡°What kind of game leads to multiple fractures and internal bleeding?¡± he asked softly.


    He¡¯d spent two days in that asylum. The patients had asional scuffles, but most were stopped quickly <b>by </b>orderlies.


    Lauren¡¯s injuries clearly hadn¡¯te from one person or one brief moment.


    Yunice¡¯s face remained calm. ¡°There¡¯s no way to find out anymore.¡±


    The truth was, the institution Owen had sent her to was high¨Cend and strictly managed. Incidents like this weren¡¯t supposed to happen.


    But what could rules do against malice?


    Elsie had bribed the orderlies. They deliberately encouraged the others to target Yunice¨Cand when she tried <i>to </i>seek help, they cut off every possible avenue.


    No one from the Saunders family ever came to check on her. No one cared.


    She had no one in her corner.


    She still remembered the one time she managed to reach Owen¨Cit was only because he forgot to pay hospital bill.


    She remembered how her hand had trembled holding the phone.


    her


    Back then, she still foolishly believed Owen might care. She thought maybe he¡¯d been deceived by Elsie, that he didn¡¯t know the truth.


    She¡¯d only managed to whisper ¡°Owen, help me¡­¡± before Elsie¡¯s voice came through on his end of the line.


    He got distracted immediately.


    And the orderly behind Yunice had covered her mouth, ripped the phone away.


    After talking with Elsie, Owen came back on the line and said, ¡°Yunice, don¡¯t be stubborn. The doctors <b>are </b>helping you, Get better soon, and I¡¯ll bring you home.¡±


    <b>2/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>593 </b><b>The </b>Weight <b>of </b>a <b>Favor </b>


    <b>Then </b>he <b>hung </b><b>up</b><b>. </b>

 Daghter 594

    Chapter 594 Footsteps in the <b>Snow </b>


    Chapter 594 Footsteps in the Snow


    <b>That </b>one chance to call for help had not only failed but had ended with Yunice dragged into <b>the </b>punishment room and beaten within an inch of her life.


    Some lessons couldn¡¯t be taught by people they had to be taught by pain. And one time was enough.


    It was then she finally understood: Owen wasn¡¯t deceived or misled. He simply didn¡¯t care anymore.


    After she was released from the asylum, the orderly who had tormented her under Elsie¡¯s orders vanished without a trace. The only ones left who knew what had happened were the other patients.


    But who would believe the words of a madman?


    Yunice said lightly, ¡°It was just an ident. The assistant nurse happened to be absent that day, and the patients decided to y their ¡®pile¨Cup¡® game. I¡¯ve been caught in it myself¨Cit usually stops right away when someone shouts. But Lauren¡­ she wasn¡¯t as lucky. They pinned her down for ten full minutes. Her bones shattered, organs ruptured¡­ she suffocated to death.¡±¡­


    Wyatt already knew Yunice had once been injured the same way. He¡¯d seen the bruises she¡¯d had when she first arrived. But he hadn¡¯t imagined the scale of Lauren¡¯s suffering.


    And now, he wondered how Yunice¨Cso small and fragile¨Chad survived daily abuse like that.


    Noticing his reddened eyes, Yunice teased, ¡°It really was just once or twice. I¡¯m not made of <i>steel</i>. If they¡¯d hit me any harder, I would¡¯ve died.¡±


    Wyatt turned his head away. He didn¡¯t want to hear any more.


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to dwell on the past either. She reclined in her chair, flipping through her book, refusing to meet Wyatt¡¯s gaze.


    Just then, a servant stepped in. ¡°Sir, Ma¡¯am, Ms. Nora has been picked up.¡±


    Something about the way she looked at Wyatt seemed off, though Yunice could only see the back of his head.


    She didn¡¯t know what expression he wore.


    Her phone buzzed on the table, interrupting her thoughts.


    She assumed it was Peggy or Owen, but to her surprise, it was a message from Tommy¨Csomeone she hadn¡¯t heard from in a while.


    ¡°Yunice, CET¨C4 and CET¨C6 exams are next week. The week after, there¡¯s a one¨Cmonth practical course<b>. </b>Attendance is mandatory for your graduation certificate. Please take it seriously.¡±


    Yunice tapped her fingers against the screen. The English exams were no problem.


    But the practical course¡­.


    She replied: ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Chapter 594 Footsteps in the <b>Snow </b>


    The medical university was far from Pavilion Hall and Wellinges Pharma<b>. </b>If she needed <b>to </b>attend the foll month, she might have to temporarily move into the dorms.


    Yunice nced at Wyatt and decided she¡¯d tell himter.


    A maid approached. ¡°Ma¡¯am, the snow in the yard has stopped. If it¡¯s of no use to you, the housekeeper ns to have it cleared before it gets messy.¡±


    Fresh snow could get everything wet and slushy if not cleaned soon.


    Yunice looked out the window. The nket of snow was pure, untouched¨Cno trace of humans yet. A few plum blossoms were budding on a green bough, delicate against the white.


    She actually wanted to go out, to hear that satisfying <i>crunch </i><i>crunch </i>of snow underfoot.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Don¡¯t clear it. I still need it.¡±


    He turned and held a hand


    ut to her. ¡°Wanna go for a walk?¡±


    He¡¯d skipped work today for this snowfall.


    Yunice noticed his eyes were still rimmed red. She also wanted to go out, so she didn¡¯t refuse.


    Wyatt told the maid, ¡°Bring Yunice the pale blue cloak from the wardrobe.¡±


    When they stepped out, Yunice wore a dressy little outfit, but Wyatt had forcibly swapped hermbskin shoes for thick snow boots.


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to change¨Cher cloak and dress were beautiful, and the boots didn¡¯t match. It bugged her just looking at them.


    But Wyatt knelt, one hand on her ankle, the other gently removing her shoe and slipping on the boots. Then he took her hand and tugged her out the door.


    Yunice trailed behind him, muttering under her breath the whole way.


    Once they were outside, she began crunching through the snow. The soft powderpacted beneath her feet with that familiar crunch.


    That sound took her back to a winter long ago when the family had shut her out, and she¡¯d walked alone through the snow.


    It had sounded exactly like this.


    Back then, it had felt bitter and cold. Her shoes had been stiff, her feet frozen.


    Now her boots were warm, her body snug, her heart content.


    <b>08:18 </b>Thu<b>, </b><b>31 </b><b>Jul </b>14


    Chapter 595 A Snapshot in the Snow

 Daghter 595

    Chapter 595 A Snapshot in the Snow


    Chapter 595 A Snapshot in the Snow


    Wyatt stood a short distance away, quietly watching Yunice enjoy the snow.


    s


    When she finally tired of stomping around, he said, ¡°The plum blossoms over there look good. Want to cut a few for a vase?¡±


    Sure.¡± Yunice walked over while Wyatt, hands in his coat pockets, followed behind.


    She picked up a pair of garden shears and stood by the plum tree, examining the branches before deciding which one to clip.


    Just as she reached up in concentration, the tree gave a slight shake. A few snowkes drifted down from the branches.


    Then she heard the sound of a camera shutter¨Ctwo quick clicks.


    Startled, Yunice turned sharply to <i>see </i>Wyatt resting one hand on the tree, the other holding up his phone, the lens pointed right at her.


    So he had shaken the tree on purpose.


    ¡°You took my photo?!¡± she demanded.


    She lunged for the phone, but Wyatt stepped back and raised it high out of her reach.


    Yunice stretched onto her toes, grabbing for his wrist. Wyatt, seeing how worked up she was, finally said, ¡°Just one. It didn¡¯t even turn out well.¡±


    ¡°You took it without asking! And I¡¯m wearing these ugly shoes!¡± she snapped.


    Wyatt nced at his phone and said calmly, ¡°They¡¯re not ugly.¡±


    ¡°They are! Delete it!¡± Yunice insisted, reaching again.


    When she couldn¡¯t grab it, she pinched Wyatt¡¯s side instead. He flinched, instinctively pulling away¨Che was ticklish¨Cand she finally snatched the phone.


    To keep him from grabbing it back, she turned around and shielded the screen with her body like a cat hoarding something.


    The screen was still lit. One nce at the photo made her face <i>go </i>green.


    What kind of horrendous angle was that¡­? The shot was so blurry it could pass for a white¨Cfurred monkey, Typical man¨Cwith the photography skills of a blind goose.


    She deleted it instantly. After triple¨Cchecking there were no other sneak shots, she handed the phone back.


    Wyatt folded his arms, looking down at her little face peeking from under her hood, amusement dan in his eyes. ¡°So you won¡¯t take pictures with ugly shoes. If I swap them for pretty ones, will you let me?¡±


    He turned and called toward the house. ¡°Bring Yunice¡¯s white diamond stilettos.¡±


    Chapter 595 A Snapshot in the Snow


    A maid quickly retrieved the exact pair from the entryway shoe rack and jogged them over.


    Wyatt took off his coat andid it down on the snow, then turned to change her shoes.


    s


    Yunice instinctively pulled her foot back, a little dazed. Wasn¡¯t this scene¨Chim kneeling in the snow to change her shoes¨C<i>a </i>bit too¡­ intimate?


    But Wyatt had already caught her ankle. Seeing her frozen in surprise, he reminded her, ¡°Hold onto something or you¡¯ll fall t on your face.¡±


    She wobbled slightly as he guided her foot forward, and reflexively steadied herself on his shoulder.


    The stilettosy there on his coat¨Cbright and beautiful against the snow<i>. </i>


    His hand cupped her arch gently, not leaving her exposed to the cold too long.


    Once one shoe was on, he didn¡¯t let go. Instead, he motioned for her to rest that foot on his jacket, so it wouldn¡¯t freeze on the snow.


    He was right. The heels had thin soles and open tops¨Cstanding directly in the snow would numb her in minutes.


    Yunice bit her lip, following his lead and stepping down onto the coat.


    Under the cloak, her hands curled nervously. Her face burned.


    Why <i>did </i><i>the </i>whole <i>thing </i>feel <i>strangely</i><i>¡­ </i><i>suggestive</i><i>? </i>


    Wyatt said nothing. Hisshes lowered slightly, his gaze ncing over the elegant curve of her ankle. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed faintly.


    Soon, he helped her into the other shoe as well.


    Standing, he said calmly, ¡°There. Now that you¡¯re beautiful again, let¡¯s retake the photo.¡±


    ¡°I never agreed to a photo,¡± Yunice retorted.


    ¡°But you already changed shoes. Wouldn¡¯t it be a shame to waste it?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    He raised the phone again. ¡°If you don¡¯t get ready, I¡¯m taking another bad one.¡±


    ¡°I¨Cwait!¡± Yunice scrambled to pose.


    Hand on the tree? Peace sign? What should she do with her feet? How do you even smile naturally?


    Before she could decide, Wyatt stepped into frame beside her.


    Startled, she turned to look at him.


    <i>Click </i>


    He¡¯d snapped the photo already.


    C


    Chapter 595 A Snapshot in the Snow


    She peeked at the screen.


    15 Free <b>Coins </b>


    The frame caught a tip of the plum branch, the two of them standing beneath it. They were mid¨Cturn, gazing at each other. Snow drifted gently down, catching in their hair, glinting white against ck.


    Another sneak shot.


    Wyatt checked the image, saved it, and then showed her. ¡°This one turned out nice. I¡¯m keeping it.¡±

 Daghter 596

    Chapter 596 Home and Snow


    Yunice didn¡¯t really want a photo taken, but she didn¡¯t force him to delete it either.


    Ever since she¡¯de back from the asylum, her physical and mental health hadn¡¯t been <b>great</b><b>. </b><b>She </b><b>hadn¡¯t </b>updated her social media in over a year, and her phone didn¡¯t even have a single selfie.


    Someone who wasn¡¯t truly happy had no reason to reach for a camera to capture their face.


    The only halfway decent photo she had was the one from the wedding, taken by the event <b>team</b>.


    This one just now was the only candid shot from real life.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Before Yunice could react, her feet left the ground.


    She was small and light, and Wyatt easily scooped her up in his arms. He even adjusted her weight a little so it was morefortable to hold her.


    Naturally, she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck.


    Back inside, the warm carpet and heating instantly wrapped around them. Wyatt ced her gently on the sofa<i>. </i>


    A maid came over to take her heels¨CWyatt didn¡¯t allow her to wear those around the house.


    <i>Too </i><i>tiring</i><i>. </i>


    Her feet were cold from the snow. Wyatt sat beside her and lifted her legs onto hisp so she ended up lying sideways across the couch.


    She watched as Wyatt lifted his shirt and tucked her feet underneath.


    The feel of her bare skin pressing against his warm, firm abs made her cheeks flush bright red.


    ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    There were people around.


    Wyatt nced at her,pletely unfazed. One hand rested casually on her calf, the other scrolled through his phone.


    She stayed reclined while the maid added a few cushions behind her back.


    Upstairs, Elianna had just woken up. Dressed in a Pikachu pajama set, she walked out of her room and immediately spotted the two of them downstairs.


    ¡°Ugh, too much PDA first thing/in the morning¡­¡±


    Grumbling under her breath, she sleepily made her way to the kitchen to find the breakfast the maid had left for her.


    173


    <b>18 </b>18 THU 36,


    Chapter 596 Home and Snow


    Neither Yunice nor Wyatt moved. With Wyatt holding onto her, she couldn¡¯t <b>get </b>up even if she <b>wanted </b>to.


    In the kitchen, Elianna was munching on toast when her phone chimed with a special alert


    The only person she had on alert was Wyatt.


    But since he created that ount, he had never posted a single update. Elianna had almost convinced herself it had all been a fever dream caused by too much gaming.


    Until she checked her feed.


    Wyatt had just posted his first<b>¨C</b>ever story.


    A photo of the two of them.


    It was the selfie he¡¯d taken just minutes ago in the courtyard with Yunice.


    The toast slipped from her mouth and hit the floor with a thud.


    That was all it took. In the blink of an eye, Wyatt¡¯s post exploded with likes. Their mutuals noticed immediately¨Cit was way too rare to ignore.


    Someone evenmented: ¡°Wyatt, is this your official announcement?¡±


    Only a handful of people had attended their wedding and actually seen Yunice¡¯s face


    up


    close.


    Most had no idea who Wyatt¡¯s wife even was or what she looked like.


    But now that he had posted her photo¨Ceven if it was just a profile¨Cit changed everything. Her identity and significance were instantly apparent.


    Minutes passed, and Yunice still hadn¡¯t realized Wyatt had shared a photo.


    She was preupied¨Cher school counselor had just informed her that she needed to be on campus in three days for a month¨Clong clinical rotation, or she¡¯d fail.


    Tommy had warned her, but she hadn¡¯t expected it toe so soon.


    She¡¯d nned to tell Wyattter. Clearly, she couldn¡¯t wait.


    ¡°Wyatt¡­¡±


    Her hesitant tone made him raise a brow. He assumed she was about to scold him for posting that photo and ask him to delete it.


    No chance.


    To his surprise, she said, ¡°Wyatt,/I might need to go <i>to </i>school for a bit.¡±


    He didn¡¯t realize the implication right away.


    ¡°Okay. When are you going? I¡¯ll drive you.¡±


    ¡°No need. I¡­ I¡¯ll have to stay there for a month.¡±


    Chapter 596 Home and Snow


    The moment those words left her lips, his expression visibly stiffened, then darkened.


    ¡°I post one photo and you¡¯re already trying to move out?¡±


    Why did she always want to avoid him? Was he really that hard to be around?


    Yunice blinked. ¡°¡­You posted a photo?¡±


    Only then did she realize they were talking aboutpletely different things. She nced down at her phone.


    Freya had just messaged her, teasing her about how lovey¨Cdovey the two of them looked.

 Daghter 597

    Chapter 597 The Real Test


    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b><b>face </b>flushed red <b>as </b><b>she </b>finally saw Wyatt¡¯s post.


    The likes were already lined up in several neat rows¨Cclearly everyone had seen it.


    But¡­ it wasn¡¯t really a big deal.


    What couple didn¡¯t do something cheesy every now and then?


    No one would take it too seriously.


    She turned back to Wyatt and continued exining. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this to get back at you. It¡¯s a required clinical rotation. If I don¡¯t go, I fail. And I¡¯m not letting a failing grade show up on my transcript.¡±


    That was her academic pride. Even a single lost point was uneptable.


    ¡°Clinical rotation?¡± Wyatt frowned, clearly ufortable. ¡°You really can¡¯t skip it?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    His face soured. ¡°Not a week. Not two. A whole month.¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t go, I fail!¡± Yunice said again. ¡°I already got permission to study remotely this long. Now I have to be on campus for a month¨Cwhat¡¯s the big deal? You think college is easy to coast through?¡±


    Wyatt sat up. ¡°So you go off for a month. What am I supposed to do?¡±


    Yunice snapped, ¡°Whatever you want! You¡¯re not a child. I don¡¯t have to babysit you. You¡¯re not working anyway¨Clock yourself upstairs and y dress¨Cup or something!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Elianna suddenly burst out of the kitchen. ¡°Nora just liked your post!¡±


    Wyatt and Yunice both looked at her. Neither looked thrilled¨Cwho smiles during a fight?


    And Elianna¡¯spleteck of timing only made things worse.


    She froze where she stood, still at a safe distance, then tried to backpedal: ¡°I just thought¨Csince Nora liked the photo¨Cit meant she epted your rtionship? So maybe the three of you could be friends now¡­¡±


    Before she could finish, Yunice exploded.


    ¡°Who the hell needs her approval?! Who the hell asked for it?!¡±


    Elianna turned and bolted upstairs


    She didn¡¯t mean anything by it. She just thought if everyone got along, it would be better. Why was Yunice so scary?


    Yunice¡¯s anger didn¡¯t just scare Elianna¨Cit made Wyatt tense <i>too</i>.


    Already mid¨Cargument, and now someone brought up Nora of all people<i>? </i>He was definitely <b>guilty</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>it </b>


    showed.


    Chapter 597 The Real Test


    That guilt made him cave. ¡°Fine. You can go. But I¡¯m getting you a private dorm room.¡±


    Otherwise, under normal arrangements, Yunice would be stuck in a four¨Cperson dorm.


    Too noisy, too crowded, and who knew what kind of roommates she¡¯d get. No need to put up with that.


    But Yunice still wasn¡¯t pleased. ¡°I haven¡¯t been on campus in months. Now I show up and get special treatment? What do you think people will say? I¡¯m sticking with the standard arrangement.¡±


    With that, she kicked Wyatt aside, slipped on her slippers, and marched upstairs.


    Wyatt stayed behind, rubbing his temples.


    Irritated, he pulled out his phone, found Nora¡¯s profile in his WhatsApp contacts¨Cand deleted her.


    Elsewhere, Nora was sitting with a group of friends at a clubhouse.


    They were all former mutuals of hers and Wyatt¡¯s.


    Even though they no longer acknowledged her past status, when she invited them out as a ¡°friend,¡± none of them refused.


    Naturally, they¡¯d all seen Wyatt¡¯s post.


    After giving it a like, Nora smiled. ¡°He¡¯s still the same as before¡­¡±


    Everyone around her exchanged uncertain nces.


    To be honest, they all assumed Wyatt had posted that announcement specifically to show Nora¨Cand to make her give up.


    She should¡¯ve been devastated. But here she was, smiling?


    Had lying in a hospital bed for years scrambled her brain?


    But Nora just looked calm and pleased. ¡°He waited all this time to post something, and only does it after <i>I </i>woke up. Doesn¡¯t that say everything?¡±


    The group went silent, their eyes flicking toward her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Nora continued. ¡°He posted it just for me. How childish¡­ trying to make me feel bad.¡±


    They frowned¨Cbut no one challenged her.


    After all, this group of socialites were masters at reading the room. They¡¯d already started calcting which woman had Wyatt¡¯s heart, because that answer would shape their future social ties.


    <b>9/2 </b>


    <b>C </b>

 Daghter 598

    <b>hapter </b><b>598 Cracks </b><b>Beneath </b><b>the </b><b>Surface </b>


    Chapter 598 Cracks Beneath the Surface


    <b>Nora¡¯s </b>words might have sounded delusional at first, but the more they thought about <b>it</b><b>, </b><b>the </b>more sense they seemed to make.


    After all, wasn¡¯t that how dramas always yed out? The emotionally constipated male lead would <b>use </b><b>some </b>side character to provoke the heroine¨Cmake her jealous, make her suffer, and in the end, he¡¯d always return to her arms.


    And if Nora were the heroine, then Yunice was just a temporary obstacle.


    With that possibility in mind, their old social circle began ying both sides again. No one wanted to <b>burn </b>a bridge¨Cjust in case Wyatt did a dramatic reversal someday.


    In fact, Wyatt¡¯s so¨Ccalled public deration only made them treat Nora with more courtesy than before.


    Of course, Wyatt had no idea this was happening. And Nora had no clue that moments after she liked his post¡­ he had already deleted her from his contacts.


    Upstairs, Yunice had already finished packing her suitcase by the time Wyatt came in.


    After all the fuss, she¡¯d calmed down.


    Seeing him walk in, she took the initiative to speak. ¡°I¡¯m reporting to campus tomorrow. Freya said she¡¯d drive me.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face immediately darkened. ¡°You¡¯re going off to school, and I¡¯m not even allowed to take you?¡± This time, Yunice didn¡¯t argue. Her voice was calm. ¡°I have a lot to carry, and I¡¯ll be living in the women¡¯s dorms. Even if you came with me, you wouldn¡¯t be able to carry my things in.¡±


    Then she added, ¡°And because of what happened back when I took the SATS, people already don¡¯t like me. I don¡¯t want photos floating around that make it look like I got into school through special connections.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face was stone cold again. It looked like he could kill with a nce.


    Yunice paused as she packed, then decided to sweeten things a little. pping him with reality was one thing¨Cbut you had to offer a bit of honey, too. Otherwise, he might really blow up.


    She hesitated, then said, ¡°There¡¯s a shopping district behind the medical school. If you¡¯re free sometime, you coulde walk around with me.<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt raised an eyebrow. The corner of his mouth lifted.


    Yunice stuffed thest shirt into her suitcase and zipped it closed.


    Maybe handling Wyatt wasn¡¯t so hard after all¡­


    Meanwhile, Owen was still tearing his hair out over Timothy.


    Timothy had fully moved in and refused to leave. Lily was so terrified she <b>was </b>living out <b>of </b>a hotel. <b>Even </b>worse, the old creep kept trying to spy on Peggy when she showered, making her <b>scream </b>and throw things at him.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>598 </b><b>Cracks </b>Beneath <b>the </b><b>Surface </b>


    <b>But </b><b>the </b><b>guy </b><b>didn¡¯t </b><b>scare </b><b>easily</b>. <b>He </b>was more <b>aggressive </b>than Peggy<b>¨C</b><b>he </b>wasn¡¯t <b>even </b><b>afraid </b><b>to </b><b>hit </b><b>her </b>back


    <b>People </b><b>say </b>a reckless brute will beat a brute, and a lunatic beats them <b>all</b>. <b>Peggy </b>thought <b>she¡¯d </b><b>seen </b>it all turns out she¡¯d underestimated the chaos.


    Furious, she went to Owen to demand he call the police<b>. </b>


    Instead, Owen blew up at her. If she dared involve the police, he warned, she could forget <b>about </b><b>touching </b>another cent of the Saunders family¡¯s money. He¡¯d divorce her on the spot and wouldn¡¯t <b>spare </b><b>a </b><b>dime</b>.


    Peggy was stunned. She hadn¡¯t expected Owen to side with some filthy old man over her.


    She snapped. ¡°You disgusting bastard! You¡¯re not protecting that pervert¨Cyou¡¯re just afraid the <b>cops </b><b>will </b>blow up Elsie¡¯s fake identity and expose the fake legal documents you signed!¡±


    Owen froze. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    Peggy smirked. ¡°I know more than that. I know you sold Saunders Hospital and this house for 30 billion<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen looked like he¡¯d seen a ghost. He lunged and pped a hand over Peggy¡¯s mouth, terrified Timothy might hear through the door.


    His voice was low and panicked. ¡°You went through my safe?¡±


    He kept all his sensitive documents in the study. The only way Peggy could¡¯ve known was if she¡¯d looked.


    Peggy sneered. Thank Yunice for that. She¡¯d gone looking for the will¨Cbut found something even juicier: the sale contracts<b>. </b>


    That was how she learned that the house she lived in and everything the Saunders family owned¡­ no longer belonged to them.


    Now it was all under Owen¡¯s name. The house and business were just empty shells.


    Peggy grinned coldly. ¡°Half of that 30 billion is mine. And if you don¡¯t get rid of that disgusting old man, I¡¯ll make sure he gets a cut of it.¡±


    Owen was livid. How could he have been <i>so </i>unlucky¨Cwhy did Peggy have to find out?


    He clutched his head, spiraling, nearly losing it.


    But eventually he forced himself to think. One step at <i>a </i>time.


    Then he turned back and tried to cate her. ¡°Honey, I wasn¡¯t trying to hide it from you. I was trying to protect us from that leech. We¡¯re on the same team now. Just pretend you don¡¯t know anything for now. I¡¯ll get rid of Timothy¨CI swear.¡±


    <b>2/2 </b>

 Daghter 599

    Chapter 599 The Final Straw


    Chapter 599 The Final Straw


    Peggy looked stunned.


    Owen¨Cwho had always treated her with disdain¨Cwas actually calling her <i>wife</i><i>? </i>


    Heh. That meant he was really out of options.


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    When she stopped yelling, Owen lowered his voice. ¡°This is about both of us. If we don¡¯t deal with Timothy, I¡¯ll be the one locked up. Then how are you going to get a piece of my assets?¡±


    He softened his tone. ¡°Keep an eye on him for me. I¡¯ll go figure out how to get rid of him.¡±


    Peggy didn¡¯t reply. She knew Owen was just trying to sweet¨Ctalk her, but right now, their best chance was to team up and get rid of Timothy first.


    Owen slipped out through the window so as not to alert Timothy. Using the contact Yunice had given him, he found the real estate agent who had handled Timothy¡¯s property.


    ¡°That house? It was bought four years ago,¡± the agent said.


    Owen blinked. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. He didn¡¯t have any money.¡±


    The agent shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what everyone thinks. He didn¡¯t have money then, doesn¡¯t have money now. You think he bought a Silverburgh property and registered a household all on his own? No¨Che had a very capable daughter.¡±


    Owen felt a chill rush through his spine. His voice trembled. ¡°¡­What daughter?¡±


    ¡°Timothy¡¯s daughter. She came with him, paid for the ce, even pulled strings to get the paperwork done.¡±


    Owen¡¯s whole body started shaking. ¡°What did she look like?¡±


    ¡°Pretty,¡± the agent replied. ¡°Wore all designer brands, petite, slim. Said she had a hospital director brother and a rich boyfriend. She didn¡¯t hold back on spending.¡±


    A crash echoed inside Owen¡¯s head. He nearly lost his bnce.


    No. It couldn¡¯t be¡­


    He pulled up a photo of Elsie on his phone and shoved it at the agent. ¡°Was it her?¡±


    The agent took a quick nce. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her.¡±


    Before he could say another word, Owen had grabbed him by the cor and nearly lifted him off the floor.


    ¡°You¡¯re working with Yunice! You¡¯re lying to me!¡± he roared.


    The agent panicked. ¡°Are you nuts?! Security! Get this lunatic out of here!¡±


    The security team and manager came running. Owen switched targets and grabbed the manager, demanding to see footage from four years ago.


    173


    O


    Chapter 599 The Final Straw


    ¡°We don¡¯t have that,¡± the manager said.


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    Owen threw a wad of cash in his face. ¡°Cut the crap. I know you have an internal archive system!*


    The manager was about to call the police, but a phone call stopped him. After listening for a moment, his attitude did a 180.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he said.


    In the back room, the manager essed the archive and pulled up the footage.


    There she was¨CElsie. Apanying Timothy through the whole home¨Cbuying process. Touring the model units, reviewing the contract, swiping the card.


    She didn¡¯t even try to hide her face.


    Why would she? No one could¡¯ve imagined that the same woman who constantly talked about how much she hated Timothy¨Chow ashamed she was of him¨Cwas secretly using Saunders family money to buy him a home and get him settled in the city.


    The man who vited Owen¡¯s mother. The man whose crimes led to his father¡¯s death. Now livingfortably in Silverburgh, funded by the family he destroyed.


    Owen¡¯s voice broke. ¡°He¡­ he vited my mother, killed my father¡­ and now he¡¯s living like a king, spending <i>our </i>money, raised by a daughter <i>we </i>took in¡­¡±


    His legs buckled. He copsed to the floor.


    His face turned a frightening shade of purple. The manager, worried, called for an ambnce.


    The hospitalter diagnosed him with severe liver damage. He¡¯d have to be hospitalized for treatment. Ironically, the illness gave him a moment of solitude¨Cfinally a break from the madness.


    It was Elsie. Elsie had bought the house for Timothy.


    She was still tethered to that man.


    But hadn¡¯t she looked at him¨Cso sincere, so full of emotion¨Cand said she only saw herself as a daughter of the Saunders family? That Owen was the only family she had?


    <i>Then </i><i>why</i><i>¡­ </i>


    <i>Why </i><i>do </i><i>this</i><i>? </i>


    A cold voice cut through the silence.


    ¡°Looks like you still haven¡¯t woken up.¡±


    Yunice stood at the door, her expression unreadable.


    Owen jerked upright. His face twisted with conflicting emotions¨Cdesperation, anger, guilt.


    Yunice sat down casually and grabbed his chart.


    Chapter 599 The Final Straw


    Owen awkwardly shifted, swinging his legs down from the bed. ¡°Yunice¡­¡±


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    Chapter 600 What She Never Gave You

 Daghter 600

    Chapter 600 What She Never Gave You


    Chapter 600 What She Never Gave You


    There was a hint of a sob in Owen¡¯s throat¨Csomething raw, something betrayed.


    He was trying to find sce in the only family he had left¨CYunice. But only now<i>. </i>Only when everyone else had failed him. Only when there was no one else left.


    Yunice didn¡¯t lift her eyes from the medical file as she said calmly, ¡°Still feels like a bad dream, doesn¡¯t it? You can¡¯t bring yourself to believe it. You think Elsie should hate the father who brought her into that mountain vige. You think she should prefer being the Saunders family¡¯s daughter, livingrge<b>, </b>admired by all. You don¡¯t get it. Why she would go back to Timothy after all that. Why she¡¯d stay tangled up with him.¡±


    Owen swallowed hard. His lips were dry. ¡°Timothy¡¯s a thug¡­ maybe¡­ maybe Elsie was threatened. She¡¯s proud. She wouldn¡¯t have asked for help.¡±


    It sounded like a good excuse.


    Yunice didn¡¯t argue. She shut the medical file and said, ¡°If our father knew he¡¯d raised such a generous son, I bet he¡¯d be proud.¡±


    Owen heard the sarcasm.


    Then Yunice handed him a stack of bank statements. No, not a stack¨Ca solid roll, as thick as her wrist.


    ¡°This is every wire transfer Elsie made to Timothy. The earliest one was five years ago.¡±


    Elsie had only been with the Saunders family for six or seven years. She¡¯d barely gotten her footing when she started sending money to that man.


    The transfers ranged from thirty million to a few thousand. Sometimes once every three months, sometimes three times in a single month. The total? Eighty million.


    Yunice asked lightly, ¡°You remember those times you were strapped for cash? Did Elsie ever help you way she helped Timothy?¡±


    the


    Owen¡¯s expression froze. He remembered those hospital funding shortages. How he¡¯d been on the verge of selling off property. Elsie hadforted him¨Csaid she didn¡¯t have money to help.


    But Yunice¡¯s documents told another story.


    That very afternoon, when Owen was ready to sell the house to pay Jo Wankun the three million for the broken bracelet, Elsie had wired Timothy three million instead.


    When a reporter ckmailed her for a million over her background scandal, Owen had run himself ragged pulling together the funds, Elsie had told him she had nothing.


    And yet, the same day, she transferred money to Timothy.


    She hadn¡¯t been broke. She just didn¡¯t want to help him.


    Yunice said, ¡°Since you¡¯re so quick to make excuses for her, why don¡¯t you ask yourself¨Cwhat has she <b>ever </b>really done for you? When I was locked up in that psych ward, the Saunders Hospital was thriving<b>. </b>How


    did it nosedive in just three years?¡±


    <b>Because </b>Owen had let Elsic<b>¨C</b>someone with no real medical background¨Cpractice <b>on </b>patients<b>. </b><b>From </b>inserting catheters to assisting in surgery. From minor injections to prescribing medication<b>. </b>


    How many patients had suffered for that?


    In those three years, the hospital had made the news for eighteen different medical scandals. Paid <b>out </b>settlements in forty¨Cthree cases.


    ¡°The reputation and legacy of the Saunders family crumbled in your hands,¡± Yunice said, her tone cool. ¡°All thanks to you and Elsie. And all that money she wired to Timothy, her spending, all those luxury goods in Lily¡¯s wardrobe¨Cwhere do you think that money came from? You really think Paul paid for all <b>of </b>that?


    ¡°Those old doctors¨CDad¡¯s formerrades<b>¨C</b>stayed at the hospital because they were loyal. But once <b>you </b>took over, they all ¡®messed up¡® one by one and got fired. Ever wonder why?


    ¡°You reced them with new doctors who barely had certifications. Useless ones. But they got to be department heads. Because they bribed Elsie for it.¡±


    Owen¡¯s fists trembled.


    Yunice continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t just fire the old doctors. You kicked out all of Dad¡¯s rtives from the hospital and reced them with Terrance¡¯s people. You thought you were seizing power. In truth, they were sinking their teeth into you.¡±


    ¡°Saunders Hospital is finished. From now on, when people hear that name, they won¡¯t think of legacy or honor. They¡¯ll think of scandals and shame.¡±

 Daghter 601

    Chapter 601 Severed


    <b>10 </b><b>Free </b>Coin.


    Yunice nced at the file again. ¡°The infection you picked up in the ward left lesions. You¡¯re showing <b>signs </b>of carly¨Cstage liver cancer.¡±


    Owen knew what that meant.


    If he didn¡¯t get surgery soon, he¡¯d only have a few years. And even those years¨Cwere ones Yunice just gave back to him.


    She owed him nothing.


    He looked pale, slumped in the hospital bed. The betrayal from Elsie hurt more than his illness.


    All those excuses he made for her. All that loyalty. All the blind trust, gone.


    ¡°Yunice¡­¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°If you want toe home, I¡¯ll fix your paperwork. Mom and I can provide a DNA match. We¡¯ll just say you¡¯re the long¨Clost Saunders daughter. That we¡¯ve finally found you.¡±


    He meant well.


    But the only way to reinstate Yunice was to fabricate a new identity for her. <b>If </b>she returned under <b>her </b>real name, the things Owen had done in the past woulde to light.


    Still, if she agreed, her ce in the Saunders family¨Cand the inheritance¨Cwould be secure. Timothy would have no grounds to prove Elsie¡¯s identity.


    But Yunice said, ¡°I was outside the door the day Elsie died. I heard you promise her that you¡¯d never be good to me. That you¡¯d never let mee home.<b>¡± </b>


    Owen¡¯s face drained of color.


    Yunice didn¡¯t give him a chance to respond. She turned and walked away.


    He clenched his fists. He knew now¨CYunice wouldn¡¯t help him.


    So he made a decision.


    He yanked out the IV, grabbed his phone, and called Lily. ¡°Mom, go to the airport now. We¡¯re leaving today!¡±


    Elsie had betrayed him. Her reputation wasn¡¯t worth protecting.


    As for the will fraud¨Conce they were overseas, it wouldn¡¯t matter. He had the 30 billion. Time to disappear before something went wrong.


    Meanwhile, Yunice sat in Freya¡¯s car, en route to the medical university.


    Her phone buzzed.


    ¡°Owen¡¯s on the move. Headed toward the airport.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Just follow. Don¡¯t stop him.¡±


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    Owen and Lily met at the airport in a panic.


    Lily noticed the medical tape on his arm. ¡°What happened to your hand?¡±


    Owen ignored the question. He rushed to the airport¡¯s secure lockers and retrieved a bag.


    ¡°Mom,¡± he said, ¡°get the soonest flight. Doesn¡¯t matter where¨Cit just has to be soon. We¡¯ll figure <b>out </b><b>where </b>to goter.¡±


    Lily followed, nervous. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? Did you bring Elsie¡¯s ashes? We can¡¯t just leave her.¡±


    Owen¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Timothy took them. I couldn¡¯t get them back. But don¡¯t worry<b>¨C</b><b>we¡¯ll </be back one day.¡±


    ¡°What matters is that Yunice is investigating us. If we don¡¯t leave now, we might not <b>get </b>another chance<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    They bought their tickets and went to the gate.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± the airline staff said, turning their passports. ¡°These documents are invalid.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes bulged.


    Someone had doodled all over them.


    Back in the car, Yunice got another update.


    ¡°Their passports are defaced. Recements will take at least 7-10 days. They¡¯re going home.¡±


    ¡°Shame,¡± Yunice texted back. ¡°If only someone <b><i>took </i></b>those documents now, I wonder how long they¡¯d be stuck?¡±


    A few minutester, ding¨Ca photo came through. Someone holding a bunch of freshly stolen IDs.


    Yunice smiled and turned off her phone.


    Freya, who was driving, said, ¡°You left early without telling Wyatt. Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll show up at school and raise hell?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice had told Wyatt she¡¯d leave tomorrow.


    But here she was, already on her way.


    She hadn¡¯t told him because, well¡­ Wyatt was the kind of guy who¡¯d cling like a burr if he got wind of her ns.


    Better to ask forgivenesster than permission now.


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    Chapter 602 Caught Red¨CHanded


    Chapter 602 Caught Red¨CHanded


    ¡°If he dares cause a scene at my school,¡± Yunice said, ¡°then I won¡¯t even bother talking to <b>him</b>.¡±


    Freya let out a teasing ¡°ooh¡± andughed. ¡°You¡¯re really fearless, huh?<b>¡± </b>


    But Yunice wasn¡¯t stupid. If she wanted to keep him calm, she had to bait the hook first.


    She rolled down the window and snapped a photo of the view outside, then sent it to Wyatt on WhatsApp<b>. </b>


    Wyatt was in the middle of a meeting. Two opposing executives were going at it across the conference table, red in the face, shouting each other down.


    He lowered his gaze and opened Yunice¡¯s message.


    The picture was interesting¨Ca shot of the car¡¯s side mirror.


    From the reflection, he could tell it was a red Porsche, clearly a woman¡¯s car.


    What caught his attention was the oversized blue butterfly perched on the mirror¡¯s edge. Yunice must¡¯ve thought it was pretty and snapped the photo.


    And because she was shooting the mirror, her small face/was reflected in it, palm¨Csized and delicate.


    Wyatt zoomed in, studying Yunice¡¯s reflection in the mirror.


    Then he zoomed in again. And again.


    His brows furrowed slightly, as if something was off.


    Then he immediately called her. ¡°Where are you right now?¡±


    Yunice dodged the question. ¡°Is it pretty?¡±


    Wyatt paused. ¡°It¡¯s pretty¡­ you¡¯re always pretty.¡±


    ¡°I meant the butterfly,¡± Yunice said.


    Wyatt replied, ¡°You photoshopped a butterfly into the mirror just to ask me if a fake butterfly looks good?¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Freya burst outughing from the driver¡¯s seat.


    Yunice¡¯s face flushed. Her Photoshop skills were supposed to be wless¨Chow did he notice?


    While she was silently dissecting her mistake, Wyatt pressed again, ¡°You¡¯re on the Jinggang Expressway right now, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯re heading to school? And you didn¡¯t tell me? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Answer me, Yunice.¡±


    Freya gripped the steering wheel,ughing so hard her face almost split. She looked ahead and called out, ¡°Don¡¯t be so mad, Mr. Wyatt./You¡¯re scaring her.¡±


    Wyatt went silent.


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    Chapter 602 Caught Red¨CHanded


    Freya continued, ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you because she didn¡¯t want you to worry. <b>That¡¯s </b>her caring about <b>you</b>:


    Wyatt leaned back in his chair and asked, ¡°When will you get


    there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already at the school gate,¡± Yunice replied.


    ¡°¡­I gotta go, they¡¯re about to close the gate, and I haven¡¯t picked up my student ID yet. <b>I¡¯ll call </b>you <b>back</b>.¡± she added.


    Wyatt looked at his phone. The call had ended.


    Yunice quickly picked up her ID and walked with Freya along the tree¨Clined path of the university <b>campus</b>.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t get it,¡± Yunice muttered. ¡°What did I mess up in that photo?¡±


    How did Wyatt know she was on the expressway?


    Freya chuckled mysteriously. ¡°Maybe he zoomed in on every pixel with a magnifying <b>ss</b>.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Yunice, right?¡± a male voice interrupted Freya¡¯s teasing.


    She looked up and saw a guy with a schrly air and thin¨Crimmed sses walking toward them.


    Her eyes dropped to his work badge. Tommy.


    Freya gave a small ¡°oh¡± of recognition. ¡°I remember you¨Cyou¡¯re that top student at the medical university. You defended her on her livestream once.¡±


    Tommy smiled. ¡°Just standing up for what¡¯s right.¡±


    He turned his eyes to Yunice, who seemed distracted and hadn¡¯t noticed him yet.


    But she caught on quickly and looked up, her gaze sweeping over Tommy¡¯s outfit. ¡°You¡¯re working at the university now?¡±


    Tommy gave a self¨Cdeprecating smile. ¡°Job market¡¯s rough out there. After a round of interviews, I figured this was still the best ce for me.¡±


    ¡°Good for you,¡± Yunice said.


    Tommy nodded toward Freya. ¡°This must be your sister? She looks so young¨Chere to drop you off?¡±


    Then, almost too casually, he added, Your husband didn¡¯te with you?¡±


    Yunice gave a simple ¡°mm¡± and didn¡¯t borate.


    Tommy pointed down a path. ¡°No need to go to the admin office. I¡¯ve got your dorm info and ss schedule right here. Just go straight to the dorms with your sister¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing heels, it¡¯ll be tiring if she has to run around too much.¡±


    Freya gave Tommy a quick nce, amusement in her eyes.


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    Chapter 602 Caught Red¨CHanded


    +10 Free Cos


    After Yunice thanked him, Tommy even helped carry her luggage to the girls¡® dorm entrance.


    Once he left, Freya teased, ¡°Now I get why Wyatt¡¯s so possessive. Look at this campus¨Cevery type of gy all young and hungry. Toss you into this wolf den? No wonder he¡¯s nervous.¡±


    ¡°I like older guys,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°They know how to take care of people.¡±

 Daghter 603

    Chapter 603 Noisy Roommates and Tight Spaces


    Chapter 603 Noisy Roommates and Tight Spaces


    ¡°Pit!¡± Freyaughed so hard she nearly choked.


    The two of them had to carry luggage up the stairs, since Yunice had been assigned to a room on the <b>third </b>floor.


    As they hauled everything up, Freya grumbled, ¡°Wyatt¡¯s cking. He knows his wife¡¯s starting school, and he couldn¡¯t even donate enough to get dorm elevators installed¡­¡±


    Yunice, with a suitcase looped over her wrist and a washbasin in one hand, looked up at the room number. ¡°Freya, it¡¯s this one.¡±


    She knocked on the door, then pushed it open.


    A wave of intense snail noodle stink hit her in the face, making Yunice instinctively take a step back.


    Freya wasn¡¯t as lucky¨Cshe took the full st head¨Con and immediately staggered back, her eyes rolling like she was about to faint.


    Two secondster, she shoved the suitcase into Yunice¡¯s hands. ¡°You go in first. I¡¯m gonna wait for <b>the </b>smell to clear out¡­¡±


    Then she escaped into the hallway for some fresh air.


    Yunice walked in without hesitation. There were two girls in the room¨Cone at her desk slurping noodles and watching a drama on her tablet, the other tugging at her hair while listening to anguage track.


    Noticing someone enter, both girls looked over. ¡°You are¡­<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    The one who spoke kept her voice low, as if worried she might disturb someone.


    Yunice instinctively nced up at the bunk with its curtain drawn. Someone must be asleep inside.


    She lowered her voice and answered politely, ¡°I¡¯m transferring into this dorm.¡±


    She showed them the slip from the dorm manager confirming her room number.


    Once they checked it, the two girls quickly warmed up and helped her move her things in. ¡°The bed by the bathroom¡¯s still empty. Hope that¡¯s okay?¡±


    Everything worked on a firste, first¨Cserved basis. Yunice wasn¡¯t picky.


    Besides, this school¡¯s dorms were already in great condition. Even being next to the bathroom wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    After they helped her settle in, the girls reminded her, ¡°Try to keep things qui curtain sleeps during the day. If she gets woken up, she¡¯ll flip.¡±


    Yunice nodded slowly, then gave them an OK sign with her hand.


    he one behind that


    Finally, she took out some small gifts she¡¯d brought¨Cthose popr RabuBoo plushies that were trendingtely. A


    §°


    <b>08:52 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>1 </b><b>Aug </b><b>6 </b><b>00 </b>


    Chapter 603 Noisy Roommates <b>and </b><b>Tight </b><b>Spaces </b>


    <b>They </b>were <b>cheap </b>but adorable, perfect for breaking the ice.


    Sure enough, the two girls were thrilled. ¡°We really hit the roommate jackpot.


    Yunice looked at the bunk with the curtain and ced another plushie on the desk below <b>it</b><b>. </b><b>Hopefully </b>the girl would see it when she woke up.


    With everything in ce, Yunice walked Freya out.


    Freya,muttered, ¡°If Wyatt saw this setup, he¡¯d drag you home on the spot.¡±


    ¡°This ce is actually really decent. I¡¯ve lived in worse,¡± Yunice said.


    She wasn¡¯t exaggerating, but Freya still looked pained. ¡°You really have to go through <b>all </b><b>this </b><b>for </b><b>school </b>


    Even if she wasn¡¯t married to Wyatt, Chang Huaxu alone wouldn¡¯t let her suffer <b>like </b><b>this</b><b>. </b>Z


    ¡°It¡¯s something I have to do. I need to reim what I lost,¡± Yunice said.


    If Elsie hadn¡¯t derailed her life for three years, she would¡¯ve graduated by now.


    People always had their own weird goals¨Cthings others couldn¡¯t understand.


    Freya sighed. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯ll stay at a hotel near the school for a couple days. Once I¡¯m <b>sure </b><b>no </b><b>one¡¯s </b>going to bully you, I¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°You really don¡¯t have to-¡±


    ¡°Non¨Cnegotiable!¡±


    Still, Yunice had a feeling Wyatt would probably storm over before morning.


    Meanwhile, at Huaxin Pharmaceuticals-


    Wyatt couldn¡¯t focus on anything. He ended the meeting early and headed to the CEO¡¯s office to grab his keys and leave.


    Just as he reached the door, Laurie came swaggering over in ab coat, blocking his way.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere yet¨Csign my leave form! I¡¯m taking a month off!¡±


    Wyatt frowned. ¡°Why the hell do you need a month off?¡±


    ¡°Are you serious right now?¡± Laurie raised her voice. ¡°I¡¯m not your damn workhorse<b>. </b>I ate and <b>slept </b>in theb during thest outbreak. A vacation is the least I deserve.¡±


    When she refused to budge, Wyant impatiently snatched her <b>leave </b>request ar across it.


    Laurie took it with a satisfied grin. ¡°Medical University, here Ie<b>.¡± </b>


    <b>rawled </b><b>his </b><b>signature </b>


    Wyatt was already walking past her but came to a full stop. He turned back. <b>¡°</b>What did <b>you </b><b>just </b><b>say</b><b>? </b><b>Where </b>


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    <b>08:52 </b><b>Fri</b>, 1 <b>Aug </b><b>JUO </b>


    Chapter 603 Noisy Roommates and Tight Spaces


    are you going?¡±


    Back at the dorm, Yunice stayed in for the night.


    To her surprise, Wyatt hadn¡¯t shown up.


    Just before midnight, the curtain¨Cdrawn bunk finally rustled.


    Yunice hadn¡¯t fallen asleep yet. She peeked through the gap and saw the girl across from her climbing down and sitting at her desk to put on makeup.


    She nced at the plushie Yunice had left and immediately pushed it aside without a word.


    Yunice figured she was probably the antisocial type, so she rolled over and went <i>to </i><i>sleep </i>without <b>saying </b>anything.

 Daghter 604

    Chapter 604 Trial by Dirt


    Chapter 604 Trial by Dirt


    The next morning, Yunice joined the hands¨Con training session organized by the school.


    She had assumed ¡°hands¨Con¡± meant anatomy ss¨Cdissecting cadavers with a group of <b>students </b><b>pushing </b>their limits. That kind of thing. She actually felt confident at first, With her experience<b>, </b>this <b>kind </b>of coursework was child¡¯s y.


    But when the teacher had them pick up hocs, rakes, buckets, and shovels, and led them into a <b>greenhouse </b>covered in stic sheeting, she realized this was way out of her expectations.


    ¡°Students,¡± the teacher announced, ¡°aside from your core subjects, we also offer electives. This month¡¯s hands¨Con training is about learning real¨Cworld skills. You see this patch ofnd? It¡¯s an experimental field. I nted all these herbs myself. Your task is to observe how their different growth patterns affect their medicinal properties. Then you¡¯ll write a research report. If it doesn¡¯t meet the standard, you lose points<b>.¡± </b>


    Yunice, like everyone else, widened her eyes in disbelief and bent down to touch the sea of lush green.


    Around her, the other students were whispering to each other.


    ¡°What kind of herb is this? It¡¯s growing like crazy¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not listed in any of the textbooks. Maybe it¡¯s a new variety the teacher cultivated?¡±


    Yunice plucked a strip of long, narrow green leaves and hesitated. ¡°This <b>is </b>just grass<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>


    The other students paused. Her words were like a bucket of cold water, snapping them out of their <i>daze</i>.


    They had all secretly suspected it too¨Cbut no one dared say it. They assumed it must be some kind of herb that looked simr to weeds, and they were too afraid to speak up and get called ignorant.


    After voicing her suspicion, Yunice continued digging around the patch and spotted a pitiful little nt. ¡°Amidst all this grass, there are a few Polygonatum nts.¡±


    The teacher folded his hands behind his back, smiling slyly at them. ¡°We have eighty¨Cfour students. This field has been divided into eighty¨Cfour sections, each marked with a student ID and name. Find your own plot and begin your research.¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°So you¡¯re saying our task is to weed out everything except the herbs?¡±


    The teacher nodded with a smile. ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Yunice strongly suspected this whole training course was the teacher¡¯s personal idea. His experimental field had clearly been overrun with weeds, and instead of clearing it himself, he roped in a bunch of clueless students to do freebor.


    The fresh¨Cfaced students had already started finding their sections inside t


    ¡°Yunice! Yours <b>is </b>over here!¡±


    ¡°Hey, mine¡¯s right next to yours!¡±


    ¡°Aww man, Lena, mine¡¯s so far from you guys!¡±


    arked boundaries.


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    Chapter 604 Trial by Dirt


    Yunice¡¯s two roommates were also in the training ss¨CLena and Jennie.


    Both were neen, bright¨Ceyed and casy to get along with


    Jennie¡¯s plot was next to Yunice¡¯s, so the two could chat while they worked.


    Pushing her sses up her nose, Jennie muttered, ¡°Yunice, is the teacher just making us pull weeds?


    ¡°That¡¯s part of it,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°This stuff¡¯s called ¡®old grass. If you use tools, it often leaves the roots behind, and it¡¯ll regrow. So it¡¯s best to pull it by hand, making sure the entire rootes <b>up</b>. But it¡¯s <b>rough </b>on the hands.¡±


    ¡°Still, I think there¡¯s another reason behind this.¡±


    Jennie looked at her curiously.


    ¡°Our course is about identifying herbs at different stages of growth. I think what the teacher really wants us to do is learn to tell the difference between weeds and medicinal nts.¡±


    If you don¡¯t have a solid grasp of herbal identification, how could you possibly know which to pull and which to keep?


    ¡°You make a good point,¡± Jennie nodded.


    All around them, students were already at work¨Csome digging with tools, some pulling by hand. One mistimed pull left a student falling on their butt and ttening someone else¡¯s field.


    The teacher strolled through the field with his hands behind his back, not the least bit worried about stepping on any herbs.


    Then he paused behind Yunice, watching how she worked.


    Unlike the others who yanked big clumps at a time, Yunice was more methodical. She found the midpoint of a single weed, used a utility knife to slice into the soil, and split the root mass into four parts before removing them one by one.


    Old grass was notorious for its deep, thick roots and strong grip on the soil. Only a few wispy shoots <b>were </b>visible above ground, but below could be a root system the size of a fist.


    Grabbing a whole bunch and yanking often just tore your hands apart.


    By cutting it up first, she broke the resistance, making it much easier to pull.


    ¡°You¡¯re a student from this year¡¯s ss<b>?</b>¡± the teacher asked.


    Yunice looked up. She was three or four years older than the others and had been a non¨Cenrolled outsider until now. Even in the same uniform, her eyes held apletely different energy.


    his back. ¡°This month¡¯s


    The teacher said nothing more, simply walked on with his hands still beh. training has five assessments. This is just the first. Only those who pass this part can move on to the <b>next</b>. Use your time wisely. Don¡¯t ck off and hold up the rest.¡±


    C

 Daghter 605

    Chapter 605 Misunderstandings and Motives


    Chapter 605 Misunderstandings and Motives


    As soon as the teacher gave the instructions, the boys got hyped. They rolled up their sleeves <b>and </b><b>dove </b>in with full strength, yanking out weeds with gusto.


    The girls, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have as much upper body strength, so things went more slowly for them.


    But everyone was earnest and kind¨Chearted. After finishing their own plots, some of the guys automatically helped the girls with theirs. Everyone just wanted to finish quickly and move on to the <b>next </b>phase of the assessment.


    ¡°Yunice, here! Let me help you!¡± A tan¨Cskinned boy with rolled¨Cup sleeves bounced into Yunice¡¯s assigned plot and immediately reached down to start pulling weeds.


    Yunice nced over at his own section. The roots he¡¯d yanked out still had huge chunks of dirt clinging to them, and among them were a few wilted ntain and angelica seedlings, drooping from dehydration.


    She quickly shielded her medicinal plot and declined his help. ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯ve got it.


    The boy scratched his head awkwardly and ran off to help someone else instead.


    By the end of the session, most of the students had finished clearing their plots.


    Yunice was one of the slower ones.


    The teacher wandered leisurely between the plots with a big enamel mug of tea in hand, not offering a single tip or pointer.


    After ss, Yunice went out to eat with Freya off campus.


    She¡¯d been at school for three days and had settled in well. Her ssmates weren¡¯t as gossipy or difficult as she¡¯d expected.


    Freya, on the other hand, had stayed long enough and was about to head back. Mr. Carl needed her.


    Before she left, Freya asked, ¡°Wyatt hasn¡¯te to see you?¡±


    Yunice shook her head.


    Freya looked surprised. ¡°Did he at least text or call? He¡¯s not mad you snuck away without telling him, <i>is </i>he?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t it.


    Since arriving, Yunice and Wyatt had stayed in touch. In fact, they¡¯d just spoken on the phone after ss. Wyatt hadn¡¯t mentioneding to visit, and Yunice hadn¡¯t asked.


    Freya said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him while I¡¯m back. Let¡¯s see what he¡¯s up to.¡±


    Yunice hesitated for a moment but didn¡¯t say anything.


    Meanwhile, at a Silverburgh caf¨¦¡­


    <b>1/2 </b>


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    Chapter 605 Misunderstandings and Motives


    Elianna sat in a private booth, chin propped up, waiting impatiently.


    Before long, she heard the slow tap of footsteps from the hallway.


    She turned and saw Nora, propped up on crutches, making her way in one careful step <b>at </b>a time.


    Elianna blinked in surprise and rushed over to help. ¡°Nora, you¡¯re standing already?¡±


    Nora smiled. ¡°The doctor says I¡¯ve been progressing well with rehab. Maybe in another month I¡¯ll be walking normally again.¡±


    Elianna gawked. ¡°That¡¯s amazing! I read online that injuries like yours can take decades for some people to fully recover from!¡±


    Nora chuckled softly. ¡°Maybe I just have strong willpower.¡±


    Elianna helped her into her seat.


    Nora sighed. ¡°I heard you¡¯re living in Pavilion Hall now. How¡¯s it going with your new wife?¡±


    Elianna didn¡¯t think much of the question. She¡¯d always seen Nora as a gentle friend and didn¡¯t suspect <i>a </i>thing. She¡¯d been bottling up her feelingstely, and Nora gave her someone to talk to<i>, </i>so she opened up without hesitation.


    ¡°Yunice is weird. Bad temper too. Always giving my brother attitude. But he totally babies her, so I can¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Elianna realized toote that a flicker of sadness had passed over Nora¡¯s face. She scrambled to smooth things over. ¡°Nora, you¡¯re not upset, are you? You already liked my brother¡¯s announcement post, so I figured you were over it.¡±


    Nora forced a smile, lips stiff. Then she asked, ¡°Do you think Yunice and I look alike?¡±


    Elianna thought for a moment and answered honestly. ¡°Everyone says Wyatt likes Yunice because she looks like you. But honestly, I don¡¯t think so. You guys only kinda resemble each other at a nce. Once you take a proper look, you can tell you¡¯re totally different. Only someone with vision issues would mix you up. And Wyatt¡¯s eyes are perfect, haha¡­¡±


    Sheughed sheepishly, but she was telling the truth.


    Nora¡¯s lips pressed into a thin line. Beneath the table, her fingers curled tightly. Then she looked up, feigning nonchnce. ¡°Funny how Yunice isn¡¯t out here with you. Shouldn¡¯t she be trying to win you over?<b>¡± </b>


    Elianna said, ¡°She¡¯s super antisocial/Doesn¡¯t talk to anyone. But yeah, she did try to get on my good side a while ago. Made up some story about my dad saving her life. I called her out on it though. Lately she¡¯s been away, so the house has been kinda empty¡­¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not home? Where did she go?¡± Nora asked, trying to sound casual.


    She hadn¡¯t heard about Yunice having any new ns.


    Elianna replied, ¡°She¡¯s got some pharmaceutical sugar daddy. He set her up with a job in South Africa. She¡¯s out there for some kind of field research. Should be gone a month or two.¡±


    <b>2/2 </b>


    ?

 Daghter 606

    Chapter 606 Desperation and Denial


    Chapter 606 Desperation and Denial


    Nora looked thoughtful and murmured, ¡°So that means your brother is home alone, and <b>Yumice </b>isnting back, right?¡±


    Elianna nodded while sipping from her straw.


    Nora smiled, looking genuinely pleased.


    Elianna nced at her and suddenly blurted, ¡°Nora, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re thinking of stealing the <b>house</b>?


    ¡°Ah?¡± Nora was caught off guard. She gave a gentleugh and said, ¡°Of course hot¡­..


    Elianna didn¡¯t press further.


    That night, Nora invited her over to the Johnson residence to chat with her and Madam Mary.


    Because of the whole thing with Yunice, Madam Mary had given Elianna the cold shoulder, which Elianna still held a grudge about. But Nora kept persuading her, so she ended up going.


    She hadn¡¯t expected Madam Mary to suddenly fall critically ill that night, wheezing uncontrobly in bed.


    Nora was scared out of her mind. She shouted to Elianna, who was frozen in ce, ¡°Elianna, call Wyatt right now! Tell him Grandma¡¯s dying¨Che has toe!¡±


    Elianna stood there stunned. Then, out of nowhere, she said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be calling emergency services right now? My brother¡¯s not a doctor¨Cwhat¡¯s the point of calling him?¡±


    ¡°Call him so he can contact Yunice! Didn¡¯t Yunice treat my grandma before?<b>¡± </b>


    Elianna said, ¡°Nora, I think you¡¯re just panicking. Yunice <b>is </b>overseas. Even if she flew back on a rocket, she wouldn¡¯t make it in time.


    I already called an ambnce. We just need to wait now.¡±


    When Nora saw she wasn¡¯t doing anything, she rushed over, grabbed Elianna¡¯s phone, and called Wyatt herself. ¡°Elianna, you don¡¯t get it! Even if she¡¯s hospitalized, connections are everything. One word from Wyatt and Grandma will get the best treatment.¡±


    The call went through. Nora quickly shoved the phone back into Elianna¡¯s hand, looking at her pleadingly.


    Elianna hesitated for a moment before speaking into the phone. ¡°I¡¯m at the Johnson residence. Madam Mary¡¯s having a medical emergency¨Cit¡¯s really serious. Can youe?¡±


    There was a two¨Csecond silence before the voice on the line said, ¡°Ms. Elianna, this is Jordan.¡±


    Elianna blinked. ¡°Jordan? Why do you have my brother¡¯s phone?¡±


    ¡°Wyatt¡¯s in a closed¨Cdoor meeting,¡± Jordan replied. ¡°I¡¯m waiting outside for him.


    I¡¯ve already called for an ambnce. It¡¯ll be there in about three minutes.¡±


    Hearing that, Nora snatched the phone, her voice trembling. ¡°Jordan, can you please tell Wyatt? Grandma


    7


    C


    <b>08:53 </b><b>Fri</b>, <b>1 </b><b>Aug </b><b>350 </b>


    Chapter 606 Desperation and Denial


    really might not make it¡­¡±


    ¡°Ms. Nora, please calm down,¡± Jordan said. ¡°The nearest ambnce is three minutes away <b>from </b>the Johnson residence. But Huaxin Pharma is at least thirty minutes away. What good would it do for Wyatt toe?<b>¡± </b>


    And with that, he hung up.


    Elianna looked at the phone¡¯s home screen, frowned, then turned to Nora. ¡°Nora, don¡¯t <b>get </b><b>mad</b><b>, </b><b>but </b><b>I </b>have to say, something.


    My brother told me he and Yunice are married. He doesn¡¯t want to get tangled up with other women. He hopes you¡¯ll be more independent and not rely on him for everything.¡±


    Nora felt like her already shattered heart had just been stabbed again.


    Was she really being that obvious?


    Elianna said sympathetically, ¡°Nora, I really do feel bad for you. But you have to face reality. You and my brother just aren¡¯t on the same path anymore. You missed your chance, but someone else wille along who treats you well.¡±


    Nora clenched her fists. Hatred burned in her eyes. She thought Elianna was just mouthing off without understanding.


    ¡°Everyone knows I used to be his woman,¡± Nora said bitterly. ¡°Who else is going to want me?¡±


    Elianna frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Yunice had a ten¨Cyear engagement with Paul, and she still married my brother, didn¡¯t she? If she can do it, why can¡¯t you?¡±


    Just then, the ambnce arrived and took Mary away.


    Elianna said, ¡°Nora, I won¡¯t go with you. You go take care of Madam Mary.¡±


    She left the Johnson residence.


    As she sat in the car, her heart felt heavy<i>. </i><i>Dad</i><i>, </i><i>you </i><i>were </i><i>right</i><i>. </i><i>The </i>way <i>they </i><i>treat </i><i>me </i><i>is </i><i>all </i><i>because </i>of <i>Wyatt</i>¡­ No <i>one </i><i>really </i><i>wants </i><i>to </i><i>be </i><i>friends </i>with <i>me</i><i>¡­ </i>


    Madam Maryy in her hospital bed for two hours, but Wyatt never came.


    She red coldly at Nora, who was still on the floor, then pped her hard across the face. ¡°Useless! Didn¡¯t you say this would bring Wyatt running? Now he¡¯s not here¡ªwhat now? You want to watch your little brother get a bullet in the head?!¡±


    Nora¡¯s cheek stung and swelled instantly. She forced herself to sit upright, her voice trembling. ¡°Grandma, Wyatt said Morgan won¡¯t be executed. At worst, it¡¯ll be life imprisonment. We still have a chance¡­


    Duncan stood to the side and sighed. ¡°Nora, don¡¯t me your grandma being harsh. You were too naive about all this. It¡¯s not just about your brother anymore¨Cit¡¯s the Zach family too. You pushed <b>Maine </b>to lie for your brother, and now the Zach family¡¯s been hounding Dad forpensation. He¡¯s really <b>in </b>a tight spot¡­¡±

 Daghter 607

    Chapter 607 No Way Out


    Chapter 607 No Way Out


    Nora gritted her teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t push her into it. She did it on her own.¡°.


    Duncan frowned. ¡°What good does saying that do now? Wyatt won¡¯t even look <b>at </b>you<b>. </b><b>The </b><b>whole </b><b>family </b>suffering because of you.¡±


    Because <i>of </i><i>her</i><i>? </i>When things didn¡¯t work out, the me was all hers. When they did, she <b>wouldn¡¯t </b><b>get </b>a single bit of credit. She was just a mule to be wrung dry for every drop of value.


    Duncan sighed again. ¡°Nora, actually, there¡¯s another idea. I think if you do this, Wyatt <b>will </b><b>definitely </b>show up. Want to give it a try?¡±


    He didn¡¯t exin what it was. He just sent her a message.


    The hospital room fell silent. Nora¡¯s red eyes shifted almost imperceptibly toward the door.


    Just then, they heard footsteps. Sharon walked in, helping Nera to stand.


    A masked doctor came in next to check on Madam Mary.


    Sharon supported Nora, gently squeezing her arm with a reassuring voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry<b>, </b><b>Nora</b>. <b>Your </b>grandma will be fine.¡±


    Then, when the doctor wasn¡¯t paying attention, he leaned close to her ear and whispered just loud enough for her alone to hear: ¡°The family isn¡¯t going to give you many more chances. <b>If </b>you still can¡¯t win Wyatt over, then Grandma will have no choice but to use you elsewhere¨C<b>so </b>they don¡¯t feel like raising you all these years was a waste.¡±


    That night.


    Yunicey on her bed and nced at her phone,


    Victor had sent her a few messages asking how school was going.


    Tommy had messaged too, asking if she wanted to go out for a bite. There were a few popr night <b>stalls </b>near campus.


    Yunice politely declined, saying she was too tired from pulling weeds all day..


    After replying, she scrolled through her phone again, eventually stopping on Wyatt¡¯s chat window.


    Thest message was from three hours ago.


    She hesitated for a moment, then closed the chat without typing anything, instead opening her hidden phone system.


    Her phone had dual systems. The hidden one required fingerprint verification¨C<b>if </b>anyone picked <b>up </b><b>her </b>phone by ident, they¡¯d never know it existed.


    Only a few people had ess to that system. One of them, with a motorcycle avatar<b>, </b><b>had </b><b>sent </b><b>her </b><b>several </b>updates, including videos.


    Chapter 607 No Way Out


    They were thetest reports from the Saunders family.


    Because Owen and Lily¡¯s passports were damaged and their IDs were missing, <b>they </b><b>couldn¡¯t </b>get some to any hospital or check into a hotel, and had no way of applying for new documents. <b>Effectively</b>, the were grounded.


    With no other option, they had to stay at the Saunders residence.


    Lily didn¡¯t want to end up sleeping on the streets, so she reluctantly went home. But she <b>was </b>terrified of Timothy. Just standing at the front door, she was shaking and refused to go in.


    ¡°Owen, can you let Mom stay at a friend¡¯s house for a couple of days? Once you¡¯ve dealt with <b>Timothy</b><b>, </b>Fe back. He¡¯s terrifying¨Cif I go back now, he¡¯ll ruin me!¡±


    Owen frowned. Before he coulde up with a n, a sudden, blood¨Ccurdling scream <b>came </b><b>from </b>inside the Saunders home.


    He jumped. It was Peggy!


    Only Peggy and Timothy were home. Had something happened?


    Owen ran toward the house in a panic, terrified that Timothy had done something terrible.


    Lily, hearing the scream, was even more frightened. She stayed outside, trembling, and hid in <b>Owen¡¯s </b><b>car</b>, locking the doors as if afraid Timothy might see her.


    ¡°Get off me! Help! Get off me! I¡¯m calling the cops! I¡¯m calling the cops!¡±


    Owen burst into the living room and saw it all.


    Peggy¡¯s hair was a mess. She was wrapped in a towel, her long legs exposed as she ran around the house <b>in </b>a panic.


    Timothy, that disgusting old pervert, just stood there grinning, his rotten teeth on full disy, watching the whole thing like he was enjoying the show. He didn¡¯t even look concerned.


    Peggy finally grabbed her phone, but Timothy justughed. ¡°Calling the cops? Go ahead. Do it. Once you do, your man¡¯s going to jail. Me? I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    ¨C Peggy red at him, her hand trembling as she clutched her towel tightly to her chest. Her eyes brimmed


    with hatred. She dialed 911 on the spot.


    Just then, a figure rushed over and pped the phone out of her hand. The force was <b>so </b>great that <b>Peggy¡¯s </b>entire arm went numb.


    She turned and looked in shock.


    It was Owen.


    Her eyes first lit up with relief then quickly went cold as she realized what had just happened<b>. </b><b>Her </b><b>voice </b>rose in fury. ¡°Owen, you goddamn idiot! You saw what he was doing to me and instead <b>of </b><b>stopping </b><b>him</b>, you hit me? Are you out of your mind?!¡±

 Daghter 608

    Chapter 608 Locked Downl


    Chapter 608 Locked Down


    Owen was even harsher than she was. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to call the cops? What the <b>hell </b>were you us doing?¡±


    Peggy¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. ¡°You¡¯re yelling at me?! Do you even know what that <b>old </b><b>bastard </b>did while you were out? He tried to molest me! I was in the shower, and when I turned around, <b>I </b><b>saw </b><b>him </b><b>prying </b>open the bathroom door. Do you have any idea how traumatizing that was<b>? </b>


    And now you¡¯re ming me for calling the cops? If you didn¡¯t want that to happen<b>, </b>why¡¯d <b>you </b><i>leave </i><b>me </b>here alone to deal with him?! Owen, you¡¯re disgusting!¡±


    Clutching her towel tight, Peggy shot a furious re at both Owen and Timothy, then <b>stomped </b><b>upstairs</b>.


    Owen didn¡¯t stop her, but turned and stared coldly at Timothy.


    ww


    Timothy wasn¡¯t fazed in the slightest. He shrugged, totally unbothered, clearly not seeing Owen as any sort of threat.


    Then he headed upstairs himself, broke into Lily¡¯s room, and climbed right into hervender¨Cscented <b>bed </b>like he owned the ce.


    The sight made Owen feel physically ill.


    If Timothy was willing to go after Peggy, there was no way Lily would be safe <b>if </b>she came back.


    Owen had no choice but to call a friend and ask if his mom could temporarily stay in one of his <b>vacant </b>properties.


    He had just arranged things for Lily when he heard loud footsteps again from upstairs.


    Owen looked up with a frown and saw Peggy storming down the stairs. She¡¯d thrown on a few random pieces of clothing, her hair was still wet and messy, and she was dragging a huge suitcase behind <b>her</b><b>. </b>


    arm. ¡°Where do


    Owen grabbed her you think you¡¯re going?<b>¡± </b>


    Peggy sneered. ¡°If I can¡¯t fight him, I can at least get the hell away! I¡¯m going back to my parents¡®! <b>You </b>can deal with that pervert yourself!¡±


    Owen yanked her back hard. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere! If you go, are you seriously not gonna tell <b>your </b>parents about Timothy?¡±


    He won¡¯t even let her leave?!


    Peggy was livid. ¡°Now you want to control what I say, too?! Screw that<b>. </b>I¡¯m leaving. Let¡¯s see what you <b>can </b>do about it!¡±


    Owen lost his patience and shoved her back.


    Peggy stumbled and fell t on the floor, her suitcase bursting open beside <b>her</b><b>. </b>


    Inside were loads of jewelry and antiques¨Cvaluable stuff.


    <b>08:53 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b>1 <b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 608 Locked Down


    Most of them looked familiar to Owen. Clearly, Peggy had looted them from Lily¡¯s room<b>. </b>


    He pointed at the mess on the floor like he¡¯d caught her red¨Chanded. ¡°You¡¯re <b>trying </b>to walk away Saunders property?¡±


    Peggy, flustered, snapped back, ¡°I¡¯m the daughter¨Cinw of the Saunders family<b>! </b>Their <b>property </b>is <b>mine </b>too! I was just bringing some gifts to my parents. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t bother arguing. He grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her back toward <b>the </b>bedroom<b>. </b>


    ¡°Until Timothy is dealt with, you¡¯re not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°You dare, Owen!¡± Peggy shouted as he shoved her onto the bed.


    But before she could finish her threat<i>, </i>Owen slipped a glove onto his hand and cuffed her <b>wrists </b><b>to </b><b>the </b>solid wooden headboard.


    Peggy yanked and struggled, but the cuffs didn¡¯t budge. She screamed at him, hoarse and furious<b>. </b>¡°You son of a bitch!¡±


    Owen locked the door behind him and stood in the hallway, his expression dark.


    The Saunders family had be aplete mess. Everything had spiraled out of control. But he couldn¡¯t give up. He wouldn¡¯t.


    There had to be a way to get rid of Timothy.


    He looked at the handcuffs still in his hands, as if making a decision.


    If Timothy was going to corner him like this, then so be it. He¡¯d go all in.


    Peggy screamed for hours, tied to the bed. She howled all afternoon, until her throat dried up and <b>her </b>voice gave out.


    Meanwhile, Owen ordered takeout and sat in the dining room eating alone.


    He didn¡¯t call anyone. He just ate quietly by himself.


    After a while, Timothy came downstairs. His eyes roamed over the feast on the table without a hint of shame.


    Owen ate hungrily, but his face was full of resentment.


    Timothy¡¯s gaze flicked across the room andnded on Owen. He immediately picked up on the hostility.


    These city folks, so used to their cozy lives and superior positions, always thought the world operated underw and decency.


    But once they ran into someone like him¨Csomeone with nothing to lose they didn¡¯t know what <b>to </b><b>do</b><b>. </b>


    And besides, Timothy still had dirt on him.


    He snorted in amusement. The more he saw Owen forced to put up with him, the more <b>pleased </b><b>he </b>became.


    08:53 Fri, 1 Aug


    Chapter 608 Locked Down


    +10 Free Coins


    Feeling hungry, he walked over to the wine cab, pulled out a bottle, opened it, took a sniff¨Cthen, dissatisfied, tossed it straight into the trash.


    Owen turned his head and watched coldly as a rare vintage Amalfi crashed into the garbage bin and spilled everywhere.

 Daghter 609

    Chapter 609 Needle Trap


    Timothy couldn¡¯t read and didn¡¯t know the first thing about liquor. He opened bottle after bottle, tossin each one aside until he finally settled on a bottle of whiskey that suited his <b>taste</b>.


    He filled a te for himself and swaggered back to sit across from Owen.


    The moment he sat down, though, he shot right back up.


    Timothy¡¯s eyes widened in pain, his face twisting with fury. He hesitantly reached behind and touched <b>his </b>own backside.


    A sharp hiss escaped his lips as he pulled his hand back and saw a bloodied needle stuck between his fingers.


    Clutching the needle in his palm, he stared at Owen through gritted teeth. ¡°You did <b>this</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Owen didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why would I? <b>It¡¯s </b>just a needle. What harm could that possibly do to you? You think I¡¯ve got the time?¡±


    He set down his fork, pulled a napkin to wipe his mouth, then stood up and packed <i>a </i>portion of the food


    and my wife.¡± into a takeout box. ¡°You can have the rest. Just don¡¯t bother me


    With that, he headed upstairs.


    Timothy¡¯s face was dark, his re fixed on Owen like he wanted to murder him. But in the end, he didn¡¯t do anything.


    After all¡­ if Owen died, who was going to give him money?


    Now that Elsie was dead, his allowance had been cut off. It had already been more than two <b>weeks </b>since hest went to a club to mess around with women.,


    Grumbling to himself, Timothy plopped back/into the chair, tore a chunk of meat off the bone with his rotting teeth, then chugged straight from the bottle.


    If Owen wouldn¡¯t pay up, he¡¯d just stick around. There was booze and food¨Che¡¯d manage..


    His eyes


    wandered back toward the second floor, toward the room Owen had just entered. There was still a woman in there.


    This ce¡­ it was practically paradise.


    Before closing the door, Owen nced behind him and saw Timothy gulping down whiskey like water. Only then did he finally shut the door behind him.


    Inside, Peggy¡¯s handcuffs immediately nked as she sat up, trying to reach him.


    Owen, unfazed, set the food down on a side table and said, ¡°We need <i>to </i>work together. If this keeps up, it won¡¯t end well for either of us.


    Peggy snapped, ¡°You won¡¯t even call the cops! How the hell else are we supposed to solve this<b>? </b><b>You </b>gonna kill him?¡±


    111


    O


    173


    Chapter 609 Needle Trap


    Owen walked closer. ¡°Of course I have a n. Look at you¨Caren¡¯t youpletely under <b>control </b>right now?<b>¡± </b>


    Peggy froze and stared at him.


    She was beginning to understand what Owen had in mind. Nervously, she muttered, ¡°You mean lock <b>him </b>up?¡±


    Her mind started racing. ¡°But even if you do, he can still talk. He¡¯s a walking time bomb. One day he¡¯s gonna blow.¡±


    Owen said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about that right now. Once my brother¡¯s released and we split the family assets<b>, </b>I¡¯m nning to leave this ce for good.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°I know you married me for my money. I used to resent that and refused to give you <b>a </b>dime. But now I just want out. Once everything¡¯s divided, I¡¯ll give you half, and then we¡¯ll divorce. How¡¯s that?¡±


    Peggy wasn¡¯t sure if Owen was serious.


    But this wasn¡¯t what she wanted. She didn¡¯t care just about the money¨Cshe wanted to be Saunders family, to use that connection to reach Yunice.


    part


    of the


    If she divorced Owen, all she¡¯d get was a few billion. Money could always run out. Connections? That was true power.


    Greedy, she said, ¡°Why not just hire a hitman and get rid of that bastard?¡±


    Owen replied, ¡°You think he didn¡¯t prepare for that? He has property and legal status in Silverburgh. He probably left some kind of evidence behind. If he ends up dead or missing, someone¡¯s bound to report it.¡±


    Peggy snapped, annoyed, ¡°This is all your fault. If you hadn¡¯t brought Elsie back to the Saunders family, none of this would¡¯ve happened!¡±


    She rattled the handcuffs. ¡°Hey, if we¡¯re working together, how about you uncuff me?¡±


    Owen answered coolly, ¡°You can stay like that. As long as you don¡¯t go wandering around, that¡¯s the <b>best </b>way for us to work together.¡±


    He brought the meal over to her bedside and, without saying anything, carefully ced a small device on themp beside her.


    Downstairs, Timothy tore at a chicken leg with a sinister glint in his eye. As soon as he saw Owen step out of Peggy¡¯s room, he spat the meat stuck in his teeth onto the floor and downed another gulp of liquor before standing up.


    Owen went to the study and checked the message from the household registration office.


    He had reapplied for a new ID after returning from the airport. Betwe that and a new passport, fastest processing time would still take over a month.


    the


    He was stuck in the country for at least another month.


    By then, Oscar would almost be out, too.


    111


    08:53 Fri, 1 Aug


    Chapter 609 Needle Trap


    Owen raked his fingers through his hair. Surrounded by enemies inside and out, he was quickly bereitg


    numb.

 Daghter 610

    Chapter 610 Broken Beyond Repair


    Chapter 610 Broken Beyond Repair


    ¡°Owen! Ah! Owen!¡±


    The door to Owen¡¯s study was locked, and the soundproofing was decent.


    Even so, he could still hear Peggy¡¯s muffled cries for help through the door.


    She sounded absolutely terrified, her voice trembling and hysterical.


    The sharp nging of metal echoed in the room as the wooden bedframe shed with the handcuffs. Owen looked toward the urn on his desk.


    It was Elsie¡¯s urn.


    As Peggy screamed and sobbed in the background, Owen reached out and gently ran his knuckles over the smooth porcin surface.


    But despite the tenderness of the gesture, his gaze remained ice cold.


    ¡°Elsie, I thought you were an angel sent to save me. Turns out you were the demon dragging me straight to hell.¡±


    Then, as Peggy¡¯s sobs blended with Timothy¡¯s disgustingughter, Owen¡¯s eyes darkened, and he suddenly swept the urn off the desk.


    Crash!


    It shattered into countless pieces, bone¨Cwhite shards and ash spilling across the floor.


    Owen stared at the mess with indifference, then dragged both hands through his hair, listening to the sickening soundsing from the room next door.


    Peggy didn¡¯t stop screaming. Timothy didn¡¯t stop moaning andughing.


    It went on like that for nearly half an hour.


    Only when the noise finally died down did Owen unlock his door and step out.


    At that exact moment, Timothy walked out of the adjacent bedroom, holding his pants in one hand and buckling his belt with the other.


    Noticing someone nearby, he turned and saw Owen.


    A nasty grin split across his face. ¡°Owen, huh? Your wife¡¯s not bad at all. Way better than your mom.¡±


    When Owen didn¡¯t charge at him, Timothy snorted in mockery. ¡°And fro her door. I want to be able toe and go as I please.¡±


    Owen¡¯s lips curled into a cold sneer, his face burning with invisible p marks.


    ow on, don¡¯t bother locking


    He didn¡¯t love Peggy. He didn¡¯t even acknowledge her as his wife. But as a man, being humiliated like this -it made his blood boil.


    And yet, faced with this bastard who had him by the throat, he could only swallow <b>it </b><b>down</b>.


    Timothy, shirtless, swaggered back into Lily¡¯s room.


    He hadn¡¯t actually nned to leave Peggy¡¯s room so soon, but maybe he¡¯d overdone it just <b>now</b><b>. </b><b>His </b><b>aging </b>body couldn¡¯t quite handle the energy of someone that young. He shook his head and decided to keep some distance, at least until he recovered.


    Owen watched as Timothy, clutching his pounding head, stumbled into Lily¡¯s room with his <b>pants </b>dangling. Only then did he push open the door to Peggy¡¯s room.


    The moment he stepped in, Peggy flinched violently. When she realized it wasn¡¯t Timothy, she <b>snatched </b><b>a </b>shredded pillow and hurled it at him with all her strength.


    White goose down exploded everywhere, fluttering through the air like snow.


    Owen stared at her through the feathers, unmoved, watching as she sat there handcuffed to the headboard, helpless and exposed after being assaulted.


    He took in the humiliation on her face, the terror in her tears<b>¡­ </b>and then his gaze dropped to the smear of red on the sheets.


    As a trained doctor, he knew exactly what that meant.


    He let out a cold, humorlessugh. ¡°So you really were plotting all along. We didn¡¯t do anything that night I was drunk, did we?¡±


    Peggy¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, filled with hatred as she red at him. Her voice cracked with despair. ¡°You bastard! You nned this! You locked me up and let him in on purpose!¡±


    ¡°You fucking cuckold! You let another man rape your wife¨Cwhat kind of man are you?¡±


    rage and


    She rattled the handcuff chains violently. ¡°Let me go! I¡¯m going to kill you! You ruined my life, you son of a bitch! You let that disgusting old freak touch me-!¡±


    Owen stood at the edge of the bed, just out of her reach. ¡°You brought this on yourself. If you hadn¡¯t schemed to marry into wealth, none of this would¡¯ve happened.¡±


    ¡°You took every step into this mud pit of your own free will.¡±


    His


    gaze her too.¡±


    drifted back to the bloodstained sheets. ¡°Every woman who uses me deserves to die. You, Elsie-


    Hearing that cruel curse, Peggy let out a bitterugh, deliberately pushing his buttons. ¡°Used you? And who gave us the chance, huh?¡±


    ¡°You were the one who insisted on protecting Elsie. You let the wolf in the person in this house who could actually handle a crisis¨CYunice. You insist tell me, who else was he supposed to bite but you?¡± <ol><li>r. You drove out the only shielding a predator. So </li></ol>


    ¡°And me? Please, I got lucky. Total bluff. You only let me win because you were too guilty to fight back. Because your pride mattered more than anything. But the more a man values his pride, the less of it he actually has. You want your reputation, your face? Your mom got raped. Your sister got raped<b>. </b>And now


    wife¡¯s been raped too. If I were you, I¡¯d just chop my dick off and call it a day. What kind of man <b>are </b>


    your


    you supposed to be, anyway?¡±

 Daghter 611

    Chapter 611 Checkmate.


    Chapter 611 Checkmate


    What surprised Peggy was that her words¨Cso deliberately vicious, so calcted to wound¨Cdidn¡¯t <b>provok- </b>any reaction at all from Owen.


    She frowned in confusion, ncing up at him.


    ¡°You think just because Timothy raped me, we can¡¯t get a divorce? I mean, without that ¡®proof, who¡¯s gonna believe I made a false report against you-¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she froze in horror.


    Owen had reached up to themp and retrieved a small device.


    She recognized it instantly.


    A hidden camera.


    He transferred the footage to his phone, watching the recorded video with an eerie calm before murmuring, ¡°You married me hoping to climb higher, right? Well then, tell me¨Conce this footage gets out, what kind of elite family would still give you a second look?¡±


    He turned the screen toward her.


    Peggy¡¯s face went white as a sheet.


    The old man¡¯s face, her own¨Cevery revolting detail was crystal clear. Nothing had been missed.


    It was the kind of clip that would get ssified under ¡°disturbing fetish¡± if posted online¨Crepulsive to even nce at.


    Owen said tly, ¡°Your rich¨Cwife fantasy ends with me.¡±


    Peggy couldn¡¯t speak. Her body, her dignity¨CIt was all gone. But it was this¨Cthis ckmail¨Cthat chilled


    her to the bone.


    2


    He had her. Completely.


    Owen lifted his gaze. ¡°So¡­ still thinking about calling the cops?<b>¡± </b>


    With Peggy¡¯s arrogance doused like a bucket of cold water, Owen no longer saw any reason to treat her seriously.


    He left her room and headed for Timothy¡¯s.


    Through the door¨Cbarely ajar¨CTimothy could be seen passed out cold on the bed, belt still undone.


    Owen walked in<b>, </bpletely unconcerned that he might wake up mid¨Cact andsh <b>ou </b>


    He grabbed the unconscious man by the ankles and dragged him right off the <b>bed </b>like a dead <b>pig</b><b>. </b><b>Even </b>when Timothy hit the ground with a loud thud, he didn¡¯t stir.


    Owen kept dragging him<b>, </b><b>step </b>by <b>step</b><b>, </b>down the stairs.


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    Chapter 611 Checkmate


    Peggy, still cuffed to the bed, could hear strange scraping sounds, but couldn¡¯t see a <b>thing</b><b>. </b>She couldn¡¯t use Owen of anything without proof.


    Ten minutester, Timothy was locked inside a dog cage in the Saunders family¡¯s basement¨Cstill dead asleep.


    Owen stared down at him with absolute coldness, then pulled out his phone and called Lily, ¡°<b>Mom</b><b>, </b><b>you </b>cane home now.¡±


    Everything that followed was recounted to Yunice by the biker guy.


    Just hearing it made Yunice¡¯s skin crawl.


    When he finally finished, her voice was slightly shaky. ¡°Medical students¡­ really are high¨Crisk for <b>turning </b>into criminals.¡±


    The biker asked, ¡°So¡­ did Timothy die?¡±


    Otherwise, why wasn¡¯t he moving?


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not dead,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°If he were, Owen wouldn¡¯t have bothered locking him in a cage. He hasn¡¯t cleaned up the evidence <i>yet</i>¨Che wouldn¡¯t let Timothy off that easy<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    She had a good idea how Owen pulled it off.


    The chair cushion at dinner had likely been filled with dense memory foamfortable, yes, but <b>also </b>ideal for hiding something.


    When Timothy sat down, the cushionpressed instantly beneath his weight. That¡¯s when he got injected.


    Owen had probably hidden a syringe under the padding. As Timothy sat down with full force, the needle shot straight in, releasing the drug into his system. Then he quickly stood up, and the foam bounced back, swallowing the syringe. All that remained was the detached needle lodged in his ass.


    Of course, someone like Timothy¨Cuncouth and arrogant¨Cwould never suspect such a setup. He¡¯d assume Owen was too scared to actually harm him.


    And Owen hadn¡¯t killed him. He¡¯d just knocked him out with something strong¨Cprobably a sedative mixed into the drinks.


    He knew Timothy had his eyes on Peggy. So he¡¯d served him alcohol, let him get drunk and bold, and <b>then </b>watched as he walked right into the trap.


    Once he got the footage he wanted,/Owen locked him away like a rabid dog.


    The whole thing left Yunice shaken. Deeply disturbed.


    Owen used to be someone who simply drifted with the current. A <b>weak </b>viin <b>at </b>was sinking into crime, deeper and deeper.


    But now.. <b>now </b>he


    Any step along the way¨Cat any point¨Che could¡¯ve turned back. Turned himself in. Apologized.


    If he had, he probably would¡¯ve gotten off with a lighter punishment.


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    fox All just to keep <b>up </b>his lies, be¡¯d gone and rained himselfpletely


    The biker¡¯s worr expound at me.¡±


    e through the line. ¡°Should we call the cops now? If we do it now, everything get


    Chapter 612 The Point of No Return

 Daghter 612

    Chapter 612 The Point of No Return


    Chapter 612 The Point of No Return


    Yunice realized the biker was right¨Cif she called the cops now, Owen wouldn¡¯t have enough <b>time </b>to cover his tracks. That meant Owen, Timothy, and Peggy would all be exposed and punished ordingly<b>. </b>


    Should she report them? Should she put an end to the Saunders family¡¯s long¨Cstanding cycle of vengeance?


    A loud hum filled her head for several seconds. It wasn¡¯t until the biker called her name again, his voice growing closer through the receiver, that she snapped back to reality.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t call the police,¡± she said firmly.


    Yunice¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°If I do that now, what happens to Timothy? He¡¯s a buyer<b>¨C</b>uneducated<b>, </b>dirt poor. Back in the mountains, he paid three thousand dors to buy Lily¡­ and with her, he got Elsie. He even took my father¡¯s life.¡± 1


    She went on, ¡°But when Lily was rescued, Timothy faced zero consequences. Instead, Owen paid him thirty thousand dors just so he¡¯d agree to give Elsie up. Thew doesn¡¯t punish people like him.¡±


    Today, Timothy had stormed into the Saunders residence, extorted Owen, made a scene. Even if she did report it, whatever punishment he got would never measure up to his crimes<b>. </b>


    They didn¡¯t deserve the easy way out.


    The biker hesitated. ¡°You¡¯re sure? If this keeps going, Owen and Timothy are going to burn in hell together.¡±


    He was worried about her¨Cworried that she¡¯d regret this. After all, Owen was her brother.


    Yunice was silent for a few seconds. Then, in a cold, quiet voice, she said, ¡°That¡¯s their choice. I won¡¯t interfere with their karma. I¡¯m just a bystander.¡±


    Yes. She¡¯d never tried to hurt anyone. It was the monsters inside <i>them </i>that led things to this point. That wasn¡¯t on her.


    She hung up. Her phone slipped out of her hand andnded on the bed.


    Something inside her was churning. She wed at her own hair, unsure what exactly she was feeling.


    It made her nauseous. Physically sick.


    She stumbled down from the top bunk and rushed into the bathroom. Dropping to her knees, she vomited into the toilet. 2


    ¡°Dad¡­ all of us in the Saunders family¡­ none of us are clean anymore¡­¡±


    Owen. Herself. None of them were the innocent kids they once were. They¡¯d be with venomous thoughts and cruel tactics, all turned against their own.


    e poisoned¨Ctwisted


    She didn¡¯t know if what she did was right. But if she didn¡¯t do it, she couldn¡¯t <b>live </b><b>with </b><b>herself</b><b>. </b>


    <i>Then </i><i>I¡¯ll </i><i>go </i><i>to </i>hell with Owen, she thought, <i>as </i><i>long </i><i>as </i><i>Oscar </i><i>stays </i><b><i>out </i></b><i>of </i><i>it</i>.


    III


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    Sal 2 <b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 612 The Point of No Return


    ¡°Yunice, are you okay?¡± Jennie and Lena knocked on the bathroom door. ¡°<b>Are </b><b>you </b><b>having </b>altitude sickness or something? We¡¯ve got meds if you need them. We all had the same reaction <b>when </b>we first <b>arrived </b>


    Yunice rinsed her face slowly, then stepped out, forcing a small smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡±


    Jennie and Lena looked at her pale face, unconvinced.


    ¡°You¡¯re shaking,¡± Lena said with concern. ¡°You sure it¡¯s not low blood sugar or something? <b>Maybe </b>sit down You really don¡¯t look okay.¡±


    ¡°I promise, I¡¯m fine. Just some old symptoms¨CI¡¯ll be better soon,¡± Yunice replied, brushing off their


    concern.


    She walked to her desk and sat down under their watchful eyes.


    Just then, the dorm door flung open with a loud m. Yunice instinctively looked over.


    A girl strolled in, dressed maturely¨Cborderline provocative. Her eyes swept over Yunice with thinly veiled disdain. Without a word, she tossed her bag onto her bed and locked herself in the bathroom with a loud bang.


    ¡°She won¡¯t be out for at least two hours,¡± Jennie muttered.


    ¡°Yeah, she always waits until lights out before shees out and gets in bed. Been like that since the semester started¡­¡±


    ¡°Yunny, if you need to wash up, you can use the bathroom across the hall. The girls <b>over </b><b>there </b><i>are </i>super chill.¡±


    Yunice nodded, not nning to get involved in her roommates¡® drama.


    She was only staying for a month, after all.


    When lights went out, Jennie and Lena pulled their curtains shut and settled in for the night.


    Yunice remained at her desk, illuminated only by a small nightlight.


    She wasn¡¯t reading. Wasn¡¯t working.


    Just sitting, staring into space.


    She heard the bathroom door open. The girl must¡¯ve finished removing her makeup. Yunice didn¡¯t bother turning to look.


    More than half an hour passed, The dorm grewpletely quiet.


    Yunice still didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit sleepy. She nced at her phone it was already 11 p.m.


    No messages. Everyone must¡¯ve gone to bed by now.


    She stood, walked into the bathroom, and opened the venttion window.


    Peered out.


    <b>9/8 </b>


    Chapter 612 The Point of No Return


    After a few moments, she climbed through.


    s


    Then¨Cnimbly and without hesitation¨Cshe started to descend from the third floor, climbing down along the air conditioner pipes.

 Daghter 613

    Chapter 613 Midnight Roots.


    Yunice couldn¡¯t sleep. Restless and bored, she wandered to the university¡¯s herb <b>greenhouse</b>.


    ¡°Let me pull some weeds. Clear my head.¡± That was her excuse.


    The stic greenhouse wasn¡¯t exactly secure¨Canyone could walk in. A dim nightlight <b>kept </b><b>the </b><b>ce </b>faintly illuminated.


    But as soon as she stepped inside, she noticed someone was already there.


    In college, finding people lurking in odd corners wasn¡¯t exactly rare. Still, Yunice¡¯s <b>instincts </b>kicked <b>in</b>.


    She called out sharply, ¡°Wyatt, what are you doing to my herbs?¡±


    1


    The crouched figure froze, clearly startled. After a pause, he slowly turned around.


    Wearing a school uniform and a mask, backlit by the glow, his face was hard to <b>make </b>out.


    Yunice walked straight up and tugged his hair. ¡°New parting? And in <i>my </i>school uniform?¡±


    Then she casually tugged the mask off his face.


    Wyatt quickly tried to cover his nose, clearly flustered¨Cbut her expression didn¡¯t change <i>at </i>all.


    She twirled the mask in her hand, looking unimpressed. Wyatt groaned. ¡°How could you tell it was me<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice didn¡¯t even blink. ¡°I just could.¡±


    Then she crouched down to examine the damage. ¡°You¡¯re weeding?<b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt¡¯s brows twitched. ¡°This school¡¯s ridiculous. You got in with top scores just to spend your nights pulling weeds?¡±


    Yunice dug through the freshly disturbed soil. ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    ¡°I got in around 10:30,¡± Wyatt said. ¡°The girls¡® dorm was locked already. I didn¡¯t want to call you down.¡±


    ¡°So you came here to mess with my plot and tank my grade?¡± Yunice deadpanned.


    Wyatt scowled. ¡°I was pulling <i>weeds</i><i>.¡± </i>


    Yunice picked up a few of the casualties. ¡°Blue vervain. ck cohosh. ntain leaf, Motherwort¡­<b>¡± </b>


    One by one, she named each precious herb she¡¯d painstakingly cultivated.


    ¡°Did you really think I came here to pull weeds?¡±


    Wyatt stared at the damning lineup and fell silent for a good ten seconds.


    173


    <b>08:55 </b><b>Sat</b>, 2 <b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 613 Midnight Roots


    <b>¡°</b>¡­Can I rent them and save them?¡± he finally asked. (1


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond. She simply started re¨Cdigging the holes and burying <b>each </b>herb <b>gently</b>, carefully


    Wyatt studied her profile in the low light. ¡°You look¡­ upset.¡±


    College not living up to her expectations? Or maybe she just had a rough day?


    Wyatt sighed, frustrated with himself. ¡°I won¡¯t touch your stuff again.¡±


    He really had just wanted to help¨Cbut clearly, he¡¯d only made things worse.


    Yunice was out here in the middle of the night tending to her herbs. That alone showed how <b>much </b><b>it </b>mattered to her


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he added. ¡°I just thought I could help.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice came soft and even. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Nine out of ten people here are going to <b>fail </b>this <b>ss</b>. <b>One </b>more won¡¯t make a difference<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Then she looked up at him, a faint glint in her eyes. ¡°You came all this way just to impersonate Rumpelstiltskin. That was¡­ touching.¡±


    If she hadn¡¯te tonight, she might¡¯ve shown up tomorrow to find her entire plot wiped out.


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t sure if she was serious or roasting him.


    He watched her rent in silence. Just as he was about to speak again, Yunice suddenly stiffened.


    ¡°Someone¡¯sing.¡±


    She yanked him behind a pile of farm tools.


    ¡°It¡¯s a college,¡± he whispered. ¡°They don¡¯t bust people for sneaking around.¡±


    Yunice shot him a re and shoved him into position before crouching down beside him.


    They peered through a narrow gap. A shadowed figure entered the greenhouse.


    The man checked over his shoulder, scanned the area, then pulled out a phone and flicked on the shlight.


    He began checking the herb beds one by one, reading each name carefully.


    Finally, he stopped at <i>Yunice¡¯s </i>plot.


    He studied thebels, then dialed/someone.


    ¡°She¡¯s here. I found Yunice¡¯s test plot,¡± the man said quietly


    He paused. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll keep watch on her.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brows furrowed. <i>Who </i><i>the </i><i>hell </i>is <b><i>that</i></b>? Who wanted to spy on her<b>? </b>


    <b>08:55 </b>Sat, 2 Aug


    12 Aug


    Chapter 613 Midnight Roots


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes narrowed, his gaze turning dark.


    <b>85</b><b>% </b>


    +5 Free Coms


    The man hung up, crouched down, and began inspecting the soil. He seemed puzzled as he pinched a bit- between his fingers. ¡°Why¡¯s it still wet¡­?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart nearly stopped.


    In this warm greenhouse, turned soil dried out quickly. Anything flipped more than two hours ago would look dry and white.


    But this¡­ this was fresh.


    He tossed the sprig down and stood up fast, shlight swinging wildly across the greenhouse.


    It swept over the corner where they were hiding¨Chighlighting two unmistakable silhouettes.


    He froze.


    Then bolted.

 Daghter 614

    Chapter 614 Off¨CLimits


    Chapter 614 Off¨CLimits


    Before Yunice could react, the space beside her was suddenly empty.


    +5 Fras Coles


    All she felt was a gust of wind¨Cand the next thing she saw was a figure darting out. Then came a muffled grunt just outside the greenhouse.


    And then¨Csilence.


    Yunice hurried out after him, only to find that Wyatt had already knocked the man unconscious.


    She stepped up and yanked the mask off the man¡¯s face, revealing an unfamiliar and unremarkable


    stranger.


    Wyatt scanned the area cautiously before dragging the man aside. ¡°I¡¯ll handle this.¡±


    Whoever sent someone to spy on Yunice was most likely aiming at Wyatt. Which meant it was better for him to investigate personally.


    Yunice didn¡¯t argue. After all, she was a university student now¨Cnot the right person to interrogate.


    Wyatt checked the time. It was already close to 1 a.m.


    Yunice still had ss tomorrow. She couldn¡¯t stay up all night.


    Right now, his head was full of the person behind the stalker. He reminded Yunice, ¡°You should go get some sleep.¡±


    Yunice hesitated. ¡°The dorm¡¯s already locked. My room¡¯s on the third floor, and I can¡¯t exactly climb in through the window¡­¡±


    She looked up at him, clearly troubled. ¡°Should we¡­ just get a hotel?¡±


    For a moment, Wyatt thought he¡¯d misheard her. His eyes


    froze.


    Then he said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    But even as he agreed, his eyes lingered on her a moment longer. Something felt off.


    Yunice nced at the unconscious man on the ground, then turned to lead the way. ¡°I know a side gate we can take. Just have one of your guys take care of him.¡±


    Wyatt frowned and didn¡¯t follow immediately. Instead, he sent a message: ¡°What happened with the Saunders family and the Powell family? I want a report¨Cnow.¡±


    Yunice seemed down. Most likely something had happened with the Saunders family.


    Paul didn¡¯t have the power to make Yunice this upset.


    Scar arrived to haul the unconscious man away.


    Wyatt, meanwhile, took Yunice to a hotel.


    C


    85%


    Chapter 614 Off¨CLimits.


    s


    As soon as they entered the suite, Yunice stripped off her school uniform and tossed it onto the coat rack. She kicked off her shoes and headed straight into the bathroom.


    Wyatt followed behind, pausing to hang her uniform properly.


    Water ran in the shower. Steam blurred the frosted ss, but he could still make out her silhouette leaning motionless against the wall, letting the water pour down from above.


    His brows furrowed deeper.


    He pulled a cigarette from its case, mped it between his lips, and began pacing restlessly through the


    room.


    Two secondster, he yanked out his phone and dialed. ¡°It¡¯s been two minutes. Still nothing?¡±


    <i>Two </i><i>minutes</i><i>? </i>Jordan cursed silently. He hadn¡¯t even made it out the door yet.


    1


    ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯ve got to give me a lead. Otherwise, even with a gun to my head, I wouldn¡¯t know what you want me to find.¡±


    A hint?


    Wyatt was quiet for a moment. ¡°She¡¯s upset. And she¡¯s not talking.¡±


    Jordan was about to ask who, then realized instantly¨Cwho else could shake Wyatt like this?


    He caught on immediately. ¡°Mrs. Cooper¡¯s upset¡­ probably because of Owen¡¯s diagnosis. He was just confirmed to have early¨Cstage liver cancer.¡±


    He added, ¡°I asked Joe. At this stage, it¡¯s still operable.¡±


    Wyatt felt a wave of relief. ¡°If it¡¯s treatable, why is she upset?¡±


    Jordan racked his brain. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s worried aboutplications? Liver cancer, even after surgery, cane back. If it progresses, a rtive might need to donate part of their liver. Maybe Mrs. Cooper¡¯s struggling with that. Owen is her brother, after all. She might want to help, but not feel willing to. That¡¯s enough to mess with anyone.¡±


    Wyatt clenched his teeth. ¡°Donate her liver? Not a chance in hell.¡±


    If that day ever came, he¡¯d kill Owen before the man even got a chance to ask.


    Jordan continued, ¡°And it¡¯s not just that. The Saunders family has had a pretty wild day¡­ Owen made a big move.¡±


    Heid it all out.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°He¡¯s ruthless, I¡¯ll give him that.¡±


    ¡°Timothy was set up by Mrs. Cooper. Peggy was your setup. Now Timothy turned around and took Peggy down with him. If she ever thinks back on all this, won¡¯t she me you for being <i>too </i>cruel?¡±


    Wyatt bit down on his cigarette, his tone unreadable. ¡°It was Oscar who brought Peggy into this. He made,


    <b>08:55 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>2 </b><b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 614 Off¨CLimits


    sure she¡¯d be the one to pick up a drunken Owen.¡±


    Wyatt never had to lift a finger¨Csomeone else always got their hands dirty for him.


    Dirty hands?


    Wyatt suddenly looked up, as if something had clicked.


    All three Saunders siblings were involved now. Not one of them had clean hands anymore.


    The cigarette dropped from Wyatt¡¯s mouth and hit the floor.


    What was he supposed to do with a wife who was too moral and <i>too </i>stubborn?


    ¡°Wyatt, can you hand me a towel?¡± Yunice¡¯s voice came from the cracked bathroom door.


    Wyatt snapped back to reality and brought her a towel.


    She stepped out, drying her hair, and said calmly, ¡°Your turn to shower.¡±

 Daghter 615

    Chapter 615 A Dangerous Web


    When Wyatt stepped out of the bathroom, the lights in the room <b>were </b>off. <b>Only </b>the <b>faint </b>glow of the bedsidemp lit the space, just enough to see Yunice lying urider the covers. The bare skin <b>of </b>her shoulder and neck peeked out from beneath the quilt- she wasn¡¯t wearing anything.


    Wyatt sat down.


    Yunice had just opened her mouth to speak when Wyatt kissed her, swallowing her words.


    He already knew what she wanted this kind of thing didn¡¯t need a girl to ask for it.


    The quilt slipped down from the bed¡­


    Yunice wanted it a little rough, and Wyatt followed her lead.


    But she didn¡¯t have the endurance for it. She was the one who¡¯d urged him on, but once he gave her <b>what </b>she asked for, she started crying. Her tears made it impossible for Wyatt to tell whether she wanted <b>him </b><b>to </b>go harder or softer, deeper or gentler.


    By the end, Yunice was clinging to him tightly, crying as she wrapped her arms around his neck<b>, </b><b>as </b><b>if </b>trying to convey something through the sheer force of her embrace.


    ¡°Wyatt, I¡¯m using you.¡± Yunice rested her chin on Wyatt¡¯s shoulder. She held him so tightly <i>he </i>couldn¡¯t <b>see </b>her face.


    But he could hear the catch in her voice.


    Wyatt paused, then said, ¡°I know. I¡¯ve known from the start. I chose this.<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice wanted to say more, but Wyatt didn¡¯t give her the chance. He poured all of himself into <b>her </b>instead.


    Her mind was overloaded ¨C her body needed¡¯the rest.


    In the end, with Wyatt holding her waist and Yunice clinging to him, even tighter than usual, she finally rxed.


    He gently lowered her back onto the pillow, brushing a tear from the corner of her eye with his fingertip. ¡°All the bad things ¨C I did them. None of it has anything to do with you.¡±


    Yunice closed her eyes, the corners still damp, and drifted off.


    Wyatt watched her for a while, half amused and half exasperated.


    In nearly thirty years of living, this was the first time he¡¯d realized he actually had a <b>talent </b>for putting people to sleep.


    He reached for the pack of cigarettes on the nightstand, but when he pullede out and remembered Yunice was still lying there, he headed out to the balcony.


    In the cold night breeze, his short hair stirred against his forehead. He <b>stared </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><b>direction </b><b>of </b>Medical


    Chapter 615 A Dangerous Web


    University, eyes dark with thought


    Once Yunice reeled in the she¡¯d cast over the Saunders and Powell families would she be leaving


    Smoke drifted in the wind. Wyatt thought, She probably won¡¯t leave just yet. She still wants to finish her college degree, <i>doesn¡¯t </i>she?


    The next morning, when Yunice woke up, Wyatt was cooking


    She had no idea where he¡¯d gotten a pot from, but he was using it to simmer soup. It hart clearly been stewing for hours it was almost ready by the time she got up.


    Yunice hesitated, then asked, ¡°Did you sleep at allst night?¡±


    To cook soup to this point, it would¡¯ve needed at least three hours on low heat. But they hadn¡¯t gone to bed until nearly two.


    Wyatt said, ¡°I can sleep in the car. You¡¯ve got sster ¨C you need your energy


    Yunice couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°You¡¯re heading back today?¡±


    Wyatt caught the trace of disappointment in her voice. His hand paused mid¨Cmotion as hedled the soup, and he nced at her with a hint of guilt. ¡°Thepany needs me. And we still haven¡¯t gotten anything out of that guy fromst night.¡±


    Yunice covered quickly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    She had school, she¡¯d be on campus all day. It wasn¡¯t like Wyatt could just sit around waiting. Of course he had to go back.


    After breakfast, Wyatt insisted on driving her to school. Smartly, he¡¯d swapped cars ¨C he knew Yunice would want to <i>keep </i>a low profile, <i>so </i>he¡¯de in a low¨Ckey BYD Qin.


    Yunice said nothing about the night at the hotel.


    But she hadn¡¯t forgotten about the man who was spying on her in the herb plot. She <i>made </i>Wyatt promise


    no keeping it from her. that if he found out who sent him, he had to tell her


    Wyatt had just agreed when Yunice¡¯s phone rang.


    ¨C


    Someone was calling her.


    Noticing her hesitation to answer, Wyatt nced sideways.


    Victor?


    When Wyatt turned his eyes back to the road, Yunice finally picked up.


    ¡°Yunny, how are you settling in at school?¡± Victor asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Yunice replied.


    She waited if he was calling this early, it had <i>to </i>be for a reason.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    08:55 <b>Sat</b>, <b>2 </b><b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 615 A Dangerous Web


    Sure enough, after a short pause, Victor brought it up awkwardly. ¡°Did you<b>.. </b><b>catch </b><b>someone </b><bst </b><b>night</b><b>? </b>


    Yunice was stunned..


    Victor sounded sheepish. ¡°Could you let him go? He was one of mine.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yunice¡¯s eyes widened. That was unexpected.


    ¡°I was worried someone might try to hurt you,¡± Victor said. ¡°You¡¯re at Medical University now, <b>out </b><b>of </b><b>our </b>usual protection range. I just wanted someone to keep an eye on you, just in <b>case</b>. Sorry I didn¡¯t <b>tell </b><b>you </b>ahead of time ¨C I didn¡¯t want to make you feel ufortable.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brows knitted. ¡°Got it.¡±


    After she hung up, she turned to Wyatt, a little awkward. ¡°The guy fromst night¡­ Victor sent him.¡±


    Wyatt immediately let out a coldugh. He knew Victor had ulterior motives.


    ¡°He thinks my people aren¡¯t enough? What a meddling pain in the <b>ass</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice tested gently, ¡°You didn¡¯t¡­ do anything to him, did you?¡±


    <b>08:55 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>2 </b><b>Aug </b>

 Daghter 616

    Chapter 616 Waiting Under the Tree


    Yunice knew that if they wanted to get this kind of man to talk, they¡¯d have to rough him <b>up </b><b>a </b><b>bit</b>.


    But the guy turned out to be one of their own. If he got hurt, it would be hard to exin things to Victor.


    Then she heard Wyatt say irritably, ¡°Already chopped him up.¡±


    Yunice immediately went silent.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t hear a peep from her for a long moment. He turned his head to look and saw her staring down, fingers nervously twisting in herp, lips nearly chewed raw.


    Wyatt quickly corrected himself. ¡°I was kidding. I didn¡¯t touch him.¡±


    Only then did her expression ease a little.


    When they got to the school gate, Yunice unfastened her seatbelt and got out of the car, not letting Wyart walk her in.


    As she approached the gate, she turned back and waved at Wyatt, then jogged onto campus.


    Wyatt smiled as he watched her disappear into the crowd. Just then, he got a call from Jordan.


    ¡°Wyatt, what time are you getting to the office? There are still two project contracts that need your signoff¡­¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Noting.¡±


    1


    It was so brief Jordan almost didn¡¯t register it. His voice shot up. ¡°Noting?¡±


    People around him nced over, and he quickly lowered his voice. ¡°Wyatt,e on. Thepany¡¯s swamped. I¡¯ve been covering for you and Mrs. Cooper this whole time. You know how hard this is?¡±


    Wyatt soundedpletely unconcerned. ¡°It¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t handle, Mr. Jordan.¡±


    Jordan felt the weight of the world. ¡°Wyatt, seriously. Mrs. Cooper has school during the day and needs to rest at night. You¡¯ll only see her for three or four hours after ss<b>. </b>Is it really worth camping out over there?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°My wife¡¯s in a bad mood. She needs me.¡±


    Jordan groaned. ¡°Thepany needs you. I need you!¡±


    1


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°Can thepany hold me while I sleep? Can <i>you </i>hold me while I sleep?¡±


    Jordan was speechless.


    He mmed the phone down.


    C


    <b>1/3 </b>


    Chapter 616 Waiting Under the Tree


    Life was too hard. Jordan sighed. ¡°How long do I have to keep covering for him¡­


    Then he felt someone behind him. Turning around, he saw Nora smiling faintly a short distance <b>away</b>.


    Jordan¡¯s gaze sharpened. He kept his tone smooth. ¡°Ms. Nora. What brings you here?¡±


    Nora leaned on her cane. ¡°Jordan, can I see Wyatt? I promise Yunice won¡¯t know.¡±


    She hesitated a beat, then added, ¡°It¡¯s about my brother¡­¡±


    Her fingers picked at the edge of her cane, chipping away at the painted surface.


    Jordan didn¡¯t say a word more than he had to. ¡°Ms. Nora, don¡¯t worry. Once Wyatt has time, I¡¯ll let <b>him </b>know you stopped by.¡±


    1


    Nora blinked. ¡°Wyatt¡¯s at the office?¡± D


    Jordan paused, then turned back coolly. ¡°Of course he is. Who told you otherwise?¡±


    Nora said, ¡°But Yunice told me she was at school. Didn¡¯t Wyatt go with her?¡±


    Jordan snorted like it was a joke. ¡°Where¡¯d you hear that nonsense? Even if Mrs. Cooper were <b>overseas</b>, Wyatt wouldn¡¯t leave her side if he could help it. But he¡¯s got things to do here.¡±


    Then his tone cooled. ¡°And Ms. Nora, you used to work with Wyatt. You know he hates people digging into his personal life.¡±


    ¡°Thest time you went snooping around Pavilion Hall, Wyatt let it slide. But if you pull something like that again, it won¡¯t go so easy for you.¡±


    As Jordan walked off, Nora gripped her cane tighter. He really did act just like Wyatt pretending to be polite anymore.


    But it didn¡¯t matter. She knew Yunice was at school. That was enough.


    ¨C


    not even


    ¡°Mr. Jordan,¡± Nora suddenly called after him, smiling. ¡°Yunice was the one who told me. You don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Wyatt yourself.¡±


    Jordan frowned and said nothing.


    Nora had been Wyatt¡¯s secretary once. She still knew how to worm her way in.


    Back at the office, making sure he hadn¡¯t been followed, Jordan called Wyatt again and ryed everything Nora had just said.


    ¡°Wyatt, why would Mrs. Cooper be in contact with Nora? Why would she tell her she¡¯s at school?¡±


    Wyatt was silent.


    ¡°Is she hinting that she¡¯s not home? Trying to give Nora an opening? Wyatt, what if Mrs. Cooper¡¯s <b>also </bying a trap for you while she¡¯s finishing her revenge ns?¡±


    ¡°If you stray, it¡¯ll be that much easier for her to leave you.¡±


    O


    Chapter 616 Waiting Under the Tree


    Standing under a tree on campus, Wyatt watched the walkway ahead. He <b>answered </b>quietly, Norac full o tricks. Who knows if she¡¯s telling the truth?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Then what should we do?¡±


    ¡°Ignore her.¡±


    Wyatt ended the call and crossed his arms, leaning against the tree as he kept his eyes <b>on </b>the two <b>figures </b>up ahead.

 Daghter 617

    Chapter 617 A House in Ruin


    The stone path was damp with early morning dew, golden sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead and scattering soft glimmers across the pavement.


    Yunice and Tommy walked side by side down the path.


    Wyatt scoffed from a distance. ¡°Barely a few days apart and guys are already lining up to steal my wife.


    ¡°Yunice, are you settling in okay at school?¡± Tommy chatted casually.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Yunice replied.


    ¡°I heard you guys were out weeding in the herb garden yesterday? That professor of yours is something else. Loves messing with people,¡± he said, chuckling.


    ¡°Yunny!¡±


    Right then, her two roommates came running over.


    As soon as they spotted Tommy, their faces turned suspiciously red, and they immediately straightened up. ¡°Mr. Tommy.¡±


    Tommy gave them a polite nod. ¡°You girls chat. I¡¯ve got something to do.¡±


    The second he walked off, both girls¡® eyes lit up like stars. They excitedly grabbed <i>at </i>Yunice¡¯s sleeve.


    ¡°Yunny, how do you know Tommy? Do you even realize he¡¯s one of the top students here? He¡¯s crazy smart!¡±


    Then, whispering with eyes full of gossip, one added, ¡°Is he your boyfriend? I¡¯ve never seen him this close with any girl before.¡±


    Lena, standing nearest, suddenly noticed a faint red mark on Yunice¡¯s neck. She blinked and hesitated. ¡°Is that¡­ a hickey?¡±


    Jennie gasped and pped her hand over her mouth. ¡°Yunice, did you get a hotel roomst night? Was it with Tom-¡±


    They both looked like they¡¯d stumbled into the juiciest gossip ever.


    Yunice stayed calm. ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it. I¡¯m married. It¡¯s been over a year now. I am four years older than you guys, after all.¡±


    That was indeed around the right age for marriage. And technically, university students were allowed to get married.


    Still surprised, they couldn¡¯t help digging. ¡°So Tommy is¡­¡±


    ¡°I used to volunteer off campus,¡± Yunice exined. ¡°He happened to be volunteering at the same ce. That¡¯s how we met.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± The two didn¡¯t suspect a thing and moved right along into another topic<b>¨C</b>marriage.


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    Chapter 617 A House in Ruin


    Being younger, they still held a kind of awe and curiosity about it. ¡°Do you <b>have </b>kido


    Yunice shook her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t your inws pressure you?¡±


    Wyatt had tried to, but she¡¯d refused.


    ¡°Having kids is a huge deal,¡± Yunice said. ¡°And I still have school.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± they nodded. ¡°We¡¯re in medicine¨Cwe¡¯ve got to at least get a Master¡¯s or PhD before we <b>can </bnd <b>a </b>good job. It¡¯s gonna take at least five years before you graduate, and then you¡¯ll start working. Your husband¡¯s family is okay waiting that long?¡±


    They had all made it clear to their families when they chose Medical University: careers first, no pressure about marriage or children.


    Jennie added, ¡°And with how tempting things are at school, and you being so pretty, isn¡¯t your husband worried some guy will steal you?¡±


    They¡¯d heard those stories plenty of times¨Cmarried students ending up with someone else on campus.


    Justst week, a case like that had blown up on the student forum.


    Yunice thought about Wyatt. After being with someone like him, none of the young, awkward guys on campus could even catch her eye.


    Back at the Saunders residence, Lily returned home in fear.


    The house was eerily quiet¨Cno sign of Peggy, no sound of Timothy.


    Lily clutched Owen¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Owen¡­ where are they?¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t say a word. He just led Lily through the house.


    She followed him into one room and found Peggy tied to a bed, clothes disheveled.


    Then he took her downstairs to the basement.


    There, Timothy was locked inside a cage, a sock stuffed in his mouth.


    Lily¡¯s face went white. She staggered back, hands trembling as she covered her mouth. ¡°Owen, you¡¯re insane. Do you even realize what you¡¯re doing?!¡±


    If someone walked in and saw this, Owen¡¯s life would be over. And so would her one and only hope.


    But Owen looked dead inside. ¡°What else was <b>I </b>supposed to do?¡±


    Lily was panicked. ¡°But what if someone realizes Timothy¡¯s gone and reports it to the police?¡±


    Owen squatted by the cage, locking¨Ceyes with Timothy¡¯s furious stare. ¡°Inen let him tell them who his aplices were.¡±


    As soon as he said that, he jammed an electric baton hard through the bars.


    Chapter 617 A House in Ruin


    <b>Set </b>to the highest voltage, the shock made Timothy scream in agony, his body <b>convulsing</b><b>. </b>A <b>foul</b>¨Csme dil liquid trickled down his legs and pooled on the floor.


    Lily froze as the screams echoed in her cars. She sped her hands over her head, overwhelmed.


    ¡°How did ite to this? How did everything go so wrong¡­¡±


    Her once peaceful life had turned back into the living hell it was six years ago.


    ¡°Owen, stop! Stop it! You can¡¯t keep shocking him. If you kill him, you¡¯ll be a murderer. <b>I¡¯ve </b><b>already </b><b>lost </b>Elsie¨CI can¡¯t lose you too. God, why is this happening? Why did a perfectly good family fall <b>apart </b>like <b>this</b><b>? </b>Why do I have to suffer through all this?¡±

 Daghter 618

    Chapter 618 Judgment


    Chapter 618 Judgment


    Amid Lily¡¯s frantic sobbing, Owen¡¯s eyes were cold and hard. He didn¡¯t let go until Timothy <b>rolled </b><b>his </b>eyes and passed out from the electric shocks.


    ¡°Mom, did you know that Elsie has been sending Timothy money on and off for the past four <b>years</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Owen asked darkly.


    Lily panicked and quickly shook her head. ¡°Of course I didn¡¯t know! Are you serious?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen pressed on. ¡°In just four years, Elsie sent Timothy nearly eighty million. Add in the house and the car¨Cwhere did all that moneye from?¡±


    Lily hesitated, trying toe up with an excuse. ¡°Where else could she have gotten it? It had to be from Paul.¡±


    Owen didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Then what about all those expensive luxury goods in your room? Also from Paul? Didn¡¯t the Powell family already demand a full ounting of everything Paul gave you over the years? How do you exin the rest?¡±


    Lily scrambled, still trying to deny it. ¡°If it didn¡¯te from Paul, then where else? Elsie was just an intern -how could she have that kind of money?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s always a way,¡± Owen said coldly, pointing upstairs. ¡°She could¡¯ve done what Peggy did¨Cused her connections with the Saunders and Powell families to trade for cash.¡±


    Lily¡¯s face turned pale again. She realized Owen wasn¡¯t buying it anymore.


    Owen sneered. ¡°So all the experienced doctors at Yun Hospital were squeezed out and reced with ipetents because of you two. You drove them away and took kickbacks to fill the ce with quacks. That¡¯s what destroyed the hospital¡¯s reputation¨Cuntil it copsed!¡±


    His voice thundered through the house. Then ?ame another chillingugh. ¡°You¡¯re asking why things turned out like this? Why our family fell apart? Maybe you should ask yourself that. Lily, it was you who drove me to this. You backed me into a corner¡­¡±


    Lily shook her head and reached for him. ¡°You have to believe me. This has nothing to do with me. I swear I didn¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t understand business, and I never got involved in anything with thepany or the household¨Cyou know that!¡±


    But Owen had long grown tired of her ying dumb and staying neutral.


    He pushed her hand away coldly. ¡°A mother knows her daughter best. Even if all of this was Elsie¡¯s doing, are you telling me you didn¡¯t know a single thing?


    Let me ask you again¨Cfour years ago, did Yunice really stab Elsie, or did Elsie stage the whole thing and put on a show for me?¡±


    Lily wiped her tears and replied earnestly, ¡°Owen, I promise you, no one lied to you about that.


    Back then, Yunny lost control and stabbed Elsie because she was jealous.


    swear¡­¡±


    II knew that¨Cit¡¯s the truth, I


    =


    |||


    Chapter 618 Judgment


    ¡°You¡¯re still lying!¡± Owen shouted. ¡°There was <i>a </i>security camera where they fought. I¡¯ve seen the footage, know the truth now!¡±


    Lily froze, her pupils darting in panic. She couldn¡¯t meet Owen¡¯s eyes.


    In reality, there was no footage¨COwen had never seen any video. He was just fishing.


    But his gamble had paid off.


    Lily clearly knew the truth.


    She had always known Yunice was innocent, and she¡¯d hidden it for four years.


    Owen¡¯s heart sankpletely. All these years, he¡¯d been enabling the very people who were using him- helping them go after the one person who had always acted in the family¡¯s best interest.


    Sure, Lily and Elsie were the poison that rotted the Saunders family from within. But Owen wasn¡¯t meless.


    He¡¯d thrown his full support behind two people who hadn¡¯t even lived with him for fifteen years¨Cjust to win their approval, he¡¯d turned against his own sister.


    If he didn¡¯t deserve retribution, who did?


    Images of Yunice and her quiet sacrifices for the family shed through Owen¡¯s mind.


    He buried his fingers in his hair and gripped his head in agony, ashamed and unable to look at himself.


    ¡°What the hell was I thinking? How could I do so m¨¢ny horrible things?<b>¡± </b>


    He copsed to the floor in despair, pounding his head and stomping in frustration. Lily quickly stepped forward, trying tofort him.


    ¡°Owen, this isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s Yunice¨Cshe¡¯s always been so stubborn.


    You¡¯re her older brother. Whether you were right or wrong, she should¡¯ve listened to you. If she didn¡¯t, then she¡¯s the one who was out of line.¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes burned as he flung her hand away.


    Even now, she was still saying that?


    It had always been like this¨CLily and Elsie feeding him lines like that, putting him on a pedestal, making him believe he ruled the Saunders family.


    But what did he really have?


    His vision couldn¡¯t match Yunice¡¯s. His skills in medicine were far inferior. He had no sense of timing or strategy. He wasn¡¯t even half as brave or decisive.


    He was the most ipetent person in the Saunders family¨Cand he¡¯d hope it ever had.


    nally destroyed the brightest


    C


    Chapter 618 Judgment


    No wonder the family was falling apart.


    Lily slumped to the ground too, her expression turning grim.


    She knew now¨COwen¡¯s heart had already shifted to Yunice.

 Daghter 619

    Chapter 619 Rock Bottom


    Owen wiped the sweat from his forehead and slicked back his damp hair, pacing restlessly before looking back at Lily.


    After a few moments, he took the initiative to apologize. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry. I lost my temper just now. <b>Don¡¯t </b>take it to heart.


    As for Peggy and Timothy, I¡¯m only keeping them locked up temporarily. I won¡¯t actually do anything to them.


    Once we get our passports reissued, I¡¯ll let them go.¡±


    Lily hesitated, clearly unsettled by Owen¡¯s sudden change in tone. But at this point, she had no choice but to y along.


    Owen still held all the money, and at least he hadn¡¯t abandoned her.


    He was still the most filial of her children.


    In the days that followed, the Saunders residence stayed tightly shut. Every so often<b>, </b>screams and wails could be heard from within.


    But Owen made sure no one was allowed into the Saunders residence during that time.


    Back at school, Yunice was having lunch in the cafeteria, lost in thought.


    By her count, it was about time Paul¡¯s scheme got exposed.


    1


    It was time to give the Powell Corporation a little push¨Cto let them uncover the financial discrepancies on their own.


    For the past six months, Yunice had been stringing Paul along. Weekly returns, monthly cycles, irregr


    payouts.


    She¡¯d trained him well¨Che¡¯d gotten used to checking the ount at the end of each period.


    Paul, too impatient to wait, never dared to rush her. Every time he got suspicious, she¡¯d threaten to pull out of the deal entirely. It kept him on edge but obedient.


    This time, he waited a full week before checking the ount.


    When he saw the bnce was still zero, his breathing turned shallow. Gripping his phone tightly, he tried to calm himself.


    Maybe it was a dy. Just a little longer.


    Midnight came and went.


    He checked again¨Cstill nothing.


    Panic hit him like a tidal wave. Paul scrambled, his thoughts in chaos, and immediately dialed the mystery


    Èý


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    Chapter 619 Rock Bottom


    number.


    The ringing stopped, and he frantically asked, ¡°Hello? Why haven¡¯t I received the transfer<b>? </b>Is there system issue? Where¡¯s my money?!¡±


    But all he heard was the automated reply of a robotic female voice repeating:


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry. The number you have dialed is not in service. We¡¯re sorry, the number you have dialed


    Clunk. His phone dropped to the ground, hitting his foot.


    Paul¡¯s nk eyes suddenly focused. He snatched up the phone, gulped down his dry throat, and frantically started calling again.


    ¡°I must¡¯ve dialed wrong. It was just a mistake. Try again, just try again and it¡¯ll <i>go </i>through¡­¡°.


    He chanted under his breath, redialing.


    ¡°We¡¯re sorry. The number you have dialed is not in service¡­¡±


    That same robotic voice echoed in his ears like a recurring nightmare. Paul stood frozen.


    After several seconds, his trembling hands picked up the phone again. This time, he manually typed in the number, shaking so badly he had to re¨Center it multiple times.


    ¡°Hello, is this the police?! I want to report a scam! I¡¯ve been defrauded¨Cone hundred billion! You have to get it back for me! Get it back now!¡±


    Paul screamed into the phone, nearly cking out from rage. He gripped the table for support.


    A <i>hundred </i><i>billion</i><i>¡­ </i>


    His¡­ the Powell family¡¯s hundred billion¡­


    His panicked eyes darted toward the courtyard.


    No one could know. No one.


    He wiped the sweat from his brow, forced himself to stand straight, and swallowed hard. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed with tension. The fear twisting his features made the scar on his face look even more menacing.


    ¡°If Wyatt could recover from it, so can I¡­¡± Paul muttered, then stormed off to the police station.


    Back when Wyatt had lost everything, Paul had schemed to trap him in debt. But Wyatt had bounced back.


    Paul refused to believe he couldn¡¯t do the same.


    At the police station¡­


    Paul screamed at the officers, Aren¡¯t you the police?! What do you mear seven days! You¡¯re supposed to get my money back!¡±


    can¡¯t trace it? It¡¯s only been


    He threw a full tantrum, yelling, pacing, mming desks¨Cuntil the officers <b>grew </b>cold and indifferent,


    <b>< </b>


    <b>08:56 </b><b>Sat</b>, <b>2 </b><b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 619 Rock Bottom


    simply staring at him.


    Only then did he finally start to ept the truth.


    He stormed out, took a few steps, then spun around to yell at them onest time, ¡°You¡¯d better <b>keep </b><b>quiet </b>about this! If anyone finds out, I¡¯ll make sure you all pay for it!¡±


    No one responded. They just stared at him in stunned silence.


    Once he was gone, the officers shook their heads and returned to their work.


    ¡°These rich second¨Cgens are all brainless. Even a scam this basic gets them<b>.¡± </b>


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯ve been spoiled since birth¨Cdon¡¯t even understand the value of money. Think the farmily fortune came out of thin air.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, with the kind of wealth their families built, they could just coast through life. But no, they want to be investors and entrepreneurs¨Cthen lose it all. We¡¯ve seen this so many times this year.¡±


    ¡°The scam happened a week ago. That hundred billion¡¯s probably alreadyundered and out of the country.¡±


    In other words, recovery was a fantasy.


    Back in his car, Paul sat alone.


    He mmed the steering wheel again and again, shouting out his frustration as the horn red <b>over </b>and over, shrill and grating.

 Daghter 620

    Chapter 620 Cornered


    The Powell Corporation ran audits and held shareholder meetings annually. When that <b>time </b>came, <b>such </b><b>a </b>massive financial shortfall was bound to blow up.


    There were only two months left before the audit¡­


    Paul felt a chill at the back of his neck. This mess was going tond squarely on his shoulders.


    And that wasn¡¯t even the worst of it¨Cthe worst part was that the Powell Corporation¡¯s foundation had been hollowed out. They were about to face a mountain ofwsuits and a giant hole in their bnce sheet.


    If they couldn¡¯t handle it, the Powell Corporation would fall from the ranks of the capital¡¯s elite. It might even go bankrupt.


    That night, Paul didn¡¯t dare go home.


    Taylor called Yunice and told her Paul was acting strangely. ¨C


    Yunice figured it was time to fan the mes. ¡°Taylor, didn¡¯t you say you wanted a divorce? I think this is your chance. Go public with it. Say the investments weren¡¯t a joint decision between spouses. That could help reduce the financial liability you¡¯ll have to bear. Even if you still get caught up inwsuitster, at <b>least </b>you¡¯ll have the image of a victim¨Csomeone the public might sympathize with.¡±


    ording to marriagew, major financial decisions likerge¨Cscale investments required mutual consent from both spouses, clearly documented in writing for both to be held ountable.


    Paul had made the investments in secret. The profits weren¡¯t used for joint expenses either. Since Taylor hadn¡¯t signed off, she had grounds to dispute any shared liability.


    Butws weren¡¯t always dependable in the face of power and influence. The real concern was whether the Powell family would resort to dirty tricks and drag things out, making Taylor suffer.


    Yunice had engineered the Powell family¡¯s financial crisis. She didn¡¯t want Taylor to get caught in the crossfire.


    She was determined to minimize the coteral damage this would cause Taylor.


    Taylor took Yunice¡¯s advice seriously. But after a moment of hesitation, she voiced a long¨Cstanding suspicion. ¡°Yunice, I know you want to take down the Powell family. So¡­ was this your n?¡±


    If it was, Yunice had to have powerful backing. There was no way she could orchestrate such a huge crack in the Powell Corporation¡¯s defenses on her own.


    Yunice denied it. ¡°It had nothing to do with me. I just heard about it from someone. Got tipped off.


    The Powell Corporation¡¯s done so many shady things, made so many enemies¨Cthere are plenty of people who want them to go down. It¡¯s not just me.¡±


    Taylor pressed her lips together. She didn¡¯t want to believe Yunice was capa calcted.


    of something so cold and


    1/3 She liked Yunice¨Cdidn¡¯t want to see her corrupted by schemes and revenge. A girl like Yunice should be


    (


    <b>08:56 </b><b>Sat</b><b>, </b><b>2 </b><b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 620 Cornered


    surrounded by love, cheerful and carefree, untouched by maniption and mind games.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s not me.¡±


    Taylor sighed. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    After hanging up, Yunice turned her focus back to her afternoon sses.


    There weren¡¯t many people left in the herb field. Yunice¡¯s plot had already been cleared of weeds. But the seedlings Wyatt had identally pulled¨Cthough rented¨Chad damaged roots. After a day and <b>a </b><b>night</b>, they still hadn¡¯t recovered. They drooped sadly, looking like they were withering.


    The professor passed by her section, paused mid¨Csip of his tea, eyes widening slightly. But he didn¡¯t <b>say </b>anything and walked on.


    He probably had no idea what kind of move she was ying.


    After school, herb identification ss wrapped up. Yunice was just leaving the field when Wyatt called her.


    ¡°You¡¯re off campus?¡±


    ¡°I thought you went back to Wellinges Pharma. Why are you here again?¡±


    ¡°Themute takes that long?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°A helicopter? Forty minutes, huh. Okay then.¡±


    Yunice kept the call going while jogging toward the campus gate.


    ¡°Yunice? Going out?¡± someone called behind her.


    She stopped and saw Tommy.


    He was holding a teaching n, surrounded by a few students.


    The students turned to nce at her, clearly/curious who she was¨Cwhy the top student was talking to her so casually.


    Tommy smiled. ¡°This is our department¡¯s SAT champ.¡±


    The students stared even harder. Their expressions turned moreplicated.


    A momentter, they drifted off, leaving Tommy to walk over.


    ¡°Need help getting around campus?¡± he offered. ¡°Want your senior to give you a tour?¡±


    Yunice nced past him and said/¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll need your help.¡±


    Tommy¡¯s smile froze. He followed her gaze.


    Wyatt stood there, arms crossed, looking down at him.


    Taller by a full head, Wyatt had an oppressive presence that made Tommy¡¯s breath catch.


    <b>2/8 </b>


    Out, & Muy


    Chapter 620 Cornered


    8530


    +5 Free Couns


    Wyatt grinned. ¡°Tommy sure is thoughtful. Helped check her dorm, carry her luggage, and now wants to be her tour guide?¡±


    Tommy blushed and awkwardly said, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I just see her as a friend. She¡¯s new, and I¡¯m just familiar with the area, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Perfect. Since I¡¯m taking my wife to dinner, why don¡¯t you¨Csomeone who knows the area well¨Cshow us around a bit?¡±


    Yunice looked from Tommy to Wyatt. She could already smell the tension¨Cbut she didn¡¯t stop it.

 Daghter 621

    Chapter 621 Rivalry


    Chapter 621 Rivalry


    Tommy forced a stiff smile. ¡°Sure.¡±


    He agreed to go with Wyatt.


    When he saw Wyatt open the door of a BYD, Tommy froze slightly, his expression a little surprised. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>guys really keep it low¨Ckey?¡±


    Wyatt got in and replied, ¡°My wife doesn¡¯t like drawing too much attention¡­ The front seat¡¯s hers. <b>Sorry</b><b><i>, </i></b>Tommy, you¡¯ll have to sit in the back.¡±


    Tommy said, ¡°Of course<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    He climbed into the back and leaned forward, bracing both hands on the front seats to <b>see </b>out the windshield. ¡°Take a left down the alley up ahead. There¡¯s a local restaurant at the end of it¨Clight vors. I remember Yunice doesn¡¯t like anything too heavy. Not sure what your tastes are, sir?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face turned cold as he gripped the steering wheel.


    Apparently, he wasn¡¯t thrilled Tommy knew Yunice¡¯s preferences.


    Yunice said, ¡°He eats local food too.¡±


    Wyatt wasn¡¯t picky like her. He could eat just about anything. As long as it filled his stomach, he was fine. That¡¯s why Yunice never really figured out what his favorite vor was.


    Tommy gave a short ¡°oh¡± and kept giving directions.


    Yunice nced at Wyatt but didn¡¯t say more.


    Traffic in the university district was bad around,dismissal time. And since this was an old part of the city, the road conditions made it worse.


    Once they reached the alley, they¡¯d have to get out and walk the rest of the way.


    While the car inched along, Tommy stayed busy on his phone.


    He was young, smart, and handsome¨Chugely popr among the girls at school. Plenty of students hit him up with questions about coursework. He had his hands full.


    When they finally parked, the three of them walked into the alley toward the restaurant.


    Wyatt held Yunice¡¯s hand while Tommy led the way.


    Tommy was well¨Cknown on campus, so everywhere they went, students greeted him. Some even squealed with excitement like running into him was the best surprise ever.


    Thanks to him, Wyatt and Yunice also ended up getting a bunch of stares.


    Some bold students even came up to ask who they were.


    Yunice nced at Wyatt¡¯s expression, a little awkward. She lightly squeezed his <b>palm</b>.


    Chapter 621 Rivalry


    Bear with it.


    He was the one who invited Tommy, after all.


    They finally made it to the restaurant, and thanks to Tommy¡¯s reputation, they scored a private room<b>. </b>


    It wasn¡¯t a fancy ce¨Cjust a small student¨Cfriendly spot. But the private room offered a good level <b>of </b>privacy.


    What they didn¡¯t expect was for a couple of clueless underssmen to follow them in. The two <b>girls </b>probably hadn¡¯t expected to run into Tommy and shyly approached, holding books in their hands. ¡°Tommy, we¡¯re stuck on a few problems. Could you help us out?¡±


    Tommy politely declined. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve gotpany.¡±


    The girls blinked and nced at Wyatt and Yunice. When they saw Wyatt, they blushed even harder.


    They tried again. ¡°This ce takes forever to serve food. We won¡¯t hold you up. Besides<i>¡­ </i>you two don¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Thick¨Cskinned, they answered for Yunice and Wyatt without waiting for a response. Before Wyatt could shut them down with a scowl, they¡¯d already dragged over chairs and sat on either side of Tommy, happily pushing their books toward him.


    Wyatt frowned.


    Yunice tapped his hand.


    He turned to look at her.


    Yunice shifted slightly in her seat and spoke in a low voice, just for the two of them. ¡°Where¡¯d yound the helicopter?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes flickered. Suddenly, he found these two girls useful¨Cstalling Tommy gave him more alone time with Yunice.


    ¡°On the hotel roof.¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit much?¡±


    Wyatt smiled. ¡°It¡¯s only forty minutes.¡±


    She added, ¡°Tommy¡¯s my senior. We¡¯ve been through a lot together in the hospital. Don¡¯t be petty with him.¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°If you can tell I¡¯m being petty, then you must also see he¡¯s up to something.¡±


    Yunice bit her straw. ¡°Of course.¡°/


    Tommy just wasn¡¯t being obvious about it. But that didn¡¯t mean she had to push him away.


    She wasn¡¯t the kind of person who wasted energy on things that wouldn¡¯t go anywhere. And she definitely wasn¡¯t going to offend someone for no reason.


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    Chapter 621 Rivalry


    Tommy nced over and saw the two of them sitting close<b>, </b>whispering with their heads together.


    He looked down at the book in front of him, then smiled at the two girls. ¡°You two are asking different types of questions. I can¡¯t help both at the same time.¡±


    ¡°Yunice here was the top scorer on the SAT this year. She¡¯s great with this kind of problem too.¡±


    The more outgoing girl quickly picked up on the hint¨CTommy was suggesting she ask Yunice instead.


    But she had zero interest in that. She was into guys.


    Tommy thought she came here for tutoring? Please. She was just trying to <i>get </i>close to the school heartthrob and maybe get his number.


    She had no intention of talking to the SAT queen.


    33

 Daghter 622

    Chapter 622 Unqualified


    Chapter 622 Unqualified


    The girl nced at Yunice, then shifted her gaze to the man sitting beside her.


    He looked powerful. Maic.


    Totally different from Tommy.


    Honestly? Even more appealing than Tommy¡­


    Her eyes flicked once more, and then she actually picked up her book, nervously walking over.


    +6 Free Coins


    But instead of stopping by Yunice, she bypassed her and paused beside Wyatt. ¡°Hi. Could you help me with a problem? Tommy¡¯s a bit overwhelmed¡­¡±


    Yunice looked up,zily resting her chin in one hand. ¡°What¡¯s the question? I can take a look.¡±


    The girl pouted and gave Yunice a scornful nce, then forced a sweet smile. ¡°Tommy mentioned you earlier, but we¡¯re in the same year, so we¡¯re probably about the same level. This is an advanced question- it¡¯s way past test difficulty. I doubt you can handle it. Let him help me instead, save everyone time.¡±


    Yunice sipped her drink, amused. Did this girl really think Wyatt¡¯s face said <i>highly </i><i>educated</i>?


    Wyatt didn¡¯t bother being polite. His expression went cold. ¡°My tutoringes with a steep price. You sure you can afford it?¡±


    The girl smiled confidently. ¡°I don¡¯t mind paying. You can add me on WhatsApp and I¡¯ll send you a tutoring fee.¡±


    Even the most expensive private tutoring didn¡¯t go past a few thousand dors per session. Getting this man¡¯s WhatsApp would be worth every cent.


    Wyatt let out a low chuckle. ¡°You don¡¯t qualify to be my student.¡±


    The girl froze. Her smile copsed.


    Yunice couldn¡¯t hold back augh. Wyatt hadn¡¯t even been to college. He had his strengths in business, but academics? Not his thing.


    She reached for the girl¡¯s book. ¡°Let me. I won¡¯t charge you, and I don¡¯t need your WhatsApp.¡±


    The girl¡¯s face instantly dropped, but she needed an excuse to back down, so she reluctantly walked back over to Yunice.


    She was eager to see what Yunice could do. If she messed up, she¡¯d have every reason to humiliate her right in front of her boyfriend.


    Just imagining it made her giddy.


    Yunice nced at the problem, then began working through it on a nk section of the page.


    The girl immediately protested. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t scribble in my book! I¡¯m a clean freak. If you mess this up, I¡¯m throwing the book away!¡±


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    Chapter 622 Unqualified


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    Yunice looked up and raised an eyebrow. ¡°If I get it wrong, I¡¯ll buy you a new one.¡±


    Still not satisfied, the girl sneered, ¡°This is a custom print. You won¡¯t be able to rece it.¡±


    Wyatt opened his jacket, pulled a checkbook from his inner pocket, and tossed it on the table. ¡°Use this.¡±


    The checkbook was slim, and the problem wasplicated¨Csolving it might take an entire page.


    Yunice flipped to the back of the checkbook and started writing.


    The girl didn¡¯t even watch her solve it. She was too busy sneaking nces at the man beside her.


    Who carried a checkbook around? He had to be loaded.


    As that thought crossed her mind, a voice cut in. ¡°Done.¡±


    The girl snapped out of it. Tommy nced over too.


    Yunice calmly capped the pen, tore out thepleted check page, and tucked it into the girl¡¯s book. ¡°That¡¯s the solution. You can study itter. You¡¯re smart¡ªI¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    The girl stared nkly at the check. There were only three lines of writing.


    Just three steps?


    She¡¯d studied the solution beforehand to show off in front of Tommy, and the standard answer had taken a full page with all the detailed steps.


    But Yunice had solved it in just three lines.


    Still, the answer was correct.


    She felt unsettled. Turning to Tommy, she said, ¡°Senior, Yunice solved it, but I¡¯m not sure if the steps are valid. Could you check it for me?¡±


    ¡°I want to share this with ssmatester, and if she¡¯s wrong, it¡¯ll mislead others and hurt her reputation.¡±


    She eyed Wyatt as she spoke, hoping he¡¯d step in and criticize Yunice¨Cgive her a way to keep the conversation going.


    But Wyatt just refilled Yunice¡¯s drink and didn¡¯t even look at her.


    Tommy walked over and took the check. ¡°Let me see.¡±


    He handled the check carefully, angling it just enough to glimpse the back.


    There, the identity of the check¡¯s ount holder was printed.

 Daghter 623

    Chapter 623 You Don¡¯t Qualify


    Chapter 623 You Don¡¯t Qualify


    Tommy still didn¡¯t know what Yunice¡¯s husband actually did.


    But when Yunice used that check, she¡¯d already covered up the payer info with a marker.


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    That was a habit people in finance developed¨Cnk checks should never be exposed. Otherwise, they risked being filled out maliciously.


    Thepany name wasn¡¯t cked out though. Wellinges Pharma.


    Not that it told Tommy anything new. He already knew Yunice and her husband were both from Wellinges Pharma¨Che just didn¡¯t know which department her husband worked in.


    When he looked back again, Wyatt had already tucked the checkbook away.


    So Tommy turned his focus to the math solution. He mouthed the steps silently, working through them in his head before nodding. ¡°The steps are correct. But they¡¯re¨Cnot suitable for most students. If you n to share this with others, you should break it down into a simpler version.¡±


    The girl didn¡¯t look pleased at all¨Calmost like Yunice solving the problem correctly was a personal insult.


    She looked at Yunice. ¡°Did you deliberately try to show off in front of him? Why didn¡¯t you write the simpler steps? Or maybe you couldn¡¯t?¡±


    No matter what, she had to find fault with Yunice.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°The simpler version takes up a full page. You didn¡¯t want me writing in your book, so I had to condense it.¡±


    The girl said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring a whole checkbook? Couldn¡¯t you have just used that?¡±


    Yunice replied coolly, ¡°You said it yourself¡ªit¡¯s a checkbook, not scratch paper. And seriously, who begs someone for help and acts so entitled? I¡¯m not charging you, and you think you can just use up my checks? Hmm?¡±


    That final ¡°hmm¡± rose with a mocking edge, calm and dismissive.


    The girl¡¯s face stiffened. She quickly said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Why are you putting it that way? Are you trying to embarrass me in front of Tommy?¡±


    The way she emphasized ¡°boyfriend¡± was far too deliberate¨Cclearly meant to provoke.


    Yunice smiled sweetly. ¡°You say that like I¡¯m being petty. Is that what you¡¯re trying to imply?¡±


    ¡°Or are you saying I¡¯m bullying you? That¡¯s weird. You came to me, asking for help. I helped you. Now you say I was showing off? So what do you actually want?¡±


    She blinked those wide, sincere eyes right at the girl.


    The girl waspletely flustered. ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    III


    <


    Chapter 623 You Don¡¯t Quality


    then whist did you can!¡± <ol><li>She ene strende vang in Yanice¡¯s thetorical trap, struggling toe up with an excise. </li></ol>


    Vinice sipped her drink, thoroughly enjoying the scene.


    She¡¯d said it before¨Cahrer kids were all their thoughts on their facet.


    ¡°Enough. Tommy said sternly. ¡°Yunice was genuinely trying to help. You were the one making assumptions. Apologize.¡±


    The girl pouted, clearly unwilling, but mumbled, ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Tommy continued, ¡°If you¡¯re truly sorry, then be respectful and ask her properly how to solve the problem.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes shed with resentment, but she still turned to Yunice for help.


    Funice asked, ¡°Now can I write in your book?¡±


    Then she began writing the full breakdown of the steps.


    As she wrote, the girl watched intently. Suddenly she lit up. ¡°Wait¨Cyou wrote this part wrong!¡±


    }¡é{a


    She looked like she¡¯d just struck gold, and immediately reached for Wyatt. ¡°Look, your girlfriend made a mistake here. Isn¡¯t that wrong?¡±


    Wyatt jerked his arm away with a look of disgust.


    She pushed on. ¡°No really, she got it wrong!¡±


    Wyatt Jooked at her coldly. ¡°So what?¡±


    The girl froze. She thought if Yunice made a mistake, her boyfriend would be embarrassed.


    Tommy stepped over and took a look. ¡°She didn¡¯t get it wrong.¡±


    Then he turned to Wyatt. ¡°See? She did it right.¡±


    Wyatt frowned, clearly impatient.


    All thoseplex symbols¨Che couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of them. He had no way to tell whether Yunice¡¯s answer was right or wrong, no way to follow her logic.


    But Tommy? One nce and he got it. He even understood Yunice¡¯s thought process.


    Wyatt stayed silent. Tommy assumed he didn¡¯t want to get involved, so he didn¡¯t press it. Instead, he started patiently exining the step to the girl.


    From the corner of his eye, Wyatt looked over at Yunice, his expression darkening.


    No wonder he and Yunice always ran out of things to talk about¨Cthey weren¡¯t even operating on the same level. The things she was passionate about were totally beyond him.


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    12:13 Sun, 3 <b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 623 You Don¡¯t Qualify


    He used to ask her to teach him stuff, thinking it¡¯d help them bond.


    But seeing Tommy like this made him realize what kind of impact admiration could have.


    Everyone loved the strong. Didn¡¯t they?

 Daghter 624

    Chapter 624 Jealousy Has No Reason


    Chapter 624 Jealousy Has No Reason


    <b>*</b><b>S </b>Free Coina


    Yunice noticed the subtle shift in Wyatt¡¯s mood and moved her gaze away from Tommy and the two girls.


    It didn¡¯t take much for her to guess what Wyatt was thinking of self¨Cdoubt.


    most likely falling into that farmiliar spiral


    The girl had kept trying to get Wyatt to chime in and solve a problem that clearly hit one of his weak spots.


    People hatedparisons ¨C and Wyatt had always seen Tommy as a rival. Losing to him in front of others? Of course he¡¯d feel humiliated.


    Yunice leaned slightly toward him and said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    Her voice wasn¡¯t exactly quiet ¨C Tommy heard her too.


    Sensing Yunice¡¯s obviousck of interest in the two girls, he quickly realized he had overstepped.


    This wasn¡¯t a tutoring session ¨C Yunice and Wyatt hade here to eat, not to sit through his little show.


    ¡°We have ns. If you want to keep working on the problem, do it at school,¡± Tommy said before the girls could even protest. Then, turning to Wyatt, added, ¡°I¡¯ll go check on the food.¡±


    As Tommy left, the two girls realized they had worn out their wee. The one with the book snapped it shut with a dramatic p and gave Yunice a sharp side¨Ceye on her way out. <i>We¡¯ll </i><i>see </i><i>you </i><i>at </i><i>school</i><i>, </i>her look seemed to say.


    Once the room was finally quiet again, Yunice muttered, ¡°Three rude little pests. What a pain.¡±


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°Three?¡±


    Yunice sighed. ¡°My senior- brilliant academically, zero emotional intelligence. Being around him is exhausting.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s brow arched even higher. ¡°But he¡¯s really good at exams


    ¨C


    ¨C a total test god.¡±


    Yunice shrugged. ¡°Only because he¡¯s neverpeted with me. If he did, I¡¯m not sure who¡¯d win.¡±


    Wyatt blinked, then turned his head away ¨C unable to keep from smiling.


    Guess he¡¯d been overthinking things. Sure, Tommy was impressive ¨C but not enough to make Yunice idolize him.


    Because Yunice herself was impressive.


    Tommy soon returned, sincerely apologizing. ¡°Sorry about that it won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°No worries. Next time, we just won¡¯t eat together.¡±


    Tommy nced at him, expecting a sh of anger ¨C but Wyatt only looked amused, like none of it had fazed him.


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    Chapter 624 Jealousy Has No Reason


    A momentter, the food arrived.


    Meanwhile, outside, those two girls were grumbling as they stomped down the street.


    ¡°What kind of stupid question was that? How is she solving it so easily?¡± Wendy muttered, looking ready to rip the book in half.


    Her sidekick quickly stopped her. ¡°Wendy, don¡¯t! We still need that as an excuse to <i>go </i>see Tommy again!¡±


    Wendy fumed. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it? Tommy is obviously into that little bitch!¡±


    Then her tone suddenly shifted. She turned to her friend with an edge in her voice. ¡°Tell me ¨C who¡¯s prettier? Yunice or me?¡±


    Wendy had once been voted the prettiest girl in the med school. But Tommy, and even Yunice¡¯s boyfriend, hadn¡¯t spared her a nce.


    The sidekick hesitated before replying unconvincingly, ¡°Of course it¡¯s you, Wendy¡­¡®¡±


    93


    ¡°You hesitated!¡± Wendy snapped. ¡°So you think she¡¯s prettier, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t even in the running when they did the campus beauty rankings!¡± Wendy hissed. ¡°Where the hell did she evene from?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s that SAT top scorer Tommy mentioned, right? There was a cheating scandal around the SATS ¨C her name was involved. She hasn¡¯t really shown up on campus before¡­¡±


    Wendy¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°So what, now that Yunice has finally made an appearance, I¡¯m not the top beauty anymore? What¡¯s next ¡ª is she going to steal the campus queen title too?!¡±


    She shouted thatst part so loudly that several heads turned in her direction.


    A hesitant voice cut in. ¡°Excuse me¡­ were you talking about Yunice?¡±


    ¨C


    Wendy turned to see a tall, slim woman in a soft gray wool hat, long hair falling over her shoulders ¨C someone who bore a striking resemnce to Yunice.


    ¡°And who the hell are you?¡± Wendy snapped instinctively.


    Hands tucked in the pockets of her coat, the woman stepped forward. ¡°I suppose I¡¯d be¡­ a rtive of the Yunice you¡¯re talking about.¡±


    2


    Wendy scanned her. There was no denying the resemnce.


    The woman smiled politely. ¡°Did Yunice offend you somehow?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s friend looked nervous, but Wendy lifted her chin. ¡°So you¡¯re her rtive? Then tell me ¨C do you guys not teach your kids about self¨Crespect? That girl¡¯s out here eating with two guys. Doesn¡¯t she know what self¨Ccontrol is?¡±


    The woman tilted her head thoughtfully and nced at the restaurant. ¡°She¡¯s eating here? With two men?¡±


    §à


    12:13 Sun, 3 Aug


    Chapter 624 Jealousy Has No Reason


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Wendy sneered. ¡°One of them¡¯s our senior, and the other one¡¯s her boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°And how do you know one of them is her boyfriend?¡±


    Wendy scoffed. ¡°Please. The way they were sitting -wait¡­¡±


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    so close, whispering and flirting it¡¯s obvious they¡¯re

 Daghter 625

    Chapter 65 A Trap with a Smile


    Chapter 625 A Trap with a Smile


    Wendy realized she¡¯d been too naive so she twisted her words with a sly smirk. ¡°Okay, I take that back. Not her boyfriend herpanion¡±


    Nora gave a meaningful smile. She¡¯d onlye to campus on a hunch after hearing Yunice might be around ¨C and sure enough. Wyatt was with her.


    Who else could share that level of intimacy with Yunice but him?


    Nora nced at the restaurant again. Wyatt didn¡¯t even like this cuisine. If he was eating here, it was because Yunice liked it.


    She turned her gaze back to Wendy. ¡°I apologize on Yunice¡¯s behalf. Why don¡¯t we add each other on WhatsApp? I¡¯ll treat you two to a meal ¨C consider it an apology.¡±


    A cousin siding with outsiders, not her own family? Apologizing for Yunice?


    Wendy¡¯s eyes narrowed as she schemed. She wasn¡¯t about to turn down a chance to meet Yunice¡¯s rtives. Maybe this woman could give her some inside info.


    She tilted her head and smiled sweetly. ¡°Sure.¡±


    The three of them walked across the street into another restaurant.


    An hourter, Nora stood at a half¨Copen window on the third floor, watching as Wyatt and Yunice exited the restaurant ¨C with Tommy trailing behind them.


    From behind, Wendy sidled up to her eagerly. ¡°You¡¯re so much easier to talk to than Yunice! Honestly, I already like you more.¡±


    Nora offered a gentle smile. ¡°My cousin didn¡¯t grow up with a father. Her upbringing wascking. Since you¡¯re ssmates, I hope you¡¯ll help keep an eye on her. If anything happens, just let me know on WhatsApp ¨C I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Wendy nodded enthusiastically. ¡°Of course! We already added each other.¡±


    Nora smiled again and turned back to peer out the window.


    Down in the alley, Wyatt abruptly nced up ¨C sharp and alert, as if he had eyes on the back of his head.


    Nora instinctively shifted to the side, hiding behind the edge of the window frame.


    Yunice followed Wyatt¡¯s nce upward but didn¡¯t see anything.


    At the corner, Tommy waved goodbye ¨C he had <i>to </i>leave to tutor someone else.


    With him gone, Wyatt and Yunice visibly rxed.


    Hand in hand, they strolled down the student district, surrounded by the lively air of youth.


    If they went back to the hotel now, Yunice would probably dive straight into her research notes again.


    Èý


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    12:13 Sun, <b>3 </b>Aug G


    Chapter 625 A Trap with a Smile


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    Wyatt¡¯s eyes lingered on the storefronts with groups of girlsing and going. <i>Girls </i><i>like shopping</i>, right<i>? </i>he thought.


    ¡°Wife.¡±


    Yunice flinched. That word still made her ears tingle.


    Wyatt stopped in front of her. ¡°Your family¡¯s been thinking about you. Don¡¯t you think you should bring them something?¡±


    He added gently, ¡°I¡¯m heading back tomorrow. I can pass it along for you.¡±


    Yunice had considered bringing gifts home ¨C just not yet. She¡¯d thought she¡¯d buy them closer to the end of the month.


    And she hadn¡¯t even decided what to get.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Mr. Carl doesn¡¯t need anything. His gift needs to <i>feel </i><i>right</i>. We should look around and find something that speaks to us.¡±


    That made sense.


    ¡°Yeah, that could work,¡± Yunice agreed thoughtfully.


    Wyatt looked ahead at the long street lined with shops. ¡°Shall we just walk around a bit?¡±


    The university district was basically a tourist spot now ¨C fullymercialized with nothing really unique. Boutique stores felt cheap, and the clothing shops weren¡¯t worth browsing.


    But then Wyatt¡¯s gazended on a handcraft store. ¡°Mr. Carl likes tea. What if you make him a teapot?¡±


    Yunice frowned. ¡°I¡¯m all thumbs.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t exactly gifted with her hands ¨C barely managed in the kitchen, had average artistic sense, and was hopeless at crafts. If anything, her best handiwork was tying clean butterfly bows and neat surgical


    sutures.


    y? Not her thing.


    But Wyatt had already stepped inside. ¡°Try it. If it turns out well, give it to Mr. Carl. If it fails, I¡¯ll keep it.¡±


    Yunice had no choice but to follow him in.


    The shop was surprisinglyrge, with everything from pottery to ster dolls, embroidery, and knitting.


    Once she caught up, Wyatt led her straight to the pottery section.


    Most of the tables were upied by couples, huddled together sketching designs, molding y, painting colors.


    It clearly wasn¡¯t something you could finish in under three hours.


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    Chapter 625 A Trap with a Smile


    Wyatt was loving every second of it.


    a


    A blushing clerk came over to help. ¡°Would you two like to try a project together?¡±


    Wyatt pointed at one of the mostplicated porcin sets on disy. ¡°That one,¡±


    Yunice took one look at the intricate shapes and felt dizzy. She whispered, ¡°¡­Weren¡¯t we doing a teapot?¡±


    ¡°Practice first,¡± Wyatt said.


    ¡°A te would make more sense for that,¡± Yunice muttered.


    Wyatt epted the materials from the staff. ¡°Then we¡¯ll make a te too. We¡¯ll put this set on the te and turn it into a centerpiece.¡±


    ¡°¡­Shouldn¡¯t have said anything,¡± Yunice mumbled, realizing she¡¯d just talked herself into more work.


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 Daghter 626

    Chapter 626 Shared Hands, Shared Names


    Chapter 626 Shared Hands, Shared Names


    s


    They found a window seat. Yunice had nned to sit across from Wyatt, but he tugged her to his side. ¡°You shape the outline, I¡¯ll handle the details.¡±


    So she had no choice but to sit beside him and start kneading the damp y. Together, they pped the muddy lump onto the pottery wheel.


    Following a tutorial video, Yunice awkwardly ced her hands on the spinning y. She wasn¡¯t used to the slippery texture and couldn¡¯t get a proper grip at first.


    While she was distracted by the video, Wyatt reached over and joined her.


    The wheel was only so big, and their project barely the size of a palm. There wasn¡¯t enough space for two. pairs of hands so Wyatt¡¯s hands simply wrapped around hers.


    ¨C


    The wheel spun steadily. Guided by Wyatt¡¯s control of pressure and movement, the y slowly began to transform beneath their palms.


    At first, the shape was crooked and unstable. But after a while, they found a rhythm ¨C Yunice taking the lead.


    She was a surgeon, after all. Her hands were steadier than Wyatt¡¯s.


    Wyatt leaned in to check the inside of the mold, and as he bent forward, the rolled¨Cup sleeve of his shirt began to slip.


    Seeing it about to dip into the wet y, Yunice instinctively pressed it back with her clean wrist ¨C hers was free of mud, but both their hands were a mess, making it impossible to roll the sleeve up again.


    Thinking for a moment, Yunice said, ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡±


    With her wrist holding his sleeve in ce, she rinsed her free hand, dried it quickly on a towel, and reached for the badge pinned to her school uniform ¨C a smooth enamel namete, bearing her name.


    She unpinned it and used it like a cufflink, fastening his sleeve neatly.


    Once it was secured, she let go. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to give that back. Without it, the school gatekeeper won¡¯t let me in.¡±


    Wyatt stared at the name engraved on her badge, answering her only after a few beats.


    Outside the window, Nora observed everything. Then she turned and left with a cold expression. 3


    Once the main shape was done, Wyatt began carving the finer details with a sculpting knife.


    The sky outside darkened, and the number of couples in the pottery room thinned out.


    Their project, meanwhile, still looked like a lump of indecision. Yunice sat beside Wyatt, poking uselessly at the y, grumbling to herself. <i>Maybe </i>I¡¯m <i>missing </i><i>an </i><i>earth </i><i>element </i><i>in </i><i>my </i><i>chart </i>¨C why <i>else </i><i>am </i><i>I </i>always <i>tangled </i><i>up </i><i>with </i><i>mud </i><itely</i>? 1


    O


    12:13 Sun, <b>3 </b>Aug G.


    Chapter 626 Shared Hands, Shared Names


    6.79%8


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Salvation came in the form of a video call from Gill.


    Yunice rushed to wash her hands and used the call as an excuse to take a break.


    When the call connected, the angle just happened to show Wyatt first.


    Gill, catching on instantly, acted like she¡¯d been struck. ¡°Oh god, starting the call with a face like that? My heart can¡¯t take it!¡±


    Once she confirmed the situation, Yunice turned the camera to herself.


    Gill winked and secretly shed the image of a bank receipt ¨C she¡¯d just deposited a six¨Cfigure sum. Her deli business was booming.


    Knowing Wyatt was within earshot, Gill said loudly, ¡°I¡¯ve got three branches now. I can¡¯t even prep stock myself anymore.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°At this rate, you¡¯ll need a factory ¨C full automation.¡±


    Gill burst intoughter. ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll be a CEO?¡±


    ¡°You already are,¡± Yunice said, smiling.


    Wyatt looked up from his carving at that.


    Still sculpting a delicate feather design, he said casually, ¡°Wellinges Group owns a few food factories. If you need production in the future, they can contract manufacture. When your volume increases, we can even dedicate a line to you.¡±


    Gill blinked, stunned. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, are you feeding me a golden opportunity?¡±


    Wyatt continued his work, voice mild: ¡°If you get rich, she¡¯s happy.¡±


    Yunice looked up, meeting his calm expression. He hadn¡¯t even nced her way ¨C all his attention was on the y in his hands.


    She said nothing and quietly picked up her own tools to help with detailing.


    But Wyatt ¨C who¡¯d imed he¡¯d handle the fine work ¨C didn¡¯t fix her side at all.


    His side was gorgeous, while hers still looked like pped¨Ctogether sludge.


    Yunice frowned. ¡°It¡¯s ugly. People are going tough.¡±


    Wyatt calmly filled in the joint between their halves. ¡°Who¡¯s gonna know the ugly part was yours? Most people would assume the nice half was made by the girl.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you insulting me?¡±


    1


    ¡°Wrong,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a joint creation. Gotta leave your mark.¡±


    He carefully lifted the now¨Csolid piece off the spinning wheel and turned the base toward her. ¡°Your handwriting¡¯s prettier. Sign it.¡±


    O


    Chapter 626 Shared Hands, Shared Names


    s


    Under his coaxing, Yunice picked up a fine brush, dipped it in a crimson seal pigment, and wrote on the


    bottom.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Write both our names.¡±


    So she wrote hers first- and left a small space before adding ¡°Wyatt¡± beside it.

 Daghter 627

    Chapter 627 Memorial Games


    Wyatt inspected the y piece, and once satisfied, handed it over to the shop staff for firing.


    By the time they stepped out of the pottery studio, the sky had turnedpletely dark.


    Yunice stretched with a groan, her back aching. Wyatt bought her some snacks, feeding her bite¨Csized treats <b>as </b>they strolled slowly through the old university town. Once they were clear of the pedestrian zone, he went to retrieve the car.


    Climbing into the passenger seat with a sticky rice cake in one hand, Yunice used the other to rub her neck. Suddenly, something urred to her she looked over at Wyatt¡¯s now¨Clowered shirt sleeves.


    She pinched his cuff. ¡°Where¡¯s my badge?¡±


    ¡ª


    Thinking he¡¯d probably tucked it away while washing his hands, she even reached into his shirt pocket to check.


    Wyatt sat up straight with a start. ¡°I forgot to take it off. I must¡¯ve dropped it back at the studio when I rolled my sleeves down! We have to go back!¡±


    Yunice sighed and caught his arm. ¡°Forget it. The studio was closing when we left¡­ Luckily, I have a spare.¡±


    She muttered to herself,pletely unaware of the sly glint in Wyatt¡¯s eyes.


    They returned to the same hotel they¡¯d stayed in the night before.


    As soon as they stepped into the suite and swapped into slippers, Yunice wondered aloud, <i>How </i>is <i>this </i><i>any </i><i>different </i><i>from </i><i>staying </i><i>at </i><i>Pavilion </i><i>Hall</i><i>? </i>Then, ncing at Wyatt juggling their shopping bags while trying to make a phone call, she silently added, <i>Wherever </i><i>I </i><i>go</i>, <i>he </i><i>follows</i>.


    She¡¯d basically moved her stuff out of the dorm for nothing.


    ¡°The Powell family?¡±


    The words snapped her back. Yunice stopped mid¨Cstep, turning to look at Wyatt, who was still at the door.


    His brows were furrowed, expression unreadable. ¡°I¡¯m heading back to Silverburgh tonight.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank.


    Something had happened in the Powell family?


    If it wasn¡¯t serious, Wyatt wouldn¡¯t be making an urgent trip back.


    Had Paul¡¯s blunder been discovered earlier than expected?


    Wyatt caught her gaze and answered before she could voice her suspicions. ¡°The old man¡¯s in critical condition. They¡¯ve convened the memorial hall.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes flickered. When the Powell family called a memorial hall, it meant something major had gone down. All the influential elders in Powell Corporation would attend.


    Though Wyatt usually stayed clear of family drama, he couldn¡¯t skip this.


    He stepped inside, set down their bags, and began gathering his essentials. ¡°Helicopter¡¯ll be here in ten. Want me to take you back to school?¡±


    He didn¡¯t feel safe leaving her in a hotel alone


    ¨C


    the area around campus could be sketchy.


    Yunice hesitated. She had other thoughts. ¡°Campus gates are locked for the night¡­ Why don¡¯t I you instead?


    As your wife, I¡¯m allowed in the memorial hall, right?¡±


    She mostly just wanted to see the family drama unfold firsthand.


    <i>Wife</i><i>¡­ </i>


    go


    with


    Wyatt¡¯s smile crept up. ¡°What¡¯s so great about being the Powell daughter¨Cinw? If you want into the memorial hall, I¡¯ll open one just for you.¡±


    With theirst¨Cminute change of ns, they packed what they needed and made their way to the hotel¡¯s rooftop.


    The helicopter was already waiting.


    The wind from the rotor des whipped across the rooftop. It was too small for the chopper tond, so a ropedder had been lowered.


    Wyatt held thedder steady for Yunice to climb first. He followed right after, keeping his body close behind hers, shielding her from the wind and height.


    Once they were both on board, Jordan helped haul them up.


    Inside the spacious cabin, the pilot was already prepping for takeoff.


    Jordan gave them a quick briefing. ¡°The old man had ate¨Cnight snack, then suddenly slipped into a


    Jensen¡¯s out of town, so Paul was the only one around to make decisions ¨C and he waited two whole hours before calling for help.¡±


    Yunice cut straight to the point. ¡°Did he die?¡±


    ¡°Not yet.¡±


    Jordan continued, ¡°Paul even tried to cover it up. But just as the old man lost consciousness, the news leaked. Before the ambnce even got to the hospital, the elders were already stomping into the Powell memorial hall.¡±


    Paul really was an idiot.


    The Powell family had eyes everywhere ¨C from butlers to janitors, everyone had someone they reported to. The idea of keeping anything under wraps wasughable.


    Yunice, meanwhile, was thinking about <i>why </i>the old man had fallen unconscious. <i>Did </i><i>Paul </i><i>panic </i><i>and </i><i>take </i>


    <i>him </i>


    out preemptively, <i>afraid </i>of <i>retribution</i><i>? </i>


    As for the elders


    ¨C


    their motives were even clearer.


    Jackson might have been old, but he was the true power behind Powell Corporation.


    Jensen and Paul were the supposed heirs, but neither had the respect or authority to truly take over.


    Some ambitious rtives were surely itching to use this chance to sideline the main branch and seize control.

 Daghter 628

    Chapter 628 Bloodlines and Betrayals


    Chapter 628 Bloodlines and Betrayals


    15 Free Coins


    Wyatt let out a coldugh. ¡°If Jensen and Paul had even a shred of backbone, those old fossils wouldn¡¯t dare pull this stunt.¡±


    Yunice scoffed. At this rate, Paul was one step away from beingpletely discarded.


    Forty minutester, the helicopternded at the Powell estate.


    The moment the servants announced their arrival, the elders seated in the memorial hall all paused mid- sip and looked toward the entrance in unison.


    Wyatt was the final yer to arrive ¨C and the one they were most wary


    Because none of them could guess if he hade to stake his im. <ol><li>of. </li></ol>


    Two figures stepped from the shadows into the light, and the elders immediately mmed their teacups down and shouted, ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°A woman has no ce in the memorial hall!¡±


    ¡°Who is she? Wyatt, this is the Powell ancestral shrine how dare you bring in some nobody!¡±


    ¨C


    Wyatt gripped Yunice¡¯s hand and shot the speaker a cold re. ¡°And who the he


    you supposed <i>to </i>be?¡±


    I¡¯m your uncle!¡±


    The man stood up, ready to pull rank ¡ª when suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from outside.


    ¨C


    Paul visibly flinched. That voice¡­ sounded an awful lot like his son.


    2


    The screaming and sounds of a beating continued just beyond the memorial hall. Paul, horrified, bolted out to see what was happening, and the other elders craned their necks toward the door, unease creeping over their faces.


    Then Paul¡¯s furious voice rang out: ¡°Stop! Stop! I said stop! You¡¯re beating my son anymore?!¡±


    1


    ¨C


    are there no rules


    Themotion turned heads inside. Expressions darkened, and when the elders looked back at Wyatt, a new wariness clouded their eyes.


    They had heard the rumors that Wyatt was ruthless. Now, they¡¯d seen it for themselves.


    Wyatt led Yunice to the main seat at the front and locked eyes with the man currently upying it. That man broke out in a sweat, then quickly stood up and vacated the seat.


    Before a room full of stunned onlookers, Wyatt gestured for Yunice to sit.


    ¡°You-¡±


    Letting a woman not only enter the memorial hall but sit at the head? Where was <b>their </b><b>dignity</b><b>? </b>


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    <b>15:14 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>4 </b><b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 628 Bloodlines and Betrayals


    But Wyatt turned, took the seat beside her, and cast a sharp nce around the room.


    ¡°Anyone here <i>still </i>not know who she is<b>?</b>¡±


    No one dared speak. The words caught in their throats.


    Speak now and it would be <i>their </i>son getting dragged out and beaten.


    Let the woman sit. She wasn¡¯t going to kill anyone but opening your mouth just might get you killed.


    ¨C


    Wyatt let out a scornful snort and swept his gaze over the ancestral ques in the memorial <b>hall</b>.


    These chunks of wood had never once offered him justice as a blood heir. What made them think he owed them reverence?


    If anything, they deserved to be smashed.


    Compared to the escting tension in the room, Yunice looked almost serene <b>as </b>she sat quietly beside him.


    She was reading the room.


    And then her gaze fell to the far corner


    duct tape.


    <i>Oh</i><i>, </i><i>there </i><i>he is</i><i>. </i>


    Why was he tied up?


    where Paul sat, bound to a cr mouth taped shut with ck


    Yunice¡¯s expression turned smug. Paul caught her eye and flushed red, struggling against his restraints, but it was no use.


    Look how little the Powell family thought of him.


    A crumbling mountain


    ¨C


    no more, no less<b>. </b>


    Wyatt turned <i>to </i>the others. ¡°So what, you all came here in the middle of the night just to sip tea?¡±


    If there¡¯s business, then let¡¯s hear <i>it</i>.


    An elder stepped forward. ¡°The old master¡¯s been in and out of the hospital these past two years.


    With the patriarch holding power and the branches always fighting, there¡¯s been endless conflict. We believe it¡¯s time to choose a new heir for the Powell family.¡±


    Wyatt smirked. ¡°So, you¡¯ve already made your pick?¡±


    If they were all sitting here, it meant they¡¯d already divvied up the spoils and settled on <b>a </b><b>candidate </b><b>before </b>this meeting.


    Sure enough, the man replied solemnly, ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯re not in the <b>Powell </b>family <b>registry</b>. <b>By </b><b>name</b><b>, </b><b>you¡¯re </b>not one of us. The corporation¡¯s internal matters don¡¯t concern <b>you¡ª </b>


    Wyatt <b>raised </b>an eyebrow. ¡°Then why <b>were </b><b>you </b>all waiting <b>for </b><b>me</b><b>?</b>¡±


    15:14 Mon, 4 Aug


    Chapter 628 Bloodlines and Betrayals


    Paul was here. Everyone else was already seated. And yet no one had dared speak until now<i>. </i>


    Because they all knew ¨C registry or not, if Wyatt said no, everything they¡¯d agreed upon would be worthless.


    This polite phrasing was just their way of hoping he¡¯d bow out on his own.


    But was that even possible?


    Sensing Wyatt¡¯s refusal to back down, the elder grew anxious. <i>¡°</i>We¡¯ve already chosen Paul¡¯s son. He¡¯s older than you, has worked at Powell Corporation for thirty years, and has a solid, dependable reputation.


    Paul¡¯s¡­ condition tarnishes the family¡¯s image. Jensencks the qualifications.


    Among the younger generation, only your second uncle¡¯s son has what it takes.


    And Wyatt, you¡¯ve already built your own empire. Why fight your own family over this?¡±


    Fight<i>? </i>


    Yunice¡¯s gaze darkened.


    When people had no shame, this was how they looked.

 Daghter 629

    Chapter 629 The Price of Power


    Chapter 629 The Price of Power


    45 Free Coins


    The Jackson line of Powell Corporation was the main branch all others merely followed its lead.


    Now, with the rightful heirs pushed aside, these lesser branches actually had the nerve to try and take


    over?


    Not a single decent person among them. Back when Wyatt was a child, they had done nothing but turn a blind


    eye while their sons bullied him.


    And now they wanted him to be gracious? To just hand everything over in the name of family?


    Even Yunice couldn¡¯t stomach the hypocrisy.


    <i>You¡¯d </i><i>get </i><i>more </i><i>dignity </i><i>putting </i><i>a </i><i>stray </i><i>dog </i><i>in </i><i>the </i><i>president¡¯s </i><i>seat </i><i>than </i><i>watching </i><i>these </i><i>old </i>bastards grovel for power.


    Wyatt let out a soft, scornfulugh, eyes dropping to a cial calm. ¡°If you wanted someone dead, you could¡¯ve just said so. No need for all this posturing.¡±


    The room went still. Then Wyatt looked up.


    ¡°There is only one heir to the Powell family- Paul. Anyone who touches what isn¡¯t theirs better be ready to lose a hand.¡±


    Outside, the sounds of a beating gradually died down.


    Tension coiled in the air. The elders stiffened, jaws clenched


    ¨C


    but none dared to argue.


    Wyatt¡¯s retaliation didn¡¯t need blood. He broke people in ways that left no trace, pushed them to ruin with nothing but silence. That was what they feared most.


    Yunice¡¯s fingers rolled the string of fragrant agarwood beads at her wrist, her eyes cold and <i>clear</i>.


    Desperate times called for ruthless measures. In the world of old money families, that was the only way to


    survive.


    She looked toward Paul, her thoughts aligning perfectly with Wyatt¡¯s.


    Powell Corporation was already hollowed out


    ¨C


    not that these schemers had realized.


    They thought they were fighting for power and wealth tonight. What they didn¡¯t know was that the moment they ¡°won,¡± they¡¯d inherit a mountain of debt.


    One day, they¡¯d understand ¨C Wyatt had saved them tonight.


    And now, Yunice understood the full y. Paul had been clever, for once. He¡¯d almost dragged her down with him.


    With Powell Corporation doomed, whoever ended up in charge would be the first to take the fall. Paul had tried to position himself as the sacrificial scapegoat¨Cso when everything exploded, he¡¯d already be out of sight.


    But Wyatt had ruined that escape n.


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    Chapter 629 The Price of Power


    He tied Paul¡¯s fate to Powell Corporation¡¯s copse. If it fell, he¡¯d fall with it.


    Wyatt stood and held out a hand to Yunice.


    From beneath her cloak, her slender hand reached out and rested in his palm.


    She followed him without hesitation.


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    The elders¡® eyes followed her every move, sharp with resentment, like they wanted to shift all their anger at Wyatt onto her.


    Yunice caught those hostile stares and met them head¨Con with a mocking nce.


    They think I¡¯d be <i>afraid </i><i>of </i><i>them</i>?


    The Powell family wasn¡¯t just Wyatt¡¯s enemy ¨C it was hers, too.


    She had helped push them toward ruin.


    Let them hate her. Let them seethe in silence. It was finally their turn to grit their teeth and swallow their pride.


    Yunice turned her head and shed them a sly, taunting smile.


    ¡°Slut,¡± someone muttered.


    Wyatt stopped in front of Paul, eyes dragging coldly over his face. Then he tore off the duct tape sealing Paul¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Your seat as the Powell heir? I just secured it for you. Enjoy.¡±


    Once, Paul had basked in glory as the Powell family¡¯s sole heir. They used to call him the little crown prince.


    Now that nickname sounded like mockery.


    Paul red at him. ¡°Was it you?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s smile wasced with venom. ¡°What did I do?¡±


    Paul hesitated, unable to tell if Wyatt was admitting it or baiting him.


    That smirk¡­ it felt like a confession, but Paul dared not say it out loud. If word got out that Powell Corporation had already been hollowed out, he was finished.


    Wyatt knew he wouldn¡¯t dare ask directly


    ¨C so he kept mocking him openly.


    Yunice, watching from the side, suddenly had a realization. <i>Does </i><i>Wyatt </i>think Paul <i>was </i><i>scammed </i><i>by </i><i>him</i><i>? </i>


    His words had been loaded with implication.


    Sure enough, Paul caught on and growled, ¡°It was you!¡±


    Wyatt just smiled without denying it.


    <b>2/3 </b>


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    Chapter 629 The Price of Power


    Yunice¡¯s heart sank. <i>He¡¯s </i><i>taking </i><i>the fall </i><i>for </i><i>me</i>.


    ¡ª


    <b>65</b><b>% </b>


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    She was the one who¡¯d orchestrated that trap. But Paul had misunderstood and now he thought Wyatt- had stolen his money.


    She stepped in coldly. ¡°You reap what you sow. Don¡¯t you dare me others for your own mess!¡±


    Paul¡¯s jaw tensed, his face twisted in fury. His red¨Crimmed eyes locked onto her. ¡°So now you¡¯re speaking up for him?¡±


    <i>Smack</i><i>! </i>


    Wyatt pped him across the face. Hard.


    Paul was stunned.


    Wyatt calmly adjusted the wedding band on his finger. Once Paul quieted down, he took Yunice¡¯s hand and led her out of the memorial hall.


    ¡°To the hospital,¡± he said.

 Daghter 630

    Chapter 630 One Life for Another


    Chapter 630 One Life for Another


    * Free Col


    Yunice felt the warmth of Wyatt¡¯s hand in hers as she gazed at his profile in the dim light.


    <b>¡°</b>Wyatt,¡± she said quietly. ¡°You know it was me, right?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°You knew everything I did, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Why did you take the fall for something you didn¡¯t do? You know they¡¯d believe it.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between what you did and what I would¡¯ve done?¡±


    He turned to her, his voice even. ¡°You really think innocence would protect anyone from them?¡±


    Yunice understood what he meant. But that didn¡¯t mean it was right. Just because Wyatt had done his share of dark things didn¡¯t mean every crime could be dumped on him.


    Her brows furrowed. Without a word, she rolled the bracelet¨Cof agarwood beads from her own wrist onto his.


    Wyatt blinked in surprise, then looked down.


    Since their hands were still linked, Yunice had simply slipped it onto him herself.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he asked, staring at her. His dark eyes rippled with emotion


    He knew exactly what it was.


    The bracelet had belonged to Yunice¡¯s father ¨C a cherished keepsake. She¡¯d gone through hell to get it back from Wyatt, back when he used it to bait her into his schemes.


    She had valued it above everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours now,¡± she said softly. ¡°It¡¯s good luck. It¡¯ll keep you safe.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s heart thundered in his chest. For a moment, he couldn¡¯t speak.


    She gave this¡­ <i>to </i>him?


    Yunice had never given him anything like this before ¨C something this important.


    It took him several long seconds to collect himself. Then he started to remove the bracelet. ¡°You keep it. Being with me will only drag you into more trouble.¡±


    But Yunice shook her head. ¡°The wind keeps blowing, even if the tree wants to be still. Getting caught in the storm wasn¡¯t your fault. I chose this.¡±


    Even when the Powell family red at her earlier, she hadn¡¯t med him.


    There were always risks and rewards. She chose Wyatt as her shield, which meant <b>she </b>had <b>to </b><b>ept </b><b>the </b>


    bacsh too.


    ¡ª


    Anyone close to Wyatt faced the same danger. She wasn¡¯t special.


    13


    <b>111 </b>


    O


    Aug


    Chapter 630 One Life for Another


    Back when she was with Paul, she¡¯d also been dragged down, targeted for no reason.


    Wherever there was profit, there would be strife. Yunice had chosen to dive in. There <b>was </b><b>no </b><b>staying </b><b>clean- </b>


    She had survived this far under Wyatt¡¯s protection. She had noints.


    Looking down at the beads in her palm, she added, ¡°You better decide now. I¡¯m not going to <b>offer </b><b>it </b>a second time.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s lips tightened into a line. ¡°¡­I


    Want it.¡±


    Only then did Yunice smile, watching him slip the bracelet onto his wrist.


    But before the moment could settle, her eyes snapped toward the bushes behind him. ¡°Who¡¯s <b>there</b><b>?!</b><b>¡± </b>


    A woman hidden in the shrubs jolted upright and bolted.


    Wyatt shot a look at his men. One of them immediately took off after her.


    Yunice frowned. ¡°She¡¯s not part of the Powell family. But why does she look familiar?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t ce it. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital first.¡±


    If the girl got caught, she¡¯d see her soon enough.


    But before they arrived, Wyatt received a call.


    She had escaped.


    The girl clearly knew the Powell estate well ¨C she slipped through easily. With all the guests tonight, she could¡¯ve been brought in by any of them.


    No point chasing it further for now.


    At the hospital, Jackson had been moved to intensive care. He¡¯d received multiple critical alerts already.


    The doctor¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°He¡¯s been poisoned.¡±


    ¡°The old man¡¯s been on medications for years, but the levels in his blood when he arrived were ten times the safe limit. It triggered acute acidosis. We¡¯re doing dialysis now, but¡­ even a healthy young adult wouldn¡¯t have great odds.¡±


    No one cared much. Jackson had spent a lifetime scheming, cold¨Cblooded and ruthless. No one would shed a tear if he died.


    Wyatt stood there, arms folded, entirel


    unbothered. His only reaction was a cold frown.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him die,¡± he ordered ¡°Adrenaline, defibritor<b>, </b>whatever it takes. Keep him alive<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice understood perfectly. If Jackson died in aa, it would be far too merciful.


    He needed to live long enough to see everything <b>¨C </b>to watch <b>the </b>golden boy <b>he¡¯d </b><b>raised </b><b>destroy </b><b>the </b>Powe!!


    15:14 Mon, 4 Aug A


    Chapter 630 One Life for Another


    family with his own hands.


    Wyatt entered the room.


    Jacksony unconscious, hooked to a venttor, lifeless.


    00<b>% </b>


    s


    Wyatt stood at his bedside and let out a quiet, mockingugh. ¡°I bet your biggest regret isn¡¯t grooming Paul¡­ it¡¯s not killing me when I was born.¡±


    ¡°But see,¡± he went on, his voice soft andced with venom, ¡°sometimes, I get generous. You threw me away like garbage¡­ but I¡¯m still the only one who wants you alive.¡±


    Heughed again low,plicated, full ofyered emotion.


    ¡ª


    <b>3/8</b>

 Daghter 631

    Chapter 631 Shadows Behind the Curtain


    Chapter 631 Shadows Behind the Curtain


    Standing at Wyatt¡¯s side, Yunice could feel the weight beginning to lift not just from herself<b>, </b><b>but </b><b>from </b>


    him <b>as </b>well.


    Atst, they were both leaving the ghosts of their past behind.


    She turned to the doctor. ¡°Do you have any  proof of who poisoned the old man?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re still investigating.¡±


    That night, everyone who had entered or exited Jackson¡¯s room was questioned.


    By early morning, Yunice didn¡¯t stick around for updates. A helicopter sent her back to Med U.


    Wyatt remained in Silverburgh.


    Yunice had thought about taking a day off, but it turned out she had an English proficiency exam. Not wanting to miss it, she went.


    Exhausted from the sleepless night, she barely made it through the thirty¨Cminute listening section before resting her head on the desk and dozing off.


    The proctor frowned and walked over, ready to tap her desk until he saw the exam sheet under her arm.


    Alreadypleted.


    ¨C


    He huffed. Another overachiever. Not worth the trouble. He turned back toward the podium.


    Yunice didn¡¯t wake until her arm had gone numb. There were still twenty minutes left.


    She sat up and noticed the seat in front of her was empty. The student had skipped the exam.


    Afterward, she returned to the dorm for a nap. Her afternoon was free.


    Climbing into bed, she realized the girl on the opposite bunk wasn¡¯t there either.


    Jennie and Lena had left for part¨Ctime gigs, leaving Yunice alone.


    Snuggling under the covers, she sent Wyatt a sticker on WhatsApp. When he replied, she immediately video-called.


    The background behind him looked/barren, almost like a wilderness. A corrugated steel shack loomed behind him.


    ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    Wyatt answered, ¡°Interrogating a few people.¡±


    Then quickly changed the topic: ¡°Don¡¯t go pick up the pottery on your own. Wait for me <b>¨C </b>we¡¯ll <b>go </b>together.¡±


    Yunice pushed her hair behind her ear. ¡°I couldn¡¯t pick it up now even if I wanted to. <b>The </b><b>shop </b><b>said </b><b>it¡¯ll </b>


    O


    Chapter 631 Shadows Behind the Curtain


    take three days to fire everything.¡±


    <b>Wyatt </b>added, ¡°That woman you sawst night at the Powell estate we found out who <b>she </b><b>is</b><b>. </b>


    ¨C


    ¡°She slipped into Jensen¡¯s yard. There¡¯s an underground tunnel from his room that leads outside<b>. </b>


    <i>An </i>underground <i>tunnel</i>?


    A sneaky woman<b><i>? </i></b>


    Yunice immediately thought of Jensen¡¯s n for a second child.


    His body was shot, but his sperm was still usable. Yunice had heard through Mr. Carl that Jensen had <b>been </b>pursuing IVF for a while ¨C even imnting multiple embryos at once to increase chances.


    Was that woman one of the surrogates<b>? </b>


    She exhaled. Messy as it was, it was hardly shocking. This kind of arrangement was standard practice in powerful families.


    Once the baby was born, they¡¯d say it was his wife¡¯s ¨C an heir with a clean identity.


    But even if Jensen managed to have a whole brood outside, it wouldn¡¯t change the fact that he was useless. now. No one cared who the woman was.


    After ending the call, Yunice pulled the curtain around her bed and pro


    That¡¯s when the dorm door creaked open with an eerie, deliberate slown


    Yunice¡¯s eyes shot open. She peeked through a gap in the curtain.


    Jennie and Lena never entered that way.


    ! to sleep.


    Sure enough, a pair of eyes peered in through the crack, checking if anyone was inside. The figure tiptoed in.


    No sound from her shoes. Silent.


    Jennie and Lena¡¯s bed curtains were open Yunice¡¯s bed.


    clearly unupied. So the woman locked her gaze on


    As the intruder drew closer, Yunice¡¯s hand closed around the sharp, carved wooden hairpin she kept under her pillow.


    Just as the woman leaned in to peek through her curtain-


    Yunice grabbed her wrist and yanked it tight. With her other hand, she threw the curtain open.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡±


    ¡°Let me


    go!¡±


    The woman shrieked in panic, iling wildly.


    <b>Chapter </b>631 <b>Shadows </b>Behind the Curtain


    <b>But </b><b>Yunice </b>held <b>fast</b><b>, </b>not letting her <b>escape</b>.


    Once she finally calmed down<b>, </b>trembling and avoiding Yunice¡¯s gaze, Yunice <b>narrowed </b><b>her </b><b>eyes</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>It¡¯s </b><b>you </b>


    ¡°You were the one at the Powell <b>estate </bst night, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    No wonder the woman had looked familiar. She was one of Yunice¡¯s own dormmates always kept her curtain drawn.


    ¨C


    the one <b>who </b>


    She hadn¡¯t returned to the dorm the night before because she was sneaking around the Powell <b>estate</b>.


    And clearly, she¡¯d recognized Yunicest night too. That¡¯s why she came snooping the moment she got back -to confirm what Yunice knew.


    Yunice¡¯s tone turned icy. ¡°Why were you cavesdropping on our conversation?¡±


    The woman flinched, unable to meet Yunice¡¯s eyes. ¡°I wasn¡¯t spying! I just¡­ identally saw you¡­¡±


    She¡¯d only been curious. What was a med student like Yunice doing at the Powell estate? So she lingered, listening a little longer.

 Daghter 632

    Chapter 632 Blood Price for a Secret


    Chapter 632 Blood Price for a Secret


    Yunice¡¯s voice dropped low as she continued to stare into the woman¡¯s evasive eyes. ¡°So now you know who I am?¡±


    The fear on the woman¡¯s face said it all.


    Yunice¡¯s expression softened slightly. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant¨Cwith Jensen¡¯s baby, right?¡±


    A woman¡¯s features change when she¡¯s pregnant. Yunice had noticed it the moment she first saw her.


    The woman stared at Yunice in shock, then quickly backed away in fear. ¡°I¡¯m not involved with Jensen! I only took his money and agreed to the procedure! But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get rid of the baby¡­¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even know how she¡¯d scared her this badly. ¡°Why were you at the Powell family estate?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Jensen didn¡¯t send this month¡¯s nutritional allowance, <b>so </b>I went to find him¡­ but he wasn¡¯t home¡­¡±


    Yunice pressed on. ¡°You knew he wasn¡¯t there. Yet instead of leaving, you snooped around. What were you trying to do?¡±


    There was a hidden tunnel in Jensen¡¯s courtyard. If this woman had wanted to leave, she easily could have. Why did she go deeper into Powell territory and risk being caught?


    Was she gambling¨Choping to trade the baby for status?


    Sweat beaded on the woman¡¯s nose. Her panicked emotions gave away that sh


    hiding more.


    Yunice tightened her grip and pressed, ¡°If you know who my husband is, then you should know what happens to people who fall into his hands.¡±


    Better <i>to </i>tell her now than let her face Wyatt directly.


    The woman¡¯s face contorted with indecision. After a few minutes, her furrowed brows finally lifted. ¡°Can you give me money?¡±


    She nced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then said urgently, ¡°I have a secret about the Powell family. If you pay me, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    Her eyes welled up. ¡°Please¡­ help me¡­¡±


    Yunice asked calmly, ¡°Why are you asking me?¡±


    Tears streamed down the woman¡¯s face. ¡°I have no choice. If I don¡¯t speak now, I¡¯ll die! And¡­ you gave us stuffed toys¡­ You can¡¯t be as bad as them, right¡­?¡±


    Yunice stepped down from the bunk. ¡°The one thing I don¡¯tck is money.¡±


    ¡°But I need to see what your information is worth.¡±


    The woman quickly reached into her bra and pulled out a USB drive. ¡°I filmed something at the <b>Powell </b>


    estate¡­¡±


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    Chapter 632 Blood Price for a Secret


    Yunice epted it coolly. The woman added, ¡°Old Mr. Powell was poisoned by Paulf¡±


    Yunice tightened her fingers around the USB. ¡°And this is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a full video of Paul poisoning him! I recorded everything!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t check it right away. Instead, she asked, ¡°You¡¯ve already exposed yourself. Whye back to the dorm?¡±


    The woman looked embarrassed. First, she had gambled that Yunice was still in Silverburgh and wouldn¡¯t be back. Second¡­


    ¡°My documents and luggage are still here¡­¡±


    Yunice asked, ¡°So you¡¯re nning to run?¡±


    The woman replied, ¡°The Powell family¡¯s too dangerous. Paul¡¯s been trying to get rid of my baby this whole time. If I stay, I¡¯ll die¡­¡±


    ¡°And I know they¡¯ve been drained dry. Otherwise, Jensen wouldn¡¯t be struggling to pay even <i>a </i>hundred thousand in nutritional costs¡­¡±


    Yunice nced at her belly. Looked to be three or four months along. ¡°You¡¯re not keeping it?¡±


    The woman picked at her fingers. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not.¡±


    Yunice turned to her desk, pulled out a nk check, and filled in a figure.


    ¡°Five hundred thousand. I¡¯m buying your video. After this, we¡¯re strangers.¡±


    The woman stood frozen, seemingly stunned that it had been settled so easily.


    Yunice had already climbed back to the top burik with herptop, clearly nning to verify the video.


    Still holding the check, the woman snapped out of it and rushed to pack her things.


    After reviewing the footage and confirming it could serve as evidence, Yunice immediately forwarded it to Wyatt.


    His call came secondster.


    He was baffled. How had she gotten her hands on such crucial evidence so quickly?


    Wasn¡¯t she just napping in the dorm?


    There was a hint of pride in Yunice¡¯s voice. ¡°Guess I got lucky. That woman who broke into Jensen¡¯s cest night? She¡¯s my roommate.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s breath hitched. ¡°And now?¡±


    Catching the worry in his voice, Yunice said, ¡°She only wanted money. After selling the video, <b>she </b><b>left</b>. Probably off to hide somewhere no one can find her.¡±


    Wyatt pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°<b>I </b>can¡¯t <b>even </b>take my eyes off you for a <b>second</b><b>¡­ </b>


    Chapter <b>632 </b>Blood Price for a Secret


    From Count


    They had just separated, and already something this statistically unlikely had happened in her <b>dorm</b><b>? </b>


    Did she even realize how dangerous it could¡¯ve been if the woman had lost control or had other intentions<b>? </b>


    She hadn¡¯t messaged him in advance for protection. Instead, she¡¯d handled everything on her own.


    Wyatt sounded frustrated. ¡°What if she attacked you? Could you fight hier off?¡±


    Yunice raised an eyebrow and murmured, ¡°I thought you¡¯d praise me.¡±


    Then her voice dropped with disappointment. ¡°I really thought I was doing you a huge favor¡­


    Wyatt sighed. ¡°¡­That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    Yunice added, ¡°Was it my fault I ended up sharing a room with her?¡±


    ¡°If I¡¯d known, I wouldn¡¯t have sent it to you at all. Then I wouldn¡¯t have to hear all this.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Wyatt couldn¡¯t get a single word out. In the end, he gave in with a sigh. ¡°Fine. It¡¯s all my fault. You did nothing wrong.¡±

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>633 </b>Cut the <b>Act </b>


    Chapter 633 Cut the Act


    Seeing Wyatt back <b>down</b><b>, </b>Yunice returned to the topic. ¡°Paul¡¯s finished now.¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°He¡¯s nning a session ceremony in Silverburgh.¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Perfect timing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯lle get you that day,¡± Wyatt said.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she replied. ¡°I love watching a good show.¡±


    The second phase of their practical coursework was pharmaceutical manufacturing.


    Before entering theb, the instructor would first exin and train everyone in the ssroom.


    There were no fixed sses in college, so when Yunice arrived, she didn¡¯t know any of the students around her.


    While waiting for the instructor, Yunice yed on her phone, checking thetest news on the Saunders family.


    She didn¡¯t notice that someone had switched seats behind her.


    Wendy and her sidekick had quietly taken seats at the back of Yunice¡¯s row, wh


    ing to each other.


    Wendy gave her sidekick a signal and slipped her a small pair of scissors under the desk. ¡°Go cut her hair.¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± The sidekick looked conflicted.


    ¡°Do it,¡± Wendy ordered, eyes full of threat.


    Whatever leverage Wendy had over her worked, because the sidekick reluctantly moved.


    Carefully, she reached toward Yunice with the little scissors<b>¨C</b>snip. She cut off a small lock of Yunice¡¯s hair.


    Wendy frowned, clearly unimpressed. She pointed higher, silently telling her to cut closer to the scalp.


    The sidekick obeyed again.


    But maybe because she was too nervous, the scissors grazed Yunice¡¯s head. Just as Yunice instinctively. turned, the girl¡¯s hand jerked, clipping a few strands.


    Yunice looked back, eyes dropping to the strands that had fallen into her palm. Then she calmly looked up at Wendy and her sidekick. ¡°So it¡¯s you two.¡±


    Panicked at being caught, the sidekick quickly hid the scissors.


    Wendy, on the other hand, didn¡¯t even try to deny it. She raised her brows at Yunice with <b>defiant </b>arrogance. ¡°The instructor¡¯s almost here. If you want to start a scene in ss<b>, </b>I¡¯m game<b>.¡± </b>


    O


    Chapter <b>633 </b>Cut the <b>Act </b>


    Typical schoolyard bully.


    Yunice stared her down for three seconds, then stood.


    Wendy thought she was about to retaliate and braced herself, but Yunice simply picked up <b>her </b><b>own </b><b>things </b>and moved to the back row.


    Wendy blinked, thenughed mockingly and said to her, ¡°What, you¡¯ve turned into a coward without <b>your </b>man around<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    She leaned over Yunice¡¯s desk with a fake¨Csweet grin. ¡°You¡¯re really scared of getting punished, huh? <b>How </b>about this?<b>¡± </b>


    She grabbed Yunice¡¯s pencil case¨Cthen dropped it deliberately.


    When it hit the floor, she ground it under her foot like a trophy.


    Yunice asked, ¡°Are you just bored or what?¡±


    Wendy sneered, ¡°Hit me then. Come on, tough girl¨Chit me. Bet you won¡¯t.¡±


    Just then, the sidekick whispered, ¡°Wendy, the instructor¡¯s here.¡±


    Wendyzily sat up straight but leaned back, purposely squeezing Yunice¡® space. With a smirk, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s see how long you can hold it in.¡±


    The moment she finished, the instructor appeared at the ssroom door.


    Yunice¡¯s eyes flicked away from the door, then¨Cbam¨Cshe kicked the chair in front of her.


    With a loud crash, Wendy lurched forward and hit the floor hard.


    The entire room turned to look.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Wendy?¡±


    Humiliated and in pain, Wendy scrambled to her feet and screamed at Yunice, ¡°Are you crazy?! Why¡¯d you kick my chair?!¡±


    -Yunice looked down at the strands in her palm, then slowly met her gaze. ¡°You fell on your own.¡±


    ¡°You liar!¡± Wendy snapped. ¡°You clearly kicked it!¡±


    She turned to her sidekick. ¡°You saw everything, didn¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡±


    Wendy turned and saw the instructor standing behind her, voice amplified by a speaker.


    Instead of backing down, Wendy clutched her waist and wailed, ¡°She kicked my chair for no <b>reason</b>, <b>I </b>think my back¡¯s broken¡­¡±


    The instructor¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Did you touch her<b>?</b>¡±


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    Chapter 633 Cut the Act


    Yunice shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±


    000


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    Wendy yelled dramatically, ¡°She¡¯s lying to your face! Someone saw it happen!¡±


    With a nce from Wendy, the sidekick nodded in agreement.


    Then Wendy let out another wail and clutched her nose. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m bleeding! Is my spinal cord damaged? Am I dying?¡±


    Even the instructor looked rattled now and shouted at Yunice, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! Help her to the infirmary. No¨Cget a wheelchair. Carefully, don¡¯t make it worse!¡±


    Wendy was led out by the teacher, and Yunice was called along to the infirmary.


    Wendy kept crying as she walked, while signaling something to her sidekick.


    The girl hovered behind Yunice, hand nervously reaching out¡­

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    Chapter 634 The Trap and the Theft


    Chapter 634 The Trap and the Theft


    Yunice stepped forward to Wendy¡¯s bedside, causing the sidekick to miss her chance.


    Still determined, the sidekick bit her lip and moved in close to Yunice again.


    The instructor, seeing Yunice, immediately treated her as the culprit. He snapped impatiently, ¡°No matter how big your conflict was, you can¡¯t just attack a fellow student! That kick might¡¯ve felt good in the moment, but do you realize you¡¯re facing disciplinary action?¡±


    He barked, ¡°Apologize to your ssmate. Ask for her forgiveness!¡±


    Wendy looked up, her eyes brimming with anger as she stared at Yunice.


    ¡°Apologize!¡±


    Prompted by the instructor, Yunice turned and said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    The instructor hadn¡¯t expected the seemingly docile Yunice to defy him so boldly.


    ¡°I said apologize!¡±


    Yunice ignored him and walked straight out of the infirmary.


    Furious, the instructor chased after her, leaving Wendy behind.


    Inside, Wendy and her sidekick exchanged a nce. The sidekick swallowed hard and nodded <i>at </i>her- mission aplished.


    Meanwhile, the instructor caught up with Yunice and yanked the student badge from her chest. ¡°You¡¯ll be disciplined for this!¡±


    He turned and headed back toward the infirmary.


    But when he looked up, the girl who¡¯d imed she had a spinal injury and screamed about internal bleeding¨Cwas gone.


    Wendy had vanished.


    After themotion, Yunice had no desire to return to ss<b>. </b>


    ¡°Yunice?<b>¡± </b>


    She turned to see Tommy carrying a towering stack ofb supplies.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in ss<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>he asked.


    Yunice muttered, ¡°Got bitten by a dog.¡±


    ¡°Huh?<b>¡± </b>


    Tommy, <b>ever </b>the clueless bookworm, didn¡¯t catch the sarcasm. He dropped the supplies and <b>rushed </b><b>over </b>to check on her. ¡°Where? The infirmary doesn¡¯t stock rabies <b>vines</b><b>¡­ </b>I¡¯ll take you to <b>the </b><b>health </b><b>center</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


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    Chapter <b>634 </b>The Trap and the Theft


    Yunice sighed. ¡°Not literally. I got into it with a ssmate during the break, <b>so </b>I didn¡¯t <b>feel </b><b>like </b><b>going </b><b>back </b>


    <b>¡°</b>Who was it?<b>¡°</b><b>. </b>


    ¡°That girl Wendy,¡± Yunice said. ¡°The one who asked you a question at the restaurant. I guess she <b>felt </b><b>I </b>stole her thunder in front of you that day, <b>so </b>she¡¯s been targeting me in ss. I lost my temper and kicked her chair. She dragged it to the infirmary and now the teacher wants to punish me.¡±


    Tommy frowned. ¡°This has to do with me too. Don¡¯t¨CI¡¯ll talk to the instructor and exin


    everything.¡±


    He bent to gather the supplies again. ¡°If you¡¯re free,e help me bring these to the supply room. <b>Then </b>we¡¯ll go to the academic office.¡±


    Thinking of the badge that had been taken from her, Yunice nodded.


    She helped carry some of the materials, and together they walked to the supply room.


    At the same time, Wendy and her sidekick sneaked into the music room. When they saw the figure cradling a violin, they beamed.


    ¡°Ms. Yunice, we did it!¡±


    The violin screeched to a halt.


    Nora set her violin and bow aside.


    Wendy strutted over, proudly presenting a phone to Nora.


    Nora reached out and took it, eyes downcast. ¡°This is Yunice¡¯s phone?¡±


    you


    Wendy nodded. ¡°Find someone to crack the passcode. Once you read her messages, you¡¯ll see what kind of loose woman she is<b>.¡± </b>


    Nora nodded. ¡°With this as supplemental evidence, my family will make sure she¡¯s properly ¡®educated.¡°¡±


    She pulled a fancy perfume bottle from her bag. ¡°Here, take this. Thanks for helping me.¡±


    Wendy beamed. ¡°You¡¯re too kind. I was just doing a good deed. Think of it as saving a lost girl.¡±


    Nora said nothing, but noticed Wendy sneaking nces at Yunice¡¯s phone¨Cclearly wanting to stick around and see the contents. Nora casually slipped the phone into her pocket.


    Wendy¡¯s smile froze. She had no choice but to leave with her sidekick.


    Only once they were gone did Nora begin attempting to unlock Yunice¡¯s phone.


    Back in the supply room, Yunice and Tommy finished putting the materials away.


    When Yunice reached into her pocket to check the time, her fingers came up empty.


    That¡¯s when she remembered the odd moment in the infirmary¨Chow that <b>sidekick </b><b>kept </b><b>lurking </b><b>behind </b>


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    Chapter 634 The Trap and the Theft


    her and brushed up against her.


    She snorted. ¡°Stealing my phone, huh?¡±


    Tommy pped his hands clean. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go to the academic office.¡±


    65<b>% </b>


    s


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Yunice replied, saying nothing about the missing phone. They were headed there anyway¨Cmight as well address it all at once.


    But when Tommy grabbed the door, it wouldn¡¯t open.


    He tugged again¨Cnothing. It felt like it had been chained shut from the outside.


    This kind of lock wasn¡¯t something you could pick.


    Tommy blinked. ¡°Who locked the door?¡±


    Yunice nced through the crack and caught a glimpse of a school uniform swishing by in the hallway<i>. </i>


    Her voice turned cold. ¡°Another prank.¡±


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    Chapter 635 Locked In, Locked Out


    ¡°Was it Wendy?¡± Tommy asked.


    Yunice could only think of one person


    enough to pull something like this¨CWendy.


    Tommy scowled. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡±


    He pulled out his phone to call someone to unlock the door.


    But before the call could even go thro


    the screen suddenly went ck.


    45 Free Solne


    Tommy stared at it, embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s dead¡­¡±


    Then quickly added, ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t n this, Yunice. Don¡¯t worry¨CI¡¯ll exin everything to your husband.¡±


    That only made it sound worse.


    Yunice shot him a skeptical nce. Tommy immediately rushed to exin. ¡°You¡¯re not familiar with the schoolyout. The med campus was renovated. The area you¡¯re in now is part of the old campus¨Cthebs, music rooms, and storage areas like this are only used for special cases. No onees around here unless they have to.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ it might be a while before anyone finds us. And¡­ we¡¯re a guy and a girl¡­ alo


    His implication was clear.


    Yunice wasn¡¯t listening. She was thinking.


    Why would Wendy prank her by stealing her phone?


    Did she lock them in just to buy time to crack it¨Cor was she trying to stir up a scandal between her and Tommy?


    Either way, it was trouble.


    Yunice¡¯s phone was full of sensitive information. Thankfully, it had dual systems. If it had only fallen into Wendy¡¯s hands, there¡¯d be nothing to worry about. But if someone truly skilled got into it and found the second system¡­


    Still, she had long prepared for this.


    Tommy paced the supply room, looking for a way out.


    The windows were sealed, and they were on the fifth floor.


    The vents were too narrow and too dangerous.


    And the door? No chance.


    ¡°Yunice¡­ maybe help me look around?¡± Tommy said, ncing at her lounging calmly in a chair. ¡°<b>Aren¡¯t </b>you worried?


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    Chapter 635 Locked In, Locked Out


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    He sighed. ¡°I¡¯m a resident instructor. You¡¯re a student. If someone starts spreading rumors, you might get expelled, and I¡¯d be fired. It¡¯d go on my record.¡±


    Yunice shrugged. ¡°If we were really having an affair, why would we lock the door from the outside?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Tommy blinked, then realization dawned.


    How could two people inside a room lock it from the outside with a chain?


    Obviously, they couldn¡¯t.


    The whole setup contradicted the story.


    Yunice muttered under her breath, ¡°Idiots.¡±


    But Tommy wasn¡¯t done worrying. ¡°What if shees back, unlocks the door, and yells for help?¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯d be caught right here. And people would think the worst.¡±


    Yunice smiled faintly. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m waiting for.¡±


    Tommy stared at her like she¡¯d gone mad. ¡°Yunice¡­ don¡¯t joke like that. You¡¯re married.¡±


    She leaned back in her chair and saidzily, ¡°You should be worrying about yourself. If Wyatt gets mad, he¡¯ll probably deal with you first.¡±


    The image of Wyatt¡¯s cold, terrifying face shed through Tommy¡¯s mind.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say things like that right now,¡± he muttered.


    Yunice asked, ¡°Do you know when someone usuallyes by this ce?¡±


    Tommy thought for a moment. ¡°Since it¡¯s far from the main campus, student reps usually prepare during lunch. Then materials are returned after school.¡±


    ¡°So, no onees during ss? Only after it ends?¡±


    It took about ten minutes to get from the new campus to the old one.


    Yunice walked to the window and looked at the massive clock on the teaching building across the courtyard.


    No phone, but the time was clear.


    Two hours until the end of the school day.


    Being caught in a fake scandal wasn¡¯t Yunice¡¯s main concern.


    She wanted to know exactly who had her phone.


    Nora sat in the music room<b>, </b>connecting Yunice¡¯s phone to herptop.


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    Chapter 635 Locked <b>In</b><b>, </b>Locked Out


    Unlocking it was easy. She cracked the screen lock in no time.


    She opened WhatsApp and looked through the contact list


    At the top was Wyatt, with one unread message.


    She tapped it without thinking


    Wyatt: ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    45 Free Coins


    Nora pursed her lips and scrolled up. The chat history wasn¡¯t long, just four or five messages per day.


    Wyatt <i>always </i>messaged first. Yunice usually replied with one line.


    Never more than a half¨Chour between them.


    ¡°Have you eaten<i>?</i>¡±


    ¡°What did you eat?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Boring, repetitive questions¨Cbut he sent them daily.


    Nora felt a tightening in her chest.


    Just then, another message popped up.


    Wyatt: ¡°<b>Busy</b>?¡±


    Nora froze. Exactly thirty minutes had passed since hisst message.


    If he didn¡¯t get a reply soon¡­ He would definitely call.


    (


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    Chapter 636 Caught in the Act


    Chapter 636 Caught in the Act


    Nora didn¡¯t reply for more than a few seconds¨Cjust as expected, Wyatt¡¯s call came through.


    The sudden vibration jolted her like a live wire, making her whole body twitch.


    s


    She instinctively hit decline, then hurriedly replied to Wyatt on WhatsApp with just three words: ¡°In ss.¡±


    The call didn¡¯te again. No texts either.


    Nora bit her lip and, feeling a bit resentful, typed out a message: ¡°Stop sending me stupid texts every day. No one wants to answer. It¡¯s annoying.¡±


    Her heart pounded as she stared at the message sitting in the input box.


    Then she quickly erased it without sending.


    After a long moment, she calmed down, exited the chat with Wyatt, and went back to digging through Yunice¡¯s private data.


    But Yunice¡¯s socials were shockingly clean¨Cjust endless meaningless everyday posts.


    Nora didn¡¯t buy it.


    She couldn¡¯t beli¨¨ve anyone could be that squeaky clean.


    Could there be hidden files?


    With that thought, she got back to theputer, trying to uncover any hidden directories in Yunice¡¯s


    system.


    About ten minutester, her pupils lit up with a gleam of satisfaction. She¡¯d found something.


    ¡°Knew it. You definitely have secrets.¡±


    With a slightly obsessive expression, Nora sped up her typing. The program scrolled rapidly, code flying across the screen. When the progress bar reached the end, she leaned in close.


    ¡°It¡¯s open¡­


    She murmured, frowning slightly as she clicked into the hidden email system. But just as her fingernded on the mouse, her expression changed in an instant.


    ¡°Oh no!¡± She mmed theptop shut.


    In the supply room.


    Tommy nced up at the clock on the academic building. Time was crawling.


    He looked over at Yunice again. She was sitting there calmly, so he let out a deep sigh.


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    He had no idea how Yunice nned to get out of this setup.


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    Yunice was watching the clock too. After the minute hand made two full rounds, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a pill.


    ¡°Tommy, take this.¡±


    Tommy looked at the tablet in her hand. Instinctively, he wanted to ask what it was¨Cbut as a med student, he recognized it immediately: sildenafil.


    His whole expression changed.


    Sildenafil was used to treat acute heart conditions¨Cbut he didn¡¯t have heart problems.


    It was also known for another, very infamous use: it drastically enhanced a certain¡­ function.


    Tommy jumped back. ¡°Yunice, cut it out! This isn¡¯t funny at all!¡±


    He¡¯d always thought Yunice was a pretty decent, serious girl. Pulling a joke like this in a situation like this? It was way out of line.


    Yunice said, ¡°If I could take this and turn the situation around, I would. But unfortunately, only you can take it.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want both of us to be ruined beyond repair, then do what I say.¡±


    The rooftop clock ticked forward another half turn.


    The school bell rang, signaling the end of ss.


    Yunice stood at the window, watching waves of students pouring out of the building.


    -Tommy sat behind her on the bench, visibly agitated.


    He yanked at his tie, loosening the neatly buttoned cor until two buttons were undone.


    Knowing Tommy embarrassed easily, Yunice never turned around.¡±


    She watched the time, calcting. When she figured the delivery staff would be approaching the supply room soon, she walked quickly to the door.


    She pressed her ear against the wood, listening closely.


    Tommy, sweating profusely, looked at her anxiously.


    If Wendy really intended to ruin her reputation, she¡¯d definitelye to unlock the door.


    Yunice didn¡¯t move until she heard a faint noise against the door. Then she nced back and gave Tommy. a confirming look.


    The sound of the lock being picked was soft, but the clink of the chain against the door was louder¨Ceasy to hear when standing close.


    She waited until the person outside carefully removed the chain from the door ring¨Cthen yanked the


    4923


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    door open!


    But it wasn¡¯t Wendy standing there. It was her startled littleckey!


    Yunice froze for a second. The n had changed, but she reacted fast¨Cgrabbing theckey and yanking them inside. They immediately swapped positions.


    With a sharp m, Yunice shut the door, trapping theckey and Tommy inside the supply room!


    She gripped the door handle tightly and looked toward the stairwell¨CWendy was lurking there, acting suspicious. Behind her were the footsteps of othersing upstairs.


    Wendy spotted Yunice and looked shocked. Then she reflexively cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s a teacher and a stu-¡±


    Before she could even finish saying ¡°student fooling around,¡± a chalkboard eraser smacked her square in the face.


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    Wendy jerked back in shock, swallowing her unfinished sentence.


    s


    Her entire nasal cavity burned and tingled. Her vision blurred, her lips felt numb and swollen, and her teeth had cut into the inside of her mouth.


    She felt warmth beneath her nose, reached up to touch it¡­ blood.


    ¡°Wendy? What are you doing here?¡±


    The students delivering the supplies had heard themotion and hurried up the stairs¨Conly to find Wendy standing there.


    She snapped out of it, clutching her nose as she pointed toward the supply room. ¡°The¡­ the supply room! There¡¯s a teacher and a student doing that¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± one of the students asked innocently.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see when you go in!¡±


    The others hesitated but rushed toward the supply room.


    Wendy followed, ncing around, but Yunice was nowhere in sight.


    Did she <i>run </i><i>back </i><i>inside</i><i>? </i>


    Idiot.


    Then they heard voices from inside: ¡°What are you¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you two doing here?¡±


    Wendy heard the misunderstanding and lit up with glee. She rushed in, yelling dramatically, ¡°Mr. Tommy! You¡¯re a teacher¨Cyou¡¯d never do something like this, right? Someone must be trying to frame you!¡±


    As her voice rang out, the students parted to give her a view.


    Only then did Wendy see who was surrounded by the group: herckey and Mr. Tommy.


    Her brow immediately furrowed. ¡°Hey¡­¡±


    Realizing she nearly exposed herself, Wendy shut her mouth fast.


    ¡°Wendy, isn¡¯t that your best friend? What¡¯s she doing with Mr. Tommy¡­ and why does he look so weird?¡±


    Tommy was breathing heavily, his face red. It was obvious to anyone what condition he was in.


    The nervous littleckey caught Wendy¡¯s threatening look and quickly pointed and said, ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding! It wasn¡¯t me¨Cit was Yunice!¡±


    ¡°She was in here with Mr. Tommy the whole time. I saw them, but when she realized she¡¯d be in trouble, she shoved me in and ran!¡±


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    Wendy put on a righteous expression. ¡°My friend doesn¡¯t lie. I saw Yunice run off too¨Cshe¡¯s definitely the one fooling around with Mr. Tommy!¡±


    Tommy, gasping for breath, red at her. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ how can you¡­ use me¡­ Wendy¡­ spreading false rumors¡­ is a crime¡­¡±


    Wendy replied solemnly, ¡°Mr. Tommy, don¡¯t try to cover for Yunice. Everyone here saw what happened. Are you really going to protect her?¡±


    Tommy gritted out, ¡°You¡­ need proof¡­ to make usations!¡±


    Wendy raised her brows. ¡°Come on, you¡¯re panting like that¨Cisn¡¯t that proof enough?¡±


    Tommy clenched his teeth and stood from the bench. ¡°You know exactly¡­ why I¡¯m like this¡­ don¡¯t you?¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes shifted as she gave a mocking smile. ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m not the one messing around with you¡­


    ¡°Yes, you are!¡± Tommy pointed at her. ¡°Wendy, you¡¯re a student. Do you have any idea what consequences your actions could have?¡±


    Wendy froze, caught off guard. ¡°What did I do to you?¡±


    Tommy used her furiously, ¡°You came on to me. I rejected you. So you drugged me out of spite¨Cand tried to force yourself on me!¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Wendy¡¯s voice jumped an octave. Her gaze shifted from admiration to disgust. Was Tommy really that full of himself?


    She¡¯d only wanted to get close because he was the top student, something to brag about in front of her friends.


    Did he really think he was that charming? He might be popr on campus, but outside this med school, who even knew him?


    There was no way she¡¯d be dumb enough to throw herself at someone like that.


    Wendy sneered, ¡°Get your facts straight¨Cthe one messing with you was Yunice!¡±


    Tommy snapped, ¡°If Yunice was here, then where is she?¡±


    Before Wendy could reply, someone qut in, ¡°Wait¡­ do you guys hear that?¡±


    Everyone went quiet.


    There was a soft, steady beeping in the background.


    Someone traced the sound to the smoke detector. ¡°It¡¯s going off. Who lit something in here?¡±


    Beneath a table directly under the rm, they found a half¨Cburnt piece of paper. A student stomped it out and turned off the rm.


    Wendy paid it no mind, arms crossed as she smugly said, ¡°Mr. Tommy, why don¡¯t youe with me to the administration office?¡±


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    She looked confident. Her uncle was the vice principal¨CYunice could run all she wanted, but the charges¡± would stick.


    Tommy shook his head in panic, turning to the other students. ¡°Don¡¯t believe her. She really did set me up!¡±


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    The students stood there,pletely confused. They had just arrived and didn¡¯t know what was really going on. And now Tommy was turning to them for help? Was he just panicking?


    Wendy, on the other hand, was delighted. She hadn¡¯t expected Tommy to crack this easily under pressure.


    Emboldened, she was more determined than ever to drag him to the administration office. Just as the crowd began spilling noisily out of the supply room, a rush of footsteps echoed from the stairwell.


    A group of security guards and police officers came charging up.


    Everyone froze, staring at each other in stunned silence.


    ¡°Why are the police here?¡±


    Wendy, as confused as the rest, looked around nkly¨Cuntil one of the officers stepped forward with a stern expression. ¡°Is there a fire reported here?¡±


    Wendy blurted out instinctively, ¡°No¡­¡±


    ¡°It was me. I triggered the smoke rm.¡±


    Tommy¡¯s voice came from behind her.


    Everyone turned to stare at him in shock.


    But Tommy looked nothing like his previous panicked self. Now calm andposed, he said to the police, ¡°Officers, I apologize for bringing you here this way. There wasn¡¯t a fire. The rm was my way of protecting myself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to file a report. I was set up and ndered. The person who did it is her.¡±


    He pointed directly at Wendy.


    Wendy¡¯s mind went nk.


    It all happened so fast¨Cshe didn¡¯t even have time to react.


    ¡°I remember now,¡± one student whispered. ¡°The smoke rms are connected to campus security. If it goes off for more than ten minutes, it automatically notifies the police.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh¡­ Mr. Tommy knew the school might cover it up, so he brought in a third party. Makes sense- everyone knows how the school operates. Bad stuff gets buried, good stuff gets paraded.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. In cases like this, they either hush it up or punish everyone equally. Mr. Tommy¡¯s sharp.¡±


    ¨C


    As the murmurs spread, Wendy¡¯s expression changed.


    Meanwhile, the police were listening to Tommy¡¯s ount. Realizing it was one person¡¯s,word against another¡¯s, they said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the admin office and check the surveince footage.¡±


    Wendy smirked.


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    Let them check. The cameras here had been broken for ages. Did Tommy really think she¡¯d leave evidence behind?


    Everyone was taken to the admin office. The vice principal listened <i>to </i>the situation and turned sternly to Wendy. ¡°Mr. Tommy is a teacher at our school. You really think he¡¯d frame you? You say the one involved was Yunice. So where is she now?¡±


    Wendy knew her uncle was putting on an act. If he was harsh with her, no one would suspect favoritism.


    She put on a wounded look. ¡°I already told you¨CYunice ran off. If you don¡¯t believe me, call her. See if she dares answer. See if she¡¯s brave enough toe here and face me!¡±


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t pick up, that proves she¡¯s hiding something!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t have her phone on her, and there was no way she could get a new number that fast. No way she¡¯d be able to answer the vice principal¡¯s call.


    Sure enough, the vice principal dialed her number three times in front of everyone¨Cand got no answer.


    Wendy beamed. ¡°See? Told you she wouldn¡¯t dare pick up. And she-¡± she pointed to herckey ¡°¡ªcan back me up. The people in the supply room were Yunice and Mr. Tommy. Plus, my injury is proof! Mr. Tommy¡¯s just using me to silence me!¡±


    The vice principal turned to the police with a smile. ¡°Officers, as you can see, we¡¯ve mostly cleared this up. Why don¡¯t we handle this internally first, and if that doesn¡¯t work out, you can step in again?¡±


    ¡°Mostly cleared up?!¡± Tommy exploded. ¡°Yunice isn¡¯t even here and you¡¯re already ming her!¡±


    The vice principal sighed, pulled Tommy aside, and whispered, ¡°Mr. Tommy, be smart about this. You¡¯ve got a good reputation here. The school won¡¯t throw you under the bus. This could¡¯ve been handled quietly, but you had to drag in the police¡­¡±


    ¡°If you want toe out clean, you have to pin it on the student. The school will frame you as the victim and won¡¯t punish you.¡±


    The officers frowned. Did they look like props?


    ¡°Find a way to contact this Yunice girl,¡± one officer said. ¡°We need her statement for the report.¡±


    Wendy sneered, ¡°She won¡¯t even answer her phone. Who¡¯s going to find her?¡±


    The officer asked, ¡°Doesn¡¯t the school have emergency contacts for every student?¡±


    <i>Emergency </i><i>contacts</i><i>? </i>


    Tommy immediately turned around. ¡°Use the PA system. If Yunice is on campus, she¡¯ll hear ande.¡±


    ¡°If you call her family and she¡¯s innocent, it¡¯ll just create misunderstandings.¡±


    What Tommy was really worried about was this, Yunice had listed her husband as her emergency contact.


    <i>That </i><i>would </i><i>be </i><i>a </i><i>problem</i><i>. </i>


    Best not to involve him.


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    Chapter 639 The Unexpected Witness


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    The police agreed with Tommy¡¯s reasoning and asked the vice principal to page Yunice over the school¡¯s PA system.


    For ten full minutes, the announcement echoed through every corner of campus, calling Yunice to report to the administrative office.


    The vice principal said, ¡°There¡¯s no way she didn¡¯t hear that. If she still doesn¡¯te, it proves she¡¯s running from the truth.¡±


    Tommy immediately asked, ¡°So if she shows up, that proves her innocence?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± the vice principal replied. ¡°At the very least, she¡¯ll need someone to verify she wasn¡¯t with you at the time. That¡¯s what matters.¡±


    The police nodded. That kind of alibi would be critical.


    They had already checked the surveince system, and it just so happened the cameras in the supply building were down. So there was no video of who entered or exited.


    Some students had witnessed the scene¨Cbut they had shown upte and only saw the aftermath. That didn¡¯t rule out the possibility that Yunice had been there and escaped earlier.


    They needed a solid alibi.


    Knock knock.


    A polite knock came from the office door.


    Everyone turned to look. A delicate, attractive girl stood there. ¡°You just called me over the broadcast?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes calmly swept over the crowded room as if she had no idea what was going on, her expressionposed and unreadable.


    Wendy curled her lip. <i>She¡¯s </i><i>really </i><i>going </i><i>to </i><i>pretend </i><i>nothing </i><i>happened</i><i>? </i>


    The vice principal didn¡¯t exin the reason for the summon. He simply asked sternly, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone?¡±


    Yunice frowned slightly. ¡°Someone stole my phone. I haven¡¯t had time to rece it yet.¡±


    Wendy scoffed, ¡°What a convenient time to lose it.¡±


    Yunice frowned deeper but said nothing.


    Some students gave her strange looks, clearly suspecting she was lying.


    The vice principal¡¯s face grew colder. ¡°You skipped ss this afternoon. Where were you?¡±


    Yunice lowered her head, looking dejected. ¡°During break, Wendy got hurt and used me of kicking her, The teacher told me to go to the infirmary and said I¡¯d be punished¡­¡±


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    Wendy hadn¡¯t expected her to use that as a cover. She immediately retorted, ¡°So that¡¯s your excuse? Using me to cover for your little secret meeting? Ask the substitute teacher! Yunice only stayed at the infirmary for five minutes. Where was she the rest of the afternoon?¡±


    Yunice stayed silent.


    Wendy beamed. ¡°See? She has no answer!¡±


    The vice principal narrowed his eyes. ¡°Yunice, were you with Mr. Tommy in the supply room this afternoon? What were you two doing?¡±


    Wendy watched Yunice smugly, waiting to see how she¡¯d weasel out of this.


    Yunice finally looked up with uncertainty. ¡°Vice Principal, I don¡¯t understand¡­ Supply room? Why would I be with Mr. Tommy?¡±


    The vice principal raised his voice. ¡°Then tell me¨Cwhere were you this afternoon?<i>¡± </i>


    Knock knock.


    Another knock at the door.


    The vice principal, now impatient, barked, ¡°Out!¡±


    A woman¡¯s voice answered with a chuckle. ¡°What¡¯s got the vice principal so riled up today?¡±


    She stepped into the room, casting a nce around. ¡°Quite the crowd.¡±


    The vice principal turned and immediately lost all his fire. His expression shifted to one of rmed respect. ¡°Ms. Laurie?¡±


    The woman raised an eyebrow at him and casually made her way to her desk. Her posture was effortless, -as if the chaos around her had nothing to do with her.


    She wore a flowing robe, her hair braided tightly into a scorpion tail it, held in ce by a metal sp.


    ¡°Ms. Laurie? Who¡¯s that? Since when do we have someone like her ¨®n staff?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s incredible. Look at that presence. Is she a visiting professor?¡±


    Ms. Laurie adjusted the hem of her robe before sitting gracefully. Not a single wrinkle appeared in the fabric¨Cits quality and her poise were unmistakable.


    Once seated, she looked back over her shoulder through the crowd, her voice low and maic. ¡°Yunice, what are you standing there for? Come over here. Why are you gawking at the spectacle?¡±


    Yunice hesitated, ncing at the vice principal like she wasn¡¯t sure who to listen to.


    That single sentence from Ms. Laurie left the vice principal dumbstruck.


    Wait¨Chow did a regr student like Yunice know Ms. Laurie?


    Ms. Laurie exined, ¡°Oh, she helped me find my way to theb this afternoon. I noticed she was a clever girl, so I kept her around to help with some tasks.¡±


    Chapter 639 The Unexpected Witness


    She looked to the vice principal. ¡°That¡¯s not against the rules, is it?¡±


    He blinked, then immediately replied out of instinct, ¡°Of course not! Absolutely not!¡±


    Then his eyes widened. ¡°Wait¨CMs. Lauric, did you just say Yunice was with you this afternoon?¡±


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    Ms. Laurie tore open a bag of freeze¨Cdried jackfruit as she casually answered, ¡°Yeah, I had her run a small experiment for me, then asked her to write a reflection on it.¡±


    She tossed the vice principal a nd, professional smile. ¡°First time mentoring a student. Gotta find someone to practice on, right?¡±


    The vice principal stood there with his mouth half¨Copen, unsure how to respond.


    Ms. Laurie nced at Yunice again and added, ¡°Come on over. Don¡¯t get in the way of the vice principal resolving your little ss conflict.¡±


    She gave the vice principal another half¨Chearted smile as she chewed.


    Yunice looked at him uncertainly, then slowly made her way to Ms. Laurie¡¯s side.


    That was when Wendy, who had been ring the whole time, finally snapped. She grabbed Yunice and cried out, ¡°Vice Principal! Who even is this Ms. Laurie? Why should we believe anything she says? Does she have any proof?¡±


    Still lounging at her desk, Ms. Laurie popped another piece of jackfruit into her mouth, crossed her legs, and leaned back as if this whole affair was mildly amusing.


    ¡°What¡¯s even going on here?¡± she asked, chewing.


    Wendy stood her ground. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are¨Cyou¡¯re lying! Yunice was with Mr. Tommy this afternoon!¡±


    The vice principal tugged at her sleeve, trying to signal her to stop.


    But before the tension could thicken, Tommy spoke up. ¡°That¡¯s not true. I was with Wendy this afternoon! She locked me in the supply room and drugged me!¡±


    Ms. Laurie nced up and down at Wendy while chewing.


    She looked at each of them in turn, like she was at a produce stand. ¡°So¡­ Wendy says Yunice was with Mr. Tommy.¡±


    Then at Tommy: ¡°And you say Wendy was the one with you.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°This much drama over something so small?¡±


    She kept chewing and asked Wendy, ¡°So where were you this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Wendy hadn¡¯t expected the tables to turn. She yanked her bestie Brynn over. ¡°I was with my best friend! She can vouch for me!¡±


    Ms. Laurie spun slightly in her chair. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Yunice kicked you and injured you badly? So you spent the afternoon in the infirmary with your bestie, huh?¡±


    Wendy didn¡¯t get it, but eager to prove her alibi, she nodded confidently.


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    Ms. Laurie smiled. ¡°That¡¯s just your word. Why not check the security footage? That¡¯d be more convincing. don¡¯t you think, Vice Principal?¡±


    The vice principal froze for a beat, trying to read her intentions.


    Wendy frowned. <i>Why </i><i>is </i>my uncle acting <i>so </i><i>cautious </i><i>around </i><i>this </i><i>woman</i>? Who the <i>hell </i>is she<i>? </i>


    Reluctantly, the vice principal pulled up the infirmary footage in front of everyone.


    The footage showed both Yunice and Wendy stopping by the infirmary during break. But as the vice principal tried to skip ahead by dragging the progress bar forward two hours¡­


    Yunice suddenly reached out and pressed down on his hand. ¡°Wait!¡±


    She stared at the paused frame, eyes narrowing. Then she turned slowly to Brynn, her tone confused. ¡°So¡­. it was you who took my phone? Why would you do that?¡±


    Brynn flushed bright red. She took a step forward and saw clearly on the screen: her hand, reaching into Yunice¡¯s bag and taking her phone.


    She turned in panic to Wendy¨Cbut Wendy looked away, refusing to meet her eyes.


    She wasn¡¯t going to cover for her.


    Ms. Laurie mused, ¡°So, Wendy, your friend likes taking people¡¯s stuff without asking, huh?¡±


    She nced at Yunice. ¡°That¡¯s the newest Huawei, right? Even used, that¡¯s gotta be worth eight, nine thousand. Definitely enough for a criminal case.¡±


    Brynn trembled, eyes pleading with Wendy for help.


    Wendy said awkwardly, ¡°Brynn just made a mistake. We¡¯re all ssmates¨Cthere¡¯s no need to call the cops -over something small. It¡¯s not like she wasn¡¯t going to give it back¡­¡±


    ¡°So you think stealing someone¡¯s property is fine?¡± Yunice snapped. ¡°No wonder you all used me earlier, saying I didn¡¯t answer the phone because I was guilty. You¡¯d already set a trap for me to fall into!¡±


    ¡°Good thing I ran into Ms. Laurie. Without her, no one could¡¯ve proven I had an alibi, and I¡¯d be stuck with Mr. Tommy, smeared beyond repair!¡±


    The students watching began murmuring.


    ¡°She knew her friend stole the phone, then tried to call Yunice¨Chow was Yunice supposed to answer?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Why steal someone¡¯s phone in the first ce?¡±


    Wendy, sensing her defense unraveling, pointed at her own nose. ¡°Then how do you exin this injury? You think I did it to myself?¡±


    Yunice stared at her calmly. ¡°Who knows? Maybe you did something shady and ran off in a panic¡­ smacked right into a wall?¡±


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    Chapter 641 Full Exposure


    ¡°You!¡± Wendy snapped.


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Yunice went on calmly, ¡°Also, all these students were going to the supply room to deliver teaching materials. What were you doing there?¡±


    The students immediately joined in:


    ¡°Now that she says it, I remember¨CWendy was already there when we arrived at the supply room!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I saw her standing alone in the hallway, covering her nose. It was bleeding!¡±


    ¡°Maybe she really did m into a wall while trying to escape, and when she saw using up the stairs, she pretended she¡¯d just arrived.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! She was the one yelling from the stairs that Mr. Tommy was doing something shady in the supply room, but when we went inside, it was her friend Brynn we saw!¡±


    ¡°Everyone,¡± Tommy interrupted, lifting his phone, now freshly charged. ¡°I also have supplementary evidence¨CWendy repeatedly tried to add me as a friend. Here are all the chat logs. I only epted because I thought she needed help with her coursework, but she kept messaging me about unrted topics, so I removed her. The full record¡¯s still here.¡±


    Wendy saw the tide turning and snapped, flustered, ¡°No! That¡¯s not how it happened! She¡¯s fooling all of you!¡±


    Tommy turned to the police with a cold face. ¡°Officers, I believe the facts are clear now. Shall we proceed?¡±


    The police stepped forward toward Wendy and Brynn. ¡°Come with us, please.¡±


    Wendy panicked and turned to the vice principal. ¡°Hey-¡±


    He shot her a sharp look, silently warning her to shut her mouth.


    Left with no choice, Wendy red bitterly at Yunice.


    Yunice curled her lips just slightly, satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.


    Only the one who wronged you knows exactly how wronged you were.


    Wendy never saw the boomeranging.


    Once the police left with the girls, the rest of the students dispersed.


    Only the vice principal, Yunice, and Ms. Laurie remained in the office.


    The vice principal gave Yunice a quick, irritable nce. ¡°What are you still standing here for? Go back to whatever it is you should be doing.¡±


    But the moment he turned toward Ms. Laurie and forced a smile, she looked up without blinking and said, ¡°Vice Principal, if you don¡¯t have anything else, you can go. I still need to prep for ss.¡±


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    ¡°Yunice,e over and help me organize theb notes from carlier.¡±


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    Yunice responded with an ¡°okay¡± and¨Cperhaps intentionally¨Csqueezed him out of the way as she walked-


    over.


    The vice principal scowled, clearly displeased, but left.


    As soon as the door shut, Yunice locked it.


    Then turned with a grin. ¡°Laurie!¡±


    Ms. Laurie tossed her snack aside and mimed stuffing her hands into the pockets of ab coat¨Conly to remember she wasn¡¯t wearing one today.


    She tilted her head smugly. ¡°Admit it. My entrance was heroic.¡±


    Yunice, curious, reached over to touch Laurie¡¯s scorpion¨Cbraid. ¡°How¡¯d you turn into Ms. Laurie? Why¡¯re you even at our school? And why does the vice principal suck up to you so hard?¡±


    Laurie pped her hand away. ¡°What do you mean ¡®how¡®? I came here for you.¡±


    She exined, ¡°Our med school has a new partnership with North Hospital. From now on, the school will be sending residents there every year.¡±


    ¡°When did this partnership happen? I never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°This year,¡± Laurie said. ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of North Hospital and Huaxin Pharmaceuticals as a visiting.


    mentor. Even the vice principal has to respect the connections behind me.¡±


    Truthfully, Laurie came to the university for Yunice¨Cshe wanted to keep an eye on her.


    She¡¯d been tied up with onboarding paperwork these past few days. Who knew she¡¯d walk straight into -chaos the moment she arrived?


    ¡°So,¡± she said nosily, ¡°what¡¯d you do to provoke Wendy? Her sidekick doesn¡¯t look broke. Why steal your phone?¡±


    At the mention of the stolen phone, Yunice leaned over to Laurie¡¯sputer. ¡°I¡¯m borrowing this for a sec.¡±


    She wanted to track her phone¡¯s location.


    Through the tracking system, she pinpointed it¡­ to a ssroom?


    <i>The </i><i>same </i><i>one </i><i>where </i><i>she </i><i>and </i><i>Wendy </i><i>had </i><i>that </i><i>confrontation</i>.


    Strange. If Wendy stole her phone, why would she put it back?


    Trying to fake a ¡°lost phone¡± narrative?


    Suspicious, Yunice logged into one of her email ounts.


    The moment she saw a new unread message, her face darkened.


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    It wasn¡¯t that simple. Someone had tampered with her phone.


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    Laurie noticed her expression shift and nced toward the screen, eyesnding on the unopened email.


    Yunice clicked on it.


    Inside was a video file¨Cthree seconds long.

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    Laurie nced at the video thumbnail and paused. Then she looked again¨Cthis time frowning. ¡°Why is <b>it </b>her?¡±


    She turned to Yunice. ¡°Who sent you this email?<b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b>Why would Nora send this to you?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t respond right away. Instead, she clicked on the three¨Csecond video.


    The first second: Nora¡¯s face, up close to the camera.


    The second: shock shing across her face as she recoiled.


    The third: her facepletely consumed by a dark blur.


    The video ended.


    Laurie was thoroughly confused.


    But Yunice said quietly, ¡°The one who stole my phone¡­ was Nora.¡±


    Laurie stared at the screen, at Nora¡¯s guilty, panicked expression frozen in that thumbnail.


    ¡°Same old Nora,¡± she muttered. ¡°Still just as damn annoying.¡±


    Yunice nced at her in surprise. She¡¯d heard the stories from Maine, Morgan, Wyatt¨Ceven Nora herself ¨Cbut never Laurie.


    Laurie grabbed her bag of freeze¨Cdried jackfruit again and munched as she spoke. ¡°Nora¡¯s a chronic liar.¡±


    ¡°When I first met her, she was already lying.¡±


    ¡°Wanna guess how? She kept subtly implying that she and Wyatt were sleeping together.¡±


    Yunice blinked. ¡°They weren¡¯t?¡±


    Laurie scoffed. ¡°Hell no.¡±


    ¡°She manipted everyone around her, banking on the fact that no one dared stir things up by going to Wyatt himself.¡±


    Then Laurie smirked. ¡°You know why Nora got fired from Wellinges Pharma?¡±


    ¡°Fired?¡± Yunice echoed, stunned.


    Laurie chuckled. ¡°Of course fired. Why else would she leave everything behind, needing Jordan to pack her things and send them back to the Johnson family?¡±


    ¡°It was me. I went straight to Wyatt and exposed the lie she¡¯d been spreading¨Cthat she was his girlfriend.¡±


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    Yunice blinked in confusion. ¡°Wait, wait, Laurie, now I¡¯m lost. Wyatt admitted he and Nora used to be together.¡±


    So how did this turn into a lie Nora made up?


    Laurieughed. ¡°That¡¯s where she¡¯s smart. No normal person would be bold enough to fabricate something like that. But she did it right under Wyatt¡¯s nose, taking advantage of his distance from lower- level staff.¡±


    ¡°She built up a reputation through fear and charm. Her polished image made people echo her words. It made her lookpetent¨Cso she got promoted all the way to executive secretary, stationed right next to Wyatt.¡±


    ¡°But too bad for her, she tried her game on me.¡±


    Laurie was still visibly smug about it. ¡°This was three, maybe four years ago. Wellinges Pharma was taking heat for a supply chain scandal. As executive secretary, Nora needed someone to take the fall. Who¡¯d she pick? Myb.¡±


    ¡°Like hell I was gonna let that happen.¡±


    ¡°I told her to take her lies somewhere else. You know what she did next? She called me into her office and threatened me¨Csaid if I didn¡¯t y along, she¡¯d make things hard for my daughter.¡±


    Yunice froze. She hadn¡¯t known Laurie had a daughter.


    Laurie skipped right over that detail. ¡°So I asked her¨C¡®Does Wyatt know you¡¯re threatening people¡¯s families?¡® And she had the nerve to tell me Wyatt hinted I shouldply.¡±


    Laurie shook her head,ughing. ¡°She really thought I¡¯d buy that crap. She thought I¡¯d be too scared to confront Wyatt. But I kicked open the door to her office, stormed out in front of the whole secretary department, and yelled for Wyatt toe out and face me.¡±


    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen her face¨Cpale as a ghost!¡±


    ¡°I made a scene. I asked Wyatt directly if he had told her to frame me. If yes, I¡¯d wreck his office. If no, I¡¯d wreck her.¡±


    Yunice could practically picture the scene as Laurie told it.


    Laurie continued, ¡°Ourb¡¯s PhDs tried to pull me back, saying to go easy on her since she was ¡®Mr. Wyatt¡¯s girlfriend.¡® Gotta save her some face, right? And that¡¯s when Wyatt realized Nora had been publicly implying they were together. So he fired her. Same day. She came backter, crying that we¡¯d wronged her, that she¡¯d never said such things, demanding we show proof. Wyatt didn¡¯t even listen. And soon after, that steel nt ident happened¨CNora was in it. She ended up in aa for two or three years. And now she¡¯s back, skulking around you like a ghost,¡± Laurie said, tapping her temple. ¡°She¡¯s not right in the head. But I¡¯ll give it to her¨CNora knows how to mess with people. She¡¯s got that sweet, innocent, harmless look that makes it hard to hate her. She¡¯s fooled a lot of people. Even now, some still believe she and Wyatt had a thing, that she¡¯s his untouchable taboo.¡±


    Laurie narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m guessing Wyatt told you they dated just to avoid further confusion.¡±


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    ¡°Think about it,¡± Laurie said. ¡°Everyone around you swears up and down that Wyatt and Nora dated, but then Wyatt tells you they didn¡¯t¨Cthat it was all in her head. What would you believe?¡±


    ¡°Would you trust him? Or would you go with what everyone else ims to have seen and heard? If you side with them, doesn¡¯t that make Wyatt look like a smooth¨Ctalking yer, toying with women¡¯s feelings?¡±


    ¡°So rather than be the subject of endless doubt, maybe it¡¯s easier for him to just own it. We¡¯re all adults- it¡¯s not a crime to have had a rtionship that¡¯s already over, right?¡±


    Yunice shook her head. ¡°Even if you put it like that¡­ it still feels off.¡±


    Laurie arched an eyebrow. ¡°Someone getting in your ear? Trying to stir up drama? Come on, think it through¨Canyone who makes you feel bad with their words isn¡¯t doing it for your sake. They want you ufortable. That¡¯s what makes them feel good.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re jealous of you, Yunice. They¡¯d love nothing more than to drive a wedge between you and Wyatt.¡±


    Her tone suddenly shifted¨Cmischievous now.


    Before Yunice could stop her, Laurie had already pulled out her phone and made a call. When Yunice looked over, it was toote¨Cthe line had connected.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice came through the speaker: ¡°What is it?¡±


    Laurie held up a finger, signaling Yunice to stay quiet. ¡°Guess where I am?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s tone instantly darkened. ¡°What happened to Yunice?¡±


    Laurie grinned. ¡°I never even said her name. Why so


    anxious?¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not about her, why are you calling me?¡± Wyatt snapped.


    Laurie smirked. ¡°Alright, fine¨Cyou guessed it. It¡¯s about Yunice.¡±


    ¡°She just got seriously messed with.¡±


    Yunice tried to protest, clearly embarrassed by Laurie¡¯s exaggeration, but Laurie quickly mped a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet.


    Then she spoke cheerfully into the phone. ¡°Someone stole her phone, locked her in the supply room, and framed her for¡­ you know. If I hadn¡¯t shown up in time, she¡¯d be facing school discipline right now. I mean, who even thinks up this kind of crap? She¡¯s so upset she couldn¡¯t even eat.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice grew faint, as though he was already confirming details with someone nearby.


    Then he asked, ¡°Was it Wendy and a student named Brynn?¡±


    Laurie replied, ¡°Who knows. Yunice barely knows either of them. No idea if they acted on their own or if someone else put them up to it.¡±


    Wyatt knew Laurie well¨Cher passive¨Caggressive tone meant there was more to this than she was letting


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    After ending the call, Laurie turned to Yunice, eyes gleaming. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to what he says. Watch what he does<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b>When ites to snakes like Nora, the only way to deal with them is to drag everything into the light. st her with a spotlight¨Clet¡¯s see how long shests then.¡±


    ¡°You think too much, Yunice. You worry about everything. That¡¯s exactly the kind of personality Nora preys on. She twists and maniptes¨Cand you¡¯re the perfect target.¡±


    She set her phone down and grinned with satisfaction. ¡°You need me to teach that little bitch some lessons.¡±


    Then she nced sideways at Yunice, her voice tinged with nostalgia. ¡°You know¡­ when I first met you, I wanted you out of thepany.¡±


    Yunice tilted her head. ¡°Because I look like Nora?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± Laurie didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°Anyone who threatened my daughter is my enemy for life. First time <b>I </b>saw your face, I had a gut¨Clevel reaction¨Crevulsion. I wanted you gone.¡±


    ¡°¡°But then I got confused. Everyone said Wyatt only liked you because you looked like Nora.¡±


    ¡°But then I thought¨Cif you look like her, then she also looks like you.¡±


    ¡°So I dug into the timeline. And I realized¡­ you probably met Wyatt first.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been around the Powell family since you were a kid. There¡¯s no way you and Wyatt didn¡¯t cross paths. Ever thought about the possibility that <i>Nora </i>was the substitute? That Wyatt only cared for her because she reminded him of <i>you</i>?¡±


    It hit like a thunderp. Yunice¡¯s eyes widened, shaken.


    But after a moment, the shock faded, and she shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see much of Wyatt at the Powell house. Just a few brief encounters when we were kids. Once I got engaged to Paul, Wyatt and I barely even crossed paths. They were always at odds, and Wyatt hardly ever stayed around long.¡±


    What she said was true.


    Even when she visited the Powells, all she ever caught was a glimpse of Wyatt¡¯s back as he left. They¡¯d barely exchanged words.


    So to her, the idea seemed too far¨Cfetched.


    But Laurie wasn¡¯t convinced. Emotions could be buried deep. Could Yunice be <b>so </b>sure Wyatt had never harbored anything for her?


    Laurie watched her quietly, then reached over and took her hand.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± she asked softly. ¡°Or is there something<b>¨C</b>some reason¨Cyou¡¯re so certain Wyatt never had feelings for you?<b>¡± </b>


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    Yunice had always thought Laurie seemed loud and blunt, but in truth, she was more perceptive than


    anyone<b>. </b>


    Laurie thought Yunice was withdrawing again, locking everything inside. But to her surprise, Yunice actually opened up.


    <b>¡°</b>I wasmitted to a psychiatric hospital by the Saunders family,¡± she said. ¡°Three years.¡±


    Laurie froze. Shock gave way to quiet sorrow.


    ¡°No one came to see me in all that time. No one sent someone to check on me or asked the nurses to treat me kindly.¡±


    Laurie¡¯s heart clenched.


    Yunice¡¯s voice was soft but steady. ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t love, even the slightest care shoulde with a littlepassion.¡±


    ¡°Just like when Nora was being bullied¨CWyatt stepped in to protect her.¡±


    ¡°Just like I check in on Chen Xiuhua from time to time, make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°But none of that ever happened for me.¡±


    Laurie looked crushed. She hesitated, then tried to offerfort. ¡°Maybe¡­ maybe there was a misunderstanding? What if Wyatt didn¡¯t know what was happening to you?¡±


    Yunice gave a faint smile. ¡°If he really cared, he would¡¯ve found out. It wasn¡¯t three days, or three months. It was three years. A thousand days.¡±


    A thousand days. No help. No visits. Not even a whisper of concern.


    Wyatt hadn¡¯te.


    So how could there have ever been love?


    Laurie took a long, slow breath.


    Yunice¡¯s pain didn¡¯t align with what she had hoped¨Cbut Laurie didn¡¯t try to argue it away.


    She sighed. ¡°Everyone has their own knots they can¡¯t untangle. But if you keep it all bottled up, it just turns into regret. Sometimes, people are just stuck in their own blind spots¨Cwe can¡¯t always see each other clearly.¡±


    ¡°And if no one speaks up, things get lost forever. That¡¯s a shame, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yunice managed a wry smile. ¡°We¡¯re already bound by a marriage certificate. How much more ¡®lost¡® can we get?¡±


    Laurie smacked her own forehead. ¡°Right, right. I¡¯m overthinking.¡±


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    Wendy had just been bailed out by the vice principal. The moment they stepped out, he hissed furiously, ¡°You¡¯re transferring. Now. me everything on your little sidekick Brynn.¡±


    Wendy was furious. ¡°Why me? Yunice should be the one punished! That Ms. Lauric is obviously shielding her!¡±


    The vice principal growled, voice low, ¡°If you know it¡¯s shielding, then you should know when to back off! Laurie and Yunice will only be around for a month. Lay low until they leave, then I¡¯ll bring you back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not backing down! Who even is she?¡±


    The vice principal nearly stomped. ¡°She¡¯s backed by Wellinges Pharma! You could¡¯ve offended anyone- but you picked her?!¡±


    He shoved her forward. ¡°Go. Now. Or it¡¯ll be toote¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, a man with a scar across his face appeared behind Wendy.


    Sensing her uncle¡¯s sudden dread, Wendy turned around¨Conly to find herself face¨Cto¨Cface with a muscr arm. A bicep thick enough to kill her with one punch.


    The scarred man smiled. ¡°Ms. Yunice¡¯s phone?¡±


    Wendy stumbled backward. ¡°I¨CI don¡¯t have it. It¡¯s not with me¡­¡±


    The man cracked his knuckles. ¡°Would Ms. Wendy prefer to discuss this somewhere more private¨Cwith your uncle?¡±


    Wendy trembled. The vice principal shoved her forward. ¡°Say it! Give the phone back! What¡¯d you even steal it for?!¡±


    Wendy¡¯s tongue twisted. She had no use for the phone. But she¡¯d promised Nora she wouldn¡¯t reveal her.


    The vice principal shoved her again, furious. ¡°Say it, you stupid girl!¡±


    In a panic, Wendy blurted, ¡°It was Ms. Yunice! I gave the phone to Ms. Yunice<b>!</b>¡±


    The scarred man narrowed his eyes. ¡°What <i>Ms. </i>Yunice?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s Yunice¡¯s rtive!¡±


    His face darkened. ¡°There¡¯s only one Ms. Yunice in the Saunders family. What rtive?¡±


    ¡°She looks just like her! If I said she wasn¡¯t family, who would believe me?!¡±


    Now the man was confused. He made a call to Wyatt to confirm¨Cwas there another female rtive in the Saunders family who looked like Yunice?


    Wyatt heard the question and murmured, ¡°Looks like Yunice¡­


    His face darkened. ¡°Show her Nora¡¯s photo.¡±


    Wendy looked at the image¨Cand immediately nodded. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s her! She¡¯s the one who told us to steal Yunice¡¯s phone. I gave it to her right after. She should still have it¨CI swear, I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±


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    Wyatt¡¯s voice came sharp over the phone: ¡°Ask her¨Chow did she get involved with that woman?¡±

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    Wendy sobbed, ¡°She overheard me badmouthing Yunice. Then she imed to be Yunice¡¯s rtive and started saying Yunice was a promiscuous and unruly girl. She said she felt guilty for not keeping her in check as a rtive¡­


    She even gave us gifts to apologize on Yunice¡¯s behalf, and asked us to help her teach Yunice a lesson¨Cto make her feel ashamed¡­¡±


    Tears streamed down Wendy¡¯s face as she added, ¡°That¡¯s really all there is. I swear I¡¯m not hiding anything!¡±


    As soon as Wendy finished, Scarface brought the phone to his ear.


    Wendy, still sniffling, began to feel suspicious. <i>Why does </i><i>the </i><i>voice </i><i>on </i><i>the </i><i>other </i><i>end </i><b><i>sound </i></b><b><i>so </i></b><i>familiar</i><b>? </b>


    Just then, Wyatt said a few words to Scarface over the phone.


    After hanging up, Scarface looked at Wendy. ¡°Alright. Get that woman to meet with you.¡±


    Wendy stared at him in shock. ¡°Huh?¡±


    Meanwhile, Wyatt had just stepped off the helicopter.


    As soon as he got Laurie¡¯s call, he¡¯d flown straight from Silverburgh to the medical university.


    Scarface met up with him and asked, confused, ¡°Wyatt, you¡¯re really not going to tell Ms. Yunice you¡¯re here<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Scarface thought this was the perfect chance to make an impression. If Ms. Yunice found out Wyatt had rushed over the moment he heard something had happened to her, how could she not be moved? How could she not feel that he truly cared?


    And if she was moved¡­ wouldn¡¯t that bring the two of them closer?


    Wyatt let out a cold snort. ¡°You think she wants to see me right now?¡±


    After what Nora had done, Yunice probably couldn¡¯t stand the sight of him.


    <i>If </i><i>he </i><i>showed </i>up <i>without </i><i>resolving </i><i>things </i><i>and </i><i>bringing </i><i>results</i>, <i>it </i><i>would </i><i>only </i><i>make </i><i>things </i><i>worse</i>.


    Scarface scratched his head. <i>Why </i>is <i>dating </i><i>a </i><i>woman </i><i>so </i><i>damn </i><iplicated</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice, following the GPS location, retrieved her phone from the ssroom¡¯s phone locker.


    She wrapped it in an alcohol wipe/and, after making sure the exterior wasn¡¯t damaged, began disinfecting it properly.


    Then she checked if any internal files had been corrupted or deleted.


    What Nora didn¡¯t know was that the phone¡¯s hidden system had an automatic anti¨Ctheft feature. The moment anyone tried to force it open, the camera would secretly activate and take a photo of their <b>face</b>, sending it straight to Yunjce¡¯s inbox.


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    If the intruder continued tampering, the system would initiate a self¨Cdestruct protocol. Not <b>a </b>single bit of information would be leaked.


    Nora¡¯s cleverness had backfired. She hadn¡¯t uncovered any of Yunice¡¯s secrets¨Cinstead, she¡¯d exposed her own two¨Cfaced nature.


    And now, Yunice wanted to see how Wyatt¨Cknowing exactly what Nora had done¨Cwould handle the situation.


    Her stance on Nora was simple: as long as Nora left her alone, she¡¯d pretend she didn¡¯t exist.


    But if Nora came after her because of some man, then she¡¯d never back down.


    She¡¯d always believed the dumbest thing a woman could do was go after another woman over a man who had already moved on.


    At first, she¡¯d admired Nora¡¯s devotion, thinking she was brave for falling into aa after getting hurt for Wyatt. But now that she¡¯d seen what Nora was really like, she wasn¡¯t impressed at all.


    Wendy and Nora agreed to meet at the same restaurant they¡¯d eaten atst time.


    Nora arrived early and paced around a private room on the second floor.


    The room was elegant and artsy, decorated with screens and wooden nt stands.


    Nora¡¯s brow was tightly furrowed. She walked slowly, looking anxious, and eventually stopped by a flower stand. With a scowl, she plucked a tightly closed red blossom, crushed it between her fingers, and let the petals fall into the flowerpot without even ncing at the red stain on her fingertip.


    Yesterday, she¡¯d gotten her hands on Yunice¡¯s phone¨Cbut ended up getting her face caught on camera.


    Nora was worried someone already knew she¡¯de to the medical university.


    But she¡¯d hidden there for an entire day and hadn¡¯t heard a peep.


    She had no idea who hade out on top in Wendy¡¯s trap.


    The school hadn¡¯t issued any disciplinary announcements.


    But she also hadn¡¯t heard that Yunice had returned to the dorm.


    <i>Could </i><i>she </i><i>be </i><i>detained </i><i>by </i><i>the </i><i>school </i><i>for </i><i>questioning</i>?


    Just as she was weighing her options¨Cwhether to head back to Silverburgh or not¨CWendy messaged her, asking to meet.


    She¡¯d said yesterday¡¯s n had worked. Yunice had already been taken into custody by her uncle. Once the fallout blew over in a few days, they¡¯d expel her.


    That was the only reason Nora dared to show her face now.


    Wendy arrived a few minuteste and pushed the door open.


    Hearing the noise<b>, </b>Nora turned around immediately and said firmly, ¡°Close the door.¡±


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    Wendy ran over, excited, and grabbed Nora¡¯s hand. ¡°Ms. Yunice, your idea was brilliant! Yunice <b>really </b>did get punished! And that teacher she was fooling around with¨Cthe school¡¯s going after him too!¡±


    ¡°I told you, the vice principal¡¯s my uncle. Taking care of this kind of thing is nothing for him!¡±


    Nora discrectly pulled her hand back and wiped it with a wet tissue. Her expression was one of concern <b>as </b>she said, ¡°Don¡¯t celebrate just yet. Yunice is a pro at manipting men. There¡¯s bound to be someone behind her who¡¯ll fight for her. And when that happens, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to be in trouble.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s smile froze. The look she gave Nora hadpletely changed.


    <i>This </i>woman¡¯s a real <i>piece </i><i>of </i><i>work</i>. <i>She </i><i>was </i><i>the </i><i>one </i><i>who </i><i>pushed </i><i>me </i>to <i>frame </i><i>Yunice</i>, <i>and </i>now she¡¯s <i>acting </i><i>all </i>high and mighty, warning me <i>I¡¯ll </i><i>suffer </i><i>for </i><i>it</i><i>? </i>


    Damn it. She¡¯s <i>just </i>using <i>me </i><i>as </i><i>a </i><i>pawn</i><i>. </i>


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    But remembering Scarface¡¯s threat, Wendy had no choice but to feign ignorance, ¡°What can she do to me? This school is my tur!!¡±


    Nora slowly shook her head. ¡°I know her better than you. If you don¡¯t do as I say, both you and your uncle could be in danger.¡±


    Wendy felt sick just looking at Nora¡¯s concerned expression, but she forced herself to ask, ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?¡±


    Nora put on a helpless look. ¡°If you want to cut off the men tangled up with Yunice, you have to expose her rtionship with that man¨Cmake it big. Let everyone see her true colors. It¡¯s the only way to solve this from the root.¡±


    Wendy frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be her rtive? You said all of this was to help her, to bring her back to the right path. But now it sounds like you just want to destroy her. I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    Nora sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything to correct her, but nothing worked. Her men just came after me for it¡­<b>¡± </b>


    As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeve in front of Wendy.


    Wendy¡¯s eyes widened when she saw theyers of scars¨Cold and new¨Con Nora¡¯s arm.


    ¡°These,¡± Nora said, ¡°were from the people Yunice sent to beat me up¡­ That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let it go anymore. I have to break her first. Only then will she realize what she¡¯s doing. Only then will she wake up and start


    over.¡±


    Wendy looked at her with unease. <i>Is </i><i>this </i><i>woman</i><i>¡­ </i><i>mentally </i><i>stable</i>?


    Nora gripped Wendy¡¯s arm, her tone coaxing. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say Yunice is already under your control? All you have to do is strip her and that man, lock them in a room together, and let others in to see it¡­


    No one will actually get hurt. You won¡¯t have to feel guilty. You¡¯ll even be saving a clueless girl. That makes you the good guy.¡±


    Wendy¡¯s eyes filled with fear. Nora looked even more unhinged now. She jerked her arm away in fright.


    Nora didn¡¯t care. Her expression turned cold. ¡°If you don¡¯t do it, the ones who¡¯ll get hurt are you and your uncle. Choose for yourself.¡±


    Wendy shouted, ¡°You¡¯re crazy! The only one getting hurt will be you!¡±


    The moment she finished, a mechanical sliding sound filled the room.


    Nora turned sharply. Arge decorative screen at the side of the room slowly folded away, revealing someone seated behind it.


    There had been space behind the screen? Someone had been sitting there the whole time, able to <b>see </b>and hear everything?


    Nora¡¯s expression changed instantly. But as soon as she realized what was happening, she responded with wlessposure.


    O


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    Chapter 646 The Trap Behind the Screen


    At the same time the screen opened, Scarface pulled the door open from the outside.


    Wendy was called out of the room and never saw who had been behind the screen.


    When the door closed again, only two people remained.


    s


    Nora didn¡¯t flinch. She looked calmly at Wyatt, who had been seated behind the screen, and said with a touch of emotion, ¡°So I finally get to see you¡­ without anyone else around. I never thought a meeting I once looked forward to would be so hard.¡±


    Wyatt pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and bit it between his lips. ¡°What did you just <b>say </b>you wanted to do to my wife? Say it again.¡±


    Nora¡¯s expression remained calm, tinged with sorrow but without a hint of guilt or fear. She said quietly, ¡°I only said all that to get you to meet with me. Yunice is <b>so </b>smart, and you love her so much¨Chow could I ever do something so stupid?¡±


    Wyatt looked up and gave her a cold once¨Cover. ¡°You sure bounced back fast. A true medical miracle.¡±


    Nora heard the sarcasm in his voice but epted it dly. ¡°You searched the world for doctors for me, gave me the best medicine. Naturally, I recovered faster than anyone else.¡±


    Wyatt looked disgusted. He wasn¡¯t here to flirt.


    He stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sending you abroad. You¡¯ll be banned from returning. From now on, you won¡¯t get anywhere near Yunice again.¡±


    2


    As he turned to leave, Nora raised her voice. ¡°Is this exile?


    You¡¯ve always been the kind to pay back every insult tenfold. I schemed against Yunice, so shouldn¡¯t you be repaying me in the same way? But instead, you¡¯re sending me overseas. Is it because you still have a soft spot for me?¡±


    Wyatt gave her a cold nce, unmoved. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want to think, go ahead.¡±


    As long as she couldn¡¯te back, he could pretend she didn¡¯t exist.


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± Nora¡¯s tone turned desperate. She chased after him, pleading, ¡°Just help my brother one more time. It¡¯s a small request¨Cjust one word from you. Why can¡¯t you say yes?<b>¡± </b>


    A cheerful voice suddenly cut in. ¡°Because if he helps you, he¡¯s afraid his wife might get mad.¡±


    Nora turned in shock and saw Laurie standing not far away.


    Instantly, her eyes red with bitter hatred.


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 Daghter 647

    Chapter 647 Unspoken Past


    Lauric curled her lip at Nora, mocking her defeat.


    Before Nora could fire back, Wyatt¡¯s men dragged her away.


    s


    As she watched Nora struggle, unwilling to leave, Laurie scoffed, ¡°If Yunice had even half that fire in her, would she have let this pathetic clown act go on?¡±


    From the upper floor, Laurie watched Nora get shoved into a car and driven off down the alleyway. Then she turned to Wyatt and asked, ¡°So you¡¯re really just sending her away? No other punishment?¡±


    She shot Wyatt a look of disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she was right¨Cthat you still feel sorry for her. You even told Yunice you¡¯d spoken to Nora. What? Did you actually catch feelings for her?¡±


    Wyatt asked, ¡°Yunice told you that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Laurie said. ¡°I¡¯m real close with Yunice. Whether the two of you make it or not¡­ might depend on me in the end. You know how she is¨Ctight¨Clipped like her mouth¡¯s been glued shut with industrial adhesive. If you won¡¯t talk and she won¡¯t talk, I¡¯m the one stuck being anxious for you two.¡±


    Wyatt stayed silent for a moment, then gestured for Laurie toe with him to the private room to talk.


    Laurie plopped down in her seat, turned sideways, and poured herself a cup of tea with one hand. ¡°Alright, be straight with me. What exactly was between you and Nora? Were you involved or not? Did you like her or not? Look, I may want you and Yunice together, but you know I hate nothing more than a man who-¡±


    ¡°We were never involved,¡± Wyatt cut in. ¡°And I never had feelings for her.¡±


    ¡°I remember when you firstid eyes on Yunice, your gut reaction was to kick her out of thepany. You hated Nora so much, you projected it onto Yunice. My case was the opposite.¡±


    Laurie frowned sharply. ¡°Wait, so you mean you hated Yunice because she reminded you of Nora? Does that mean you liked Nora?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Wyatt replied. ¡°It¡¯s because they looked alike.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± Laurie said slowly, ¡°people always wondered¨Cwhy did you ept Nora, even though. everyone knew the Powell family nted her on purpose?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t just Laurie who questioned it¨Ceveryone had. Back then, people assumed Wyatt had fallen for her at first sight.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t ept someone like Yunice being treated like a toy.¡±


    Laurie didn¡¯t find this romantic at all. Instead, she mmed the table in anger and stood up. ¡°Wyatt, I <b>was </b>dead wrong about you! You couldn¡¯t stand seeing Nora used and humiliated, but you had no problem letting Yunice be crushed by Paul, locked away in that asylum, tortured¨Cand you never showed up, not even once. You call that love?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze darkened, but he didn¡¯t argue. The cigarette in his hand bent in half, unlit.


    Laurie¡¯s voice shook with rage. ¡°Do you think Yunice doesn¡¯t feel the same way? You know why she won¡¯t


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    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    take a step forward? Because she can¡¯t trust you. She told me herself¨Cthree whole years, a thousand days, locked up in that hell, and not a single person came for her or helped her. She said if someone really loved her, really cared, how could they turn a blind eye? She doesn¡¯t believe you love her. Do you get that?¡±


    ¡°I get it,¡± Wyatt said quietly. ¡°But I can¡¯t go back and rewrite the past.¡±


    If he had known what Yunice had been going through, he would have done whatever it took to get her out.


    But back then, he genuinely thought Yunice was hopelessly in love with Paul. So how could he steal her away? What could he even offer? And if he did manage to take her, where would he hide her?


    That was the lowest point in his life¨Cthe time when the Powell family was crushing him the hardest.


    Look what happened to Nora for siding with him. Wasn¡¯t that painful enough?


    Laurie¡¯s eyes trembled, as if she was suddenly seeing a piece of the puzzle everyone else had missed.


    Power. Timing. Public opinion. Secret feelings. Coincidence.


    Back then, everyone believed Yunice loved Paul with reckless abandon, to the point she didn¡¯t even value her own life.


    People mocked her. She was a target of public scorn. But the people around her tried to silence her instead of listening. Betrayed by her own brother, she didn¡¯t even know who she could cry to.


    And Wyatt? What role did he y?


    He and Paul were at each other¡¯s throats, a battle of deception and traps.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t trust anyone around Paul, and Paul¡¯s people treated Wyatt like a wild beast.


    Yunice had no idea Wyatt had feelings for her. So how could she possibly ask him for help?


    Every time they crossed paths, she turned and ran.


    And every time she ran, Wyatt assumed she hated him too¨Cthat she was loyal to Paul and saw him as an


    enemy.


    People who aren¡¯t loved have no confidence. Wyatt was no different.


    He never stole Yunice away. Never hid her somewhere safe. If he had, maybe she wouldn¡¯t have had to survive all that alone.


    Laurie thought back to that era too¨Cwhen Wellinges Pharma was a rising force in Silverburgh, struggling to survive.


    Powell Corporation was the reigning giant, rallying all the business associations to crush Wyatt together.


    Back then, it wasn¡¯t just aboutpeting for business¨CWyatt was literally fighting to stay alive.


    Nora ended up in aa, and Wyatt came out crippled. If Yunice had been with him then, maybe she would¡¯ve faced something worse than that asylum.


    III

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    Chapter 648 The Price of Silence


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    s


    Laurie hesitated. ¡°I know you took an unconscious Nora abroad for treatment after your leg injury and didn¡¯t return for two or three years. But even if you weren¡¯t in the country, didn¡¯t you ever pay attention to Yunice¡¯s situation? You could¡¯ve at least gotten her out¨Chelped her escape.¡±


    Wyatt closed his eyes, his voice hoarse. ¡°I was afraid someone would trace <b>it </b>back to me, but¡­ something went wrong.


    The people I sent told me Yunice and Paul were doing great together, that they had gone to the same university and were practically glued to each other, living a happy life.


    After that, I never asked again. Until I saw Yunice again, I didn¡¯t know Elsie had taken her identity. All the newsing from abroad was actually about Elsie.


    I guess<b>¡­ </b>I was angry too. When I heard she and Paul were doing well, I gave up on the idea of ever being with her. I forced myself to treat her like a stranger. I stopped caring about her life.


    When I came back to Silverburgh, I ran into Yunice again in the ck market.


    The lighting was dim. I was being hunted, desperate to escape. She ran into me.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t recognize her at first. She was so thin. Her eyes were filled with fear. But she helped me


    escape.


    Even then, I stayed on guard. I thought she might be like Nora¨Csomeone Paul sent to manipte me. She had been utterly devoted to Paul. If he asked her to do it, she¡¯d do it.


    So even after seeing her a few more times, I still couldn¡¯t let her in.


    She orchestrated encounters with me, showed me what she could do. I knew she wanted to get close, but I gave her no chance.


    I craved her closeness, but I also feared the day she might pull a knife¨Cwondering whether I should push her away or pretend not to see.


    When Paul tried to take her away in front of me, she cried and begged me to save her. The moment I opened my mouth, I knew¨CI was already falling.


    So I stopped pretending. I had to have her. If she ever dared stab me, I¡¯d lock her up in my house forever.


    No matter what, she was mine.


    Even when she broke off her engagement with Paul, I thought it was just another act. But I used the opportunity to arrange a marriage between us¨Cforced her to marry me.


    That was the best decision I¡¯ve ever made.


    I didn¡¯t truly trust her until the night we first slept together. When she gave herself to me, I fell apart.


    Yunice had never been with Paul. All of it was lies. Every drop of cruelty had been dumped on Yunice¡¯s shoulders.


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    Chapter 648 The Price of Silence


    In that moment, all the pieces finally connected. I realized just how horribly wrong I¡¯d been.


    <b>49</b><b>% </b>


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    After I beat the hell out of Paul, I finally found out that Elsie had been living Yunice¡¯s life during those three years¡­¡±


    Laurie let out a soft sigh. ¡°What¡¯s lost is lost. No one can go back and fix the past.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t really anyone¡¯s fault. Before Yunice broke off her engagement, Wyatt was just an unwanted illegitimate son with no power or influence. He was bullied constantly, <i>too </i>self¨Cconscious to ever show his feelings for her.


    Yunice was quiet and solitary. She had no idea what Wyatt felt for her, and because of that, she missed every chance to ask for help.


    If either one of them had spoken up before things spiralled, maybe Yunice wouldn¡¯t have ended up in an asylum.


    Sure enough, the situation back then had been impossibly difficult¨Cfor both of them.


    But Laurie suddenly mmed her hand on the table. ¡°Everything you said, I can understand. But why did you take Nora abroad for treatment? You let the Powell family manipte you over and over. Do you have any idea how it looked? Everyone thought you were madly in love with Nora¨Ceven I believed it. How could Yunice not believe it?¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Do you know why Paul sent Nora to me?¡±


    Laurie froze. That¡¯s right. Why would Paul send someone who looked like his fianc¨¦e to his enemy?


    No matter how she thought about it, it was twisted.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Because he figured it out. He knew¨Clong before anyone else¡ªthat I had feelings for Yunice. So he deliberately sent Nora to test me. You all think seeing someone who looks simr would make me fall for her too. But no¨Cit didn¡¯t work like that. When it¡¯s someone you desperately want and can¡¯t have, seeing an imposter only makes you furious.¡±


    Laurie couldn¡¯t help but think of that scene in Hamlet¨Cthe one with the replica of the dead queen.


    Her brows furrowed as she tried to get inside Paul¡¯s head.


    Wyatt continued, ¡°I¡¯ve known Paul long enough to understand how he thinks. If I had ignored Nora, maybe he would¡¯ve stopped suspecting me.


    But I didn¡¯t. I took her in. Because Paul¡¯s true motive was possessiveness over Yunice, he just wanted to


    humiliate me.


    An illegitimate bastard daring to covet the crown prince¡¯s fianc¨¦e but too afraid to say anything¨Cwasn¡¯t that satisfying enough for him?¡±

 Daghter 649

    V


    Chapter 649 Beneath the Surface


    There <b>was </b>a flicker of bitterness in Wyatt¡¯s eyes<b>. </b>


    s


    ¡°So I epted Nora to satisfy Paul¡¯s twisted sense of control. I thought that if he felt secure enough, he¡¯d treat Yunice better. Because if he didn¡¯t, there was <b>a </b>chance she might leave him<b>¨C</b>and that would¡¯ve been a win for me. The more I appeared to covet Yunice, the more he clung to her.¡±


    Laurie sighed. ¡°You thought Yunice loved Paul so much she¡¯d give up her life for him. So even knowing what kind of scum he was, you still helped bring them closer.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s cigarette had already been reduced to bits of torn tobo between his fingers. He continued, ¡°Whenever we ran into each other, Paul would deliberately flirt with Yunice right in front of me. It only confirmed my suspicion that Nora was nted to test me.


    When Nora started spreading rumors that she was my girlfriend, I knew about it. I just didn¡¯t rify anything.


    Nora yed both sides. Eventually, even Paul couldn¡¯t tell who I truly liked¨CYunice or her.


    I knew Nora was building up to something. Paul had leverage on her, so she had no choice but to help him sabotage me.


    So the day you exposed her and caused that scene, I yed along, denied everything, and fired her.


    Behind the scenes, I arranged for her to disappear¨Cmy way ofpensating her for being used.


    But she was too ambitious. She wouldn¡¯t let go. Her persistence ultimately led to the steel mill ident.


    And that just happened to be the moment the Powell family was trying hardest to crush me. I had to show weakness to get them to ease up, so I kept pretending to be deeply in love with Nora.


    Later, they used her as leverage, threatening her life to force me into bing their pawn.


    But I used that to my advantage. I let them lower their guard and quietly built up my power right under their noses. Yunice came back into my life just as I was getting ready to strike back.


    So once I was sure I could marry Yunice, I revealed my hand and cut ties with the Powell family.


    They couldn¡¯t control me anymore. All they could do was send Nora back, begging for crumbs.


    It felt like¡­ the moment Yunice got close to me, everything started falling into ce.¡±


    Laurie looked at the spark in his eyes and sighed. These businessmen¨Calways living in shadows. Their lives were an endless game of lies and half¨Ctruths. The deeper their tricks, the deeper their masks.


    They fooled the world¨Cand in the end, even themselves.


    She¡¯d chased every lead, only to find that the one who started the rumors¡­ was Wyatt.


    Laurie rolled her eyes. ¡°All of this? You should¡¯ve told Yunice a long time ago. What¡¯s the point of telling


    me?¡±


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    Chapter 649 Beneath the Surface


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    Wyatt said, ¡°I never had the chance. Even though we¡¯ve been married for a while now, Yunice¡¯s heart¡¯s never been with me. She doesn¡¯t care whether I love her or not.¡±


    Lauric couldn¡¯t help but scoll. ¡°You¡¯ve already learned the hard way once¨Ckeeping your mouth shut just hurts you more. If you never say it, how¡¯s she supposed to change how she sees you? How¡¯s she supposed to feel anything for you?¡±


    But before she finished, Wyatt gave her a knowing look. ¡°You think I sat here talking <i>to </i>you all this time for no reason?¡±


    He let out a faintugh. ¡°That thing in your hair¨Cyou really think it looks like a hairpin?¡±


    He¡¯d noticed. She was wearing a recording device.


    She¡¯d recorded everything he just said.


    Wyatt had known the whole time. That¡¯s why he let it all spill.


    Laurie shut off the recorder, ring at him. ¡°So you were using me to clear your name?¡±


    Wyatt said calmly, ¡°She prefers talking to you. She¡¯s more likely to believe what you say.¡±


    Coming from him, even the truth would sound like an excuse. But through Laurie, it might actually reach Yunice¡¯s heart.


    Laurie pointed at him, expression unreadable. Then, her face changed, and she held out her hand. ¡°Pay up. I don¡¯t work for free.¡±


    Wyatt, unfazed, pulled out a chequebook. The moment he wrote down a number, Laurie snatched the check away.


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°One more. That girl¡¯s my apprentice. Selling her out like this goes against my conscience. Gotta charge extra.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re getting greedy,¡± Wyatt muttered, but he wrote out another check anyway.


    Laurie¨Clooked at the number and smiled with satisfaction. ¡°My daughter¡¯s starting school. Tuition, tutoring, extracurricrs¨Cit all costs money.¡±


    She flicked the edge of the check, smiling at the crisp sound it made. ¡°Whatever other kids have, my daughter deserves too.¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°Bring Sandy to Pavilion Hall sometime. Yunice wouldn¡¯t mind¨Cshe¡¯s not a stranger.¡±


    Laurie replied with a distracted hum and walked out of the restaurant, leaving Wyatt unsure if she¡¯d really


    taken his words to heart.


    He sat there, fingers tapping lightly on the table. His thoughts lingered on that bright look in Laurie¡¯s eyes when she talked about her daughter.


    Like Sandy was her anchor, her reason for everything.


    If he and Yunice had a daughter someday¡­


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    Chapter 650 The Face That Wasn¡¯t Hers


    Chapter 650 The Face That Wasn¡¯t Hers


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    Having a child was easy. If Wyatt wanted, there were countless ways¨Ccountless methods¨Che could have <b>a </b>child with Yunice without her ever knowing.


    There was a time when he had thought that way, back when he forced her to stay by his side. He had been that crazy.


    But now¡­ he didn¡¯t dare.


    Yunice was far more independent and resolute than he had imagined. He knew that if he acted recklessly, even the shared blood of a child wouldn¡¯t keep her with him¨Cshe¡¯d walk away without hesitation.


    Once doubt took root, fear followed. He had be cautious, unable to take risks<b>, </b>terrified of the consequences<b>. </b>


    Yunice¡¯s defenses were like a fortress of steel¨Cbulletproof, and every shot aimed right back at the heart.


    So all he could do was take it slow. Wait for her to open the door herself.


    Back at the school, Laurie had tried calling Yunice, but there was no answer.


    The dorm room was empty.


    Holding the recorder, she muttered, ¡°Where¡¯d she go?¡±


    In the end, she asked one of Yunice¡¯s dormmates to ce the recorder by Yunice¡¯s bed.


    Laurie had her own opinions about what Yunice should do, but she knew Yunice was her own person. She had no right to influence her decision.


    Now that everything Wyatt had to say was recorded, Yunice would have to decide for herself whether she wanted to move forward with him or not.


    Watching Jennie disappear into the dorm building, Laurie snapped her fingers and said leisurely, ¡°Love- struck fools always pay well. Just pass the goods along and the cash rolls in.¡±


    She smirked and reached into the pocket of herb coat¨Conly to realize it was empty. Right. She was still at school.


    Annoyed, she muttered, ¡°When is this damn fieldwork gonna be over? I miss myb¡­¡±


    Laurie sat inside a shaky cargo truck


    The interior was pitch dark. Her hands were bound, hidden among crates and packages.


    Wyatt wanted to send her abroad, and there was no way he was going to let her cross the border through normal channels.


    One: to keep domestic forces from finding her. Two: to make sure she couldn¡¯t sneak back.


    So no official transport. No trace. No evidence.


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    The truck stopped at a dock. When the rear doors opened, a harsh beam of light pierced the darkness<b>, </b><b>and </b>Nora squinted in the re.


    A bald man jumped down and shifted some boxes to form a narrow path.


    Only then did Nora get a clear look at where they were: an illegal dock. Any ship that docked here had to be a private vessel.


    The bald man walked up to her, gripping a knife in reverse.


    Nora¡¯s face twitched with apprehension, but she forced a cold, mocking smile. ¡°Wyatt said he was letting me go. Are you trying to cover it up with murder?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Who sent you? Yunice?¡±


    The man looked at her like she was insane. ¡°Watch your mouth. I work for Wyatt. No one gives us orders except him.¡±


    Disappointment shed clearly in Nora¡¯s eyes. ¡°So it¡¯s Wyatt who wants me dead.¡±


    The light in her eyes flickered again and again before she tilted her head back slightly and closed her eyes -like she was finally epting her fate.


    The man grabbed her hair from behind, and a sharp chill ran across the back of her neck. A slicing sound split the air.


    Nora¡¯s heart stopped cold. Her entire body broke out in sweat, and her eyes flew


    No matter how tough she acted, the terror of death had pierced herpletely.


    open.


    After a few seconds of dread, she realized something¨Cthere was no pain. No blood. No warmth soaking her skin.


    Her stiff neck turned slowly toward the man.


    He was holding a long lock of her hair.


    Her waist¨Clength ck hair had been chopped clean¨Ccut to just beneath her chin.


    Nora stared at him in confusion.


    There was no trace of murder in his face, just a t expression. ¡°Wyatt said, back then you did wrong because you were forced. For the part you yed, he¡¯ll leave things at even.¡±


    ¡°Once you¡¯re out of the country, Paul¡¯s leverage over you won¡¯t matter anymore.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt also said, whatever you¡¯re feeling, don¡¯t me Miss Yunice. None of this had anything to do with


    her.¡±


    ¡°Today I cut your hair¡­ <b>so </b>you can go back to being your real self. Stop living in Yunice¡¯s shadow.¡±


    He ced the severed hair beside her.


    Nora stared nkly at th¨¦ strands she had spent years growing.


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    Chapter 650 The Face That Wasn¡¯t Hers


    Your real <i>self</i>?


    That one phrase yanked her back to the past.


    She hadn¡¯t always looked like Yunice.


    <b>49</b><b>% </b>


    s


    Her hair used to be cut short at the shoulders. She wore all ck. She walked fast, with urgency. She built herself up as a sharp, confident, capable woman.


    The Johnson family had sent her overseas for years of training. When she came back, she imagined herself shining within the family business¨Crealizing her own worth.


    But reality hit her like a brick to the face. Before she could even show an ounce of talent, her own family served her up like meat¨Cto Paul.


    She thought her mind, her abilities, her hard work would prove her value¨Cbring prosperity to the Johnson family.


    But the truth was, she was just flesh.


    No one cared what she could do. As long as she was a woman, she could be sold for a price. That was her family¡¯s idea of profit.


    And this whole nightmare began¡­ because she looked like Yunice.

 Daghter 651

    Chapter 651 A Shadow Sent Away


    When Paul first sent Nora to Wyatt, he had scoffed that she wasn¡¯t ¡°the right vor.¡±


    45 Free Coins


    He treated her like a disposable ything, demanding she grow out her sharp, short hair into something more demure, more ¡°feminine.¡±


    He told her to soften her voice, to speak without emotion¨Canything too strong would ¡°ruin the aesthetic.¡±


    Even the way she walked had to be retrained.


    If she fell even slightly short of his standards, Paul would punish her the way he saw fit.


    Back then, her lower back and hips were never free of bruises¨Ceach welt a mark left by Paul¡¯s discipline stick.


    Later, when she saw Yunice standing beside Paul at the Powell estate, and noticed that all of Paul¡¯s so- called ¡°standards¡± were already naturally present in Yunice, the truth struck her hard:


    He wasn¡¯t shaping a woman¨Che was crafting a recement.


    But he already had the original, so why create her?


    It wasn¡¯t until Paul ordered her to seduce Wyatt, revealing that Wyatt¡¯s feelings were also for Yunice, that Nora truly understood.


    1


    So this was the high society they all lived in¨Crotten to the core. The uncle liked his nephew¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and the nephew, instead of minding, gifted the uncle a counterfeit.


    Nora had nothing but disdain for their world. After everything she¡¯d been through, all that was left was a hunger for destruction.


    Her ambitions, her promising future¨Cout of reach now.


    So she turned into a liar, a maniptor, a destroyer of peace.


    Why should she be the only one whose life was ruined? If she was going down, everyone else could go with her.


    She¡¯d lived under Yunice¡¯s image for so long, yed the viin in her name¨Cand Wyatt thought a single haircut could return her to who she used to be?


    Ridiculous.


    A boiled egg could never be raw again.


    The bald man stared at her mocking expression, clearly annoyed, and tossed her a bag. ¡°This is your new identity for overseas. There¡¯s enough cash tost you. Once you¡¯re there<b>, </b>someone will cover your expenses for three months. You¡¯ve got three months to find a job and live like a normal, independent person.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt said he¡¯s ming Paul for Mr. Fiona¡¯s death. He¡¯s giving you a chance¨Ca way out.


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    Chapter 651 A Shadow Sent Away


    Chapter 651 A Shadow Sent Away


    When Paul first sent Nora to Wyatt, he had scoffed that she wasn¡¯t ¡°the right vor.¡±


    s


    <b>He </b>treated her like a disposable ything, demanding she grow out her sharp, short hair into something more demure, more ¡°feminine.¡±


    He told her to soften her voice, to speak without emotion¨Canything too strong would ¡°ruin the aesthetic.¡±


    Even the way she walked had to be retrained.


    If she fell even slightly short of his standards, Paul would punish her the way he saw fit.


    Back then, her lower back and hips were never free of bruises¨Ceach welt a mark left by Paul¡¯s discipline stick.


    Later, when she saw Yunice standing beside Paul at the Powell estate, and noticed that all of Paul¡¯s so- called ¡°standards¡± were already naturally present in Yunice, the truth struck her hard:


    He wasn¡¯t shaping a woman¨Che was crafting a recement.


    But he already had the original, so why create her?


    It wasn¡¯t until Paul ordered her to seduce Wyatt, revealing that Wyatt¡¯s feelings were also for Yunice, that Nora truly understood. 1


    So this was the high society they all lived in¨Crotten to the core. The uncle liked his nephew¡¯s fianc¨¦e, and the nephew, instead of minding, gifted the uncle a counterfeit.


    Nora had nothing but disdain for their world. After everything she¡¯d been through, all that was left was a hunger for destruction.


    Her ambitions, her promising future¨Cout of reach now.


    So she turned into a liar, a maniptor, a destroyer of peace.


    Why should she be the only one whose life was ruined? If she was going down, everyone else could go with her.


    She¡¯d lived under Yunice¡¯s image for so long, yed the viin in her name¨Cand Wyatt thought a single haircut could return her to who she used to be?


    Ridiculous.


    A boiled egg could never be raw again.


    The bald man stared at her mocking expression, clearly annoyed, and tossed her a bag. ¡°This is your new identity for overseas. There¡¯s enough cash tost you. Once you¡¯re there, someone will cover your expenses for three months. You¡¯ve got three months to find a job and live like a normal, independent person.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt said he¡¯s ming Paul for Mr. Fiona¡¯s death. He¡¯s giving you a chance<b>¨C</b>a way out.


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    Chapter 651 A Shadow Sent Away


    s


    Stay out of trouble and you¡¯ll be fine. But if you try anything stupid, we don¡¯t need Wyatt¡¯s permission to deal with you ourselves.<b>¡± </b>


    At those words, the hatred in Nora¡¯s eyes faltered for the first time.


    He <b>was </b>really going that far?


    Sheshed out, ¡°All I did was y a little trick on Yunice! I didn¡¯t actually do anything. Why is he being so ruthless? I didn¡¯tmit some capital crime!¡±


    ¡°Ms. Nora,¡± the bald man cut her off coldly, voice rising, eyes sharp, ¡°you really think everyone in the world is an idiot? That they¡¯d all fall for your little games?


    Ten days ago you were in a wheelchair. Then you needed a cane. And now you¡¯re walking just fine?


    Wyatt knows. You¡¯ve been faking thea for years. You¡¯ve got patience, I¡¯ll give you that¨C<b>we </b>all admire it.¡±


    Nora fell silent.


    She was furious. If it weren¡¯t for Yunice¡¯s phone security system catching her face¡­


    She wouldn¡¯t have been exposed. Wyatt wouldn¡¯t be doing this to her now!


    ¡°Ms. Nora, enough stalling. Get on the ship.¡± The man stepped aside. His eyes were cold, dead¨Clike saying: go ahead and resist, and I¡¯ll drop you with one blow.


    Nora gave up. He was clearly trained, and she¨Cshe was just a fragile woman.


    She picked up the belongings Wyatt had prepared for her, her face pale and lifeless, and jumped down. from the truck bed.


    -She stared at the dpidated cargo ship waiting¡¯at the dock.


    The ce reeked of fish and shrimp¨Cit stank like rot.


    Nora sneered. ¡°This boat better not sink halfway.¡±


    The man picked up on her sarcasm and snorted. ¡°If we wanted you dead, Wyatt wouldn¡¯t have to go to all this trouble. Stop ttering yourself.¡±


    ¡°Enough talk. Get on board!¡± He had been patient at first, but now she was wearing him thin.


    That wounded, betrayed look she wore¨Chad she forgotten she was nted by the Powell family to begin


    with?


    Nora¡¯s hands were still tied behind her back. She was shoved onto the cargo ship.


    It left the dock immediately, her reluctant silhouette growing smaller on the open sea.


    Until one of the crew dragged her back into the hold.


    The bald man finally let out a breath once he confirmed the ship had gone.


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    49%%


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    Chapter 651 A Shadow Sent Away


    He turned to head back, rxing his body¨Cand let out a yelp, jumping back in shock.


    A few secondster, heart pounding, he stared at the person who had silently appeared behind him. Embarrassed, he looked around.


    ¡°M¨CMiss¡­ How¡­ how did you get here?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a single car in sight.


    And why would she be in such a remote ce?


    Should he contact Wyatt immediately?


    Yunice¡¯s eyes shifted away


    from the disappearing boat and settled on him. ¡°I came in your trunk.¡±


    III

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    Chapter 652 A Way Back


    Chapter 652 A Way Back


    <b>49</b><b>% </b>


    s


    The bald man nearly choked¡ªso Yunice had been hiding in his trunk all the way from the University City


    restaurant?


    That meant¡­ she¡¯d heard everything about Nora.


    His face flushed a deep, liver¨Ccolored red. Doom wasing¨Che could feel it.


    Wyatt was going to curse him for being a brainless idiot again for sure.


    Yunice turned to walk away, her voice drifting back through the wind. ¡°No need to tell Wyatt I was here.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She opened the car door casually. ¡°Oh, right. I forgot¨Cyou only take orders from Wyatt. You don¡¯t have to listen to me.¡±


    Panicked, the bald man scratched his head and hurried into the driver¡¯s seat to serve as her chauffeur.


    They always said never work for husband¨Cand¨Cwife teams¨Cwho the hell were you supposed to listen to?


    The car jolted and bumped along the road, the silence thick with awkwardness.


    He was a man of brute strength, not words. A fighter, not a talker.


    Out of the corner of his eye, he kept sneaking nces at Yunice¡¯s face, afraid she¡¯d misunderstand¨Cthat she¡¯d think Wyatt spared Nora out of affection.


    After a long internal struggle, he finally muttered, ¡°Madam¡­ sending Nora away wasn¡¯t about being soft. It¡¯s just¡­ Wyatt said he wants to walk the right path now. He¡¯s not doing those old things anymore¡­¡±


    <i>Ugh</i>. <i>That </i><i>came </i><i>out </i><i>all </i><i>wrong</i><i>. </i>


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. ¡°Walk the right path?¡±


    Seeing she didn¡¯tsh out, the man straightened up and let his words flow. ¡°Back in the day, folks in Silverburgh said Wyatt was ruthless. But what choice did he have? When someone¡¯s got a knife to your neck, what¡¯re you supposed to do? Lie down and die?¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s different now. The Powell family¡¯s done. The old man¡¯s hanging on by a thread. Wyatt¡¯s status in Silverburgh is untouchable. He doesn¡¯t need to follow the old ways anymore.¡±


    ¡°And of course, it¡¯s also because of you. Wyatt says bloodshed isn¡¯t good for girls to see too much of. He¡¯s afraid all the bad karma might conie back on you one day, so he¡¯s told his people to start straightening out. To change.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt also said, if he ever has a/daughter, he wants people to say, ¡®Wow, lucky girl to have such a good dad, not throw eggs and curse her for having a scumbag father.¡±


    Yunice was stunned for a second, then burst intoughter. She turned her head slightly, voice teasing. ¡°And who told him he¡¯s even going to have a daughter?¡±


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    Chapter 652 A Way Back


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    The bald man couldn¡¯t stand people dissing Wyatt. Without thinking, he blurted, ¡°Wyatt¡¯s strong as <b>hell</b><b>! </b>He could pop out ten if <b>he </b>wanted! Of course he could-¡±


    Mid¨Csentence, he snapped his mouth shut, shooting a nervous nce at Yunice¡¯s expression.


    Wyatt might be a baby¨Cmaking machine, sure¨Cbut Yunice¡­ didn¡¯t exactly look like the type to settle down and have kids.


    Maybe Wyatt really wasn¡¯t getting a daughter.


    Picturing how Wyatt lit up whenever he talked about having a little girl, the bald man got nervous. ¡°What man doesn¡¯t want a daughter? Madam, you¡¯re a doctor¨Cwhy don¡¯t you take some supplements or something? So when the timees, you¡¯ll give Wyatt a daughter.¡±


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°I don¡¯t take supplements, and I¡¯m not having kids. Besides, it¡¯s the man who determines the child¡¯s sex, not the woman.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°But you¡¯re the one giving birth. So obviously it¡¯s up to you.¡±


    Yunice deadpanned, ¡°Are you the doctor, or am I?¡±


    He forced a grin. ¡°Of course, you are, ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor. I can tell just by looking whether a man¡¯s going to have sons or daughters.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°What? You can see that?¡± The bald man gasped. ¡°You¡¯re not a doctor¨Cyou¡¯re a sorcerer!¡±


    ¡°Okay then, tell me¨Chow many daughters will I have?¡±


    Yunice waved a hand. ¡°You¡¯ll have three sons. No daughter in your future.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± he screeched, like someone had told him the world was ending.


    Yunice sat back, deeply satisfied with how thoroughly she¡¯d annoyed him¨Cand didn¡¯t say another word.


    Elsewhere, the cargo ship Nora had boarded continued drifting across the open sea.


    The moment the guards left, she slipped the ropes off her wrists with practiced ease.


    Her eyes burned with obsession. What¡¯s <i>so </i><i>great </i><i>about </i><i>going </i><i>abroad</i>? <i>Why </i><i>should </i><i>I </i><i>run</i><i>? </i>I want to win. <i>I </i><i>want </i><i>everything </i><i>back</i><i>. </i><i>I </i><i>want </i><i>everyone </i>who <i>humiliated </i><i>me </i><i>to </i><i>pay</i><i>. </i>


    She rose silently. While the guard was still away, she slung the bag Wyatt had given her around her neck and climbed the cargo shelves toward a venttion hatch.


    In one swift motion, she squeezed through the narrow, dark opening¨Cand vanished.


    Ssh!


    A loud thud rang out as she hit the water. But on a vast ocean, that kind of sound didn¡¯t attract much


    attention.


    No one noticed she had escaped.


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    <b>2/3 </b>


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    Chapter 652 A Way Back


    Nora swam furiously, putting as much distance between herself and the ship <b>as </b>she could.


    s


    The cargo vessel had already gone too far from the dock. At this distance, the ocean could devour <b>her- </b>drag her down, leave her dead from exhaustion or drowned in the deep.


    But she had no other choice.


    Back in the car, the bald man was still driving, the bumps rocking the vehicle in a steady, rhythm. Yunice felt a little drowsy.


    She rubbed her eyes and nced at her phone.


    No one could tell what page she had opened, but there it was: a high¨Cprecision map.


    And on it, a single red dot was slowly moving.


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 Daghter 653

    Chapter 653 The Ones Who Pretend, The Ones Who Know


    Yunice murmured, ¡°She¡¯s moving in the opposite direction?<b>¡± </b>


    She hadn¡¯t hidden in that trunk just to watch Nora be sent away.


    Yunice had long suspected that Nora had been faking her condition these past few years. 1


    *5 Free Coins


    What kind of healthy person could lie still on a hospital bed for three or four years straight¨Cunmoving, constantly cared for, with her privacy trampled on?


    That kind of endurance, that kind of tenacity<b>¨C</b>someone like that wouldn¡¯t crumble easily under pressure.


    So, to test Nora¡¯s choices and clear any future threats, Yunice had slipped a tracker into the bag Wyatt had prepared for Nora while riding in the trunk.


    The bag contained Nora¡¯s documents. There was no way she¡¯d throw it away.


    Sure enough, not even thirty minutes had passed before the red dot began to drift¡­ backward.


    Yunice frowned. <i>Should </i><i>I </i><i>tell </i><i>Wyatt</i><i>? </i>


    Elsewhere, Jordan stepped out of apany meeting and made an urgent call to Wyatt.


    ¡°Wyatt, just as you predicted¨CNora didn¡¯t stay put. She¡¯s already reconnected with Paul. He picked her up at sea and is secretly bringing her back to Silverburgh.¡±


    Wyatt sneered. ¡°Fool.¡±


    Jordan agreed. ¡°You can¡¯t bargain with a beast. Nora¡¯s lost it. She used to be a victim¨Cnow she¡¯s siding with her abuser, bing just like him. It¡¯s sick.¡±


    Wyatt said coldly, ¡°Keep eyes on her. I don¡¯t care who she wants revenge on¨Cbut the moment she threatens Yunice, deal with her. Immediately.¡±¡±


    Jordan replied, ¡°Understood.¡±


    After hanging up, Wyatt¡¯s unease deepened. He called Laurie next.


    ¡°It¡¯s been four hours. Why haven¡¯t I heard anything from Yunice?¡±


    Had Laurie even yed the damn recording?


    Laurie, slurping spaghetti with her phone squeezed between her neck and shoulder, mumbled, ¡°The recording? Oh, I asked her dormmate to drop it off. If she hasn¡¯t responded, she probably hasn¡¯t seen it yet.¡±


    Wyatt gritted his teeth. ¡°You said you¡¯d talk to her yourself. That was your idea of ¡®personally¡®?!¡±


    Laurie repliedzily, ¡°I <i>meant </i>to, but she wasn¡¯t around. Yunice¡¯s not a cat you can just scoop up anytime. She¡¯s got her own life. She¡¯s not at anyone¡¯s beck and call.


    |||


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    Chapter 653 The Ones Who Pretend, The Ones Who Know


    And if you¡¯re so desperate, why don¡¯t you call her yourself? Why yell at me?


    Oh- wait¨Ccould it be the mighty devil of Silverburgh is¡­ too scared?¡±


    She cackled.


    Wyatt barked back, ¡°Stuff your face, why don¡¯t you! Surprised you haven¡¯t choked to death!¡±


    And hung up.


    Still chewing, Laurie scoffed. ¡°Ugh. Talk to me like that? Fine. Your problem now.¡±


    s


    She smirked and dialed Yunice¡¯s number. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you like this. I¡¯ll jam her line. Let¡¯s see how many missed calls you rack up while I¡¯m keeping her busy.¡±


    After just three rings, Yunice picked up.


    Laurie grinned to herself. <i>Too </i><i>slow</i>, <i>Wyatt</i>. <i>You </i><i>snooze</i><i>, </i><i>you </i><i>lose</i><i>. </i>


    ¡°Laurie? What¡¯s up?¡±


    Still twirling her pasta, Laurie replied through a mouthful of meat sauce, ¡°Something big. Real big.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice immediately turned serious. ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Laurie took another bite and said nonchntly, ¡°I went to see Wyatt today.¡±


    Yunice already knew that. She¡¯d followed Laurie and discovered Wyatt had sent Nora away.


    Laurie continued, ¡°We had a deep chat. I even asked why he let Nora go¡­ Oh, and by the way, he said he¡¯s been in love with you since he hit puberty at twelve. Total creep.¡±


    -The lead¨Cin was too long and the twist too sudden. Yunice took several seconds to process what she¡¯d just


    heard.


    Then she blurted, ¡°Laurie!¡±


    Laurie chuckled wickedly. ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. If you don¡¯t believe me, go listen to the recording. Your dormmate left it for you¨Cinside the stuffed toy by your bed. Oh, and Wyatt cursed me out just now, so don¡¯t you dare answer his calls for the next three tries. If you do, I¡¯m failing yourb report.¡±


    Yunice sat stunned as Laurie hung up with a quick, ¡°I¡¯m done talking.¡±


    Just then, the bald man pulled the car to a stop. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we¡¯re at the med school.¡±


    1


    He scratched his head sheepishly. I won¡¯t walk you in. Don¡¯t wanna scare your ssmates with my face, haha.¡±


    Yunice got out alone, still mulling over the recording Laurie mentioned.


    What <i>would </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>say </i><i>on </i><i>it</i><i>? </i>


    For once, she skipped ss entirely and headed straight back to the dorm.


    ??


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    Chapter 653 The Ones Who Pretend, The Ones Who Know


    +5 Free <b>Coins</b><b>. </b>


    ¡°Yunice? Don¡¯t you have ss today?¡± Jennie was in front of the mirror, touching up her makeup. She had no sses and was heading out for a date.


    Yunice fibbed, saying she wasn¡¯t feeling well, then climbed onto her bed and casually asked, ¡°Hey, did anyone ask you to drop something off for me?¡±


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    Chapter 654 The Fourth Call

 Daghter 654

    Chapter 654 The Fourth Call


    s


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Jennie said after a beat, remembering. ¡°A really pretty older sister dropped off a stuffed toy for you. I put it in the back of your bed.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Yunice replied.


    Jennie kept brushing her mascara. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me¡­ geez.¡±


    Then she nced over, teasing, ¡°Seriously though, Yunice, what¡¯s up with your family¡¯s genes? Every older sister around you is drop¨Cdead gorgeous. Your bloodline must¡¯ve been kissed by the gods or something.¡±


    She waited for a response, but none came.


    Frowning, Jennie turned and saw Yunice sitting stiffly on her bed, holding the stuffed toy with a grim expression.


    She didn¡¯t look happy at all.


    Knowing Yunice had firm boundaries, Jennie wisely kept her mouth shut. When she finished her makeup, she walked over to Yunice¡¯s bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading out for my date now. If you need anything, call me or Lena.¡±


    Yunice nodded, grateful for the kindness.


    After the door clicked shut, Yunice pulled her bed curtains closed, unzipped the hidden pocket on the back of the toy, and took out the recorder Laurie had hidden.


    She put on her headphones.


    No hesitation.


    She pressed y.


    Thirty minutester.


    The headphones were still on. The recorder was still in her hand.


    Her phone, resting on her leg, suddenly buzzed. The name ¡°Cooper¡± scrolled across the screen.


    Yunice stared at it until the vibration stopped.


    A pause<b>. </b>


    Then Wyatt called again.


    She didn¡¯t answer.


    Third call.


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    Chapter 654 The Fourth Call


    <b>*</b>5 Free Coins


    Still no answer.


    Fourth-


    This time, she picked up.


    The moment the line connected, Wyatt¡¯s impatient voice burst out, ¡°Yunice?!¡±


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± she asked calmly.


    He let out a heavy exhale. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t picked up this one, I was about to call your school andunch a full¨Cscale search.¡±


    Yunice ignored his dramatics. ¡°So? What¡¯s the emergency?¡±


    ¡°¡­Can¡¯t I call you even if there isn¡¯t one?¡±


    ¡°So do you have something to say, or not?¡±


    Wyatt hesitated, then cautiously asked, ¡°Did Laurie talk to you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­No?¡±


    Wyatt hissed under his breath. ¡°That damn Laurie, cking again¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yunice caught part of it.


    He quickly shifted. ¡°Nothing. I got a call from the pottery studio. Our pieces are done. If you¡¯re free, want to go pick them up?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re near the school?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll meet you at the gate,¡± Yunice said, climbing down from her bed.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice tightened. ¡°I checked your ss schedule. Don¡¯t you have a ss right now?¡±


    ¡°I skipped it.¡±


    With her small bag on her shoulder, Yunice jogged out through the campus gate.


    It wasn¡¯t a usual dismissal time, so there weren¡¯t many people around.


    She spotted the ultra¨Clow¨Cprofile BYD right away and ran toward it. Just as she did, the passenger¨Cside door opened.


    Wyatt had put on a mask, but his tall frame still drew attention. A man like him stood out no matter where


    he went.


    Before she even reached him, he had already opened the passenger door.


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    Chapter 654 The Fourth Call


    Yunice ducked slightly, nced <i>at </i>his hand resting on <i>the </i>car door, and climbed inside.


    45 Free Coms


    Her motion was quick and fluid, her hair brushing past Wyatt¡¯s face in a faint, fleeting are as she passed.


    He instinctively leaned forward¨Cher scent still lingered in the air.


    He walked around to the driver¡¯s side, slid into his seat, and started the car.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in ss?¡± he asked, ncing at her.


    It wasn¡¯t like her to skip.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t feel well,¡± she murmured, fastening her seatbelt.


    His eyes scanned her immediately. ¡°Cramps?¡±


    She leaned back against the seat and nodded weakly.


    His frown deepened. Turning the wheel abruptly, he said, ¡°Forget <i>the </i>pottery studio. I¡¯m taking you back to the hotel.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not that bad,¡± she said quietly.


    ¡°Not that bad¡® doesn¡¯t mean ¡®good.¡±


    They went back to that same hotel. Wyatt even called the manager over and gave a few quiet instructions.


    While he was distracted, Yunice leaned over to the front desk clerk and asked in a whisper, ¡°Can you check if this room is booked for the month?¡±


    ¡°Yes, miss. It¡¯s currently booked as a monthly rental¡±


    Before she could ask more, Wyatt returned and took her hand, leading her toward the elevator.


    He tried to carry her, but she refused. ¡°Only if no one¡¯s watching.¡±


    Fine. Keep the distance.


    He swiped the card and they entered the room.


    As Yunice moved toward the bed, Wyatt followed behind. Just as her knees touched the mattress, he bent down and slipped off her shoes¨Cone foot, then the other¨Cclean and swift, before she could say a word.

 Daghter 655

    <b>Chapter </b>655 <b>What </b>the <b>Ginger </b>Tea Couldn¡¯t <b>Heal </b>


    Chapter 655 What the Ginger Tea Couldn¡¯t Heal


    Wyatt ced Yunice¡¯s shoes neatly on the carpet, then gently pulled the nket over her.


    A few minutester, there was a knock at the door<i>¨C</i>hotel staff.


    He opened it and returned with a bag full of daily necessities.


    Yunicey on her side, watching him move about the suite. ¡°Are you making something?¡±


    Wyatt pulled over a small stool and set a cutting board on top of it¨Cjust high enough so Yunice could <b>see </b>everything from the bed.


    And so he could keep her in view.


    He began slicing ginger. ¡°I¡¯ve got a great remedy. Thought I¡¯d try it for you.¡±


    Yunice watched him for a second, then asked, ¡°Did your mom used to have really painful cramps too?¡±


    Wyatt looked up, surprised. ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±


    ¡°I met her once when I was little,¡± Yunice said calmly. ¡°I was studying face reading at the time. Couldn¡¯t help but take a nce.¡±


    Wyatt corrected her without thinking. ¡°That¡¯s your mother¨Cinw.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Yunice choked a little on the term.


    1


    They¡¯d been married for almost two years, yet the whole thing still felt like child¡¯s y.


    Wyatt sliced the ginger into pieces, then into strips, and finally into a fine mince.


    ¡°She couldn¡¯t eat red meat at the Powell family. Her body was always cold and stagnant. She could barely get out of bed each month¨Cher sheets soaked with sweat.¡±


    ¡°I learned then how hard it is to be a woman.¡±


    ¡°When I found that remedy, it was simple enough to make. I started sneaking into the kitchen for ingredients¨Csteaming it for her myself.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes followed his hands as he scraped the minced ginger into a bowl. Her voice dropped. ¡°Was it the one with four ounces brown sugar, two ounces ginger, a little angelica root, and no water¨Cjust steamed?¡±


    Wyatt froze. A flicker of emotion passed through his gaze. He looked at her. ¡°You gave me that recipe?¡±


    ¡°It was from my dad,¡± Yunice replied, resting her chin on her hand. ¡°I was a kid¨CI didn¡¯t have cramps back


    then.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve always resented him for delivering Paul, but you didn¡¯t know¨Che helped your family too.¡±


    ¡°My dad¡¯s just¡­ soft¨Chearted. Always believed everyone suffers in this world, so if he could help someone,


    O


    he would.¡±


    ¡°Back then, he was worried you¡¯d be too guarded, that you wouldn¡¯t trust the prescription if you knew it came from him. So he slipped it through the gate of your courtyard. It only listed ginger, brown sugar, and angelica¨Cnothing that could sh. He figured you¡¯d be willing to try it.¡±


    Wyatt stared at her. He¡¯d never known.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever tell me?¡±


    ¡°It was such a small thing. How was I supposed to know you¡¯d remember it?¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Anything else I don¡¯t know about?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can think of.¡±


    She paused, then asked, ¡°Did it help? The medicine, I mean. Did your mom get better?¡±


    Wyatt nodded. ¡°It helped. If we¡¯d had the full ingredients, she probably would¡¯ve suffered less.¡±


    Yunice looked confused. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s tone dropped. ¡°They locked me in that courtyard to break me. When I was still young, your mother¨Cinw tried to teach me to read in secret. One of the maids saw and told the old man. He dragged her away and didn¡¯t let her see me for three days.¡±


    ¡°I was so scared of losing her, I refused to learn after that. Even into my teens, I still couldn¡¯t read.¡±


    ¡°I stole ginger and brown sugar from the kitchen. But the wall of the herb cab was covered inbels- rows and rows of words. I couldn¡¯t tell which one was angelica root.¡±


    ¡°And even if I could¡­ I didn¡¯t dare use it.¡±


    ¡°What if it was bait? What if I poisoned her myself? What if¡­ she died and I was left alone?¡±


    The quiet tremor in his voice made Yunice lift her head.


    She got out of bed, barefoot on the carpet.


    Wyatt stood instantly. ¡°Put your shoes on.¡±


    He reached for her but stopped halfway, remembering he¡¯d just handled ginger. He didn¡¯t want it to sting her skin.


    Yunice had already grabbed a stool and sat down beside him. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt as much anymore.¡±


    Wyatt still went to the sink and scrubbed his hands with soap, then came back and ced a soft nket across herp.


    She stayed close this time. She wanted to talk. To understand him.


    ¡°Your mom¡­ she must¡¯ve hated leaving you. So why¡­¡±


    Why give up first?


    Wyatt¡¯s <b>voice </b>was quiet. <b>¡°</b>She couldn¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    ¡°The Powell family didn¡¯t just neglect her. They had a thousand ways to wear a person down <b>without </b><b>ever </b>showing a mark.¡±


    ¡°Her health never recovered after giving birth to me. And then¡­ the depression set in. It just got <b>worse</b><b>? </b>


    ¡°She told me many times¨Cshe couldn¡¯t hold on. She wanted to go. Asked me to forgive her.¡±


    ¡°She said keeping her alive would only drag me down. That as long as she stayed, I¡¯d always be <b>trapped </b>in that little courtyard.¡±


    ¡°She believed if she died¡­ I¡¯d finally grow wings.¡±


    ¡°Leave the Powell family. And nevere back.¡±


    ¡°Even if I became a street peddler¡­ it¡¯d still be better than living like a dog in that house.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brows furrowed tighter and tighter. Her eyes burned with anger.


    <i>That </i><i>old </i><i>man</i><i>¡­ </i>how is <i>he </i>still alive?


    His death would be too easy.

 Daghter 656

    Chapter 656 Farewell to the Past


    Wyatt continued, ¡°Every time my mom said she couldn¡¯t go on, I begged her. I told her <b>if </b><b>she </b><b>died</b><b>, </b><b>I¡¯d </b><b>die </b>with <b>her</b><b>. </b>I had nothing left to live for in this world anyway.¡±


    His voice lowered. ¡°She felt bad for me, so she¡¯d change her mind. That¡¯s how we made <b>it </b>another <b>two </b>years. But I guess, eventually, she really couldn¡¯t take it anymore.¡±


    ¡°She lied to me, said she was craving meat, and asked me to find some for her.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I left the house and¡­¡±


    Wyatt fell silent. Even though he didn¡¯t finish the sentence, Yunice already knew how that story ended.


    It took him a moment topose himself. When he looked up again, he finally noticed Yunice¡¯s cool, distant eyes had gone red. Tears shimmered at the corners.


    Wyatt drew in a sharp breath and gently brushed her eye with his thumb, visibly frustrated. ¡°That was <b>a </b>long time ago. No one can mess with me now, and no one dares mess with you either. We should be done with the past. What are you crying for?¡±


    Yunice lowered her gaze, hiding the emotions in her eyes.


    Wyatt changed the subject. ¡°Did you go back to the dorm today?¡±


    What he really wanted to ask was whether she had seen the recorder.


    Yunice deflected. ¡°The pot¡¯s boiling.¡±


    Wyatt immediately sprang into action, using oven mitts to lift the lid off the steamer and retrieve the hot ceramic bowl inside.


    A strong aroma of ginger tea filled the room instantly.


    For a second, Wyatt¡¯s expression went distant, like the smell had pulled him into a wave of memories.


    It was the first time he¡¯d made this since his mother died.


    He used a small fan to cool the ginger tea. ¡°Eat while it¡¯s hot, then get some rest. A good sweat will fix you right up.¡±


    Yunice followed his instructions, then rinsed her mouth and returned to bed.


    Wyatt sat at her bedside, watching over her.


    After a while, Yunice opened her eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep with you staring at me.¡±


    Being watched made it impossible to rx.


    Wyatt took out his phone. ¡°Then I¡¯ll look at my phone, not you. Go to sleep.¡±


    Yunice closed her eyes again.


    O


    <b>She </b><b>had </b>only nned to pretend <b>to </b><b>sleep </b>for a bit. She wasn¡¯t on her period, and <b>she </b>didn¡¯t feel <b>that </b>ufortable. (2


    But <b>after </b>drinking the warm ginger tea and with the room so quiet, she actually dozed off.


    Wyatt stayed at her side. Once he confirmed she was really asleep, he finally allowed himself <b>to </b>look at <b>her </b>freely.


    Yunice¡¯s eyshes were beautiful.


    With her eyes closed, she looked peaceful and sweet.


    Wyatt had the urge to reach out and touch hershes. But just as his fingers hovered near<b>, </b>he <b>hesitated- </b>he didn¡¯t want to wake her up and risk her cranky morning mood.


    He reluctantly pulled his hand back.


    Jordan¡¯s call came in just then, but Wyatt hung up before it could even ring once.


    He checked that Yunice hadn¡¯t stirred, then switched his phone to silent.


    He messaged Jordan on WhatsApp instead.


    ¡°Wyatt, the Saunders family is on the move again.


    One of our guys just got word¨COwen took a sample to the hospital for apatibility test. We don¡¯t know whose sample it was yet.¡±


    Owen had developed liver cancer due toplications from a viral infection.


    A transnt could save his life.


    When the hospital issued a critical illness notice, Owen had ignored it. Wyatt thought he had given up on treatment¨Cbut it turned out he was secretly getting tested.


    In liver transnts, family members are usually the first choice for donors. If no one in the family matches, the patient has to go on a donor list, which is often like looking for a needle in a haystack. Many people die waiting.


    If Owen was testing forpatibility, he must¡¯ve used a family member¡¯s sample.


    His living rtives included Oscar, Yunice, and Lily.


    Jordan added, ¡°Even if Owen¡¯s an idiot, he probably wouldn¡¯t dare use the madam¡¯s sample. He should know¨Ceven if she¡¯s a match, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d get past you.¡±


    ¡°But the worry is¡­¡± Jordan hesitated, ¡°what if the madam volunteers? Wyatt, even you couldn¡¯t stop her, right?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes turned cold and dark. ¡°If he dares ask, I¡¯ll rip out his heart, liver, spleen, and lungs.


    Jordan sighed. ¡°But what if the madam insists? That¡¯s still her brother. How could she not feel torn?


    Wyatt, if you try to stop her¨Ceven if it¡¯s out of love¨Cshe might resent you.¡±


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    <b>It </b><b>was </b><b>her </b><b>brother¡¯s </b><b>life</b><b>. </b>No matter how strained their rtionship was, he <b>was </b><b>still </b><b>one </b><b>of </b>her <b>few </b>blood. <b>rtives </b>left.


    People wereplicated like that. Even deep grudges could vanish in the face of life and <b>death- </b>especially for emotional women.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond.


    Because Jordan had voiced the exact thing he feared most.


    He texted Jordan back: ¡°Cut off Yunice¡¯s informants. Don¡¯t let her find out Owen¡¯s doing <b>a </bpatibility


    test.¡±


    As long as Yunice didn¡¯t know, he could handle the problem before Owen ever got the chance <b>to </b><b>ask</b>.


    In Wyatt¡¯s mind, the worst¨Ccase scenario was that Owen turned out to be a match with Yunice.


    If that happened, Owen was a dead man walking.


    Yunice¡¯s body was already so delicate, Wyatt wouldn¡¯t even let her have children.


    And Owen wanted her liver?


    He must have a death wish.

 Daghter 657

    Chapter 657 A Subtle Shift


    When Yunice opened her eyes, she saw Wyatt still sitting by her bedside.


    She reached for her phone and checked the time¨Cshe¡¯d been asleep for three hours.


    Had Wyatt been sitting there the entire time?


    ¤¤


    Only then did she realize her hand had been gripping his arm the whole time.


    ¡­No wonder he hadn¡¯t left.


    As soon as she moved, Wyatt¨Cwho had been dozing with his head propped on one hand¨Copened his


    eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I slept that long¡­¡± Yunice murmured.


    She nced at the sky outside. ¡°I should head back to the dorm.¡±


    Otherwise, the campus would close its gates soon.


    The moment she said that, Wyatt jumped in, ¡°Don¡¯t go back. If you¡¯re feeling better, let¡¯s go out for a bit.¡±


    Yunice noticed the way he avoided her gaze, and suddenly it clicked.


    Ohhh-


    He was worried she¡¯d find the recorder in the dorm, wasn¡¯t he?


    Alright then¨Csince he was trying so hard to pretend, she¡¯d y along for now.


    After drinking the ginger tea, she had indeed broken a sweat. She took a shower, freshened up, and only then did she head out with Wyatt.


    The night was beautiful. Once their practicals wrapped up, the semester would be over¨Cand the New Year was just around the corner.


    They strolled along the stone paths of University Town without rushing to the pottery studio.


    Yunice had a sudden urge to visit a luxury boutique.


    Naturally, Wyatt agreed.


    They headed to the nearby Global Harbor mall and found themselves inside a high¨Cend store.


    Yunice was looking at plush toys.


    Wyatt found that strange. Yunice was a science student¨Che remembered she usually had zero ir rest in girlish things like that.


    He¡¯d bought her one once; she hadn¡¯t even looked at it.


    So why was she studying them now?


    O


    apter 057 A Subtle Shift


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Lauric have a daughter?¡± Yunice said, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of getting her a gift.


    ¡°You know Laurie has a daughter?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°I also know her daughter likes this brand.¡±


    Wyatt blinked. ¡°She told you that?¡±


    Even he didn¡¯t know that detail.


    Laurie rarely mentioned her daughter, let alone her daughter¡¯s preferences.


    Yunice had figured it out on her own.


    ¡°Her daughter¡¯s name¡­ doesn¡¯t it have ¡®Laurie¡® in it?¡± she asked.


    Wyatt responded, ¡°You really know quite a bit. She¡¯s always kept her daughter under wraps.¡±


    Even Jordan didn¡¯t know much about the girl¨Cless knowledge meant more safety.


    Of course Yunice knew.


    Because the plush toy Laurie used to hide the recorder was from this brand.


    And embroidered on the toy was a custom name tag¨Cwith the word ¡°Laurie.¡±


    Laurie wasn¡¯t the type to carry plush toys for herself. The only reason one would be around her was if it was a gift for her daughter.


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t know that the toy had hidden the recorder, so he missed Yunice¡¯s subtle hint.


    Seeing her message hadn¡¯tnded, Yunice chose a toy she liked and handed it to Wyatt to pay.


    At checkout, Wyatt turned his hand over and revealed a hair clip in his palm. ¡°This would look good on you.¡±


    Yunice suddenly recalled that while she was browsing, Wyatt had been lingering in the essories section -he¡¯d been picking something out for her.


    ¡°Yunice?¡±


    A hesitant voice called out, and she turned around in surprise.


    Jennie and Lena stood there with bubble teas in hand, their faces full of shock as they looked at the man beside her.


    They hadn¡¯t been sure it was her earlier¨Cthought maybe they were mistaken.


    Seeing their curious eyes, Yunice introduced, ¡°This is my husband.¡±


    Wyatt froze, clearly stunned she¡¯d admitted it so casually.


    She¡¯d always gone out of her way to keep their rtionship discreet.


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    Chapter 657 A Subtle Shift


    Maybe these two students held a different ce in her heart.


    Wyatt noticed Jennie and


    <b>+5 </b>Free <b>Coms </b>


    ad alsoe from the same luxury store, but hadn¡¯t bought anything.


    ¡°You two are Yunice¡¯s ssmates?¡± he asked.


    The girls stood nervously shoulder¨Cto¨Cshoulder. ¡°We¡¯re her roommates.¡±


    Wyatt turned to the sales assistant. ¡°Put whatever they looked at on my tab.¡±


    That shocked them both.


    They quickly waved their hands. ¡°We¡­ that¡¯s not what we meant¡­¡±


    They weren¡¯t the type to take advantage of others.


    But the assistant had already packed up the items they¡¯d browsed.


    The two girls didn¡¯t dare ept them.


    Wyatt took the shopping bags himself and handed them over. ¡°Thank you for looking after Yunice.¡±


    His hand hung in midair, and the quiet pressure in his voice made them panic and ept the bags before they could think twice.


    Yunice smiled. ¡°I won¡¯t be going back to the dorm tonight, so I¡¯ll head the other way.¡±


    Jennie nodded, and Yunice left with Wyatt.


    Left in a daze, Jennie and Lena stared down at the expensive gifts in their hands.


    ¡°Holy crap,¡± one of them breathed. ¡°What kind of dumb luck did we just stumble into?¡±


    After the mall, Yunice and Wyatt made it to the pottery studio just before closing time to pick up the handmade ornaments they¡¯d made earlier.


    (

 Daghter 658

    <b>Chapter </b>658 The Fall of Paul Powell


    The <b>store </b>clerk brought out the finished pottery piece. It looked almost identical to the <b>original </b><b>y </b><b>model </b>they had made.


    Yunice looked at it curiously. ¡°Why does it look better now? Did ours crack in the kiln and they <b>remade </b><b>it </b>for us?¡±


    ¡°Nope,¡± Wyatt replied.


    Still doubtful, Yunice inspected the ornament. ¡°Did you mark it or something?¡±


    Otherwise, how could they be sure it was the exact one they made?


    Wyatt pointed to a small detail. ¡°Look here. That ugly spot is one of a kind. I doubt anyone but you could make something this hideous.¡±


    ¡°¡­Seriously?¡± Yunice shot him a re.


    The next day.


    Back in ss, Yunice checked thetest message from the informant she¡¯d nted in the Saunders family.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s normal with the Saunders family.¡±


    Yunice thought of Owen¡¯s condition. It had been so long, and he still hadn¡¯t sought treatment or looked for a liver donor. Could it be that after Elsie¡¯s death, he had really lost the will to live?


    Elsie¡¯s case was still in court. With such a high¨Cprofile criminal case, it would be months before any verdict was reached. Which meant Oscar, still under suspicion, probably wouldn¡¯t be released until after the New Year.


    The main reason Oscar¡¯s name hadn¡¯t been cleared yet was his unexined presence at the hotel where Elsie had been found.


    During interrogation, Oscar reportedly refused to exin himself, which brought the investigation to a


    standstill.


    Yunice had sent someone in to pass him a note, urging him to tell the truth and stop hesitating. But for some unknown reason, Oscar wouldn¡¯t speak.


    Meanwhile, the Johnson family was still pulling strings, even getting a psychiatric evaluation for Morgan. Online spection was already saying Morgan would avoid the death penalty.


    Over at the Powell family, rumors swirled that Jensen had gone missing¨Cnone of Powell Corporation¡¯s shareholders could reach him.


    The old chairmanyatose in the ICU, incapable of making any decisions.


    Amid all this chaos, the board had no choice but to appoint Paul as the acting CEO.


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    <b>173 </b>


    PICT OJA Ine Fall of <b>Paul </b><b>Powell </b>


    <b>But </b><b>just </b><b>as </b><b>Paul </b><b>took </b><b>the </b><b>stage </b><b>for </b><b>the </b>press <b>conference </b>to <b>officially </b><b>assume </b><b>control </b><b>of </b><b>Powell </b><b>Corporatio </b><b>Taylor </b><b>suddenly </b>stormed <b>up</b>, snatched the mic, and shouted to the <b>sea </b><b>of </b><b>reporters</b>:


    <b>¡°</b><b>Shareholders</b>! Media! I am Paul¡¯s legal wife! And I¡¯m here to publicly expose him¨C<b>you¡¯ve </b><b>all </b><b>been </b><b>deceived</b>!


    <b>Powell </b>Corporation is drowning in debt! The finances are hollow, and the cash flow has <b>already </b><b>dried </b><b>up</b>. The stock you all invested in is about to plummet!.


    And it¡¯s all because Paul, without my knowledge or consent, secretly transferredpany assets <b>and </b><b>made </b>reckless investments that led to huge losses!


    All <b>losses </b>suffered by shareholders and the public should be Paul¡¯s responsibility!¡±


    Before the press conference, Taylor had gripped the mic like her life depended on it, ready for the moment Paul tried to snatch it away.


    She knew his temper¨Cstep on his ego in public, and he¡¯d explode.


    She was counting on it. If heid a hand on her, she could throw herself to the ground, im injury, and present herself to the media as a long¨Ctime victim of domestic abuse.


    It would all help with her eventual divorce.


    But unexpectedly, Paul didn¡¯t react at all.


    Instead, he looked at her with eyes full of tenderness and pity¨Cright there in front of the cameras.


    Taylor was caught off guard. She tightened her grip on the mic and stared at him in disbelief.


    What was that nauseating expression supposed to mean?


    Then Paul¡¯s assistant stepped onto the stage and respectfully handed him a fresh microphone.


    Paul took it, turned to the media, and said calmly, ¡°My wife and I have been going through some disagreements. She¡¯s been under a lot of stresstely. I¡¯m sorry you all had to see this.¡±


    Taylor nearly choked on her own rage. He was actually trying to downy everything?


    Just as she was about to snap and confront him, a voice came through the earpiece she wore. Yunice.


    ¡°Stay calm. He¡¯s trying to provoke you.¡±


    Taylor swallowed her anger and stayed rooted to the spot.


    Yunice continued, her voice steady. ¡°The media¡¯s watching. The moreposed you are, the more credible you¡¯ll be.


    You¡¯ve already prepared the evidence. He ims this is just a personal dispute¨Cso show everyone why it started.¡±


    Taylor took a deep breath, barely suppressing the urge to p Paul across the face.


    She steadied herself. ¡°Mr. Paul is right¨Cwe do have marital issues. But they didn¡¯t just start <b>recently</b>. From


    111


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    Chapter <b>658 </b>The <b>Fall </b>of <b>Paul </b><b>Powell </b>


    <b>the </b><b>day </b><b>we </b><b>got </b><b>married</b><b>, </b>Mr. Paul has been cheating <b>on </b>me.¡±


    <b>With </b><b>that</b><b>, </b><b>Taylor </b>used a remote to activate therge screen behind them, disying multiple <b>chat </b>loga <b>photos</b><b>, </b>and videos¨Cevidence so clear andprehensive that it left no room for denial.


    Camera shutters clicked nonstop, shes filling the room as reporters frantically documented <b>every </b>detail


    The woman involved in the affair was none other than the recently disgraced, now¨Cdeceased Elsie<b>. </b>She had already died under a cloud of scandal, and now, her illicit rtionship with Powell Corporation¡¯s young heir added more fuel to the fire. It was a goldmine for the media.


    ¡°Everyone knew about Paul and Elsie for ages,¡± someone whispered. ¡°They¡¯ve been caught so <b>many </b><b>times</b>, and Powell¡¯s been paying to bury every story.¡±


    ¡°Taylor¡¯s no fool either,¡± another muttered. ¡°She must¡¯ve had her own ambitions to turn a blind eye to <b>his </b>cheating for this long.¡±

 Daghter 659

    Chapter 659 The War of Words


    Chapter 659 The War of Words


    45 Free Cams


    ¡°She put up with it for years, even outlived Elsie. With the threat gone, you¡¯d think she¡¯d get closer to Paul. Why blow up his affair now?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s tied to the Powell family¨Cdragging thein into a scandal and triggering market instability hurts them both. It¡¯s a lose¨Close move.¡±


    Paul stared darkly at the screen filled with damning evidence. He knew denying it now would be pointless.


    His rtionship with Elsie had never exactly been a secret. Any attempt to deny it would just destroy his credibility.


    Facing the media, Paul said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone. I did make the kind of mistake every man is said to make. But I cut things off with Ms. Elsie over a year ago. I¡¯ve since returned to my family, and my rtionship with Ms. Taylor has been stable.


    We¡¯ve attendedpany events together, cut ribbons together¨Cyou¡¯ve all seen it with your own eyes.¡±


    Taylor clenched her teeth. He was still lying.


    Those events had all been for appearances¨Cto protect the family¡¯s image. Nothing more. Now he was using that to stab her in the back?


    In her earpiece, Yunice spoke calmly. ¡°Paul¡¯s gotten smarter¡­ This isn¡¯t his usual style. Someone must be advising him.¡±


    But who?


    There had never been anyone that cunning in the Powell family. Otherwise, Paul wouldn¡¯t have made so many idiotic mistakes and let others manipte him so easily.


    Paul turned to Taylor, putting on an expression of deep affection. ¡°Taylor, I always wanted to treat you well. I thought we¡¯d be the perfect couple¨Cgrowing together and growing old hand in hand.


    But I never imagined that, just to protect your lover and divorce me for my assets, you¡¯d stand in front of the media and nder me, dragging down the image of ourpany. You¡¯ve truly disappointed me.¡±


    ¡°I cheated?¡± Taylor snapped, unable to hold back despite telling herself to stay calm. The sheer nerve of Paul flipping the me¨Cshe could barely breathe.


    Paul turned to the screen. ¡°Let me show you all something.¡±


    Taylor looked up in shock.


    Photos shed onto the screen¨Cpictures of her and her bodyguard, n.


    Taken from deceptive angles, their normal interactions had been twisted into seemingly intimate moments¨Cmisleading shots that looked like they were kissing, embracing, pressing their heads together. The kind of images that could be easily misunderstood.


    Camera shutters snapped again as reporters scrambled to capture every frame.


    I


    O


    Chapter 659 The War of Words


    Taylor stood frozen, her mind briefly nk.


    How was she supposed to refute something like this?


    s


    Ambiguity was the hardest thing to disprove. People believed what they saw¨Cand one misleading angle was all it took to destroy her.


    Paul smiled in satisfaction and continued, ¡°Taylor, for the sake of love, I was willing to forgive everything and move on. But you pushed me to this point, and I have no choice but to speak out.


    Still, if you want a divorce, I don¡¯t agree.


    That bodyguard you like¨Che¡¯s just a bodyguard. He can¡¯t give you a stable life. I won¡¯t let you run off to live in misery with him.¡±


    As he spoke, he nced away from the cameras and gave Taylor a smug, triumphant look.


    His expression said it all: he was gloating. He thought he had her cornered. The harder she tried to pull away, the tighter he held on. He wanted to see how far she could go.


    Taylor¡¯s blood roared in her ears. Her grip on the mic was so tight it nearly snapped in half.


    Then Yunice¡¯s voice came through. ¡°Don¡¯t take the bait. Those photos aren¡¯t valid evidence of cheating in court. Right now, the public thinks this is a circus.


    The more you try to exin, the more you y into Paul¡¯s hands.¡±


    Yunice added, ¡°You need to shake up the room. Make them feel their own interests are at risk. That¡¯s the only way they¡¯ll side with you.¡±


    Taylor wasn¡¯t someone who backed down easily.


    To turn the tide, she had to make sure <i>everyone </i>felt the damage.


    Now centered again, she steadied herself. She hadn¡¯te unprepared.


    Paul, thinking her silence meant she was done, grew even more confident. In his mind, she was already branded a cheater. A woman who cheated on her husband then turned around and used him? That only strengthened his position.


    Paul sneered. ¡°Taylor, I still care about you. I can forgive your foolish mistakes¨Cbut I won¡¯t forgive that bodyguard.


    If he dares steal my woman, then he¡¯ll have to pay the price.¡±


    He suddenly raised his voice. ¡°n! Since yourdy¡¯s reputation is in shambles because of you, don¡¯t you have anything to say for yourself?


    Taylor¡¯s eyes flew to n in the crowd.


    He had been in the shadows, always quietly protecting her. But hearing Paul¡¯s usations, n finally stepped into the light.


    Cameras immediately turned to him, projecting his face onto the big screen for everyone to see. He


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    1556 Thu 7 Aug <b>Ju </b>¨C


    Chapter 659 The War of Words


    couldn¡¯t hide even if he wanted to.


    <b>48 </b>


    s


    The media pounced, weapons drawn¨Cready to capture every angle of the alleged ¡°homewrecker.¡±


    This press conference had turned into a full¨Cblown spectacle. Scandal, betrayal, and elite drama¨Cexactly the kind of explosive content guaranteed to make tomorrow¡¯s headlines.

 Daghter 660

    Chapter 660 A Trap Set and Shattered


    Chapter 660 A Trap Set and Shattered


    +5 Free <b>Coins </b>


    Paul¡¯s sneering voice echoed from every speaker around the room. ¡°Come on, n. Get up here.¡±


    He grinned cruelly. ¡°The woman you im to love is right here, surrounded by the press, being called a whore. Didn¡¯t you say your love was real? That it wasn¡¯t some scheme to w your way into the Powell family?


    If that¡¯s true, why are you too scared to even step on stage?¡±


    Taylor¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with rage. She knew exactly what Paul was doing¨Che was cornering n, exploiting his loyalty to her.


    By dragging her into a media storm, Paul was trying to force n to take the fall and ¡°confess¡± just to protect her reputation.


    But that was uneptable.


    She and n had done nothing wrong. He was only her loyal bodyguard¨Cnothing more. There had been no affair, no betrayal.


    He didn¡¯t deserve to be crucified for something that never happened, even if it was for her sake.


    Paul met her re with a mocking look,pletely unfazed by her fury.


    Under the mounting pressure from the press, n finally stepped onto the stage. At this point, hiding would only make things worse.


    He frowned, scanning the sea of cameras and whispers, then turned toward Taylor¡¯s worried eyes¨Cand Paul¡¯s malicious smirk.


    Taylor shook her head at him, her face full of anguish.


    <i>Don¡¯t </i>admit <i>anything</i>. <i>Don¡¯t </i><i>fall into </i><i>his </i><i>trap</i><i>¡­ </i>


    n stood tall. ¡°I am merely Miss Taylor¡¯s personal servant, trained by Mr. Gerado himself. My duty is to protect her. I would never dare harbor any personal feelings.¡±


    Paul scoffed. ¡°Still denying it? Then how do you exin the photos? Did Mr. Gerado also tell you to protect her in bed?¡±


    n¡¯s eyes shed with fury. ¡°You better have proof for those words¨Cor you¡¯re ndering mydy¡¯s name!


    Those pictures are doctored. I¡¯ve already called the police. This fake evidence will be exposed.¡±


    Paul chuckled dismissively, utterly unbothered. He pointed to the floor. ¡°If you want this to end, just kneel here and apologize. Say you¡¯ll never try to seduce my wife again, and I¡¯ll let it go.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone too far, Paul!¡± Taylor shouted. ¡°He hasn¡¯t done anything!¡±


    n¡¯s lips remained sealed. He couldn¡¯t plead guilty¨Cdoing so would tarnish Taylor¡¯s name.


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    Chapter 660 A Trap Set and Shattered


    35 Free Coms


    Paul smirked. ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t want to apologize? Then how about this¡ªyou say these photos are fake, right?


    Then prove it. Swear, right now, in front of everyone, that you have absolutely no feelings for Taylor, and that you will always remain her servant.


    And if one day, you do develop feelings for her¨Cthen may she meet a terrible end. Do you dare<i>?</i><i>¡± </i>


    Gasps erupted from the media.


    ¡°He¡¯s using his wife as the wager? Doesn¡¯t seem like he loves her that much after all¡­¡±


    ¡°Exactly. He could¡¯ve said n would die if he fell for Taylor¨Cbut instead he cursed his own wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I think Paul knows n really does like Taylor. That¡¯s why he¡¯s forcing this kind of oath¨Cto make n give up.¡±


    Paul raised his hand like a showman. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s exactly my point.¡±


    He turned back to n. ¡°I love my wife. I don¡¯t want her manipted by some nobody..If you swear now, she¡¯ll give up on you ande back to me.


    But if you <i>can¡¯t </i>swear it, then we don¡¯t even need the police¨Cyour guilt will be clear.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s heart raced. She stared desperately at n, silently begging him¨C<i>Don¡¯t </i><i>do </i><i>it</i><i>. </i><i>Don¡¯t </i><i>listen </i><i>to </i>him. <i>None </i><i>of </i><i>what </i><i>he </i><i>says </i><i>matters</i>.


    In her earpiece, Yunice¡¯s voice came through like a lifeline.


    ¡°Taylor, stay calm. I just messaged n. He won¡¯t take the oath.


    The forensics team is almost there. These fake photos will be dealt with.¡±


    Like a tranquilizer, Yunice¡¯s voice calmed Taylor¡¯s storming thoughts.


    She forced herself to appearposed and nced down at n. Sure enough, she saw him check his phone.


    He gripped it tightly¨CTaylor recognized that gesture. It meant he was conflicted, uncertain.


    All she could do now was stare anxiously at the entrance to the press hall, praying the team Yunice had dispatched would arrive soon.


    <i>Hurry</i><i>¡­ </i><i>please</i><i>, </i><i>hurry</i>.


    As if hearing her thoughts, Yunice said in her ear, ¡°They¡¯re here.¡±


    At that exact moment, police officers and forensic experts stepped into the room.


    ¡°Who ced the report?¡± asked one of the officers.


    n immediately raised his hand. ¡°I did.¡±


    The officers and a inclothes investigator approached both parties to gather information.


    |||


    O


    Chapter Good


    Ano horn at Pas hot Ball famosphe


    Minuster, the wchnical team began analyzing the images wearing to deliver hard cupience thas could shift the dee once again.


    |||


    O


    * hop and Breaking the bo

 Daghter 661

    Chapter 661 Breaking the Illusion


    The forener bem find the media sa swered


    here pas are fabery mama manightiest ang


    Se create tretending impressions. They are won Waled evidenc


    This far arcussion he now been reviewed by the police. If any maler preate the misinformatius and cases reputeranal damage to Mice Taylor, the will have grounds to me with today¡¯s police reportarul shell win, with question.¡±


    Taylor turned thumphantly to Paul and said with mock pity. ¡°Mr. Paul, I don¡¯t know which idiot you hired To take those shots, but it looks like you got swindled


    You probably spent a fortune on those worthless pictures. Poor you¨Cbleeding your wallet dry just obsess over me.¡±


    Paul¡¯s forced smile stiffened on his face.


    Just as his setup unraveled before the cameras, a calm voice echoed from the speakers.


    ¡°Today. I, n, ask the media to bear witness¡­¡±


    Taylor, still riding high from the reversal, turned around in shock. n had taken the mic.


    His tone was steady. ¡°As a servant of the Kendall family, as Miss Taylor¡¯s bodyguard, I know my ce. I would never overstep my role or involve myself with Miss Taylor in any way beyond my duty. If I ever do, may I die a miserable death.


    This oath is not for defense¨Cit¡¯s a warning: anyone who dares spread filth about mydy again, L, n, will not rest until we settle it.¡±


    His eyes locked fiercely onto Paul.


    The cameras shed nonstop, capturing n¡¯s vow in full.


    ¡°Looks like he really is loyal,¡± someone whispered. ¡°He wouldn¡¯t take the oath earlier, but now that things are clear, he swears it loud and proud. Makes him seem more believable.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. A smart, capable woman like Miss Taylor would never get involved with a bodyguard. That was pure nder<i>.</i>¡±


    ¡°Paul just assumes everyone else ys as dirty as he does.¡±


    But Taylor stood frozen.


    Why did it hurt so much to hear n swear something like that?


    It wasn¡¯t guilt¨Cit was frustration. Because she was too powerless to shield her own people. n had to publicly humiliate himself just to protect her.


    She clenched her fists and said coldly, ¡°Paul, you¡¯ve caused enough chaos. Now it¡¯s <i>my </i>turn.¡±


    With that, she pped her hands twice.


    |||


    Chapter 661 Breaking the Illusion


    The doors opened again, and several men in suits strode in.


    <b>+45 </b>Free Colna


    ¡°Well, Mr. Paul, your press conference sure is grand. Funny how none of us, your business partners, got. the invite.¡±


    Their sarcasm echoed throughout the room.


    Paul stared in disbelief as the men marched up the stage.


    Taylor stood calmly at the side, smiling like she was enjoying the show.


    Once the men had surrounded Paul, Taylor casually walked to n¡¯s side, giving him a quick nce. She muttered under her breath, ¡°Acting on your own again. I¡¯ll deal with youter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss,¡± n replied obediently, standing tall in full bodyguard posture.


    Taylor sighed but said nothing more.


    Paul, meanwhile, was losing control. He pointed a finger at the men around him. ¡°This is <i>my </i>press event. None of you were invited. Leave now¨Cor I¡¯ll have security throw you out!¡±


    One of the men snorted. ¡°Sure thing, Mr. Paul. Just settle your outstanding debts with us first. Pay what you owe, and not only will we leave¨Cwe¡¯ll even bow and apologize. Sound fair?¡±


    Paul snapped, ¡°If you want to discuss business or payments, take it to our office. Speak to someone in management. You think I, the CEO, have time to settle every little invoice?


    You expect me to handle every grain of rice and bean in thispany? I¡¯d drop dead from exhaustion!¡±


    He turned to one of thepany managers standing in the crowd and barked, ¡°What are you waiting for? Get these men off the stage! Or do you want them making a circus out of this?¡±


    But in Taylor¡¯s earpiece, Yunice¡¯s voice chimed in. ¡°He¡¯s flustered. Time to turn up the heat.¡±


    Taylor stepped forward with a sweet smile. ¡°Gentlemen, don¡¯t let Mr. Paul fool you. As his wife, no one knows the Powell family¡¯s current finances better than I do.


    If you follow the manager out now, I can almost guarantee you won¡¯t see a single cent.


    You all have contracts, don¡¯t you? And ording to those, Powell Corporation is already overdue on payments. If you don¡¯t demand your dues in front of the press right now, you may never get them back.¡±


    From the audience, a reporter raised a pointed question. ¡°Miss Taylor, can you rify?


    The Powell Corporation¡¯s financial reports from the first half of the year looked great. They even exceeded projections. How could they be out of money?


    Are these men really unpaid vendors¨Cor did you invite them here to create confusion?¡±


    Taylor responded coolly, ¡°I¡¯m not like <i>some </i><i>people</i>¨CLdon¡¯t fabricate evidence. Lies always get exposed eventually. I¡¯m a businesswonian. I would never stake mypany¡¯s credibility on nder. Besides¡­¡±


    TI

 Daghter 662

    The Empire Cracks


    The Empire Cracks


    Taylor¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm. ¡°The Powell estate can¡¯t even pay its utility bills anymore. They¡¯ve shut down sections of the gardenndscaping to cut costs. If <i>that </i>doesn¡¯t prove the Powell family¡¯s out <i>of </i>money, what does?¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡±


    ¡°No way. Powell Corporation is one of Silverburgh¡¯s oldest powerhouses. Even if business took a hit, no way they¡¯re that broke. Not paying utility bills? That¡¯s rock bottom¡­¡±


    Taylor went on, ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe it, take a look at the court rulings in these men¡¯s hands¨Cproof that Powell Corporation owes them money.


    These aren¡¯t corporations with deep pockets. They took huge risks to work with Powell, paying for production out of their own savings just to fulfill orders.


    But Powell never paid them. Their businesses copsed. Their familics fell into debt. And Powell Corporation used its size and influence to ignore theirints, dying payments endlessly. So they¡¯vee here today¨Cbecause this is the only way they¡¯ll be heard.¡±


    One by one, the small business owners stepped forward, faces pale and strained, holding court documents with trembling hands.


    ¡°They¡¯ve owed me six months of payments!¡±


    ¡°I fronted thirty million¡­ Now I can¡¯t even pay my daughter¡¯s tuition. My wife¡¯s been begging for a divorce and tried to take her lifest week. She¡¯s in the ICU!¡±


    ¡°And me¨CI have a court ruling in hand, and Powell still refuses to pay. I went to the media, and Paul sent men to beat me bloody! Then he paid off reporters to bury the story!


    He¡¯d rather bribe the press than settle his debts!¡±


    ¡°Paul, you bloodsucking bastard! You hoard every dime like you¡¯re taking it to the grave!¡±


    Paul¡¯s temple twitched, a vein bulging in fury. ¡°Security! Get them out of here! Call the police! Charge them with disturbing the peace!¡±


    But the more aggressive he acted, the more enraged the business owners became. They closed in tighter, nearly nose¨Cto¨Cnose with Paul. ¡°Call the cops! Go ahead. Let¡¯s see who¡¯s in the wrong!¡±


    Surrounded, Paul began to panic. His eyes flicked around and his hand kept drifting toward his ear.


    In her ssroom at the medical university, Yunice watched via livestream. She leaned into her Bluetooth mic. ¡°Taylor, he¡¯s touching his ear/repeatedly. I think someone¡¯s feeding him instructions.¡±


    Taylor looked sharply at Paul¨Cand sure enough, he kept palming his ear, tapping his fingers subtly.


    She immediately recognized the signs. A covert earpiece. Morse¨Ccode style signaling. Paul was sending cues to whoever was coaching him from the shadows.


    <i>Not </i><i>today</i><i>. </i>


    Taylor took two bold steps forward and, without warning, reached through the crowd and pped Paul hard across the face.


    ¡°Paul. are you even human? Pay these people their damn money!¡±


    The pnded with full force, sending him stumbling sideways.


    Not only did the blow nearly rupture his cardrum, but it also knocked the hidden carpiece out of ce. It let out a high¨Cpitched whine before falling to the floor.


    Before Paul could react, Taylor snatched it up.


    He lunged in fury, but n grabbed his wrist and twisted it back. The crowd erupted.


    ¡°Good job, Miss Taylor!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s got more guts and integrity than Paul ever will! Powell Corporation needs someone like her to lead it!¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Paul¡¯s a backstabbing snake¨Chow is <i>he </i>running the show?¡±


    A loud <i>ng </i>echoed through the room¨Csomeone had smashed the metal que dering Paul as acting CEO of Powell Corporation.


    Then chaos erupted.


    Someone shoved, another kicked. Paul tripped, got caught in the frenzy, and hit the floor hard¨Cunable to get back up.


    Taylor stepped aside and looked down at the tiny earpiece in her hand. She narrowed her eyes and spoke directly into it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are. If you dare back Paul, I will hunt you down and tear you apart, piece by piece.¡±


    Far away, Nora dropped her phone in shock.


    Her eyes flickered with unease. <i>She </i><i>noticed </i><i>me</i><i>? </i>I was behind the scenes¡­ How could she possibly know?


    <i>Taylor¡¯s </i>no <i>ordinary </i><i>opponent</i><i>. </i>


    Realizing she could be traced, Nora quickly severed the connection and fled her hiding ce.


    Back at the press conference, Paul¨Cnow without guidance¨Ccouldn¡¯t even think clearly, let alone defend himself.


    Taylor, satisfied for now, finally stepped forward again.


    ¡°Well, Mr. Paul, I thought thepany was doing well? Then surely you can spare a little change to pay these folks. Otherwise¡­¡±


    She paused and smiled coldly.


    ¡­I¡¯d be awfully worried someone might whack you with a steel pipe on your way home.¡±

 Daghter 663

    Chapter 663 The House of Cards


    Chapter 663 The House of Cards


    Pauly sprawled on the floor, arms wrapped around his head, shooting venomous <b>res </b><b>at </b>Taylor<b>. </b>


    But Taylor wasn¡¯t the least bit afraid. After today, Paul would be utterly ruined.


    The media weren¡¯t fools either. After she exposed the Powell estate¡¯s cost¨Ccutting on utilities, reporters quickly sent drones to confirm.


    ¡°It¡¯s true! Part of the Powell estate has been shut down!¡±


    ¡°Look at this¨Cwe got drone footage from our press team. The waterfall, which used to run nonstop, has been shut off!¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows how much business families care about astrology. Cutting off flowing water<b>¨C</b>especially water features meant to symbolize wealth¨Cis a huge sign that things are dire.¡±


    The crowd gasped, murmurs rippling through the room as they turned to look at the now¨Cwretched Paul.


    ¡°Mr. Paul, seriously? Powell Corporation was enormous, and you ran it straight into the ground?¡±


    ¡°Down to cutting electricity and water bills? That¡¯s¡­ wow. That takes a special kind of talent.¡±


    ¡°Is Powell really out of money?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t be surprising. Cooper Corp¡¯s on top now. Everyone in the media knows Cooper and Powell were rivals.


    Now that Cooper¡¯s won, why would they let Powell continue to dominate Silverburgh¡¯s market?


    There¡¯s been talk for a while¨CPowell¡¯s been crushed, unable to fight back. This copse was only a matter of time.¡±


    Listening to the rising wave of criticism, Paul tried to w his way back with onest desperate shout.


    ¡°No! No! Powell Corporation is fine! We¡¯ve got plenty of money!


    You lowlifes! I could bury you with my cash if I wanted to!¡±


    But his voice trembled¨Chis earpiece was gone, and without his strategist whispering in his ear, hiposure hadpletely shattered.


    Paul now saw clearly: Wyatt had nominated him as acting CEO as part of a setup.


    He hadn¡¯t even wanted to hold the press conference today. But Nora had sworn she could help him hold the line.


    All he had to do was show up, and she¡¯d spin it so that everyone believed Powell Corporation was thriving -Taylor would be exposed as a liar..


    But now, Nora was gone. The line was dead. Without her, he was iling¨Cjust another <b>headless </b><b>chicken </b>shouting at the wind.


    Chapter 663 The House of Cards


    Taylor pounced. ¡°You say Powell Corporation has money? Great¨Cprove it. Pay what <b>you </b>owe these people.¡±


    Reporters nodded eagerly.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. It¡¯s not even that much. Mr. Paul, show us your financial strength and pay up,¡±


    One reporter baited, ¡°Unless, of course, Miss Taylor was right and Powell really is a hollow shell¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s face darkened. The provocation hit home.


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll pay! What¡¯s a few debts?¡±


    He pulled out a checkbook, scribbled furiously, tore out the slips, and flung them into the small business owners¡® faces.


    ¡°Here¨Ctake it! Buy yourselves coffins with it!¡±


    The crowd erupted in outrage.


    ¡°This is <i>our </i>money! You owe <i>us</i>! You talk like we¡¯re robbing you!¡±


    ¡°Buy <i>me </i>a coffin? I¡¯ll buy you one first<b>, </b>scumbag!¡±


    Cursing, they snatched the checks from the floor. This was survival money¨Cfor their families, their workers, their entire livelihoods.


    Dignity mattered, but so did feeding mouths.


    One man¡¯s eyes welled up with relief. ¡°I can finally pay the factory workers¡­ I can go home with answers.¡±


    Another sobbed, ¡°Honey, I got the money. I¡¯ll pay for your hospital stay. Please hang in there. I swear I¡¯ll work hard, I¡¯ll never trust someone like Paul again¡­¡±


    Taylor narrowed her eyes. She hadn¡¯t expected Paul to actually write the checks.


    <i>Did </i><i>Yunice </i><i>miscalcte</i><i>? </i><i>Does </i><i>Paul </i>still <i>have </i><i>money </i><i>hidden </i><i>away</i><i>? </i>


    After all, even a dying giant still had weight. Maybe he had secret stashes.


    But then Yunice¡¯s voice came through the earpiece. ¡°He¡¯s bluffing. Look at his eyes¨Cthey¡¯re giving him away.¡±


    Yunice had known Paul for over two decades. She could read every twitch of his face.


    Taylor turned to study him¨Cand sure enough, Paul was inching backward, clearly preparing to bolt. Yunice added, ¡°The checks are probably worthless. Don¡¯t let him escape. Have the media <b>stay </b><b>on </b>it


    ¡°Got it.¡± Taylor stepped forward, blocking Paul¡¯s path.


    ¡°Everyone, I wasn¡¯t lying. You¡¯d better be cautious. I suggest two of you <b>go </b><b><i>to </i></b><b>cash </b><b>those </b><b>checks </b><b>right now </b>The <b>rest </b>should wait here for confirmation.<b>¡± </b>


    20:44 Fri, 8 Aug


    Chapter 663 The House of Cards


    *Otherwise¡­ I¡¯m afraid those might just be nk pieces of paper.¡±


    Gasps rippled through the crowd. The business owners stared at their checks with growing unease Doubr crept into their eyes as their grip tightened¨Cuncertain whether they were holding salvation or another deception.

 Daghter 664

    Chapter 664 A Confession Too Stupid to Make


    Chapter 664 A Confession Too Stupid to Make


    ¡°I¡¯ll go test the check!¡± one of the business owners shouted. ¡°The rest of you¨Ckeep an eye on Paul. Don¡¯t let him escape!¡±


    Two reporters followed him out, cameras rolling to capture the whole process.


    The second Paul saw this, he panicked.


    Just as he tried to shove Taylor aside and flee, n stepped in from behind and twisted his arm back with force.


    ¡°Mr. Paul, you were all smug a minute ago spreading lies,¡± n sneered. ¡°What happened? Losing your nerve?¡±


    With a sharp snap, he broke Paul¡¯s wrist cleanly. ¡°As long as I¡¯m here, don¡¯t even think about running. Prepare to suffer.¡±


    Ten minutester, one of the small business owners still inside got a call.


    His face changed instantly. He nced at the check in his hand, voice rising. ¡°It bounced? The ount¡¯s empty?!¡±


    He turned andnded a punch square on Paul¡¯s face.


    ¡°He¡¯s still lying! These checks are useless! Powell Corporation¡¯s broke¨Che scammed us!¡±


    With that, the other furious business owners surged forward, descending on Paul like a swarm.


    n let go and stepped aside.


    He walked up to Taylor and calmly reported, ¡°Miss, your n was sessful.


    The media have already begun reporting the Powell Corporation¡¯s copse. In less than an hour, <i>the </i>stock is going to crash.¡±


    Taylor sighed. This was the result she¡¯d wanted¨Cbut her victory felt heavy. So many shareholders were about to lose everything because of Paul¡¯s selfishness.


    She didn¡¯t look back at the chaos behind her. She and n walked out of the building together<b>. </b>


    Once they reached a quiet, empty spot, Taylor came to an abrupt stop.


    n instantly halted as well.


    She turned to him with a t, unreadable expression.


    His heart skipped, ¡°Miss¡­ did I do something wrong?¡±


    Taylor gritted her teeth. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get a message telling you <i>not </i>to make that <b>vow</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I told you you were acting without permission. Now I have to punish you.¡±


    Chapter 664 A Confession Too Stupid to Make


    n said nothing.


    Then, in one smooth motion, he dropped to one knee, eyes downcast. ¡°n epts <b>any </b><b>punishment </b>the youngdy sees fit.¡±


    With total sincerity, he knelt upright, held his belt high above his head with both hands¨Coffering it <b>to </b><b>her </b>for his own punishment.


    But after several seconds of silence, n looked up in confusion.


    No reaction?


    Did she think the belt wasn¡¯t enough?


    In all his years of serving her, he¡¯d never once defied an order. This was his first time. She must be furious.


    He tossed aside the belt, looked around, and spotted a decorative stone lion nearby.


    It was the size of a bowling ball.


    Without hesitation, he walked over, grabbed it, and prepared to smash it down on his own head.


    Taylor finally spoke. ¡°n.¡±


    He froze, turned back to her, stone lion still in his hands.


    ¡°Miss, I know you¡¯re angry,¡± he said solemnly, ¡°but this thing¡¯s kind of heavy. If <i>you </i>hit me with it, your wrist might hurt.¡±


    Idiot. He was worried <i>she¡¯d </i>get hurt beating him.


    Taylor¡¯s voice turned low. ¡°That vow you made back there¨Cdid you mean it? You really only want to be my bodyguard forever? You never even once thought about crossing that line?¡±


    n furrowed his brow, then nodded seriously. ¡°Yes, Miss. I¡¯m just a bodyguard.¡±


    Taylor¡¯s brows furrowed so hard they nearly copsed into each other. <i>This </i><i>man</i><i>¡­ </i>is <i>such </i><i>an </i>idiot.


    ¡°Just a bodyguard? You¡¯re also a man.¡±


    She wanted to say: <i>Any </i><i>man </i><i>has </i><i>the </i><i>right </i><i>to </i><i>go </i><i>after </i><i>the </i><i>woman </i><i>he </i><i>loves</i><i>. </i>


    But this idiot didn¡¯t even have the guts to admit it.


    Serves him right to be a hopeless frog at the bottom of a well.


    And in her frustration, she blurted out, ¡°You stupid toad!¡±


    n flinched. Then immediately nodded. ¡°Yes, the youngdy is right. I¡¯m a toad. You¡¯re <b>a </b>swan. I¡¯m <b>fully </b>aware of my ce. I would never dare have delusions.¡±


    Taylor was speechless. <i>What </i>the hell is <i>this </i><i>tragic </i><i>self</i><i>¨C</i><i>deprecation</i>?


    ¡°n,¡± she ground out, ¡°do you not understand anything? Would it <i>kill </i>you to just <b>admit </b><b>you </b><b>like </b><b>me</b><b>: </b>


    5979


    Chapter 664 A Confession Too Stupid to Make


    n¡¯s eyes went wide. He lookedpletely dumbfounded.


    Taylor hadunched into a long, indignant rant and was about to storm over and yank the <b>stone </b><b>lion </b><b>from </b>his hand when-


    A calm voice echoed in her earpiece.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Yunice said with a chuckle, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to cavesdrop.¡±


    Taylor froze. Her face flushed scarlet on the spot.


    ¡°I just wanted to remind you your earpiece <b>is </b>still on,¡± Yunice added, amused. ¡°But don¡¯t worry¨C<b>I </b>think n¡¯s vow wasn¡¯t a bad thing.


    Even if he¡¯s ¡®just¡® your bodyguard, that doesn¡¯t mean his feelings are any less real. And that kind of sincerity¡­ is more precious than any promise.¡±

 Daghter 665

    Chapter 665 The Final Blow


    Chapter 665 The Final Blow


    Yunice said nothing more and hung up on her own.


    Taylor was someone who valued love. She believed true love existed¨Cand maybe, just maybe, <b>she </b><b>had </b>found it.


    Yunice stared at the ckboard covered in dense notes. The professor¡¯s mouth kept moving, but none <b>of </b>it registered. Her mind kept reying Wyatt¡¯s recording.


    So he had set his sights on her that early¡­


    The beating in the hallsted a full thirty minutes, but those men still held back just enough not to kill Paul. They didn¡¯t want his life. They wanted their money.


    When the mob finally scattered, Paul dragged his bruised and battered body away like <b>a </b>rat, panicked and filthy.


    As he fled, he stole clothes offundry lines to change his appearance, always watching his back.


    He knew someone would be watching. Some wanted to humiliate him. Others wanted a piece <b>of </b>what was left. Whatever the reason, he couldn¡¯t get caught.


    Only after looping through alleys and changing several times did he step into a convenience store, his <b>face </b>smeared with ash. He tossed a ten onto the counter and grabbed the store¡¯sndline.


    The first number didn¡¯t go through.


    ¡°Bitch,¡± he muttered, and angrily dialed a second.


    It connected.


    Nora¡¯s voice came through, low and even. ¡°Go to building thirty¨Cfour.¡±


    Paul hissed, ¡°I look like roadkill out here. No car, no backup, and you want me to walk to thirty¨Cfour?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I won¡¯te pick you up,¡± Nora replied. ¡°It¡¯s that you¡¯re the bait.


    Taylor let you escape on purpose<b>. </b>She knows with the world against you, the first person you¡¯d run to is your ally¨Cme. Right now, someone is tailing you, waiting for me to appear so they can take us both down.


    As long as I don¡¯t show, you stay free.¡±


    Paul frowned. He wanted to curse her out but had to admit¨Cshe had a point.


    He nced around the store. Maybe he was paranoid, but everyone seemed to be watching him.


    He lowered his voice. ¡°Just don¡¯t screw me over. If I go down, I¡¯ll drag you with me.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Nora said.


    He mmed the phone down.


    <b>20:44 </b>Fri, <b>8 Aug </b>


    Chapter 665 The Final Blow


    Now that he understood Taylor¡¯s angle, he stopped hiding. He wandered openly, dressed like <b>a </b><b>beggar</b>, spending the whole day meandering through Silverburgh.


    And by afternoon, the news of Powell Corporation being shorted had already rocketed to the <b>top </b><b>of </b>every trending list.


    The streets buzzed with news of the Powell family¡¯s copse.


    Business partners scrambled online¨Ceither distancing themselves or joining the attacks. Powell Corporation was now a byword for fraud.


    People are self¨Cpreserving by nature. And now, no one from the Powell family dared toe forward <b>to </b>defend thepany.


    No one¡­ except Taylor.


    Having already won public support by exposing Paul¡¯s lies, she bypassed the family <b>elders </b>and stood alone before the press, speaking on behalf of Powell Corporation.


    She said, ¡°As Paul¡¯s wife, I am deeply ashamed of what Powell Corporation has be. But I am not just his wife. Like my father, I am a businesswoman with a conscience. I cannot stand by while my husband <b>lies </b>and exploits others. To prevent the debt from spiraling further, I have chosen to expose him and cut our losses.¡±


    The livestream chat exploded.


    ¡°Ms. Taylor is fearless! A true boss! She¡¯s got more guts than the entire Powell nbined!¡±


    ¡°Make Ms. Taylor the CEO! She¡¯s the only one who deserves it!¡±


    ¡°Whoa, easy there. You want her to take over Powell now? It¡¯s a burning ship¨Cwhy should she be the one to clean up her scumbag husband¡¯s mess<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <i>¡°</i>Exactly. She got cheated on, lied to, and now people want her to inherit the debt too? Give me a break.¡± ¡°She shouldn¡¯t owe a dime. If anything, the court should dere her marriage to Paul null and void.¡±


    ¡°If Ms. Taylor ends up having to shoulder Paul¡¯s debt, who the hell would want to get married anymore? I¡¯m not signing up to be someone¡¯s financial backup n.¡±

 Daghter 666

    Chapter 666 Cornered by the Past


    Chapter 666 Cornered by the Past


    Watching the flood ofments pour in. Taylor smiled confidently.


    * Free Cons


    Whether or not she could divorce Paul smoothly was another matter¨Cfor now, she had seized the high ground in public opinion.


    Everything she did today would be the foundation for her future business endeavors.


    Medical University.


    At the end of ss, the lecturer, Laurie, walked past Yunice¡¯s desk and tapped on it twice with her finger.


    A signal.


    As students flooded out of the ssroom like a tide, Yunice headed in the direction of the academic affairs


    office.


    ¡°Well, well. You¡¯re bold enough to ck off in my ss now?¡± Laurie crossed her arms and leaned against <i>the </i>wall, blocking Yunice¡¯s path with one leg.


    Yunice apologized. ¡°That was the best chance to strike back at Paul¡­¡±


    There was no way she would let a chance like that slip by.


    Laurie wasn¡¯t angry¨Ccollege students zoning out during lectures was nothing new.


    She had stopped Yunice mainly to ask if she¡¯d listened to the recording. What did <i>she </i>think?


    Yunice asked, ¡°Think about what?¡±


    Laurie clicked her tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb with me.¡±


    ¡°After hearing Wyatt¡¯s exnation, didn¡¯t you feel even the slightest urge to get back together with him?¡± Her eyes sparkled with mischief.


    But Yunice smiled calmly. ¡°Not at all.¡±


    Walking side by side, Yunice continued in a serene voice, ¡°There¡¯s no rule in the world that says someone must be good to someone else. Back then, we both had our difficulties, so neither of us stepped in when the other needed help.¡±


    ¡°Both of you?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t meless either. When I was little, I grew up in a happy home, surrounded by the love of my father and brother, Back then, I thought being loved was the norm. Wyatt wasn¡¯t like us kids who were surrounded by love. Paul said his mom was a gold¨Cdigger who secretly had Wyatt just to get her hands on money. Kids tend to hate anyone they think is breaking up their families, and we were a tight¨Cknit group around Paul, so we naturally believed what he said. Because if Wyatt was a good kid, why didn¡¯t his dad love him? Paul used to lead us to the Powell family¡¯s little courtyard to bully Wyatt. The boys were rough¨Cno trick too dirty¨Cand the girls just stood at the back, silent aplices. Later, I thought it had gone too far, but I kept second¨Cguessing myself. Was I being overly sympathetic, like they said? How could I feel sorry for a kid who ruined someone else¡¯s family? So I asked my dad if Wyatt had


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    <b>20:44 </b><b>Fri</b><b>, </b><b>8 </b>Aug


    Chapter 666 Cornered by the Past


    SFree Coins


    really done something wrong. My dad just patted my head and told me not to worry about what others did Nuonuo should never do bad things. Later, my dad said he needed to go abroad for a while and <b>wanted </b>to take me with him. But the Powell family refused. They used the engagement between me and Paul <b>as </b><b>an </b>excuse to make me stay, saying they¡¯d take care of me. I don¡¯t know what kind of pressure the Powell family put on my dad, but in the end, he didn¡¯t leave, and neither did L¡±


    Laurie¡¯s face darkened. She was a mother too, and she could understand what that must have been like. ¡°Your dad must¡¯ve sensed how ugly the Powell Corporation was under the surface. He knew that engagement would hurt you, and he was trying to fix it.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice was soft. ¡°But he was just a doctor. No matter how skilled he was, he was still just a doctor. He had a family to support and three underage kids to care for. He couldn¡¯t afford any risks. He used to tell me he was sorry. Later, I found out that even the engagement between me and Paul was something the Powell family forced him to agree to. It was their way of roping him in. The Powell family tried to dress it up like they were just showing gratitude. They were so fake. I only saw their true face after my dad passed away. But by then, I had already gone along with Paul and done a lot of things that hurt Wyatt. Even if <b>I </b>neverid a hand on him, I still stood on the other side. Wyatt thought I didn¡¯t dare ask him for help because we were on opposite sides. But that wasn¡¯t it. I just couldn¡¯t empathize with who I used to be. Every time I saw him, I remembered how I¡¯d helped Paul hurt him and his mom. It made me feel ashamed. So deeply ashamed.¡±


    Laurie snapped, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, and it¡¯s not Wyatt¡¯s either. It¡¯s Paul¡¯s!¡±


    ¡°You feel guilty for bullying him as a kid, and he feels guilty for not protecting you. Then why don¡¯t you two just talk it out and make peace already?¡±


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°Love isn¡¯t math. You can¡¯t just add and subtract to figure it out¡­¡±


    Laurie opened her mouth to say more, but her phone started ringing.


    She nced at the screen. It was Wyatt.


    She quickly shushed Yunice and


    wered. ¡°Hello? Mr. Cooper, what can I do for you?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s irritated voice came through. ¡°Did you or did you not remind Yunice about the recorder? Why hasn¡¯t she done anything about it yet?¡±

 Daghter 667

    Chapter 667 Web of Shadows


    Laurie scratched her nose and said with feigned awkwardness, ¡°Oh no, I¡¯ve been so busy <b>prepping </b><b>for </b>ss these past few days¨CI totally forgot.¡±


    Wyatt was so furious he could barely speak. ¡°You didn¡¯t bother remembering something this important<b>? </b>Do you want me to tear up your prep notes?!¡±


    Laurie burst outughing. ¡°This is your problem, not mine. If you think I¡¯m unreliable, why don¡¯t you <b>go </b>talk to Yunice yourself?¡±


    That clearly hit a nerve¨CWyatt choked on his words before snapping impatiently, ¡°Where did you hide the recorder?¡±


    Laurie examined her nailszily. ¡°Inside a rainbow¨Ccolored rose bear. Her roommate should¡¯ve left it on her bed.¡±


    Wyatt figured Yunice hadn¡¯t returned to the dormst night, so she probably hadn¡¯t discovered the bear


    yet.


    He hung up without another word.


    Laurie raised an eyebrow. ¡°No goodbye?¡±


    She slipped her phone away and looked at Yunice. ¡°That¡¯s what he gets for yelling at mest time.¡±


    Yunice, truth be told, was also dragging her feet. She hadn¡¯t promised Wyatt anything, so going to him. directly felt like admitting she knew about his confession.


    And that would mean having to make a choice.


    Instead of rushing into a decision, Yunice preferred to buy time¨Cone day at a time.


    Just then, her phone rang.


    Laurie grinned. ¡°Bet it¡¯s Wyatt.¡±


    Sure enough, it was.


    ¡°Babe¡­¡±


    Laurie heard the sudden softness in Wyatt¡¯s tone and immediately winced. Talk about a total attitude switch.


    ¡°Are you back at the dorm?¡± Wyatt asked.


    ¡°Just finished ss. Not yet.¡±


    Knowing exactly what Wyatt was stalling for, Yunice deliberately teased, ¡°Are you waiting for me <b>outside </b>campus<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt quickly changed the subject. ¡°I¡¯m back in Silverburgh. You should stay at the dorm <b>for </b><b>the </b><b>next </b><b>few </b>days. Oh, and I had Nora sent away. But she snuck back, so I need to exin <b>that</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    18


    Yunice raised an eyebrow. He wasing clean that easily?


    She already knew Nora had returned¨Cbut she hadn¡¯t expected Wyatt to be the <b>one </b><b>to </b><b>confess</b>.


    Wyatt exined, ¡°I let her go on purpose. She might be linked to your brother¡¯s case. So I <b>can¡¯t </b>move against her just yet.¡±


    Laurie shot a nce at Yunice, surprised there was still more going on with Nora..


    She¡¯d assumed Wyatt let Nora go just to look like a good guy.


    Yunice had thought the same.


    Wyatt imed Nora might be connected to Oscar? That didn¡¯t make any sense. They had nothing <b>to </b>do, with each other.


    Wyatt continued, ¡°Your brother¡¯s case should¡¯ve been closed a long time ago, but he¡¯s refused to <b>exin </b>why he was at Elsie¡¯s hotel that day.¡±


    Yunice already knew this part. She couldn¡¯t figure out what Oscar had been thinking either.


    Wyatt fell silent for a moment before suggesting, ¡°I think it has something to do with you.¡±


    Yunice frowned.


    ¡°The police found that on the night he went to the hotel, Oscar¡¯s phone shredded a file from an unknown source. There¡¯s no way to trace it now. That file is probably the key.¡±


    Yunice still didn¡¯t understand¨Cwhat did any of that have to do with Nora?


    Wyatt said, ¡°I¡¯m only specting for now. Whether I¡¯m right depends on what Paul does next. Anyway, be careful. Check your dorm thoroughly¨Cdon¡¯t let anything suspicious slip by.¡±


    Laurie rolled her eyes. All that buildup just to get Yunice to discover the recorder?


    What a scheming man.


    Yunice had been lost in thought ever since she hung up.


    She came to a stop and turned to Laurie. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the dorm.¡±


    Laurie nodded. ¡°Go on.¡±


    At the dorm, Jennie and Lena were both around.


    Yunice climbed into her bunk and pulled the curtain shut. Once she¡¯d confirmed there were no surveince devices nearby, shey on her desk with a notebook and began sketching out a rtionship


    map.


    Nora.


    Paul.


    Oscar.


    <b>Elsie</b><b>. </b>


    Morgan.


    Yunice wrote their names down one by one.


    Nora had no direct ties to either Oscar or Elsie.


    She was Morgan¡¯s sister and Paul¡¯s subordinate.


    Morgan and Paul couldn¡¯t stand each other, while Nora clearly cared a lot about her brother<i>. </i>


    Elsie, meanwhile, had improper ties with both Morgan and Paul.


    <i>What </i>a mess.


    Yunice couldn¡¯t figure out what role Nora could possibly y in Elsie¡¯s <b>case</b>.


    Just then, Laurie messaged her: ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    Wyatt only said all that to set up his little recorder stunt. There might not even be anything to it.


    But Yunice was a stickler for details.


    She immediately called Taylor to ask how Paul was doing.


    ¤Ê

 Daghter 668

    Chapter 668 The Traitor and the Rat


    <b>As </b>soon as the topic came up. Taylor grew frustrated. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yunice. I let him <b>slip </b><b>away</b>. <b>I </b><b>had </b>someone tailing him the whole time, hoping to use him to find the mastermind pulling <b>the </b><b>strings </b>Paul really was stopping and starting, like he was waiting for someone. But just now, while crossing <b>an </b>intersection, he suddenly got hit by a car. And what a coincidence¨Can ambnce just <b>happened </b><b>to </b><b>be </b>passing by. They loaded him in¡­¡±


    Yunice cut in, ¡°And now that ambnce has vanished, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    Taylor gave a short hum. ¡°The ambnce was fake. Someone nned it on purpose.¡±


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°Interesting¡­ now this is the kind of opponent worth facing.


    ¡°But Yunice,¡± Taylor said, ¡°we have no idea where Paul is now.¡±


    ¡°If he won¡¯t show himself, it just means he¡¯s guilty and on the run. He¡¯s definitely going down for <b>financial </b>crimes.¡±


    Taylor ground his teeth. ¡°He killed my father. He ruined so many people¡¯s lives. Prison is too easy for <b>him</b><b>. </b>


    ¡°Who said anything about prison?¡± Yunice said calmly. ¡°Letting him wander around out there, cold, starving, constantly on the run, living every day in fear¨Cisn¡¯t that much more satisfying than locking him up?¡±


    Taylor¡¯s eyes were filled with bitter hatred. His voice turned icy. ¡°The once¨Cglorious little prince of Silverburgh, now reduced to a rat everyone wants to beat up¨Cfighting beggars for clothes and dogs for scraps. Yeah, that¡¯s way more fun than prison.¡±


    Paul had burned every bridge. Lu Jingxiong had thrown him away like trash. The old man had his own problems. And the Powell family? Not a single rtive would lift a finger for him.


    The only person who might help him now¡­ was that trusted strategist of his.


    But who was this so¨Ccalled strategist?


    No matter how hard Taylor tried, she couldn¡¯t figure out who Paul trusted so much¨Cenough to stake his entire life on them.


    More importantly, where was he hiding now?


    Paul limped out of the ambnce, his gait uneven, and scrambled into a car with Nora¡¯s help. He moved his legs as fast as he could, ducking his head inside.


    His eyes scanned the area nervously, full of fear. Nora stood by the door and said gently, ¡°We¡¯re safe here. No one will look for me.¡±


    Paul nced at the remote, desertedndscape and snorted. ¡°You short¨Csighted fool. You think this <b>ce </b><b>is </b>safe?


    All it takes is one drone flying over, and they¡¯ll spot me!


    And this dump doesn¡¯t even have water or electricity. What am I supposed to eat? Drink? <b>How </b><b>the </b><b>hell </b><b>do </b>1


    take a shower<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>He </b>still hadn¡¯t grasped the reality of being a fugitive¨Cstill clinging to his pride.


    Nora said nothing. She didn¡¯t know where else to hide either.


    Wyatt was hunting her too. She was just as much of a target as Paul.


    She had nowhere else to go but the Johnson family.


    Seeing her silence, Paul suddenly exploded,shing out by grabbing her throat and yanking her <b>violently </b>into the car.


    ¡°Nora! Didn¡¯t you say you had a way to stabilize the Powell Corporation for me? You¡¯re the one who told me to go to that press conference! You opened the door for them! If it weren¡¯t for you, how would they have set me up like that?!¡±


    His grip tightened. His expression was twisted, all cruel smirks with no warmth in his eyes. ¡°Are you working for Wyatt now? Are theying to get me?¡±


    Nora¡¯s eyes rolled back as she struggled to breathe, but she didn¡¯t fight his hands away<i>. </i>


    With thest bit of strength she had, she forced out, ¡°¡­I¡¯m still useful¡­¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes narrowed. He let her go.


    He didn¡¯t trust Nora¨Cnot even close. But after Wei Lin broke his hand at the press conference and the car ident injured his right leg, he was in no condition to go anywhere on his own. He <i>had </i>no choice but <i>to </i>keep her alive for now.


    He sneered. ¡°I¡¯m guessing you wouldn¡¯t dare anyway. I¡¯ve still got dirt on you.¡±


    Nora clutched her burning throat with one hand while her other hand, behind her back, silently bent <i>the </i>silver bracelet she had straightened earlier and slipped it back onto her wrist.


    (


    If Paul hadn¡¯t let go just now, she would¡¯ve driven that straightened bracelet into his throat like a dagger.


    She wasn¡¯t going <i>to </i>die at the hands of someone like him.


    Now that she had reestablished a fragile bnce with Paul, Nora started proving her value. ¡°Mr. Paul, aren¡¯t you curious who scammed you out of your money?¡±


    Paul gave her a long look, sensing she had more to say.


    Nora continued, ¡°Taylor has always been under the Powell family¡¯s watch. Even the Powells didn¡¯t know you¡¯d embezzledpany funds¨Cso how would someone like her, a sidelined nobody, find out and expose you right on stage? She timed it perfectly. The second you got scammed, she rushed to report you, came out squeaky clean, and won over the inte. Now everyone¡¯s backing her to take over the Powell Corporation. She was the biggest surprise beneficiary of this whole setup.¡±


    Paul frowned. ¡°You think Taylor¡¯s the one who scammed me?¡±

 Daghter 669

    Chapter 669 The Knife in the Dark


    ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t Taylor, she¡¯s definitely involved somehow.


    Nora said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s her or someone else, why don¡¯t you just grab her and ask?¡±


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to make a move.


    Paul nced impatiently at his arm, swollen like a turnip. He jerked his chin toward Nora. <b>¡°</b>Patch me <b>up</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Earlier, when Nora got out of the ambnce, she had indeed grabbed a first¨Caid kit¨Cbut it was iplete.


    She used a stick and gauze to support Paul¡¯s fractured wrist. ¡°There¡¯s no anesthetic in the kit, and not enough gauze for a second round. Mr. Paul, you¡¯d better find a proper ce to hide. That¡¯s the only long- term n.¡±


    Paul was in so much pain he nearly passed out. Whenever the agony became unbearable, he dug his fingers into Nora¡¯s arm just to make her suffer along with him.


    Still, Nora gritted her teeth and finished securing his injury.


    By the time she was done, Paul was soaked in cold sweat. He shot her a vicious nce. This woman could really take pain¨Che¡¯d nearly ripped the flesh off her arm, and she hadn¡¯t made a sound.


    Much more entertaining than Elsie ever was.


    But the moment Nora noticed his malicious stare, she instinctively stepped back.


    Paul sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. You think I¡¯d touch you? I¡¯d rather do it myself.¡±


    Nora¡¯s face went pale in an instant. A flicker of hatred shed through her eyes.


    1


    Paul looked pleased with himself. ¡°I do have a few private properties under my name, but I bet Wyatt has men staking them out. I¡¯ve got a better hiding spot in mind.¡±


    While Paul was still on the run, Jensen had gone dark.


    Rumor had it Jensen had fled with the money long ago,


    Meanwhile, the Powell family¡¯s rtives were busy dividing up shares and profits¨Cand had jointly sued both Paul and Taylor, demandingpensation for the losses.


    Onlinementary was harsh, but the marriagews were strict. Taylor, however, had Cooper Corp. backing her.


    Cooper Corp¡¯s legal and PR teams stepped in together, even livestreaming legal breakdowns, and cleared Taylor of any liability.


    All thanks to the Powell Corporation¡¯s own paranoia. They¡¯d always kept Taylor at arm¡¯s length, pushing her to be a housewife and gradually stripping her of rights.


    As a result, Taylor had never been involved in thepany¡¯s investments or internal management.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b>669 The Knife in the Dark


    <b>She </b><b>was </b><b>also </b>the clear victim¨CPaul had taken her premarital <b>assets</b>. It was <b>marriage </b>fraud.


    So even as husband and wife, Taylor bore no legal responsibility for Paul¡¯s crimes.


    Still, Yunice got a call warning her to be careful and stay close to n.


    Too many people had been dragged down by Powell Corp. If they couldn¡¯t get to Paul, <b>they </b><b>might </b><b>go </b><b>after </b>the people around him.


    Taylor understood that well. She¡¯d even installed cameras inside the fridge in case someone <b>tried </b>to poison her.


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± Taylor said, ¡°did you see the news today?


    Morgan swallowed a razor de in prison and applied for medical parole.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s brow furrowed.


    Taylor continued, ¡°The Powell Corporation mess is hogging all the headlines. It pushed Morgan¡¯s <b>case </b><b>out </b>of the spotlight. Hardly anyone¡¯s talking about it now.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a coincidence. The Johnson family had picked the timing deliberately.


    Medical parole now, international escape next. Wait a few years for the dust to settle, change identities<b>, </b><b>and </be back like nothing ever happened.


    They had it all nned out.


    After the call ended, Yunice couldn¡¯t help thinking how inconvenient her practical rotation <b>was </b>at the moment. Otherwise, she¡¯d definitely be back in Silverburgh, stirring up the chaos herself.


    ¡°Yunice, someone from your family¡¯s here. They¡¯re waiting in the advisor¡¯s office. You should go.¡±


    A passing ssmate ryed the message.


    ¡°Family?¡±


    Only Wyatt, Mr. Carl, and Mr. Kingsley knew she had enrolled in med school.


    <i>¡°</i><i>Who </i><i>had </i><ie</i><i>? </i>


    Yunice went to the office.


    As soon as she stepped in, the door closed behind her.


    She turned, frowning, and saw that it was Nora¡¯s father¨CBenjamin¨Cwho had shut it.


    Morgan¡¯s father.


    Yunice turned again, her eyesnding on the elderly woman seated with stiff dignity at the <b>desk </b>


    The advisor was respectfully serving tea. ¡°Madam Mary, if you¡¯d told us Yunice <b>was </b><b>your </b>granddaughter<b>, </b>we would¡¯ve taken extra care of her.¡±


    213


    <b>Chapter </b><b>669 </b><b>The </b>Knife in the Dark


    Benjamin <b>wore </b>a uniform in Silverburgh, and people fawned <b>over </b>him.


    Madam Mary waved the advisor away with thinly veiled disdain. She wanted to <b>speak </b><b>to </b><b>her </b>granddaughter alone.


    The advisor seemed ready to leave, but Yunice immediately protested. ¡°They¡¯re not <b>my </b><b>family</b>.¡±


    The advisor gave her a look, ignored her words, told her to be polite, and shut the door <b>on </b><b>his </b><b>way </b><b>out</b><b>. </b>


    Mary spoke. ¡°Where did you hide my granddaughter?¡±


    <i>Nora</i><i>? </i>


    Oh. Aftering back by sea, Nora hadn¡¯t dared return <i>to </i>the Johnson family, which meant Madam <b>Mary </b>couldn¡¯t find her.


    Yunice asked in return, ¡°Nora came to med school?¡±


    Mary¡¯s tone turned sharp. ¡°You know exactly what you did. Don¡¯t think Wyatt¡¯s protection <b>means </b>anything. If youy a finger on Nora, he¡¯lle for you eventually.¡±


    Siap for p

 Daghter 670

    Chapter 670 p for p


    Yunice sneered in defiance. ¡°How soon is ¡®sooner OFter¡®? Will you even be alive to see it?


    ¡°You!¡± The old woman clenched her fists, her voice dripping with venom. ¡°Are you cursing me to dien


    ¡°Shane! p her mouth!¡±


    Clearly, the old hag was used to being the tyrant at home¨Canyone who disobeyed her got pped.


    ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Shane rolled up his sleeves and stepped toward Yunice.


    He had a routine for hitting people¨Cgrab the cor first, make sure the target couldn¡¯t dodge. Then <b>raise </b>the other hand high, ready to strike with full force.


    One p like that could damn near deafen someone.


    Yunice was tall but slender, without much weight. Shane casily seized her cor and raised his hand high<b>. </b>


    Smack! A sharp, ringing p!


    Madam Mary sipped her tea with satisfaction as the sound echoed. But something was off¨Cshe hadn¡¯t heard the girl cry out in pain.


    Did Shane knock her out cold with one hit?


    Madam Mary looked up¨Cand nearly leapt out of her wheelchair.


    ¡°Sh¨CShane, you¡¯re bleeding from the nose¡­ What¡¯s that on your face?!¡±


    Then it hit her. Furious, she shouted, ¡°You little brat! You hit my child?!¡±


    Shane was stunned too, trying to piece together what just happened.


    When he¡¯d grabbed Yunice¡¯s cor, she hadn¡¯t resisted at all. She¡¯d looked like a scared little chick, totally frozen.


    So he¡¯d let his guard down. That¡¯s when Yunice, taking advantage of the close distance, pped him square across the face, cutting off his strike mid¨Cswing.


    That p pissed him off. As he reeled back, he swung again.


    But Yunice was faster¨Cshe hit his other cheek before his hand even came down.


    Her hands were small, but her strikes were fast and fierce, sharp like a baby¡¯s surprise jab¨Cimpossible to defend against.


    And she didn¡¯t aim for humiliation¨Cshe went for the kill, pping straight across his ear.


    The force of the strike rattled his eardrum, sending pain straight to the bone.


    His raised arm faltered. He bent over, clutching his ear in agony.


    <b>Then </b>Yunice kicked him below the belt¨Cevery move ruthless and final<b>, </b>with <b>zero </b><b>thought </b>for the aftermath.


    Shane copsed to the ground, face twisted in pain,pletely incapable of fighting back.


    The old hag shrieked like a banshee. ¡°You little devil! You¡¯ve gone rabid! You¡¯re nothing <b>but </b><b>a </b><b>wild </b><b>bitche </b>Yunice shot back, ¡°What, you can¡¯t stand the sight of me? Then get up and do something about <b>it</b>.


    Oh wait, you can¡¯t get up, can you? A cursed old hag like you doesn¡¯t deserve a healthy body.


    And don¡¯t you dare ¡®you, you, you¡® me. Let¡¯s get one thing straight¨Cyou¡¯re not my mother<b>¨C</b><b>in</b>w<b>. </b><b>Don¡¯t </b>think you can y the elder card just because of Wyatt.


    To me, you¡¯re just a decrepit hag. If I don¡¯t like you, I¡¯ll p you, and what the hell are you gonna do about it?¡±


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Madam Mary¡¯s voice cracked from rage.


    But before she even finished the sentence, Yunice was already in front of her.


    She lightly patted Madam Mary¡¯s cheek¨Cthen, while the old woman was <b>still </b>stunned, delivered <b>a </b>solid p across her face.


    ¡°So what if I did?¡± Yunice said coolly.


    Madam Mary stared, wide¨Ceyed. More than pain, she was overwhelmed by shock.


    ¡°This your first p in life?¡± Yunice said. ¡°You should be honored. I don¡¯t hit just anyone.¡±


    She didn¡¯t see Madam Mary as a threat. Just another old bag, no matter how vicious.


    Everyone assumed Yunice was fragile, some delicate wife whose wrist could snap in one grab.


    But no one remembered¨Cshe came out of a mental asylum. Her reflexes were forged in realbat.


    Do lunatics hold back in a fight?


    Every swing was meant to kill. Without that kind of ferocity, she wouldn¡¯t have made it out alive.


    These self¨Cimportant fools never stopped to think.


    Yunice casually strolled in a circle around Madam Mary¡¯s wheelchair. ¡°Why are you looking for Nora?


    Haven¡¯t you always hated her?


    You y the doting elder in public, but weren¡¯t all her bruises your doing?


    You¡¯re just some bitter old relic stuck in the dark ages¨Ca sexist, tyrannical witch of a mother¨Cin¨C<bw</b>.


    And since you¡¯re here asking me where Nora is, that means you know she came to the med school <b>to </b>find me. Odds are, you forced her toe.


    You¡¯re dying to see her fall, so you can use her name to emotionally ckmail me and Wyatt,


    Chapter 670 p for p


    <b>You </b>don¡¯t give a damn where she is. You just want to use her to cover for your <b>murderous </b><b>golden </b>boy


    Yunice cast a scornful nce at the old woman. ¡°I don¡¯t go looking for trouble, and I <b>don¡¯t </b><b>care </b>about the twisted drama between you Johnsons and Wyatt.


    But if you¡¯re dumb enough to drag it to my face, then you can kiss that face goodbye<b>. </b>

 Daghter 671

    Chapter 671 Blood Price


    Chapter 671 Blood Price


    +10 Free Coins


    While they argued, Shane finally managed to stumble upright, walking toward Yunice with <b>an </b>awkward, twisted gait¨Clike he meant to snuff out her fire.


    Yunice nced at him with a mocking smile, not moving an inch. ¡°You look like one of those zombies. from nts vs. Zombies. Ugly as hell.¡±


    Her slender neck tilted slightly, eyes sharp and cold. ¡°Wyatt has bodyguards watching over me at all times. Won¡¯t be long before he realizes you people snatched me. I¡¯m really curious¨Cwhen he walks in and sees the three of us together, whose side will he take?¡±


    Madam Mary immediately brightened, baring her teeth in a cruel smile. ¡°I saved his life, you know. He was only born because of me!


    All these years, he¡¯s treated me like a second mother. And you think you canpete with that?¡±


    Yunice casually shoved away the staggering Shane and dropped into the seat beside Madam Mary withnguid ease. ¡°Talk too much and you¡¯ll end up pping yourself in the face.¡±


    She stared at the old woman with cool amusement. ¡°Careful you don¡¯t overy your hand and ruin the rest of your life.¡±


    The old witch sneered. ¡°He¡¯s in Silverburgh. It¡¯ll take him at least forty minutes to get here. Too far to matter.¡±


    ¡°So you only came to find me while he¡¯s gone?¡± Yunice said. ¡°How pathetic. Looks like even you know Wyatt won¡¯t help you.¡±


    Madam Mary choked on her reply.


    Shane stood hunched over like a castrated court eunuch, ncing at his mother, waiting for orders. What now? Should they really wait for Wyatt?


    But he was also terrified Yunice would hit him again. That girl didn¡¯t hold back.


    Madam Mary gave him a small nod¨Cpermission to use force.


    Shane immediately lifted his phone and spoke into it. ¡°Send in two men.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t handle Yunice alone¨Cbut what about two? Or five? Or ten?


    The door burst open. Two burly men stormed in, faces vicious.


    One of them held a white towel¨Cobviously meant to knock someone out.


    If she got smothered unconscious, who knew what they¡¯d do to her afterward?


    Seeing Yunice¡¯s stiff expression/Madam Mary grinned wickedly.


    Young people always thought they had everything figured out.


    A sharp tongue meant nothing. Only a vicious hand could survive.


    III


    O


    <b>1/2 </b>


    17:30 <b>Mon</b>, 11 <b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 671 Blood Price


    <b>As </b>the men stepped forward, Yunice quickly leapt up and flung a chair at them. ¡°Get <b>away </b><b>from </b><b>me </b>


    Shane smirked from the side. ¡°What happened, Ms. Yunice? You were so fierce before. Scared of just <b>two </b>guys?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Rx. You¡¯re Wyatt¡¯s woman¨Cwe wouldn¡¯t dare humiliate you. But you do need to be taught a lesson. You hid Madam¡¯s beloved granddaughter, and she lost control in a moment of desperation. Even <b>if </b><b>Wyatt </b>gets mad, what¡¯s he going to do¨Cscold an old woman? Don¡¯t forget, my mother saved his and his mother¡¯s life. That¡¯s a debt he can never repay.¡±


    Yunice ran around the office twice, but she was eventually trapped between the two men. One pressed down on her shoulder des, forcing her over the desk in front of the old hag.


    She struggled, but couldn¡¯t break free. Strands of her long hair fell across her check.


    Madam Mary stared at that beautiful, bewitching face, and jealousy twisted in her chest.


    Her eyes dropped to Yunice¡¯s delicate hands. She growled, ¡°Hold her hand down on the desk.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s wrist was pinned. Her fingers were slender and smooth, nearly wless, her nails glossy like spring onions¨Cclearly well cared for.


    But those pretty hands had delivered some brutal ps.


    The old woman¡¯s beady eyes filled with hate. ¡°If you hadn¡¯t seduced him out of nowhere, he¡¯d never have turned his back on the Johnson family.<i>¡± </i>


    Yunice replied, ¡°Wyatt belongs to himself, not to any of you. You think I seduced him? You ever consider he was just too disgusted by you to keep ying along?¡±


    The old woman¡¯s jaw tightened. She reached into a cup on the desk and pulled out a fountain pen.


    The cap ttered to the floor, revealing a sharp metal nib.


    Yunice stared her down. The old woman red back. Both were locked in a silent standoff.


    Madam Mary¡¯s hand tightened around the pen¨Cthen released it, setting it aside.


    Shane blinked in confusion. ¡°You¡¯re letting her go<i>? </i>Don¡¯t listen to her scare tactics. Wyatt knows how to -repay kindness. There¡¯s no turning back now. We can¡¯t let her off!¡±


    The old woman snapped, ¡°Who said I¡¯m letting her go? Go get a box of suturing needles.¡±


    There happened to be one in the desk drawer.


    Shane brought it over, cradling <i>it </i>in both hands. ¡°Where do you want it?¡±


    He thought she meant to sew Yunice¡¯s lips shut¨Cliterally.


    But Madam Mary took the needle, straightened it out, then looked at the pale blue veins in Yunice¡¯s <b>arm</b><b>. </b>

 Daghter 672

    Chapter 672 Needle to the Heart


    Yunice scoffed. ¡°You old hag. And here I thought you actually had some guts. Turns out <b>you¡¯re </b><b>just </b>a coward hiding behind dirty tricks. You were nning to bury that needle in my veinlet it ride <b>through </b>my bloodstream until it reached my heart. It wouldn¡¯t kill me right away, but it¡¯d be enough to <b>take </b><b>the </b>out slowly. You think that if I¡¯m gone, Wyatt will never build his own family. That you can keep him all <b>to </b>yourself, forever.¡±


    The needle in Madam Mary¡¯s hand trembled. This woman¨Cshe really could see straight into people¡¯s darkest thoughts.


    Yes, that¡¯s exactly what she¡¯d nned. Scratching her face or breaking her fingers wouldn¡¯t be <b>enough</b>. Yunice had to die, or the threat would never end.


    But Yunice suddenly burst outughing. ¡°Idiot. Can¡¯t even be a proper viin. You were so busy <b>gloating </b>you forgot to knock me out first. Did you really think I¡¯d just sit here, fully conscious, while you stabbed a needle into my vein¨Cand not tell Wyatt afterward?¡±


    Madam Mary¡¯s stomach dropped.


    That was exactly her n. The needle was fine and short, painful upon entry, but once inside the bloodstream, it¡¯d be undetectable.


    If Yunice were unconscious when it happened, even after waking up, she wouldn¡¯t know what was wrong- let alone think to ask for help.


    But now Yunice had figured it all out. And if she didn¡¯t die fast enough, the Johnson family would be <b>the </b>first ones facing Wyatt¡¯s wrath.


    But Yunice had already seen everything¡­


    Panic rising, the old woman snapped to the two men, ¡°Hold her down! Don¡¯t let her move!¡±


    Just then, the two thugs pinning Yunice suddenly staggered¨Cand mmed to the floor with a crash.


    ¡°Yunice!¡± Wyatt¡¯s voice came from nowhere, and in a sh, he was at her side.


    ¡°¡­Wyatt?¡± Madam Mary stammered,pletely stunned. ¡°Weren¡¯t you in Silverburgh? How did you teleport here? How are you this fast?!¡±


    Yunice narrowed her eyes and copsed delicately into Wyatt¡¯s arms.


    She looked like a fragile willow in the wind, delicate and helpless¨Clike a scene out of some drama.


    Wyatt¡¯s face was full of panic. He didn¡¯t know where she was hurt.


    He turned toward Madam Mary and shouted, ¡°What did you do to her?!¡±


    What did they do?


    They didn¡¯t even have toy a finger on her. Yunice had been running her mouth moments <b>ago</b><b>, </b>full of <b>fire </b>-and now she looked like death.


    <b>13 </b>


    O


    Chapter 672 Needle to the Heart


    She was clearly faking it!


    Why couldn¡¯t Wyatt see it? Didn¡¯t he notice the bruises on Shane¡¯s face, or the blood on here


    Madam Mary barked, ¡°Wyatt,e to your senses! She¡¯s pretending! She¡¯s the one who attacked us!¡±


    She jabbed a finger at the welt on her cheek. ¡°She pped me! Wyatt, she pped me in the face!


    Wyatt snapped, ¡°So your response was to hurt her?!¡±


    <i>So </i>what<i>? </i>


    Wasn¡¯t the real issue that she had been pped?


    She got hit and she¡¯s the one in the wrong now?!


    Fuming, Madam Mary tried to retort¨Cbut the look in Wyatt¡¯s eyes froze the words in her throat.


    He was looking at her like she was already dead.


    Her heart sank. Had this woman really bewitched himpletely?


    But when Wyatt looked at Yunice again, all that cold fury softened into deep concern.


    He cradled her protectively and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you hurt? Tell me¨Cwhere does it hurt?¡±


    Yunice murmured, ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ a little scared. Madam Mary said I seduced you. Said the only way you¡¯d <b>ever </b>stop thinking about building a home with me¡­ was if I died¡­¡±


    Madam Mary and Shane stood there, speechless¨Cutterly dumbfounded.


    That woman was spewing pure lies!


    Madam Mary trembled, hands shaking in fury. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say?! Wyatt, open your eyes! She¡¯s pretending! She¡¯s lying to you!


    She was fine before you came inpletely fine!¡±


    But Wyatt wasn¡¯t even listening. His focus was solely on Yunice.


    She gave a few soft coughs in his arms and added weakly, ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. She was going to stab the needle into my vein¡­ let it flow <i>to </i>my heart¡­ so I¡¯d die.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes reddened. He looked at Madam Mary with a storm of pain and rage.


    The old woman¡¯s hand jerked behind her back, trying to hide the needle she still held.


    But the gesture was all too obvious.


    Wyatt lifted Yunice gently and pulled a chair over, cing her down carefully.


    Then he took off his jacket and draped it over herp.


    Standing in front of her, shielding herpletely, he fixed Madam Mary with a cold, cutting stare.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    <b>17:31 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>11 </b>Aug


    Chapter 672 Needle to the Heart


    <b>¡°</b>You know she¡¯s my wife.¡±


    Yunice sat curled behind him, small and smug. Like a cat, her triumphant gaze peeked <b>out </b><b>from </b><b>behind </b>Wyatt¡¯s broad back, aimed straight at Madam Mary..


    The old woman nearly choked from rage¨Cbut worse was the sinking dread in her gut.


    Because this time, Wyatt was truly, absolutely furious.

 Daghter 673

    Chapter 673 Rules of Blood


    Chapter 673 Rules of Blood


    <b>+10 </b>Free Coin


    ¡°My wife is part of me. Did I give you the illusion that some outsider had the right toy a hand on <b>what¡¯s </b>mine? Then that illusion ends today. You need <i>to </i>be reminded who you should really be currying favor. with.¡±


    Madam Mary and Shane exchanged a panicked look.


    What was <i>he </i><i>trying </i><i>to </i>prove<i>? </i>


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept over the two. ¡°Which of you was behind this?¡±


    Madam Mary frowned, her tone sharp. ¡°Shane had nothing to do with it. I was the one who nned everything. I know she¡¯s your wife, but since your mother passed carly, I thought I¡¯d help by softening her temper. Look at her¨Cnarrow¨Cminded, vulgar, rude even to me. You¡¯d really trust someone like that by


    your side? And why are you angry? I didn¡¯t actually her. Do you see a single puncture wound on her


    body?¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Strange, I¡¯ve never noticed my wife being narrow¨Cminded or vulgar.¡±


    Madam Mary snapped back, righteous and indignant, ¡°Morgan didn¡¯tmit any crime on purpose, and the one who died wasn¡¯t even a close rtive of hers. Yet she refuses to let it go. Morgan just got approved for medical parole, and I already saw people surveilling the hospital. In Silverburgh¡¯s upper circles, every rich family has a screw¨Cup or two. They all cover it up with a wink and a p on the wrist, and it¡¯s over. But she forced you to push Morgan to his death¨Chow is that not narrow¨Cminded?


    Yunice, if you don¡¯t change your attitude, you¡¯ll neve


    unruly outsider who breaks the rules!¡±


    be epted among the Silverburgh elite. You¡¯re an


    there¡¯ll Wyatt gave a coldugh. ¡°Then you¡¯re mistaken. Only weak people change themselves to fit in. She doesn¡¯t need to. With me around, everyone else can either suck up to her or get out of the way. And sure, be other ¡®unruly outsiders¡®-but that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll deal with them one by one and write new rules.¡±


    Madam Mary¡¯s face went pale. Was <i>she </i>the outsider he meant?


    Wyatt said, ¡°Whatever you did to my wife, I¡¯ll return it in kind.¡±


    He turned to Shane. ¡°She¡¯s your responsibility. Handle it.¡±


    A bodyguard stepped in silently and ced a chair behind Wyatt. He sat beside Yunice, calm and steady.


    Shane stared nkly at the box of suturing needles now ced in front of him<b>, </bpletely lost. ¡°Wyatt¡­.I don¡¯t understand what you mean¡­¡±


    Wyatt answered, ¡°The old woman was the one behind it, yes. But she¡¯s not mobile. Instead of stopping her, you brought her here to torment my wife. So tell me, who brought her in?¡±


    Shane swallowed hard. ¡°So¡­ ¡®handle it¡® means<b>¡­</b>¡±


    He knew what it meant. He just couldn¡¯t believe Wyatt would actually go that far.


    This woman was his mother¨Chis lifesaver!


    Chapter <b>673 </b><b>Rules </b>of <b>Blood </b>


    <b>Wyatt¡¯s </b><b>cold </b>starended on the needle in Shane¡¯s hand.


    Suddenly, the needle felt scorching hot. Shane nearly dropped it.


    Madam Mary¡¯s face twisted. ¡°Wyatt, how dare you?! Over some seductress, you¡¯d do this to the <b>woman </b>who saved your life? Aren¡¯t you afraid people will curse your name?¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>am.¡± Wyatt said evenly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t talk about my wife enough¡ªthen people like you <b>will </b>keep showing up to cause trouble.¡±


    The old woman¡¯s brows drew together. She stared at him in disbelief. ¡°Wyatt, how did you be like this<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt looked up. ¡°I¡¯ve always been like this. You just mistook me for a fool.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re calcting and cold¨Cblooded. You never lift a finger unless there¡¯s something in it for <b>you</b>. <b>Lives </b>mean nothing to you¨Cjust ants underfoot. You saved my mother only because you guessed I <b>was </b>from the Powell family. You took a chance, like buying a lottery ticket. Maybe one day, it would pay off.¡±


    Madam Mary¡¯s eyes flickered with guilt.


    Wyatt scoffed. ¡°Everything I did for you these past years was theater¨Cfor the Powell family. It made them believe I was loyal to Nora. They hid her away thinking they had leverage over me.¡±


    Shane was stunned. ¡°You used Nora? You never loved her?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ you were with her because-¡±


    He looked toward Yunice in disbelief, his gaze searching.


    A spark of realization shed through his mind.


    Could it be that Wyatt had always loved Yunice? That Nora was chosen a ceholder?


    Wyatt caught the look in Shane¡¯s eyes<b>, </b>watching for Yunice¡¯s reaction.


    <b>C </b>


    He wasn¡¯t sure if she had heard that recording yet. He wanted to know what she thought.


    But Yunice sat quietly, hands twisting the jacket on herp¨Cexpressionless.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened.


    Those fools had scared his wife so badly, she couldn¡¯t even think straight.


    3


    His voice turned sharp. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡±


    Shane¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Wyatt.. we were wrong, I admit it. But my mom¡¯s old, and she has chronic illnesses. If you put that needle in her, she might not survive. Please, just let her go this <b>once</b><b>¡­</b>¡±

 Daghter 674

    Chapter 674 No More Illusions


    Wyatt¡¯s voice dropped to a cial chill,ced with the threat of violence. ¡°So you do <b>know </b><b>it </b><b>could </b><b>kill </b>


    someone?<b>¡± </b>


    <b>They </b>wouldn¡¯t dare use it on the old woman¨Cbut they had no problem using it on his <b>wife</b><b>? </b><b>That </b>only made it more infuriating.


    The bald bodyguard stepped forward without hesitation. <i>Click</i>. He chambered a round and <b>pressed </b><b>the </b>cold muzzle to Shane¡¯s forehead.


    Madam Mary panicked instantly. ¡°You won¡¯t leave us even a shred of mercy?!¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Mercy only gives people like you room to escte. And in the end, it¡¯s my wife who <b>pays </b>for it.¡±


    The old woman slumped in her chair. She understood now¨CWyatt had never seen the Johnson family <b>as </b>anything more than tools. There was never a shred of true affection.


    If they¡¯d known from the start that Yunice was the one he truly cared about, they never should¡¯ve challenged her again and again.


    If she had treated Yunice kindly back when Yunice saved her, maybe today Wyatt wouldn¡¯t be so ruthless.


    But now¡­ it was far toote.


    Shane copsed to the floor, unable to even breathe properly, too terrified to plunge the needle into his own mother.


    Wyatt said tly, ¡°Help him.¡±


    The bald man holstered his gun and grabbed Shane by the cor. He signaled to two others to restrain the old woman in her wheelchair.


    ??


    Then he seized Shane¡¯s hand and drove the straightened suturing needle into Madam Mary¡¯s vein¨Cdeep, until it vanishedpletely beneath the skin.


    It wasn¡¯t a painful process, physically¨Cbut the psychological weight of it was crushing.


    Madam Mary trembled violently. And the moment she saw the needle disappear into her body, her head lolled, and she passed out cold.


    Shane didn¡¯t dare take a full breath.


    He turned to Wyatt, gasping, desperate. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Wyatt¡­ is that enough?¡±


    His mother had been punished. He was just an essory. Surely, he wouldn¡¯t be pushed further<b>? </b>


    Wyatt didn¡¯t respond.


    But Shane heard a click.


    The sound of a lighter.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>674 </b>No <b>More </b><b>Illusions </b>


    <b>He </b><b>turned </b>to <b>look </b>Yunice was holding <b>a </b>slim ck cigarette between her <b>finger</b>. <b>A </b><b>man¡¯s </b>cigarette.


    The end glowed red as she inhaled¨Cthen she coughed, hard.


    Wyatt snapped out of it. He quickly took the cigarette from her lips and frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to smoke. Don¡¯t mess with this.<b>¡± </b>


    Tears welled up in her eyes from the coughing. She looked aggrieved. ¡°How do I put it out?¡±


    Meeting her eyes, Wyatt said, ¡°I¡¯ll find you an ashtray.


    He looked up¨Cand crooked his finger at Shane.


    Confused but obedient, Shane bent his stiff body and shuffled over to Wyatt.


    ¡°Hold out your hand,¡± Wyatt instructed.


    Shane looked into his eyes, and, trembling, obeyed. He held his palm out in front of Yunice.


    With an elegant motion, Yunice lifted her hand and gently pressed the burning cigarette into his palm.


    Shane twisted in agony like a worm having a seizure¨Cbut his outstretched hand didn¡¯t move a millimeter.


    He had to let her take it out on him. It was the only way he was getting out of here in one piece.


    <i>The </i>cigarette slowly curled, sizzling. When the fire went out and the burnt smell filled the room, Yunice finally lifted her fingers.


    Shane still didn¡¯t dare lower his hand.


    Yunice asked calmly, ¡°What about Morgan?¡±


    Shane¡¯s voice was hoarse. ¡°However thew decides, that¡¯s how it¡¯ll be. The Johnson family won¡¯t interfere.¡±


    Yunice added, ¡°Nora has offended me. If you get any leads¡­¡±


    Shane immediately said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her to you personally!¡±


    He really did know how to y the game.


    Yunice said, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    His face went pale¨Chumiliated by a woman, but he didn¡¯t dare show a flicke of anger.


    He would <i>never </i>mess with Yunice again. Because today, he realized she wasn¡¯t


    She was just as ruthless as Wyatt.


    some


    fragile little housewife.


    He quickly lifted Madam Mary back into her wheelchair and pushed her out the door.


    The needle inside her could be surgically removed. It wouldn¡¯t kill her¨Cbut she¡¯d suffer plenty.


    Inside the office¡­


    31 Mon (TAUG


    Chapter 674 <b>No </b>More Illusions


    Wyatt adjusted his cks, then walked over to Yunice and held out his palm. ¡°Babe, want to <b>burn </b><b>me </b><b>too</b>?


    Let it out.¡±


    Yunice pulled a new cigarette from his jacket pocket, bit down on it, and lit it with a <b>practiced </b><b>flick </b>


    She inhaled¨Cthis time, she didn¡¯t cough.


    Wyatt stared at her in surprise.


    She raised her hand, cigarette poised with effortless grace.


    The smoke curling from her lips and sultry¨Cbeautiful and dangerous.


    Wyatt was stunned.


    was slow


    The smoke drifted between them. Yunice¡¯s gaze slowly swept over his face from behind the <b>haze</b>, cool <b>and </b>amused.


    She hadn¡¯t nned to show this side of herself so soon.


    But maybe¡­ there was nothing to hide.


    She could smoke. She could fight. She could plot. She could lie.


    She wasn¡¯t his sweet little cupcake.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes dropped briefly to her school uniform¨Cthen back up to her face.


    ¡°Babe,¡± he said, ¡°you¡¯ve got a hell of a personality.¡±

 Daghter 675

    <b>Chapter </b><b>675 </b>The <b>Arrow </b>in Her <b>Hand </b>


    Chapter 675 The <b>Arrow </b>in Her Hand


    <b>When </b>Yunice caught the excitement shing in Wyatt¡¯s I haven¡¯t decided how to punish you yet.¡±


    aves, she tilted her head and said <b>coolly </b>Shut up.


    ¡°Even if I told you to wait until I was in danger to step in, those Johnson mother and son <b>only </b><b>came </b>because of you in the first ce.¡±


    Wyatt said without resistance, ¡°¡­.


    not wrong.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s smile vanished. Her expression turned cold¨Cand when she wasn¡¯t smiling, she was honestly <b>quite </b>terrifying.


    She asked, ¡°So what¡¯s the connection between Nora and my brother¡¯s case?¡±


    Ah. So <i>this </i>was what <i>she </i>was <i>really </i><i>angry </i><i>about</i>.


    Wyatt exined, ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything directly because it¡¯s only my suspicion..


    ¡°Tell me anyway,¡± Yunice demanded.


    ¡°¡­I think the video your brother destroyed at the end may have containedpromising or criminal footage of Nora. But he mistook the woman in it for you. Someone used that video to lure him to <b>the </b>hotel where Elsie was found. After Oscar was arrested, he was afraid telling the truth would expose that video and hurt your reputation, so his exnation never quite made sense<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice said, ¡°If that¡¯s true, then the person who texted my brother was Paul. If Paul got him to that hotel, that means he knew what was going to happen. Elsie¡¯s death might not be so simple either.¡±


    Wyatt hade to the same conclusion.


    Yunice pressed further. ¡°Since you already suspected all this, why did you let Nora go instead of arresting her and forcing answers out of her?¡±


    ¡°If she was willing to work for Paul, that means he has something on her. If she¡¯s the one in the video, then she doesn¡¯t have the original footage in her possession. Even if I grabbed her, it would be useless. And more importantly, I don¡¯t want that video to spread. Even your own brother was fooled by it. If the footage ever leaks, it could ruin your name.¡±


    It was just like that celebrity once ruined by a leaked scandal¨Cthe trap was the same.


    If that was why he didn¡¯t arrest Nora, then letting Paul go was probably for the same reason. If Paul was pushed too hard, he might go down swinging and burn everything.


    Yunice frowned. ¡°So you¡¯re saying I can¡¯t get my brother out unless I take care of Paul first?¡±


    Wyatt corrected her, ¡°We.¡±


    He knew Yunice preferred handling things on her own, but he still wanted her to lean on him¨Cat <b>least </b>a


    little.


    He had known from the start that Madam Mary and Shane wereing to the school. That¡¯s why <b>he </b>warned Yunice in advance not toe alone.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>675 </b>The <b>Arrow </b>in Her <b>Hand </b>


    <b>But </b><b>Yunice </b>wanted to give the old witch an emotional rollercoaster. She deliberately <b>came </b><b>by </b>herself and even threatened Wyatt not toe in too early-


    Otherwise, no touching her tonight.


    He¡¯d nearly kicked the door open when Shane tried to hit her.


    But Yunice had said. <i>Listen </i><i>to </i>your <i>wife</i>, <i>or </i><i>you </i><i>don¡¯t </i>get one<i>. </i>


    Yunice said now, ¡°Not everything should be solved by leaning on a man. If they¡¯re not afraid of me<b>, </b>they won¡¯t respect me. So I¡¯ll handle my own problems. I¡¯m not going to live in a cage, no matter how safe it is She had once relied on others¨Cand learned her lesson well.


    She would borrow power, yes¨Cbut it had to be like wind in her sails. The arrow should always be <b>in </b>her own hand.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t see a problem with that. ¡°That¡¯s easy. Make me your subordinate. Just give me orders- get it done. Stop using those unreliable underlings of yours.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s cigarette bent slightly between her fingers as she narrowed her eyes. ¡°So you¡¯re the one who reced my guy inside the Saunders family?¡±


    ¡°You figured it out?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice was sharp. ¡°The writing style didn¡¯t match my people. Your guy wasn¡¯t very good.¡±


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too sharp. But you should also know¨CI¡¯ve already sent your original guy back.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s tone turned serious. ¡°Something happened to the Saunders family, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have cut off her ess to them.


    Wyatt nodded. ¡°A few days ago, Owen submitted a sample to the hospital for a transnt match. I was worried he might¡¯ve used your sample. If the match seeded, I was afraid you¡¯d sacrifice your health to save him. So I detained your guy to keep you in the dark.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s face turned cold. ¡°That was unnecessary. I wouldn¡¯t damage my own body for someone like him.¡±


    ¡°I realize that now,¡± Wyatt said. ¡°Owen didn¡¯t use your sample. He used Lily and Oscar¡¯s. Seems he already knew¨Ceven if the match seeded with you, he¡¯d never get what he wanted. So he didn¡¯t even bother trying your name.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Did the match seed?¡±


    Wyatt nodded.


    Yunice¡¯s voice dropped. ¡°Who was the match?¡±


    He noticed the cigarette between her fingers bending slightly again. Then he answered, ¡°Lily.¡±


    The flicker in Yunice¡¯s eyes shifted several times before she calmed.


    ¡°Owen did the rest behind Lily¡¯s bark, didn¡¯t he?


    So it wasn¡¯t Lily crying and begging to donate he did it without her even knowing.

 Daghter 676

    Chapter 676 Secrets<b>, </b>Smoke, and Leverage


    Yunice gave a coldugh. ¡°So much for maternal love. Lily only ever cared about one child<b>¨C</b><b>Elsie </b>


    She defended Owen only because he could make money and support the family. That was all he was worth.


    Fifteen years of emotional neglect had already erased any real bond Lily had with the Saunders <b>family</b>. And Owen knew it. That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t dared tell her he had liver cancer or needed a transnt.


    Because deep down, he knew Lily might not be willing to donate.


    Yunice nced at her ss schedule. No lectures this afternoon or tomorrow morning.


    ¡°I¡¯m heading back to Silverburgh. Kinda feel like going home.¡±


    Wyatt said simply, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Yunice stood, picking up the jacket from herp.


    Wyatt naturally took it from her.


    As they walked out of the office, Wyatt reached for the cigarette in her hand¨Caware they <b>were </b>still on campus and students were everywhere. It wouldn¡¯t be good for her image.


    But Yunice pulled her hand back and looked at him sideways. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any burn ointment for you.¡±


    Just then, footsteps approached from behind.


    A flicker of caution crossed Yunice¡¯s eyes, and without missing a beat, she slipped the cigarette into Wyatt¡¯s fingers.


    She turned around calmly, even tucking her long hair behind her ear.


    Then she paused, pretending to be surprised. ¡°Tommy?¡±


    Her gaze lowered¨CTommy was holding a cardboard box in his arms.


    Tommy looked sheepish. ¡°I¡­ I quit.¡±


    Tommy¡¯s advisor position had been steady. Why would he suddenly resign?


    Was it because of that incident with/Wendy?


    Yunice¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Didn¡¯t that get resolved? You weren¡¯t even in the wrong! How could they fire you?¡±


    Tommy gave a wry smile. ¡°They didn¡¯t fire me¡­ it¡¯s just the atmosphere in the office¡­¡±


    Even though the other teachers knew Tommy was innocent, he had offended the vice principal<b>. </b><b>No </b><b>one </b>dared get too close.


    Chapter 676 <b>Secrets</b><b>, </b>Smoke, and Leverage


    Feeling isted, he chose to resign.


    Yunice¡¯s brows furrowed deeper. It had always been clear Wendy wasing after her not <b>Tommy</b><b>, </b>


    She¡¯d thought she had wrapped things up cleanly. But clearly, she¡¯d underestimated how <b>far </b>office politics could reach.


    Wyatt pulled a card from his wallet. ¡°Contact this person. They¡¯ll help arrange something.¡±


    Tommy looked stunned. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ too much. I can¡¯t trouble you both¡­¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°It¡¯s just an interview. Whether you get the job is up to you.¡±


    Tommy paused, then caught up quickly. ¡°Thank you. Really¡±


    He hesitated, then looked at Yunice. ¡°Yunice¡­ before I go, can I speak with you in private?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze narrowed dangerously, but he didn¡¯t stop her as she walked off with Tommy.


    Left standing alone, Wyatt stared at their backs. He bit down on the cigarette Yunice had been smoking.


    Too bad¨Cthere was barely anything left of it now.


    Tommy leaned in, speaking softly.


    ¡°Yunice, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve been holding in for a long time. I never told you.¡±


    Yunice heard the vague wording and immediately tensed. What was this?


    Wyatt was right over there¨Cdid Tommy have a death wish?


    Tommy¡¯s face flushed. He looked like he¡¯d been building up the courage for ages.


    Yunice eyed his fingers nervously digging holes in his cardboard box. The tension in her chest tightened.


    <i>Was </i>he about to <i>confess</i><b><i>? </i></b>


    She had always sensed Tommy¡¯s awkward attentiveness. He wasn¡¯t subtle. Everything he did was transparent. She¡¯d always worried he might one day blurt out some delusional romantic nonsense.


    Better to shut it down fast.


    ¡°Tommy, I-¡±


    ¡°Yunice,¡± he cut in, ¡°when I was volunteering in the hospital wing¡­ I saw you give Owen an injection.¡±


    Yunice froze.


    Tommy continued, voice low, ¡°I was checking the monitors. You probably thought I couldn¡¯t see anything, but¡­ there was a re on the lens. I saw what you injected him with¡­ it wasn¡¯t approved, and there¡¯s no medical record¡­¡±


    The words hit like a club to the back of her skull.


    Chapter 676 <b>Secrets</b>, <b>Smoke</b><b>, </b>und Leverage


    That was over six months ago.


    And he was only bringing it up now?


    Had he been holding this card all along?


    Yunice recovered quickly, adjusting her expression. ¡°Really? 1 don¡¯t remember that. Maybe you¡¯re under too much stress. Could be a hallucination.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Tommy hadn¡¯t expected her to t¨Cout deny it. ¡°I really did see it, Yunice. I¡¯m not trying to ckmail you.¡±


    Maybe not. He hadn¡¯t reported it then, but bringing it up now<i>¨C</i>was he trying to win her gratitude?


    Too bad Yunice didn¡¯t y by those rules.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t the honest, guilt¨Cridden type.


    She stared him down. ¡°Do you have proof?¡±

 Daghter 677

    Chapter 677 Smoke and Strings


    Chapter 677 Smoke and Strings


    Tommy fell silent again.


    Exactly as Yumice had expected¨Cno evidence.


    Back then, her actions had been quick and discreet. The cameras were busted, and even if Tommy had caught a glimpse, he had no time to take a picture. His so¨Ccalled ¡°proof¡± was nothing more than a story.


    And talk was cheap.


    Yunice looked at him coldly. ¡°Anything else? My husband¡¯s still waiting.¡±


    Tommy mumbled, ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t mean anything by it.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± she said tly. ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    She turned and walked back to Wyatt, leaving Tommy behind.


    Wyatt could tell something was off. He asked cautiously, ¡°What did he say to you?¡±


    Yunice answered, ¡°You noticed it too, didn¡¯t you? He¡¯s been trying to get close to us¨Cor rather<b>, </b>to you.¡±


    From the start, Tommy had been suspicious.


    He¡¯d helped her rify rumors on a livestream, probably already sensing she had powerful connections. Then he deliberately sought her out at Virtue Hall and discovered she ran a shop despite being so young- further confirming she wasn¡¯t just a normal girl.


    Later, he applied to Cooper Corp and failed, only to bump into her there again.


    And after that, he showed up at Saunders Corp to volunteer alongside her, suffering through hard times together.


    Then suddenly he became a campus advisor.


    Even running into him just now had likely been staged¨Cjust so she¡¯d find out he¡¯d ¡°resigned.¡±


    He probably read too many webnovels and dreamed of earning a big favor from some tycoon¨Cscheming to manufacture just the right dramatic moment.


    Even Wendy¡¯s scandal might¡¯ve been part of it. Maybe he hadn¡¯t been entirely innocent after all¨Cjust going along with it to make her feel guilty enough to repay him.


    Too bad Yunice hadn¡¯t yed along. She hadn¡¯t handed him a job at Cooper Corp.


    So just now, when Wyatt offered a business card, and Tommy realized he still had to earn it, he tried again -to win her sympathy and stack up another favor.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t bite.


    It wasn¡¯t wrong to want to climb up. That was human nature. A little scheming didn¡¯t make someone bad. But being calcted <i>too </i>many times¡­ made people ufortable.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>677 </b><b>Smoke </b><b>and </b><b>Strings </b>


    <b>Wyatt </b>said, ¡°That¡¯s easy to fix.


    ¡°<b>You </b>want to give him something, but don¡¯t want him in Cooper Corp, since he¡¯s not <b>ready </b>


    Eractly


    A backdoor referral would be a snap for her¨Cbut an unqualified employee would only hurt the <bpany</b>.


    Still, Tommy had helped her once. She didn¡¯t want to leave things on a sour note,


    Better to part on decent terms.


    Wyatt said, ¡°That¡¯s easy. Cooper Corp has plenty of subsidiaries. We can ce him somewhere decent <b>for </b>training. The pay and benefits won¡¯t be bad. If he turns it down because he thinks it¡¯s beneath him, then he¡¯s hopeless.¡±


    With his credentials, Tommy could easily find work at any number of publicpanies. But he fixated on Cooper Corp, wasting time chasing the wrong path.


    Maybe the legend of ¡°Exam God¡± had inted his ego. He couldn¡¯t ept the reality of the job market<b>¨C</b>so he pinned his hopes on shortcuts.


    But now that his scheme had beenid bare, odds were they wouldn¡¯t see him again.


    That afternoon, Yunice and Wyatt flew back to Silverburgh ?


    together.


    On the ne, Wyatt asked if Yunice had noticed anything suspicious in her dorm.


    Yunice thought for a moment. ¡°There was a rainbow teddy bear I didn¡¯t recognize. I figured it might have a hidden camera, so I threw it out.¡°.


    ¡°What? You threw it away? Which bin?¡± Wyatt¡¯s voice jumped.


    Yunice gave him a puzzled look. ¡°The one outside the dorm building. It¡¯s probably already been taken to the waste facility. Why are you so worked up?¡±


    Wyatt hesitated, then tried to cover. ¡°I mean¡­ you didn¡¯t inspect it first?¡±


    ¡°It could¡¯ve been contaminated,¡± she said. ¡°What if there were germs, a virus, or a rigged needle inside? You want me to poke around in something like that? Tossing it was safer¨Cdon¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh. Ha,¡± Wyattughed stiffly. ¡°Right. Safety first¡­¡±


    Then he turned away, hand on his forehead, defeated.


    Yunice sat there smugly,pletely unfazed.


    That¡¯s what you get for running your mouth.


    Back in Silverburgh, Wyatt insisted on apanying Yunice to the Saunders residence¨Che wouldn¡¯t <b>feel </b>at ease otherwise.


    The family <b>was </b>in full¨Con civil war. In that kind of chaos, anything was possible.


    <b>9/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b>677 <b>Smoke </b>and Strings


    <b>She </b>had to be protected.


    After just two weeks away<b>, </b>the Saunders estate already looked overgrown. The grass outside had grown thick and wild.


    The bamboo by the outer walls hadn¡¯t been trimmed in ages¨Cit looked like a street¨Ccorner <b>vagrant </b>


    The asphalt road leading to the gate rarely saw a single car pass.


    The main iron gate was firmly locked, the wrought iron bars speckled with rust.


    It had only been half a month.


    And already, the ce looked like it had been abandoned.


    Yunice stood before the gate. It was locked from the inside. They couldn¡¯t get in.


    Wyatt stepped forward and pressed the doorbell.


    A

 Daghter 678

    Chapter 678 The Saunders Family


    Lily came out of the kitchen carrying a te of food.


    Peggy lounged on the sofa ying on her phone, while Owen sat at the dining table setting tes.


    Both of them heard the doorbell, but neither made a move to check it.


    Lily hesitated, set the dish on the table, and then went to the entryway to look at the video doorbell <b>feed</b>. Owen nced at thezy Peggy on the sofa, then set a bowl of rice aside. ¡°Peggy, take the food down.¡±


    Peggy shot him a look, and after a brief exchange of nces, she frowned and pressed her lips together<b>. </b>Dragging her slippers reluctantly, she went to the table, picked up the bowl of rice, and headed to the basement.


    The basement was pitch dark.


    Peggy opened the door, turned on the light, and walked down the steps until she reached the <b>cage</b>. Inside the cage was Timothy.


    Peggy looked at him with disgust, but didn¡¯t dare get too close, let alone stick her hands inside.


    So she took the metal tongs from the wall and used them to slide the bowl through the bars.


    Timothy was curled up in the cramped space, it was unclear if he was asleep or dead.


    The moment the bowl touched the ground, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the tongs.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Peggy screamed, immediately letting go.


    Timothy sat up, his eyes dark and venomous as he stared at her.


    But he couldn¡¯t make a sound¨Chis mouth had been sewn shut for two¨Cthirds of its length, leaving only narrow slit so he could barely eat.


    Because her hands were shaking, the bowl toppled over, spilling food onto the floor and mixing with the filth inside the cage.


    Peggy cursed in disgust. ¡°You filthy dog! Eat your own crap!¡±


    With that, she mmed the basement door shut.


    In the living room, Lily nced at the video doorbell¡¯s screen and instinctively took a step back. Her voice trembled with rm. ¡°Owen, Yunice is outside.¡±


    Owen froze with his fork in midair and looked at her.


    His expression wasplicated, while Lily¡¯s was full of fear.


    They had people and things in this house they couldn¡¯t let anyone <b>see</b>. They had been living <b>behind </b><b>closed </b>doors for a long time, rarely letting outsiders in¨Cor going out themselves.


    111


    173


    Chapter 678 The <b>Saunders </b>Family


    Why would Yunicee here?


    No¡­ this was her home too. Of course she had every reason toe.


    When Owen didn¡¯t respond, Lily¡¯s voice shook as she added, ¡°It¡¯s not just Yunice. Wyatt is with her..


    They could ignore Yunice and refuse to let her in, but they wouldn¡¯t dare keep Wyatt out.


    If Wyatt wanted toe in, he didn¡¯t need their permission.


    Owen tightened his grip on his fork, and just then Peggy came back upstairs.


    She was dripping in jewelry, her previous ordeals having done nothing to diminish her vanity.


    ¡°Go open the door,¡± Owen said with a frown.


    Peggy nced at him, rolled her eyes, and went to the front gate.


    Ever since Wyatt had gotten hold of the video of her and Timothy, he¡¯d been using her like <b>a </b>servant.


    She didn¡¯t dare leave¨Cshe was still married to Owen, and Owen had thirty billion. If she wanted a share of that, she couldn¡¯t leave, and she definitely couldn¡¯t turn him in.


    They were all on the same boat¨Cif anyone drilled a hole, they¡¯d all sink.


    She didn¡¯t even know who was outside, but since Owen told her to open the door, she did.


    When she utched it from the inside, she paused,


    ¡°Yu¡­ Yunice?¡± Peggy smoothed her hair quickly as her flicked over the two people.


    eyes


    Yunice stepped in, speaking naturally. ¡°Why¡¯s the door bolted in broad daylight?¡±


    ¡°I saw the bamboo outside is overgrown. Why haven¡¯t you had it trimmed?¡±


    Peggy hesitated, then muttered under her breath behind Yunice, ¡°Who knows what your Owen is thinking¡­¡±


    She thought Yunice didn¡¯t yet know that Owen had already sold the Saunders¡¯s Hospital, and fearing she might try to im part of the money, Peggy didn¡¯t dare bring it up.


    If Yunice wanted to know, she could ask Owen herself.


    Her petty scheming didn¡¯t escape Yunice¡¯s notice.


    Yunice knew perfectly well why Owen kept the door shut.


    He¡¯d sold the hospital, had no ce to work, his health was deteriorating, and he was likely in constant pain¨Che¡¯d have no energy to leave the house<b>. </b>


    He was probably just waiting for his passport paperwork to bepleted so he could <b>take </b><b>his </b><b>savings </b>abroad for surgery.


    19:44 Tue, 12 <b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 678 The Saunders Family


    Lily stood by the door, giving Yunice and Wyatt an awkward smile. ¡°Yunice, Wyatt, you¡¯re here


    Yunice gave her a once¨Cover and lifted her lips. ¡°Why so polite today?¡±


    Lily looked down, fiddling with her hair without answering.


    Yunice and Wyatt walked into the living room. Owen rose to his feet and looked over.


    After half a month, hisplexion had noticeably darkened, and even his lips were dark.


    +10 Free Coins


    If Lily and Peggy had even a little medical knowledge, they would have seen the signs of Owen¡¯s worsening illness<b>. </b>


    1


    Facing the two, Owen¡¯s eyes darted uneasily. ¡°Yunice, did you¡­ need something?¡±


    ¡°I missed Dad.¡± Yunice said. ¡°Came back to see the old house.¡±


    <b>Chapter </b><b>679 </b><b>Staying </b>the <b>Night </b>

 Daghter 679

    Chapter <b>679 </b>Staying the Night


    At Yunice¡¯s words, Lily¡¯s face drooped. She picked up a handkerchief and began wiping <b>a </b>white <b>urn- </b>


    The urn sat in a very prominent spot, and Lily¡¯s movements were exaggerated enough to be <b>impossible </b><b>to </b>miss.


    Yunice knew that it held Elsie¡¯s ashes, and Lily was deliberately wiping it to make a point.


    She wanted toe home. acknowledge her.


    to see the old ce, but Lily cling to Elsie¡¯s ashes than


    ould:


    Peggy smirked to herself¨CElsie¡¯s ashes had long since been reced with protein powder. (2


    That night, after Owen had gone into a rage and smashed the urn, ash, put them into a new urn, and treated it like treasure.


    Lily had scooped up a few handfuls of


    She had no idea that her daughter¡¯s ashes had already been turned into fertilizer for flowers.


    Owen made a nomittal sound and said tly, ¡°Then have a look around. If you want to stay the night, I¡¯ll have Peggy clean out Elsie¡¯s room for you.¡±


    Yunice¡¯sshes paused ever so slightly. He was slick¨Coffering for her to stay, but deliberately mentioning that he¡¯d give her Elsie¡¯s room.


    It was a subtle way of saying she could stay, but there was no room here that was hers. This wasn¡¯t her home.


    He clearly wanted to provoke her into leaving, so she wouldn¡¯t discover the secrets in this house.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°Wyatt and I will stay here tonight.¡±


    Lily and Peggy both turned to her, a sh of shock crossing their faces.


    Owen¡¯s voice was awkward. ¡°This ce is small and run¨Cdown. Shouldn¡¯t you ask Mr. Wyatt if he¡¯s willing to stay?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s lips curved. ¡°This is my wife¡¯s old home. Of course I¡¯d like to get to know it better.¡±


    He nced around the room. ¡°We¡¯re free to move about the house, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Yunice answered. ¡°My father¡¯s will states that the old house is partly mine.¡±


    Owen couldn¡¯t argue. Arguing would be pointless¨CWyatt wasw here.


    Lily and Peggy, unable to refuse, both looked even more sour.


    Lily, in particr, was gripping her handkerchief so tightly it was nearly torn apart.


    Out of the corner of her eye, Yunice saw it¨C<i>Lily </i>was already scheming about how to drive <b>her </b>and Wyatt


    out.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>679 </b><b>Staying </b>the <b>Night </b>


    <b>Peggy</b><b>, </b>on the other hand<b>, </b><b>kept </b>stealing uneasy nces toward the basement¡¯s hidden <b>door</b>, her whole <b>body </b>radiating tension.


    Yunice chose that moment to stand, taking Wyatt¡¯s hand. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you the yard. There are still so many memories from my childhood here.¡±


    The moment Yunice and Wyatt stepped out of the living room, Lily hurried to shut the door behind them.


    Then she spun around, panic etched on her face, and rushed toward Owen. Peggy also came over.


    ¡°If they¡¯re really going to stay, what do we do?!¡±


    ¡°What if they find the basement¡­?¡±


    ¡°Why is Yunice suddenly pulling this stunt? Is it because she knows the hospital¡¯s been sold and <b>she¡¯s </b>here to im a share of the money?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not even part of the Saunders family anymore¨Cwhat¡¯s there to split?!¡±


    ¡°But Oscar is, and the two of them have always been thick as thieves. What <b>if </b>she¡¯s here to help him check the assets?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen¡¯s brow furrowed, and he let out a sharp snort. ¡°Enough! Stop arguing!¡±


    As soon as the words left his mouth, he coughed hard.


    He felt somethinge up and instinctively covered his mouth.


    Peggy caught sight of it and sucked in a breath.


    Lily also frowned, her expression shifting.


    When Owen pulled his hand away, he saw it¨Chis palm was streaked with blood from the cough..


    Peggy barely dared to breathe. ¡°Owen¡­ could you have some kind of serious illness<b>?</b>¡±


    And if so¡­ what then? If he died, wouldn¡¯t the Saunders fortun¨¦ fall to her?


    Her expression shifted through several emotions before settling into something far calmer.


    Lily, meanwhile, tore off two tissues, stepped forward, and wiped his hand, scolding, ¡°Every time Yunicees, the house is in chaos. Look at you¨Cyou¡¯ve worked yourself up again. I¡¯ll go make you some loquat syrup; drink it and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Owen looked up at her.


    The saying was true¨Cif someone doesn¡¯t love you, even if you hang yourself, they¡¯ll think you¡¯re just swinging on a swing.


    He was coughing blood, and Lily still didn¡¯t think to urge him to go to the hospital.


    He hated that he¡¯d realized the truth toote.


    <b>9/3 </b>


    Chapter 679 Staying the Night


    But he couldn¡¯t tear things open with her yet¨Che still had a use for her.


    <b>+10 </b>Free Coins


    Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he put on a calm expression. ¡°The heating¡¯s too high. The air¡¯s too dry. Turn it downter.¡±


    Hearing that it was just dryness, Peggy¡¯s face showed open disappointment.


    Owen went on, ¡°We can¡¯t drive them out, or they¡¯ll get suspicious.¡±


    ¡°But they¡¯re spoiled and pampered. They¡¯ll never befortable living here.¡±


    <i>Spoiled </i>and pampered<i>? </i>


    If Yunice had heard that, she¡¯d haveughed herself sick.

 Daghter 680

    <b>Chapter </b><b>680 </b>The <b>Rose </b>in <b>the </b><b>Bamboo </b>


    Chapter 680 The Rose in the Bamboo


    <b>In </b><b>the </b>courtyard, Yunice stood beneath the garden wall. In the five or six years since she <b>had </bst <b>been </b>here, the vigorous bamboo had grown into a dense grove.


    ¡°I remember you don¡¯t like bamboo.


    said.


    Yunice gave a quiet hum, her gaze fixed on the lush stalks. ¡°I like roses. Any color.¡±


    But the head of the Saunders family had¡­


    The bamboo had been nted by Elsie to


    liked her, so naturally there were no roses she loved here<b>. </b>


    The bamboo had been nted by Elsie to unt her so¨Ccalled lofty virtue.


    Even after Elsie¡¯s death, the Saunders family had kept the things she¡¯d left behind.


    The bamboo grove remained.


    Her room was still Elsie¡¯s room.


    And Yunice¡¯s ID had been canceled with Elsie¡¯s death¨Cofficially erasing her existence forever.


    Just then, Wyatt tugged at his suit trousers and half¨Csquatted, brushing aside a withered bamboo shoot.


    It waste in the year; of course there wouldn¡¯t be fresh shoots.


    This one must have sprouted in spring or summer, but for some reason it had died before maturing.


    Yunice didn¡¯t know why he¡¯d taken interest in a dead shoot.


    She leaned forward to see what he was doing.


    Wyatt snapped the dried shoot in half, and in the hollow break was the faint green of a tiny sprout.


    Yunice¡¯s pupils widened slightly, and she crouched beside him.


    ¡°This is¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­a rose seedling?¡± Wyatt finished.


    Roses<b>¡­ </b>


    ¡°Maybe the rose¡¯s root system was too strong to bepletely removed. After years of lying dormant, it finally sent out a new shoot, piercing the bamboo¡¯s lifeline. The bamboo died, and the rose sprouted,¡± Wyatt said quietly.


    The battle between rose and bamboo felt like the one between Yunice and Elsie.


    Yunice had wone back to life.


    Her nose stung. She hadn¡¯t expected any trace of her father to still remain here.


    These roses had been his work.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>680 </b>The <b>Rose </b>in the <b>Bamboo </b>


    <b>Wyatt¡¯s </b>


    hand rested on her back. ¡°Give it a few years, and roses will <b><i>grow </i></b>here <b>again</b><b>. </b>


    <b>Would </b><b>that </b>make her want to stay just a little?


    Yunice covered the sprout again with dry leaves.


    They rose together, and she looked toward the brightly lit vi. ¡°They¡¯re probably plotting how to get <b>rid </b>of us right now.¡±


    Then why not have some fun?


    Back in the living room, Lily and Peggy greeted her with forced warmth. ¡°The room¡¯s ready¨Cyou <b>and </b>Wyatt can go up and rest.¡±


    Yunice made a nomittal sound, went upstairs with Wyatt, and shut the door. Her eyes gleamed <b>with </b>


    amusement.


    Let¡¯s see what tricks they¡¯ve set up.


    She headed for the bathroom; he walked to the bed.


    They moved in opposite directions.


    Yunice angled the showerhead away from herself and turned on the water.


    It ran clear at first, but within a minute it shifted to pale pink, then to a deep, bloodlike red, spreading across the floor like a murder scene.


    She smirked. ¡°Child¡¯s y.¡±


    She inspected the vanity. Lipsticks had needles embedded inside, skincare products reeked of perfume- likely masking some harsher chemical.


    Definitely tampered with.


    Wyatt¡¯s hand swept across the bed, then stopped.


    The mattress zipper was open, and inside were small ck bugs.


    The pillow hid an electromaic emitter meant to affect the nervous system.


    The wardrobe¡¯s prepared sleepwear was dusted with allergenic powder.


    Every detail was meant to make them discover the ¡°problems¡± and storm out in disgust.


    Owen and Lily waited downstairs for the fallout.


    Then the door to Elsie¡¯s


    room opened.


    Yunice stood at the upstairs railing, perfectly unharmed. ¡°Some things in the room are broken. Could you fix them?¡±


    Owen frowned up at her. ¡°Your mother and I don¡¯t know how to fix things. Either make do, or go back to Pavilion Hall.¡±


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter <b>680 </b>The Rose in the Bamboo


    Yunice took out her phone. ¡°Then I¡¯ll call a few repairmen toe <b>over </b>


    Owen shot to his feet. ¡°No!¡±


    He never wanted strangers inside the house¨Cthere was no way he¡¯d let her bring people in.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do it then?¡± she asked.


    With sour faces, Owen and Lily trudged upstairs and dismantled every trap they¡¯d spent half a day setting


    Yunice leaned against the railing, her gaze sweeping the room.


    Suddenly she looked toward one spot, a corner of her lips curving. ¡°What¡¯s in the basement? Looks like you go there often¨Cthe dust has formed a path.¡±


    All three members of the Saunders family froze, their eyes snapping to where she pointed.


    Since they¡¯d fired the maids, Lily never lifted a finger for chores, Peggy avoided them entirely, and Owen wouldn¡¯t touch housework. As a result, the vi had gone uncleaned for half a month.


    But the route to the basement had been walked so often that it stood out as a worn trail.


    Wyatt raised a brow. ¡°Shall we take a look?¡±


    Yunice nodded.


    The moment the two of them headed toward the basement, Owen¡¯s scalp prickled in terror.

 Daghter 681

    Chapter 681 Turning the Tables


    <b>The </b>three of them behind Yunice were frantically exchanging looks.


    Think of something¨Canything¨Cbut don¡¯t let them get into the basement!


    But everyone¡¯s minds had jammed, and no one coulde up with a legitimate reason to <b>stop </b><b>them</b><b>. </b>


    Owen instinctively followed, trailing just behind them, still making ast¨Cditch effort.


    ¡°Yunice!¡± he called loudly, just as her hand touched the basement door lock.


    She and Wyatt turned to look at him


    Owen¡¯s throat bobbed. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve always wanted to ask you. Father¡¯s old manuscripts and medicinal forms must be in your possession. With Wellinges Pharma growing so quickly, are you using our family¡¯s forms?¡±


    His gaze shifted nervously to Wyatt. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, relying on your wife¡¯s family¡¯s assets to cash in¨Cdon¡¯t you think that¡¯s inappropriate?¡±


    Wyatt gave a short, amusedugh. ¡°Is it that cashing in is wrong, or that cashing in without cutting you in is wrong?¡±


    Owen pressed his lips together, frowning. ¡°Either way, you¡¯re using the Saunders family¡¯s secret forms. You should at least pay the Saunders family patent royalties.¡±


    By now, Owen had already pocketed the money from the vi and the hospital. He had no real intention of fighting over the family¡¯s forms, but to draw Wyatt and Yunice away from the basement, he had to stir the pot.


    Yunice pulled her hand back from the door, her expression serious, as if genuinely concerned Owen might try to seize the manuscripts.


    Owen gestured toward the seating area. ¡°Come talk with me.¡±


    Wyatt nced at her, and together they moved to the living room.


    ¡°Even though you¡¯re no longer part of the Saunders family, and you don¡¯t have the Saunders family¡¯swork, I still think of you as my sister. ording <i>to </i>Father¡¯s will, you¡¯re not entitled to inherit the estate, but I can give you the manuscripts in my personal capacity.


    After sitting, Owen paused for two seconds before sayin


    ¡°Those books hold forms worth a fortune. With them and Wellinges Pharma¡¯s strengthbined, who knows how much wealth you could create¨Cit¡¯s far more valuable than the Saunders family¡¯s fixed assets.¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°So I¡¯d be getting the better end of the deal, huh?¡±


    ¡°Among family, there¡¯s no need to keep score,¡± Owen replied smoothly.


    The pretty words flowed easily from him, but when it came to actually doing something for others, he never lifted a finger.


    <b>1/2 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>681 </b><b>Turning </b><b>the </b>Tables


    <b>Out </b><b>of </b><b>the </b><b>corner </b><b>of </b><b>his </b><b>eye</b><b>, </b>he <b>kept </b>gauging Wyatt¡¯s reaction. <b>He </b><b>knew </b><b>Yunice </b><b>could </b>be handled, but if <b>Wyatt </b><b>took </b>her side, things would getplicated.


    So <b>he </b>added in a humble tone, ¡°You have no obligations for elder <b>care</b>, but I still have <b>to </b><b>support </b>our mother and the whole Saunders household<i>, </i>don¡¯t I?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s lips curved. ¡°Fine. If my share is going toward Mom¡¯s support, I have a suggestion.


    ¡°I heard you bought Elsie a custom luxury grave for three million. Why not save that money? Consider <b>it </b>her way of contributing to Mom¡¯s care.¡±


    The shift in topic caught Owen off guard.


    Lily, however, reacted like a cat with its tail stepped on. She rushed up to Yunice, bristling. ¡°Yunice! How can you be so vicious? Elsie¡¯s dead and you still won¡¯t leave her in peace!¡±


    She turned to Wyatt, tears welling and voice full of righteous indignation. ¡°Mr. Wyatt, look at her! She won¡¯t even give the dead a proper burial. How can a person¡¯s heart be so rotten? Aren¡¯t you afraid to <b>sleep </b>next to someone like her?¡±


    Wyatt thought for a moment, then said, ¡°I think my wife isn¡¯t nearly bad enough. A cuckoo squatting in another bird¡¯s nest like her deserves to have a few priests bless her, then pin her in the eighteenth <b>level </b>of hell, lowering her into the oil cauldron over and over, reminding her this is the price of stealing someone else¡¯s life.¡±


    His mocking gaze slid to the urn Lily clutched so protectively.


    Realizing his intent, Lily hugged Elsie¡¯s urn tight to her chest and screamed, ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡±


    Owen frowned but ignored her. ¡°Yunice, I know you¡¯ve always been at odds with Elsie. She did wrong you in life. I¡¯ll cancel her burial plot reservation¨Cif you¡¯ll agree to drop it, and the Saunders family will never mention her again.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± Before Yunice could answer, Lily shrieked, ring at Owen. ¡°Say that again! I dare you!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s dead, Lily,¡± Owen said impatiently. ¡°What does it matter if she has a plot? It¡¯s not like she cane back¨Cto¨Clife.¡±


    ¡°But she¡¯s your sister!¡± Lily screamed. ¡°She¡¯s been gone less than three months! Her ashes aren¡¯t even cold, and you¡¯d do this to her? Are you still her Owen?¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice turned icy. ¡°I was never her Owen. My dad is Will. Her dad is Timothy. What kind of siblings are we supposed to be?¡±


    ¡°Mm!¡± Lily gritted her teeth and pped Owen hard across the face. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what you promised Elsie before she died!¡±


    He had promised never to be good to Yunice¨Cnever to wee her back into the Saunders family.


    Yet here he was, siding with Yunice, even refusing Elsie a grave.

 Daghter 682

    <b>Chapter </b><b>682 </b>The Final <b>Setup </b>


    Chapter 682 The Final Setup


    <b>Yunice¡¯s </b>gaze slid over the tense standoff between Owen and Lily. She rose slowly and said <b>to </b><b>Owen</b>, ¡°Alright then, it¡¯s settled. As long as you take back every kindness you ever showed Elsie, I won¡¯t <b>fight </b><b>for </b>the Saunders family inheritance, and I¡¯ll never again mention that I was once your sister.¡±


    Owen¡¯s reply was firm, almost ringing. ¡°Fine! Deal.¡±


    ¡°Wyatt, let¡¯s go.¡± Yunice turned, and Wyatt shot Owen a brief, cool nce before following her out with


    ease.


    As they stepped through the front door, it shut firmly behind them¨Cfollowed at once by Owen¡¯s furious roar from inside. ¡°How much longer are you going to carry on like this? All you care about is Elsie¨Chave you ever cared about this family?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the Saunders family¡¯s money, my father¡¯s money. Why should


    that plot!¡±


    A crash rang out, the sharp sound of something shattering.


    I spend it on an outsider? I¡¯m returning


    Yunice guessed easily¨COwen had just smashed the urn Lily treasured.


    Lily¡¯s wail rose, echoing through the Saunders home.


    Yunice nced back once.


    If Owen wouldn¡¯t extend kindness to her, she would make sure he retracted his kindness from everyone


    else too.


    Let them all taste betrayal together¨Cno exceptions.


    ????????? ??


    Wyatt opened the car door, watching her duck inside. ¡°When are you going to wrap this up?¡±


    He hated seeing her like this.


    He knew she was ying with the Saunders family like a cat with a trapped mouse, tormenting them slowly. But he also knew the process brought her more inner ache than satisfaction.


    He wanted the revenge <i>to </i>end sooner, for her sake.


    ¡°Not long<i>,</i>¡± Yunice said.


    *


    ¡°Owen¡¯s nerves are at breaking point. He¡¯s afraid Lily will turn on him, afraid Peggy will take advantage, and most of all afraid Timothy¡¯s secrets will be exposed. My guess is, within a few days, he¡¯ll make his own move.¡±


    Then it could all be finished.


    Wyatt drove her back to Pavilion Hall. Outside, the night sky shimmered with stars, trees gliding <b>past </b><b>in </b>shadowy green along the road/


    The air was still¨Cno <b>insects</b>, no birdsong.


    Chapter <b>682 </b>The <b>Final </b>Setup


    <b>Leaning </b><b>her </b>elbow on the window, Yunice rested her head in her hand and said suddenly, <b>¡°</b><b>The </b><b>Saunder </b>family <b>might </b>not make it to New Year¡¯s dinner.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s fingers tightened slightly on the wheel.


    He was relieved for her, but a knot of uncase twisted inside him.


    He knew their marriage had been his own calcted design.


    Yunice had only wanted to trade her value for an equal exchange¨Cshe¡¯d never nned to spend her <b>life </b>with him.


    And he had a deep, gnawing sense that once her revenge wasplete, she¡¯d be gone.


    Once the Saunders family was dealt with, the next target would be Paul.


    Meanwhile, at the Saunders house-


    On the carpety a scatter of shattered porcin and white powder.


    Lily knelt amid the fragments, her hands smeared with ash, sobbing.


    Owen sat stony¨Cfaced.


    Peggy walked past with open impatience. ¡°She¡¯s dead¨Cwhat¡¯s the point of this show?


    ¡°It¡¯s the modern day, and you¡¯re still talking about souls and karma? If you¡¯re so afraid of retribution, why didn¡¯t you do more good while you were alive?¡±


    ¡°You slut! You don¡¯t understand anything!¡± Lily shrieked back.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the slut? You are! You let Timothy sleep with you for ten years¨Cyou¡¯ve been rotten for ages!¡± Peggy fired back like a machine gun. ¡°If you weren¡¯t rotten, after all those years you spent fawning over Carl, why would he still ignore you?¡±


    Lily¡¯s face flushed crimson, then turned pleading and usatory as she looked to Owen¨Cwanting him to back her up.


    But Owen was exhausted from the constant bickering in the house. Hisplexion was dark and sickly, and he gripped the table for support as he stood. ¡°Enough, both of you. I was only putting on a show for Yunice just now. I never intended to actually take back Elsie¡¯s burial plot¡­¡®¡±


    29


    He sighed. ¡°We¡¯re all wound up. I¡¯ll make some autumn pear syrup. We can each have a cup and cool off.


    It was an offered truce, and Lily and Peggy took it, falling silent.


    After days of fighting, everyone was worn down¨Ccaught in a dull, stagnant atmosphere of resignation.


    Each one of them had their eyes on Owen¡¯s money, but with no way to get it, they remained trapped together in this gilded cage of a home.


    In the kitchen, Owen poured medicine into three cups. A sudden deep cough wracked his chest, <b>and </b><b>when </b>he pulled his hand from his mouth, his palm was streaked with blood.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    Chapter 682 The Final Setup


    His eyes darkened instantly as he stared down at the cups.


    He couldn¡¯t wait anymore¨Creally couldn¡¯t.


    He poured in water and stirred until the medicine dissolved.


    Then he carried the cups out.


    15 <b>Free </b>Cons


    ¡°Drink up,¡± Owen said. ¡°We¡¯re the real family here. Don¡¯t let Yunice¡¯s games turn us against each other.¡±


    Lily thought it made sense¨CYunice might well be hiding somewhere, watching them fight.


    So, with a defiant tilt of her chin, she lifted her cup and downed the medicine in one <i>go</i>.

 Daghter 683

    Chapter <b>683 </b>The Poisoned Cups


    Lily was already thinking that it didn¡¯t matter if the Silverburgh plot was taken back¨Conce <b>the </b><b>passports </b>were ready, she¡¯d follow Owen overseas and then find Elsie an even grander burial site abroad.


    Peggy epted the cup Owen handed her, frowning. She was tired of this life.


    She felt like a crow trapped behind barbed wire¨Cstaring at grapes she could neither eat nor fly away from.


    Lily and Owen both had something to look forward to. She had nothing.


    Better to stop wasting her life being at Owen¡¯s mercy. If she could transfer all his money into <i>her </i>own ount, she could disappear far away and live free.


    Her mind spun quickly, sketching out the n.


    She downed the autumn pear syrup in a few gulps, set the cup down, and stood. ¡°Owen, you barely ate earlier. I¡¯ll reheat the food so you and Mom can have a bit more.¡°¨C


    Lily pressed a hand to her forehead and waved weakly. ¡°You eat. I have no appetite.¡±


    Peggy pursed her lips, picked up the dishes herself, and started toward the kitchen.


    Then, out of nowhere, a wave of numbness swept through her body.


    Behind her came a heavy <i>thump</i>.


    She still had a sliver of awareness¨Cenough to turn her stiff neck and see Lily copsed over the sofa, unconscious.


    Her gaze darted to Owen. He sat there, expressionless, as though he had expected this all along.


    ¡°You¡­¡± was all she managed before the te slipped from her hands to the floor.


    Owen caught her from behind as she fell, then smoothly dragged her toward one direction.


    Through the haze, she realized¨Che was taking her to the basement.


    Her mind shed on what was down there. Terror twisted her voice into a garbled plea. ¡°P¨Cplease¡­ don¡¯t¡­¡±


    But her willpower was no match for the drug. Darkness took her.


    Owen came back from the basement alone.


    Lily was still sprawled on the sofa, unmoving.


    He stood over her for a long moment, then pulled out his phone. ¡°You can start our n now. Once I wake up, I can transfer you the bnce.¡±


    ¡°The donor?¡±


    ¡°Her fate¡¯s her own. Let¡¯s see if she survives.¡±


    O


    Chapter <b>683 </b><b>The </b><b>Poisoned </b><b>Cups </b>


    <b>He </b><b>hung </b><b>up</b>, looking down at Lily. ¡°Mom, since you don¡¯t want us and don¡¯t <b>love </b>this family, I <b>don¡¯t </b>want <b>you </b><b>dragging </b>me down anymore.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Give me your liver and save me¨Cjust think of it as loving me onest time.


    His voice thickened with bitterness. ¡°I regret it, you know. Regret that back then, to win favor <b>with </b><b>you </b><b>and </b>Elsic, I always made Yunice¡¯s mistakes look worse so mine would seem better. I thought if I sided <b>with </b><b>you </b>and Elsie, you¡¯d ept me. But in the end, the joke¡¯s on me. If I¡¯d been a little more mature<b>, </b>a little more realistic, a little more steadfast, if I¡¯d treated Yunice better¡­ would my life, the Saunders family¡¯s life, <b>be </b>thousands of times happier than it is now? I was even thinking, with New Year¡¯s corning. I¡¯d invite <b>Wyatt </b>and Yunice home for dinner. Wyatt¡¯s got no parents¨Cif he could see the Saunders family as his home<b>, </b>maybe our days would be better. Sigh¡­ just wishful thinking. Mom, I¡¯ve been abandoned by everyone. <b>You </b>too.¡± (1


    Dawn broke.


    Sunlight slipped through the curtain gap. Yunice rolled over and reached out¨Cfinding the space beside her empty.


    She opened her eyes. Wyatt wasn¡¯t there.


    Shifting to the side, she pulled open her nightstand drawer and took out a bottle of vitamins. She had just shaken one into her palm when his voice came from the balcony.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take that.¡±


    He¡¯d been on the phone by the balcony window.


    Now he stood there, eyes fixed on her. When she stopped moving, he hung up and walked inside.


    Her heartbeat quickened.


    She knew Wyatt wanted a child, and catching her secretly taking pills would anger him. If he stayed calm, she could talk her way out of <i>it</i>¡ªbut if she truly provoked him, things could get ugly.


    As he crossed the room, she slid the pill back into the bottle and screwed the cap on.


    When he stopped in front of her, she turned thebel toward him. ¡°Vitamins.¡±


    The words came out a little too fast, her tone betraying her guilt. The bottle itself was too obviously a cover; he would surely think it held birth control.


    Wyatt reached out, took the bottle from her hand¡­


    Without even looking at it, he set it aside.


    Her gaze dropped as he crouched in front of her. ¡°You couldn¡¯t <b>get </b>pregnant even without taking anything.¡±


    Then he added, ¡°I switched the pills in that bottle a long time ago. Birth control¡¯s <i>too </i>hard on your body.


    <b>2/2 </b>


    Tuages

 Daghter 684

    Chapter <b>684 </b>Old Grudges


    Then<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>Yunice started to speak.


    Wyatt cut her off. ¡°It¡¯s true that I want a child. But if you don¡¯t, I can¡¯t force you to change <b>your </b><b>mind</b><b>. </b>You¡¯re a doctor¨Cif you got pregnant and didn¡¯t want it, there¡¯d be no way to keep it, right?¡±


    In the end, the only one hurt would be her body, and he¡¯d get nothing.


    Yunice¡¯s gaze darkened as she stared at him. ¡°You took precautions?¡±


    Wyatt nodded. ¡°Yeah. I made sure nothing could go wrong.¡±


    Even with protection, nothing was guaranteed¨Cunless¡­


    Yunice felt a jolt in her chest. For someone who wanted a child <i>so </i>badly, he had actually gone to such lengths.


    Just then, Wyatt changed the subject. ¡°I just got a call. It¡¯s about the Saunders family.¡±


    Yunice snapped out of her thoughts.


    ¡°Yesterday, an ambnce went in and out of the Saunders estate. They took Lily away. Owen followed the vehicle. Peggy¡¯s missing.¡±


    Yunice threw back the covers and got out of bed. ¡°Owen¡¯s made his move!¡±


    Yesterday¡¯s conflict had done its job.


    Wyatt handed her a pair of slippers. ¡°No rush. The surgery¡¯s already over. My people have been watching. Nothing will go wrong.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s heart pounded hard in her chest.


    She couldn¡¯t tell if it was excitement or pressure¨Cprobably both, tangled together.


    Once outside, Wyatt drove her to a private hospital.


    ¡°Boss. Ma¡¯am.¡± A man came toward them and reported, ¡°Lily¡¯s still unconscious in the intensive care unit. Owen just woke up.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Peggy?¡± Yunice asked.


    ¡°Owen dragged her into the basement. She¡¯s probably with Timothy.¡±


    Yunice quickened her pace toward the ICU. ¡°Owen must have already nned an escape. Once he¡¯s able to get out of bed, he¡¯ll leave first. Keeping Peggy locked in the basement means he¡¯s counting on no <b>one </b>discovering his crimes in the short term.¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Yunice/froze in the doorway, spotting someone injecting something into Lily¡¯s IV through the window.


    She tried the doorknob, but it was locked from the inside.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>684 </b>Old <b>Grudges </b>


    <b>Wyatt </b>pulled <b>her </b>behind him, bent his leg, and kicked the door open in one <b>blow</b>.


    <b>The </b><b>man </b><b>inside </b>had just finished with the syringe. He turned, startled to see them burst <b>in</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>Who are you? This <b>is </b>a hospital room, you can¡¯t just get out-¡±


    Before he could finish, Wyatt¡¯s men had him pinned to the ground, his arm twisted behind his back.


    Yunice rushed forward and pulled the IV out of Lily¡¯s hand.


    The man in the white coat frowned. The drug he¡¯d injected hadn¡¯t even had time to reach her bloodstream.


    Yunice picked up the syringe he¡¯d hidden under the bed, walked up to him, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    The man scowled. ¡°It¡¯s medication to help with post¨Cop recovery! Who are you people? Do you realize what you¡¯re doing is illegal? Let me go!¡±


    Yunice crouched down and waved the needle in front of him. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll test it on you.¡± Seeing the tip about to pierce his skin, his eyes widened. ¡°Atorvastatin!¡±


    He admitted, ¡°It would react with her medication. It would kill her.¡±


    ¡°Why help Owen? Money?¡± Yunice pressed.


    Hatred shed in his eyes. ¡°Because I hate Lily! I hate Yunice! My wife and child died because of them!¡±


    Then he spilled everything.


    ¡°My wife gave birth at Saunders Hospital. I even begged Owen to make sure she was taken care of. He told me she was in great shape and perfect for a natural birth. I believed him. But my wife never delivered the baby alive. The child suffocated in her womb, my wife hemorrhaged, and they just left her in the operating room. When I rushed in, her body was covered with a surgical gown, but underneath, nothing had been done¨Cblood everywhere, running down the legs of the table. And those doctors just stood there, cold as ice. Not one of them helped her. I still remember one woman. She had manicured nails, full makeup, and even though she tried to hide in the back, I noticed her right away. Later I suspected something was wrong with that surgery. I disguised myself as a janitor at Saunders Hospital and worked there for six months before finding out the truth¨Cthat woman was the dean¡¯s sister, Yunice. During my wife¡¯s delivery<i>, </i>Owen let Yunice practice on her. Yunice kept tormenting her, saying she was being dramatic about the pain, and deliberately hurt her during repeated cervical checks. When Owen wasn¡¯t around, she and the other nurses mocked her for being dirty in childbirth, asked if she wanted to see what her private parts looked like, and whenever my wife made a sound, they yelled at her¨Casking why she hadn¡¯t screamed when it felt good, saying they weren¡¯t her husband and wouldn¡¯t spoil her.¡±


    2

 Daghter 685

    <b>Chapter </b><b>685 </b>The Truth About Elsie


    Chapter 685 The Truth About Elsie


    The man in the white coat closed his eyes for a moment before continuing.


    <b>¡°</b>My wife was humiliated by them over and over. The mental strain triggered unbearable contractions. <b>She </b>tried to call me for help, but Yunice snatched her phone away. While my wife was screaming in <b>pain </b><b>and </b>begging for help, theyughed and filmed her giving birth. They threatened ber¨Ctold her to deliver <b>on </b>her own and not trouble them. If she dared to speak up after leaving the operating room, they¡¯d release the video so the whole inte could see how disgusting she looked. My wife was in agony, frantic with fear, and started bleeding heavily. And Owen, as the lead surgeon, actually went to see other patients instead of helping her. She took herst breath to the sound of Yunice¡¯sughter, buried in fear and pain.


    ¡°Afterward, the Saunders family used their connections to hand me some hush money. They even stirred up public opinion, iming I¡¯d had an affair and had killed my wife and child on purpose. The lies spread so far that I couldn¡¯t get help anywhere.¡±


    He paused, then let out a twistedugh, as if aware he wouldn¡¯t be leaving here alive. ¡°But I¡¯ve already had my revenge. Did you think I¡¯d let Yunice die so easily? No¡­ Lwant her to feel my wife¡¯s pain. No, a thousand times worse.¡±


    Scarface frowned. What did that mean?


    Hadn¡¯t Elsie already died? And not just died¨Cshe¡¯d passed away from severe injuries, with Owen and Lily crying <i>at </i>her side.


    If that was true, she hadn¡¯t suffered much in the end.


    As Wyatt¡¯s subordinate, Scarface had always thought Elsie got off too easy. In their old way of doing things, even if Elsie was on the brink of death, they¡¯d have shocked her back to life over and over, making sure she couldn¡¯t die no matter how much she wanted to.


    He finished the thought and then noticed something strange¨CWyatt and Yunice didn¡¯t look surprised at all.


    The man in the white coat noticed too. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you shocked? You-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Yunice said calmly. ¡°Elsie never died.¡±


    Theirmotion had roused Lily from her drugged slumber.


    The anesthesia left her groggy and limp, unable to move.


    Yunice turned to her and met her open eyes.


    ¡°Elsie is the one who killed your wife and child,¡± she said, each word deliberate. ¡°I¡¯m Yunice. She took their lives, and she stole my name and my life too. You don¡¯t want her to die so easily? I feel the same.¡±


    Both Lily and the man in the white coat stared at her in shock.


    ¡°You¡­ you know she¡¯s alive?¡± the man stammered. ¡°Then¡­ you know where she is<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Yunice shot him a look. ¡°How do you think you managed to swap her out?¡±


    <b>1/2 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>685 </b><b>The </b>Truth <b>About </b>Elsie


    The <b>man </b><b>fell </b>silent.


    <b>On </b><b>the </b><b>bed</b>, Lily made a gurgling sound, her eyes pleading to speak. But the leftover anesthesia <b>made </b>it impossible to move or form words.


    Yunice walked over and stopped beside her, her voice cold. ¡°You want to ask if Elsie¡¯s <b>really </b><b>alive</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s alive. When she ¡®died¡® in Owen¡¯s and your arms, she still had a breath left. I made <b>sure </b><b>she </b><b>lived</b>. I used a special form to put her into a state of temporary death. When they took her body to the crematorium, this man stole her ¡®corpse¡®¨Cand that¡¯s when she woke up.¡±


    Lily¡¯s expression twisted, fury and desperation filling her eyes.


    Seeing her struggling to move her fingers, Yunice said softly, ¡°Hate me?¡±


    ¡°If you knew what kind of life Elsie¡¯s had these past three months, you might hate me even more.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯d better control yourself.¡±


    Her finger pointed <i>to </i>Lily¡¯s chest. ¡°You just had a liver donation surgery. Don¡¯t get too worked up, or you might never see your precious daughter again.¡±


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened further. The slight movement in her hand froze as she instinctively tried to touch her chest.


    She felt no pain, no sense of what had been done¨Cthanks to the anesthesia still in effect.


    <i>¡°</i>Owen has liver cancer,¡± Yunice told her. ¡°He cut out two¨Cthirds of your liver to save himself. Afraid you wouldn¡¯t agree, he went ahead and did it on his own.¡±


    Lily¡¯s gaze went nk. Whether it was too much to process or too devastating to ept, she didn¡¯t react for a long time.


    ¡°Post guards,¡± Yunice said to Scarface. ¡°Don¡¯t let her die.¡±


    Scarface looked down at the man he was holding. ¡°What about him?¡±


    ¡°Let him go where he needs to go,¡± Yunice said with a nce.


    ¡°Police station?¡± Scarface asked cautiously.


    Yunice didn¡¯t say no. As Wyatt passed by, he gave Scarface a look.


    Scarface understood and nodded.


    9

 Daghter 686

    <b>Chapter </b><b>686 </b><b>A </b>Mother¡¯s Act


    Chapter <b>686 </b>A Mother¡¯s Act


    <b>¡°</b>Mmm!¡± Lily struggled to make sounds, wanting Yunice to stay and exin everything, but it was <b>no </b>use.


    After leaving Lily¡¯s ward, Yunice walked straight out of the hospital. Wyatt asked, ¡°Not going <b>to </b><b>see </b><b>Owen</b><b>?</b>¡±


    Yunice nced at the time and replied over her shoulder, ¡°I have ss this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Besides, even if I don¡¯t go to Owen, Lily will. Why should I go looking for trouble?¡±


    Everything was of their own making. The consequences of their actions would be theirs alone to bear.


    Even if she wanted revenge, Yunice would never personally take action and leave evidence behind.


    ¡°Mr. Wyatt,¡± Scarface¡¯s voice came through the phone.


    Yunice turned her head slightly to listen as Scarface said, ¡°Sorry, Mr. Wyatt, I identally let that guy get away.¡±


    She looked at Wyatt.


    Scarface asked, ¡°Should I go after him?¡±


    Yunice answered for Wyatt. ¡°No need.¡±


    If the avenger got caught, wouldn¡¯t that just make things easier for Elsie?


    Four hourster, the anesthesia finally wore off for Lily, reced by the unbearable pain of her surgical wound.


    But she still forced herself out of bed, stumbling out of the ward and grabbing at anyone she could reach, asking through gritted teeth, ¡°Where¡¯s Owen? Where¡¯s Owen¡­¡±


    A ¡°kindhearted¡± person stepped forward. ¡°I know where he is. Here¨Csit in this wheelchair, I¡¯ll take you to him.¡±


    Minutester, Lily appeared at the door of Owen¡¯s hospital room.


    Owen had just undergone a liver transnt, his condition even worse than Lily¡¯s.


    Hey t on the bed, an oxygen tube in his nose, lips so dry they were cracked and bleeding.


    Unable to lift his phone, he had it resting by his ear.


    ¡°Is my passport ready?¡± he asked weakly. ¡°I paid for expedited service¨Cwhatever it costs<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Sir, your passport is ready, but there¡¯s an issue with your mother¡¯s. It might take another day¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to wait,¡± Owen panted. ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯m going today. Get someone to carry me on a stretcher. Once I¡¯m at the rehab center abroad, I¡¯ll pay you the bnce right away¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Lily froze.


    Chapter <b>686 </b><b>A </b>Mother¡¯s <b>Act </b>


    <b>Slowly</b>, <b>she </b>tugged her hospital gown open a little and saw the thick bandages <b>wrapped </b><b>around </b>her chest:


    <b>Her </b><b>eyes </b>flickered. Yunice had been telling the truth.


    Owen really did have cancer. And to save himself, without her consent, he had cut out one¨C<b>third </b><b>of </b>her liver. (D)


    That meant she would now be a frequent hospital patient for the rest of her life.


    More importantly, after taking her liver to save himself, Owen was going to flee overseas and leave <b>her </b><b>to </b>die.


    Her hands clenched hard on the wheelchair armrests. She wanted to strangle him right there<b>. </b>


    How had she raised such a heartless animal¨Cworse than an animal!


    3


    ¡­<i>No</i><i>, </i><i>Owen </i>couldn¡¯t <i>leave</i><i>. </i><i>And </i><i>he </i><i>couldn¡¯t </i><i>die</i><i>, </i><i>either</i>.


    She couldn¡¯t count on Owen anymore, but if Elsie was alive, she still had hope.


    Paul still liked Elsie. As long as Elsie lived, there was a chance for both mother and daughter.


    ¡°Owen¡­¡± Lily¡¯s voice trembled from the doorway.


    16


    Owen startled, the sudden movement tugging at his stitches and making him spasm in pain.


    Seeing her there, his expression shifted withplicated emotions.


    He hadn¡¯t expected her to wake up so soon, let alonee looking for him.


    He didn¡¯t know if she had overheard his phone call, so he stayed silent for a moment.


    Lily wheeled herself in, face pale, eyes red, speaking in a weak voice.


    ¡°Owen, how are you feeling now? I¡¯m so relieved my liver could save you¡­¡®


    Owen¡¯s eyes narrowed, studying her.


    Tears slid down Lily¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Silly boy, did you think you could hide your illness from me? I only pretended not to know because I was afraid you¡¯d refuse to take my liver and <i>try </i>to endure it alone. I¡¯d already contacted the doctors to secretly donate to you. As long as you recover, I¡¯ll have hope to go on living.¡±


    Owen said nothing.


    <i>Hah</i><i>¨C</i><i>crocodile </i><i>tears</i><i>. </i>If she hadn¡¯t overheard his call and feared being abandoned, would she say this?


    His mind worked quickly before he slowly reached out his hand, ¡°Mom, you really are the one who <b>loves </b>me most. Once I recover and can get out of bed, I¡¯ll take you abroad to enjoy life.¡±


    Lily kept her stiff smile in ce, matching his performance with her own.


    rit, <b>to </b>Aug


    Chapter 686 A Mother¡¯s Act


    1-8631


    <b>$</b>10 Free Coins


    Neither spoke for a moment. Then Lily wiped her tears and nced at the empty bed beside him. ¡°Why don¡¯t we share a room, just the two of us? That way, I can take care of you.¡±

 Daghter 687

    <b>Chapter </b><b>687 </b>The Prisoner in the Cave


    <b>Owen </b>didn¡¯t want her staying. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re still hurt yourself. Don¡¯t worry about me


    Lily pushed away his blocking hand. ¡°I only feel at case when I <b>can </b>see you.¡±


    She turned to the nurse outside the door and told her to process the paperwork to transfer her <b>into </b>


    Owen¡¯s room.


    The nurse went to do it immediately, and Owen didn¡¯t even manage to stop her.


    He red at Lily¡¯s smiling face, but right now he could barely move a finger, let alone stop her.


    Lily¡¯s bed was set up right beside his.


    Since she was here, Owen decided he might as well try to rest<b>. </b>


    But he¡¯d barely closed his eyes when he heard Lily making a phone call. Her voice trembled. ¡°¡­What? Say that again? Are you sure you¡¯re not lying to me?¡±


    The sound of her talking irritated him at first, but then curiosity crept in.


    <i>What¡¯s </i><i>going on</i><i>? </i>


    Lily looked at him in panic. ¡°Owen! Owen, wake up¨Csomething terrible has happened! Elsie isn¡¯t dead! Yunice faked it! Elsie is still out there somewhere, suffering!¡±


    Whatever curiosity he¡¯d had instantly died.


    Ridiculous<i>. </i>


    Elsie had been dead long enough for her body to be cremated¨Cturned to ash. Come back to life? Lily¡¯s anesthesia must have gone to her head.


    ¡°Owen, it¡¯s true! Elsie¡¯s alive¨Cthe ashes at home are fake! Remember that pregnant woman who died of


    sister!¡± hemorrhage at our hospital years ago? Her husband is behind this¨Che¡¯s the one who hid Elsie away to torture her! He even wants to kill me, and then kill you! Owen, you have to save your


    Owen kept his eyes shut, pretending to sleep.


    Even if Elsie were alive¨Cwhich she wasn¡¯t¨Che¡¯d sooner hunt her down for revenge than rescue her.


    Lily grew desperate, tears spilling down her cheeks.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t help your sister, then I¡¯ll call the police! They can save her!¡±


    At that, Owen drew in a slow breath. ¡°Mom, can you be serious? If you call the police for Elsie, have you thought about what will happen? The moment you do, our entire family will be finished. Are you willing <b>to </b>sacrifice all of us for her?¡±


    Lily faltered, then said, ¡°If you won¡¯t call the police, then at least help me find her. You¡¯ve got money¨Chire some private investigators. They¡¯ll definitely find her. Paul¡¯s crazy about Elsie¨Cif he knows she¡¯s alive<b>, </b>he¡¯ll help you too!¡±


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>687 </b>The <b>Prisoner </b><b>in </b><b>the </b><b>ve </b>


    Owen <b>gave </b><b>a </b>short, <b>cold </b></divugh. ¡°Paul¡¯s already a rat everyone wants <b>dead</b><b>. </b><b>You </b><b>think </b><b>he¡¯s </b><b>got </b><b>many </b>days <b>left</b>? <b>If </b>you want <b>to </b>find Elsie<b>, </b><b>go </b>yourself. I will never help her. If you want <b>to </b><b>call </b>the <b>cops</b>, go <b>ahead</b>¨Cthen <b>we </b><b>can </b>all <b>die </b>together. I¡¯m too tired to care.¡±


    He closed his eyes again, giving up entirely.


    Lily fell silent atst.


    Meanwhile, far away on a steep mountain road, there was a cave.


    Inside, there were clear signs of habit and a heavy iron chain was bolted deep into <b>the </b>rock wall.


    The chain extended forward and was fastened around someone¡¯s neck.


    When footsteps echoed down the long stone passage, the chain rattled and scraped.


    A figure shrank back in fear.


    There was the sharp scratch of a match.


    The me red, lighting a candle on the rock wall.


    The scene inside the cave became clear.


    The man by the candle was the same one Scarface had held down in the hospital earlier<b>. </b>


    He turned his gaze to the woman trying to press herself into the wall.


    Her hair was matted, her clothes torn beyond repair.


    The most horrifying sight was her body¨Cher limbs were thin to the bone, but her belly bulged grotesquely, as though she were about to give birth any moment.


    The man stepped closer and crouched in front of her.


    It was Elsie.


    2


    Because of her massive stomach, she couldn¡¯t even curl up; she could only beg in desperation. ¡°I really know I was wrong. Please, let me go. I¡¯ll do anything you want!¡±


    He grabbed a fistful of her filthy hair. ¡°You? What could you possibly offer? Even if every woman in the world dropped dead, I wouldn¡¯t touch your disgusting body! I just want my wife. Give her back to me! Give her back!¡±


    ¡°Aaaah!¡± Elsie shrieked in terror.


    Her huge belly scraped across the dirt as she tried to pull away.


    She¡¯d only been held here for three months¨Cthere was no way she could be pregnant enough to look like this naturally.


    This was the man¡¯s revenge¨Che¡¯d ced a pressure ball inside her uterus.


    <b>2/3 </b>


    <b>08:38 </b>Fri, <b>15 </b><b>Aug </b>ei


    Chapter 687 The Prisoner in the Cave


    <b>+10 </b>Free Coins


    Every day, he inted it a little more, stretching her womb bit by bit until she looked like she was about to give birth. (3)

 Daghter 688

    <b>Chapter </b><b>688 </b>The <b>Pressure </b><b>Ball </b>


    Chapter 688 The Pressure Ball


    The pressure ball was filled with water, and its weight was no less than that of a full¨Cterm fetus,


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mock my wife for looking ugly when she was pregnant? Well, now you look just like that<b>¨C</b><b>but </b>somehow even worse. You don¡¯t even look human.


    The man yanked Elsie¡¯s hair, his teeth gritted in a cold smile. ¡°My wife was beautiful. You were <b>just </b><b>jealous </b>-jealous that she was pretty, jealous that she had a husband who loved herpletely. You couldn¡¯t <b>stand </b>it, so you mocked her. You just couldn¡¯t bear to see someone happy. I heard¡­ when your mother <b>gave </b><b>birth </b>to you, she was tied up like a dog, just like you are now. I can¡¯t believe that with a wretch like you, she not only let you live but treated you like a treasure. Pathetic. Compared to you, I think Lily¨Cwho <b>gave </b><b>birth </b><b>to </b>you and Owen¨Cdeserves to die even more.¡±


    Elsie sped her hands together and crawled toward him on the ground, begging frantically. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry! I was horrible! Please let me go!¡±


    ¡°Let you go? My wife begged you for mercy too. And what did you do<i>? </i>Did you let her go?¡± The man¡¯s <b>rage </b>boiled over as he shoved hard on Elsie¡¯s swollen belly.


    Elsie screamed, the pressure so intense she nearly cked out.


    Her body, swollen and rotting from the internal strain, gave off a stench that was unbearable.


    She didn¡¯t know how much longer this torment wouldst. In desperation, she cried, ¡°Please! I know <b>I </b>was wrong! If you let me go, Owen will give you so much money! Your wife and child are already dead¨Ckilling me won¡¯t bring them back! You¡¯d be better off trading me for money. Then we both win! There are plenty of women out there. If you¡¯ve got money, you


    an marry ones prettier and healthier than your wife! Why are you so obsessed with destroying me?<b>¡± </b>


    Her words only made him snap. ¡°No one canpare to my wife! I want my wife! Say it again! Go on!¡±


    He pumped more water into the pressure ball./


    Elsie rolled across the ground, her belly like a giant yoga ball about to burst.


    She screamed and thrashed¨Cthen suddenly went still.


    She thought she was going to die.


    But she didn¡¯t.


    When she woke again, the candle on the stone wall had burned down to its end.


    The cave was pitch¨Cck and silent. She had no idea if the man was still there.


    She didn¡¯t dare move at first. After ten long minutes without a sound, she cautiously reached for the chain.


    Her hands went to her neck¨Conly to find the chain was gone.


    She¡­ was free?


    The moment the thought took hold, her body moved faster than her mind. She fled.


    172


    <b>Chapter </b><b>688 </b>The <b>Pressure </b><b>Ball </b>


    <b>But </b>her belly was so huge that every step pulled at her internal organs, sending waves <b>of </b><b>pain </b>through he <b>body</b><b>. </b>


    <b>She </b>stopped, wanting to drain the water from the pressure ball¨Conly to realize the external <b>tube </b>was


    gone<b>.. </b>


    The hose was missing, but the ball was still inside her, full of water. A wave of dizziness hit her.


    The tube had been shovedpletely inside her. She couldn¡¯t get it out herself, and there was <b>no </b><b>way </b><b>to </b>drain the water.


    ¡­No matter.


    Once she got home and reunited with her mother and Owen, they¡¯d fix it.


    Holding her belly with both hands, Elsie staggered down the mountain. Luckily, the man didn¡¯t <b>catch </b>her.


    The path was remote; her feet were raw and bleeding before she finally reached a road and spotted shops and people.


    But before she could get close, passersby wrinkled their noses and backed away in disgust.


    She reeked a nauseating mix of unwashed filth and rotting flesh.


    At first, Elsie felt ashamed and tried to avoid people. But after being shunned so many times, she stopped caring and barged straight ahead.


    People would move out of her way on their own.


    ¡°How long is this going to take¡­¡± She clutched her belly, feeling as if it would split her open.


    ¡°I¡¯ll call Owen to pick me up.¡± She spotted a convenience store nearby, a phone sitting on the counter.


    The moment she stepped inside, the shopkeeper caught the stench and realized it wasing from her. He grabbed a mop and shouted, ¡°You stinking beggar! Get out! Try stealing something and I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Elsie flinched, then, when he looked away, she spat at him.


    As he recoiled in disgust, she snatched the phone from the counter.


    ¡°Hey! You filthy beggar! I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    2/

 Daghter 689

    <b>Chapter </b><b>689 </b>The <b>News </b>That Broke Elsie


    Chapter <b>689 </b>The <b>News </b>That Broke Elsie


    <b>Elsic </b>turned to run, but with her massive belly it was like carrying an extra forty <b>pounds </b>she <b>couldn¡¯t </b>move fast at all.


    The mop handle mmed across her back.


    She cried out, dropping the phone.


    The shopkeeper pinched the phone between alcohol wipes in disgust, then swung the mop <b>at </b>her <b>again</b>. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±


    Elsie had no choice but to stagger away.


    She kept going until she was dizzy from hunger and exhaustion, finally copsing under a tree.


    Someone mistook her for a homeless woman and tossed her half of a leftover apple.


    Elsie didn¡¯t care; she grabbed it and ate.


    Three months of captivity had given her nothing but slop and rotting scraps¨Cshe¡¯d almost forgotten what fresh fruit tasted like.


    ¡°Mom, thatdy must really be a beggar. She¡¯s eating garbage like it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    The child¡¯s mother mped a hand over his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t say things like that.¡±


    Still chewing, Elsie nced over at the mother and son waiting at the bus stop.


    After quieting her child, the woman went back to her phone. ¡°Huh, the Powell Corporation just got bought out by Cooper Corp.¡±


    Elsie froze mid¨Cbite, her eyes locking on the phone in the woman¡¯s hand.


    <i>The </i><i>Powell </i><i>Corporation</i><i>? </i><i>Bought </i><i>by </i><i>Cooper </i><i>Corp</i><i>? </i>


    <i>Impossible</i>.


    The Powell Corporation was a giant¨Cone of Silverburgh¡¯s pirs.


    She lunged forward and snatched the woman¡¯s phone.


    The stench hit, and the woman screamed, tossing the phone aside before grabbing her child and running.


    ¡°The Powell Corporation, bought <i>by </i>Cooper Corp? No¡­ that¡¯s impossible, impossible¡­¡± Elsie muttered, scrolling quickly.


    But there it was, sshed across the trending headlines.


    Paul had embezzledpany/funds and was under arrest for economic crimes.


    While on the run, thepanies he controlled copsed under massive debt. The Powell Corporation had dered bankruptcy and been bought by Cooper Corp, the proceeds to be used to pay off its <b>debts</b>.


    n


    Chapter <b>689 </b>The News That Broke Elle


    Elsie¡¯s <b>stomach </b><b>dropped</b>. She <b>kept </b><b>scrolling </b><b>into </b>thement section<b>: </b>


    <b>I </b><b>always </b>thought Cooper Corp was under Powell¡¯s heel. Didn¡¯t expect them <b>to </b>have the <b>teeth </b><b>to </b>swallow <b>Powell </b>whole<b>!</b>¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Good thing Cooper stepped in. Otherwise some foreignpany would¡¯ve scooped <b>up </b><b>Powell </b><b>for </b><b>cheap</b><b>. </b>and the locals they cheated would be left crying.¡±


    ¡°With a move like this, Cooper¡¯s winning hearts. The chamber ofmerce president¡¯s <b>seat </b>might <b>just</b><b>. </bnd in Wyatt¡¯sp this year.¡±


    ¡°People have been whispering about this for a while. Word is, Wyatt¡¯s already cleaning <b>up </b>his <b>image</b><b>. </b><b>Soon </b>he might be celebrated as some model businessman.


    ¡°Ha, ssic. These rich types make their money, thenunder their reputations.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what money gets you you decide what the public says.¡±


    By the time she finished reading, Elsie was shaking with rage.


    ¡°Why?! Why is it Cooper Corp buying Powell?! Why does that cripple Wyatt <b>get </b>everything?! Why <b>is </b><b>every </b>man Yunice chooses a sess, and every man I choose turns out worthless?!¡±


    Her hand trembled as she lifted the phone to smash it, but she stopped halfway.


    ¡°Paul¡¯s finished, but that¡¯s fine¨Cwe¡¯re done anyway. His downfall¡­ maybe it¡¯s for the best. I still have <b>my </b>mother, I still have Owen¡­ yes, the Saunders family still has money. I¡¯m still the youngdy of the house<b>¡­ </b>


    Muttering to herself, she dialed Owen¡¯s number.


    <i>Out </i><i>of </i><i>service</i><i>. </i>


    <i>He </i><i>changed </i><i>his </i><i>number</i><i>? </i>


    She tried Lily¡¯s. This time it rang, but no one answered.


    Frowning, Elsie made onest attempt¨Ccalling the Saunders family¡¯sndline.


    Someone had to be there.


    It rang so long she nearly hung up¨Cthen clicked as the line connected.


    Elsie¡¯s face lit up, her voice rising. ¡°Owen! It¡¯s me, Elsie! I¡¯m alive! Come get me, I¡¯ve missed you so much


    ¡°Owen? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Don¡¯t you recognize my voice?¡±


    There was a pause. Then a stranger¡¯s lightugh came through. ¡°Elsie. You¡¯re alive? That¡¯s wonderful news. Owen and your mother will be¡­ thrilled.¡±


    At the unfamiliar voice, Elsie went rigid. ¡°Who are you?! What are you doing in the Saunders house.


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m the new housekeeper. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t recognize my voice.¡± The voice was slow, deliberate. ¡°You¡¯re looking for Owen? He¡¯s not home. He and his wife are at the hospital. I can give you the address,


    Chapter 689 The News That Broke Elsie


    ¡°Hospital?¡± Elsic epted the story about a new housekeeper without question.


    Something else urred to her. ¡°Is anyone else at home? Is that annoying Peggy there?¡±


    +10 Free Cons


    The voice on the other end smiled audibly. ¡°Peggy? I¡¯ve worked at the Saunders house for quite some time, and I¡¯ve never heard of anyone named Peggy.¡±

 Daghter 690

    <b>Chapter </b><b>690 </b>The <b>Pickup </b>


    Chapter 690 The Pickup


    <b>Elsie¡¯s </b>heart leapt. <i>No </i>Peggy? That meant in the three months she¡¯d been gone, Owen must <b>have </b><b>finally </b>thrown her out of the Saunders family. The thought filled her with smug satisfaction.


    Holding her distended belly, she spoke with a sudden air of arrogance. ¡°You¡¯re the housemaid<b>, </b><b>right</b>? <b>Then </b>drive to forty¨Cfour Wood Road and pick me up. Now. Be quick, or I¡¯ll have Owen fire you.¡± She <b>figured </b><b>that </b>if even the staff knew her name, it meant Owen often spoke of her. If this maid had any sense, she¡¯d understand exactly how important Elsie was.


    Sure enough, the woman on the other end answered with deference. ¡°Yes, a car has already been sent. Please be patient.¡±


    Elsie finally rxed, Tilting her head back, she gazed up at the clear blue sky, thinking she had never seen it look so beautiful. She was finally going home. <i>Yunice</i><i>, </i>just <i>wait</i>. <i>Our </i>fight isn¡¯t over yet.


    At the Saunders estate, Nora set the receiver back in its cradle and turned toward Paul, who lounged on the sofa. ¡°Elsie¡¯s still alive.¡±


    Paul gave a short, derisiv¨¨ugh as he turned his head. ¡°That woman¡¯s life is harder to snuff out than a cockroach. Burn her to ashes and she¡¯d still crawl back. Trash like her just doesn¡¯t die.¡±


    Meeting his mocking look, Nora walked over. ¡°Sir, how long are you nning to hide here?¡± <b>Her </b>gaze flicked toward the basement. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before the filth in this cees to light.¡±


    Paul said nothing. When several factions had been hunting him, he¡¯d had nowhere else to hide. That was when he¡¯d remembered the Saunders family¡¯s hidden back path¨Csomething he¡¯d discovered during his secret meetings with Elsie. No cameras, no surveince. A perfect blind spot, right under Wyatt¡¯s nose.


    up in That night, when Wyatt and Yunice had been searching Elsie¡¯s room, Paul and Nora had been holed Oscar¡¯s, holding their breath and ready to leap from the window if needed. Not long after, Owen had made his move against Lily and Peggy.


    With the Saunders estate suddenly masterless<b><i>, </i></b>Paul and Nora had felt safe enough to move freely. Now, by sheer luck, Elsie had called. She was alive.


    Nora had never met her, only knew she had taken Yunice¡¯s ce and enjoyed the Saunders family¡¯s favor. So¡­ what would Paul do with her?


    Paul¡¯s lips curved into a cold smile. ¡°I just need to get some money out of Wyatt. Once I have it, getting out of my current mess will be easy.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Nora asked.


    Paul¡¯s mouth moved as he leaned in, quietly outlining his idea.


    On Wood Road, Elsie sat clutching her swollen stomach, the pain making it hard to stay upright. Tears streaked her face as she muttered between clenched teeth, ¡°When I find Owen, I¡¯m going to take this pressure ball out and shove it right up that bastard¡¯s ass.¡±


    While she waited, a few vagrant men tried to approach her, but none could get within five steps before the stench drove them away. The reek from her rotting, swollen body was like a biological weapon¨Cthick, suffocating, like a rat dead for days and sealed in a box.


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    n


    Chapter 690 The <b>Pickup </b>


    <b>Her </b><b>face </b>tightened as she gripped what remained of her clothes. The <b>thought </b><b>of </b><b>Owen </b><b>seeing </b><b>her </b>like thi and losing respect made her anxious. <i>Better </i>to get home, <i>clean </i>up, then <i>call </i><b><i>Owen </i></b>and have him get <b>a </b><b>doctor </b><i>to </i>remove this damn thing<b><i>. </i></b>


    As she was muttering, a car slowed to a stop in front of her. The driver seemed unsure <b>if </b><b>she </b>was <b>the </b><b>one </b>he¡¯d been sent to pick up.


    Elsie leaned forward and saw¨Cit was Owen¡¯s car. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the door <b>handle</b><b>, </b>hauling herself inside.


    The moment she did, the driver bolted from the other side, bent over the curb, and vomited violently.


    ¡°I¡¯m your youngdy! Am I really that bad? If your nose doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll have Owen cut it off for <b>you</b><b>!</b><b>¡± </b><b>she </b>snapped..


    The man nearly copsed from retching. In the end, he pulled out his phone, ced an urgent order for <b>a </b>gas mask, and strapped it on.


    Elsie¡¯s cheeks burned, and she was more certain than ever she should bathe before seeing Owen.


    The driver started the car and pulled away.


    pick me up. Why didn¡¯t shee? No manners at On the way, she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s that maid? I told her to all¨Cmadam gives her an order and she dares ck off. We¡¯ll see about that when I get home.¡±


    No matter what she said, the driver didn¡¯t respond.


    Over an hourter, the car rolled to a stop. Elsie had dozed off, but when she opened her eyes she saw people bustling all around. This wasn¡¯t the Saunders estate¨Cit was a hospital.


    ¡°I told you to take me home, not to the hospital-¡± She stopped mid¨Csentence. The driver was gone, and so were the keys.


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    <b>Chapter </b><b>691 </b>The Hospital Encounter


    Chapter 691 The Hospital Encounter


    Elsie swore under her breath, then climbed out of the car. She tried gging down another ride, but <b>no </b>one would take her. Her eyes shifted toward the hospital in front of her. Owen was supposed to be here.


    Keeping her head low to avoid stares, she slipped inside and ducked into the medical waste storage room. There, she snatched a whiteb coat and threw it over her shoulders. Without hesitation, she barged <b>into </b>an empty patient room, rushed into its bathroom, and locked the door from the inside.


    Pounding and angry voices came from outside, but she ignored them. She scrubbed herself head to toe with the shampoo she found in the shower. The stench eased a little, but the grotesque swelling and deformation below her waist made normal relief impossible. She couldn¡¯t remove the object inside her on her own, and in the end she had no choice but to emerge still burdened by her massive stomach.


    The moment she stepped out, someone outside recoiled with a yell. ¡°What the hell¨Cthis ce stinks! And look at this bathroom, it¡¯s filthy. What, you haven¡¯t bathed in a year?¡±


    Elsie said nothing, draping theb coat over herself and walking into the hallway. She began scanning for Owen¡¯s room.


    Then a familiar voice reached her ears.


    ¡°Carl, I¡¯m begging you. I¡¯m dying here¨Cplease, please help me find Elsie. Just thinking of her, a young girl suffering out there, my heart feels like it¡¯s being cut to pieces¡­¡±


    Elsie froze, her breath catching. Her nose stung, and she covered her mouth with her hand. ¡°Mom¡­¡±


    Her mother was still looking for her. The realization nearly overwhelmed her with emotion.


    Lily hadn¡¯t seen her. She kept her head bent over the phone, her voice cracking as she tried to win Carl¡¯s sympathy. But after she poured her heart out, the reply was a sharp, mockingugh.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re in agony thinking about Elsie suffering? What about when Yunice¨Cfar more delicate than Elsie¨Cwas thrown into a mental hospital at eighteen and tortured? Didn¡¯t see you writhing in pain over that.¡±


    Lily faltered. ¡°¡­You¨CFreya?¡±


    She nced at the number again. She hadn¡¯t misdialed. ¡°I called Carl¡¯s number. Why do you have his phone?¡±


    Freya¡¯s scoff was ice¨Ccold. ¡°That¡¯s not Mr. Carl¡¯s number at all.¡±


    ¡°Impossible. He gave me this number himself. Freya, don¡¯t y games with me.¡±


    ¡°He got sick of you and handed you a random number,¡± Freya said lightly. ¡°And he told us not to bother him with your problems¨Csaid to handle you however we liked.¡±


    Lily¡¯s jaw dropped.


    Freya¡¯s tone sharpened. ¡°Lily, are you still pretending you don¡¯t understand? Can¡¯t you see Mr. <b>Carl </b>despises you and your illegitimate daughter? Your selfishness made him fight with his own brother, destroyed Will¡¯s family, left his children as orphans. You abused Will¡¯s surviving child, turned the siblings<b>. </b>


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    <b>Chapter </b><b>691 </b>The <b>Hospital </b><b>Encounter </b>


    <b>against </b>each other, and you think Carl hasn¡¯t seen all <b>of </b>it<b>? </b><b>You </b>still <b>dream </b>he¡¯d <b>rescue </b>your <b>brai </b>Even th answered himself, he¡¯d never help you. Elsie¡¯s misery is her own doing, her <b>punishment </b><b>nothing </b>more- <b>than </b>karma. Anyone who helps her will share her fate. You and Owen are <b>already </b><b>paying </b><b>for </b>your. Thou the two of you rot in bed together for the rest of your lives.¡±


    Then the line went dead.


    Lily stared at her phone, nk. There was no one left to turn to.


    For years she had relied on her ties to the Powell family, holding her head high among the wealthy women she took tea with. They had either envied her or fawned over her. Now, with the Powells in ruin<b>, </b>those same ¡°friends¡± gave her nothing but rejection and scorn.


    She had tried her own family, but Terrance had refused to help and even cursed her. She had given <b>the </b>Moore family so much money over the years, and now not one of them would stand by her.


    Wiping her tears, she muttered bitterly, ¡°Elsie¡¯s still my child. What was I supposed to do, strangle her <b>at </b>birth? Easy for hypocrites to judge from the sidelines.¡±


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Elsie¡¯s voice wavered as she stepped forward¨Conly for a nurse to brush past her.


    ¡°Lily, I told you not to wander! You just had liver surgery. Do you have a death wish?¡±


    ¡°Liver surgery?¡± Elsie murmured in confusion.


    The nurse wheeled Lily back into her room, and Elsie hurried after them¨Conly to find Owen there as well. Both wore hospital gowns, their conditions unclear.


    ¡°There she is, security!¡± Owen barked. ¡°She made our room reek, filthy and disgusting¨Cwhat if she¡¯s spreading an infectious disease? Get her out of here and into the police station!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s wearing ab coat. Is she even staff here?¡±


    ¡°Impersonating hospital staff? She¡¯s definitely frouble!¡±


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    Chapter <b>692 </b>Cornered


    Chapter <b>692 </b><b>Cornered </b>


    <b>Chaotic </b><b>footsteps </b>echoed in the corridor, and Elsie¡¯s legs trembled. She nced frantically to <b>either </b>side <b>only </b><b>to </b><b>see </b>people blocking both ends of the hallway.


    Gritting her teeth, she bolted straight into the nearest room. ¡°Mom! Owen! Help me!¡±


    The sound of her voice hit Owen like a hammer. Lily¡¯s eyes went wide and she nearly sprang from <b>the </b>bed, the pain at her incision almost knocking her off her feet.


    They both turned to see a bloated¨Cbellied woman rush through the ward in a panic, searching for somewhere to hide before yanking open the curtains and slipping behind them as if she could disappear<b>. </b>


    Lily gasped with joy. ¡°Owen, did you hear that? It¡¯s Elsie! It¡¯s Elsic¨Cshe¡¯s really alive!¡±


    Owen stared, dumbstruck, at the pair of feet sticking out beneath the curtain. They were crammed into <b>ill- </b>fitting slippers, the skin so swollen and purplish they looked like bear paws¨Cnothing like a young woman¡¯s feet.


    And that belly¡­ it was as big as if she were carrying twins. She¡¯d only been gone three months; <i>it </i>was impossible for her to be pregnant like that.


    But the voice¡­ it was unmistakable.


    The room¡¯s door mmed open again and a group surged inside¨Cdoctors, nurses<b>, </b>security, even other patients¡® rtives.


    ¡°She ran in here! She¡¯s definitely hiding!¡± one of them called, and another¡¯s eyes dropped to the telltale feet below the curtain.


    Without a word, a doctor pointed. The security guard tightened his grip on his steel control fork and nodded, inching forward on silent feet.


    Lily¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What are you doing? She¡¯s my daughter!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not!¡± Owen cut in immediately.


    How could this swollen, stinking woman possibly be Elsie? Lily had lost her mind.


    When she¡¯d run past just now, the stench had hung in the air¨Cso foul it made his stomach turn. There was no way that was Elsie.


    ¡°That is Elsie!¡± Lily pounded the bed in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t you recognize your own sister¡¯s voice?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s only been gone three months. You think she could get a belly like that? Stop talking nonsense,¡± Owen snapped.


    Lily faltered. She was starting to see how wrong this looked.


    The guard had already closed in on the curtains, lunging with the fork in one swift motion. ¡°Got her!¡±


    The steel prongs locked around her, pinning her in ce. Two more people yanked the curtains back. Elsie flinched from the sudden light, letting out a sharp cry as she covered her face.


    <b>Chapter </b>692 Cornered


    <b>Others </b><b>instantly </b><b>covered </b><b>their </b>noses<b>, </b>gagging at <b>the </b><b>stench</b>,


    <b>¡°</b><b>She¡¯s </b><b>got </b>some <b>kind </b><b>of </b>infectious disease, right? How else could <b>she </b><b>smell </b><b>like </b><b>that</b><b>? </b><b>Maybe </b>it¡¯s somethin


    nasty.


    <b>¡°</b><b>What</b>? Then what about our ward? No way¨Cwe¡¯re making the hospital move us immediately<b>, </b><b>and </b><b>they¡¯re </b>paying for damages<b>!</b>¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes brimmed with hurt. ¡°I¡¯m not sick. Don¡¯t nder me¡­¡± She turned tearfully toward Lily <b>and </b>Owen. ¡°Mom, Owen, tell them! I¡¯m Elsie! I¡¯m your family! How could I have something dirty like <b>that</b><b>? </b>


    Lily finally saw her daughter¡¯s face clearly. She stared for several seconds, stunned. In just three months, Elsie had wasted away to skin and bone, almost unrecognizable¨Cexcept for that grotesquely swollen <b>belly</b>, Owen stared too, shocked to see her alive and even more shocked at what she¡¯d be. But when her tear¨Cstreaked eyes met his, what rose in his mind wasn¡¯t sympathy. It was memory after memory of her arm¨Cin¨Carm with Timothy, walking in and out of upscale apartments. The hospital scandals where she¡¯d caused disaster after disaster, and he¡¯d stood in front of her, absorbing the families¡® fury while she hid behind him like a victim, even crying that she was afraid.


    His cheeks burned hot with shame. What the hell had been wrong with him back then, thinking those families were being unreasonable, that they were bullying his sister?


    Now, lying in a hospital bed himself, he could finally see things from the patient¡¯s side. Elsie had blood on her hands, and the only reason those families hadn¡¯t torn her apart was because he¡¯d shielded her and used threats to hold them back.


    ¡°Owen¡­¡± Elsie¡¯s tears hit the floor as she waited for him to speak up for her.


    But his face stayed unreadable¨Cno warmth, no pity.


    Why wasn¡¯t he defending her?


    Her knees gave out, and she crumpled to the floor, looking up at the ring of people around her. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hit me,¡± she sobbed. ¡°Owen will be upset¡­ at least don¡¯t do it in front of my Owen and my mother¡­¡±


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 Daghter 693

    Chapter 693 Burned Bridges


    Chapter 693 Burned Bridges


    ¡°Elsie!¡±


    15 Free Colos


    The moment Lily heard her daughter¡¯s anguished scream, shepletely broke down. Like a mother hen protecting her chick, she stumbled out of bed and rushed over, arms


    outstretched to shield Elsic.


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter! None of you are allowed to hurt her!¡±


    Everyone looked around at each other in confusion.


    No one had evenid a hand on her. Was this pregnant woman out of her mind? She was putting on quite. the performance.


    Elsie dove into Lily¡¯s arms, sobbing uncontrobly. The torment of the past three months had been even more terrifying than her days in the mountain vige.


    The crowd was overwhelmed by her crying. ¡°She¡¯s really your daughter? Then why didn¡¯t you keep a better eye on her? Look at the mess she made!¡±


    ¡°Wait a second¨Caren¡¯t you Lily?¡± someone frowned, then turned toward Owen. ¡°And you¡¯re Owen?¡±


    Their eyes then locked onto Elsie. ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re Elsie?¡±


    ¡°Elsie? That name sounds familiar¡­¡±


    ¡°Elsie! Wasn¡¯t she the one involved in that rape and murder case? Didn¡¯t the police report that she died?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not Elsie. You¡¯ve got the wrong person!¡± Owen struggled to sit up, his face full of disgust. ¡°My sister is dead. I don¡¯t know who this is. She must¡¯ve escaped from some asylum. Someone call the police and have her taken away.¡±


    Lily and Elsie both turned to Owen in stunned/disbelief.


    <i>Why </i>would <i>he </i><i>say </i>that?


    Elsie quickly tucked her hair behind her ear so he could see her face clearly. ¡°Owen, it¡¯s me. Don¡¯t you recognize me? I¡¯m Elsie. I¡¯m-¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Owen snapped. ¡°My sister died pure. And you¨Cshowing up here pregnant¨Chow dare you pretend to be her!¡±


    His words made the crowd pause.


    He was right. It didn¡¯t make sense. No one could get that pregnant in just three months.


    Suspicion spread fast. Several people reached for their phones to call the police.


    Lily stood protectively in front of Elsie, anxiously turning to Owen. ¡°Owen¨Cwhat the hell are you doing?¡±


    The police arrived in no time.


    Lily clung to her daughter, chasing after the officers who were taking her away. She followed them <b>all </b><b>the </b>


    O


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    Chapter 693 Burned Bridges


    way to the door before running out of breath, slumping against the frame<b>, </b>panting.


    And that was when she saw someone else.


    Yunice.


    $5 Free Cous


    No one knew when she had arrived, but there she stood¨Cright in front of Lily, coldly watching Elsie being dragged away in handcuffs.


    EX


    Owen saw her too. His face tightened, lips pressed into a thin line.


    He and Lily had just undergone surgery. He knew Yunice was here to rub salt in their wounds.


    But she hadn¡¯te empty¨Chanded. She was holding flowers and gifts.


    To Lily, those things were unbearable to look at. All she saw was mockery.


    Summoning everyst bit of strength she had, she grabbed the flowers and gifts and flung them across the hall, scattering them in all directions.


    From the hallway, curious onlookers peeked around the corner, eager to watch the drama unfold.


    Yunice stood calmly, like an outsider, letting Lily scream andsh out.


    When Lily finally copsed from exhaustion, Yunice said coolly, ¡°Perfect timing. Elsie¡¯s case has been out of the news for a few days. You¡¯ve just reignited the mes. The Saunders family is going to be famous again.¡±


    As expected, Lily immediately turned to nce anxiously at the hallway.


    Sexual assault and murder cases always attracted disgusting rumors, and with the attention back on the story, it would only hurt Elsie.


    Especially now, visibly pregnant¨Cjust showing her face could unleash a storm of vile gossip.


    Lily had always wanted a perfect daughter. Not someone treated like society¡¯s garbage.


    Yunice stepped past her and sat down in front of Owen, pulling up a chair.


    ¨C¡°The doctor says you¡¯re recovering well. If the cancer spreads slowly, you might have a few more years


    left,¡± she said.


    Owen had already figured it out. ¡°You nned this,¡± he muttered bitterly.


    ¡°You made your own choices,¡± Yunice replied.


    Owen shut his eyes, no longer willing to look at her. ¡°You think bringing out a girl who looks like <b>Elsie </b><b>is </b>some kind of ace up your sleeve? That you can use her to reim an identity that was never yours? Let <b>me </b>tell you something<i>¨C</i>Yunice is dead. Her record has been erased. She doesn¡¯t exist. You¡¯re not the Saunders family¡¯s Yunice. And neither is she.¡±


    Owen believed Yunice had been hiding Elsie all along. Now that his death was nearly confirmed, she¡¯d released her just to cause chaos, hoping to use it to restore her own registration.


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    But Yunice only chuckled softly. ¡°You were nning to die without leaving any evidence. <b>What </b>else <b>could </b>i do? Like you said, the name Yunice is dead. Now that another ¡®Yunice¡® has appeared, the police will <b>do </b>a DNA test. Our father¡¯s blood is still in the blood bank¨Cthey¡¯ll use it forparison. <b>If </b><b>this </b>Yunice <b>doesnt </b>match with him, then it proves she¡¯s not the Saunders family¡¯s Yunice, and she¡¯s not your so¨C<b>called </b>Elsie either. She¡¯s just some stranger with no connection to you at all. That way, you can kick Elsie <b>out </b>of the Saunders family for good. And you¡¯ll bury the fact that you ever stole her identity. Because the real Elsie the one you reced¨Cis already nothing but ashes. No one will ever know who she really was<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    gy


    th

 Daghter 694

    Chapter 694 The Truth Buried in Blood


    Owen didn¡¯t dare respond. He was afraid Yunice might be recording him. Instead, he sneered <b>coldly </b>


    ¡°You and my mom must be delusional.¡±


    Yunice raised her eyes, amused. ¡°Owen, are you that scared I¡¯ll take your inheritance?¡±


    She stood, arching an eyebrow at him. ¡°Elsie¡¯s far more useful in my hands than you think¡­ Don¡¯t even dream of touching a cent of Father¡¯s will.¡±


    As she passed Lily again, Yunice calmly pulled out her phone and called herwyer.


    ¡°Now you can help me apply for a paternity test, and draft awsuit for property misappropriation.


    Lily overheard and lunged forward, grabbing the hem of Yunice¡¯s pants. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing<b>? </b>You have no say in this family. Even if you sue, it won¡¯t matter!¡±


    But Yunice stepped back, and Lily lost her grip.


    Then Yunice walked off, her back straight andposed. That silhouette alone made Lily think of the version of her that used to hunch and cower.


    How had someone so invisible ended up stepping all over them?


    What Lily didn¡¯t understand was that some fates are self¨Cinflicted. Yunice hadn¡¯t destroyed them ¨C she¡¯d simply nudged them down a path they¡¯d already chosen with their selfishness and rot. The Saunders family was crumbling from within.


    Meanwhile, at the police station, Elsie was screaming, demanding a DNA test. She insisted her fingerprints, her DNA, everything would prove she was ¡°Yunice,¡± Owen¡¯s sister, Lily¡¯s daughter.


    But when the results came back, they stunned her.


    ¡°This is a DNA test submitted by Ms. Yunice. It confirms a biological rtionship between Yunice and Mr. Will. Here is your own DNA test with Mr. Will no biological rtionship. Therefore, you are not Yunice.¡±


    ¡ª


    Elsie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°My dad¡¯s been dead for years! How could there be a blood sample for testing? That woman must¡¯ve rigged it!¡±


    The officer replied, ¡°During his lifetime, Mr. Will conducted a paternity test while helping his daughter. Yunice update her birth records. That test was archived at the hospital. Through STR marker analysis, you and Yunice are shown to be half¨Csiblings. But again, you share no blood rtion with Mr. Will.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s mind went nk.


    ¡°Half¨Csiblings¡­? No, I¡¯m Will¡¯s daughter!¡±


    The officer continued, ¡°You also share a half¨Csibling rtionship with Oscar.¡±


    Elsie paused, then tried to fight back. ¡°Owen and I have a sibling test that proves we¡¯re full siblings! If I¡¯m not Will¡¯s daughter, then neither is he!¡±


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    Chapter 694 The Truth Buried in Blood


    <b>5 </b>Free Colme


    Owen didn¡¯t dare respond. He was afraid Yunice might be recording him. Instead, he sneered coldly.


    ¡°You and my mom must be delusional.¡±


    Yunice raised her eyes, amused. ¡°Owen, are you that scared I¡¯ll take your inheritance?¡±


    She stood, arching an eyebrow at him. ¡°Elsie¡¯s far more useful in my hands than you think¡­ Don¡¯t even dream of touching a cent of Father¡¯s will.¡±


    As she passed Lily again, Yunice calmly pulled out her phone and called herwyer.


    ¡°Now you can help me apply for a paternity test, and draft awsuit for property misappropriation.¡±


    Lily overheard and lunged forward<b>, </b>grabbing the hem of Yunice¡¯s pants. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing? You have no say in this family. Even if you sue, it won¡¯t matter!¡±


    But Yunice stepped back, and Lily lost her grip.


    Then Yunice walked off, her back straight andposed. That silhouette alone made Lily think of the version of her that used to hunch and cower.


    How had someone so invisible ended up stepping all over them?


    ¨C


    ¨C she¡¯d What Lily didn¡¯t understand was that some fates are self¨Cinflicted. Yunice hadn¡¯t destroyed them simply nudged them down a path they¡¯d already chosen with their selfishness and rot. The Saunders family was crumbling from within.


    Meanwhile, at the police station, Elsie was screaming, demanding a DNA test. She insisted her fingerprints, her DNA, everything would prove she was ¡°Yunice,¡± Owen¡¯s sister, Lily¡¯s daughter.


    But when the results came back, they stunned her.


    ¡°This is a DNA test submitted by Ms. Yunice. It confirms a biological rtionship between Yunice and Mr. Will. Here is your own DNA test with Mr. Will ¨C no biological rtionship. Therefore, you are not Yunice.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°My dad¡¯s been dead for years! How could there be a blood sample for testing? That woman must¡¯ve rigged it!¡±


    The officer replied, ¡°During his lifetime, Mr. Will conducted a paternity test while helping his daughter Yunice update her birth records. That test was archived at the hospital. Through STR marker analysis, you and Yunice are shown to be half¨Csiblings. But again, you share no blood rtion with Mr. Will.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s mind went nk.


    ¡°Half¨Csiblings¡­? No, I¡¯m Will¡¯s daughter!¡±


    The officer continued, ¡°You also share a half¨Csibling rtionship with Oscar.¡±


    Elsie paused, then tried to fight back. ¡°Owen and I have a sibling test that proves we¡¯re full siblings! If I¡¯m not Will¡¯s daughter, then neither is he!¡±


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    The officer didn¡¯t answer, instead flipping through several reports.


    Just then, another officer walked in carrying two more documents. He whispered something <b>into </b><b>the </b><b>lead </b>


    officer¡¯s ear.


    The lead officer looked up, his gaze unsettling. Then he opened one of the reports and said, ¡°A new DNA test was just submitted. It clearly establishes a biological rtionship between you and a man named Timothy.¡±


    ¡°Timothy has a record in our system rted to human trafficking. He fathered a daughter with a victim named Lily, who was rescued by authorities in 20XX. He left a DNA sample during that case<b>, </b>so there¡¯s <b>no </b>doubt about this result.¡±


    ¡°You are the same child the police rescued all those years


    ago. You are Elsie.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s face went ghost¨Cwhite. Clutching her swollen belly, she shook her head. ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡°.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m Will¡¯s daughter. I¡¯m Yunice,¡± she sobbed, her voice trembling. ¡°My friends and family can all vouch for me. I¡¯m the only daughter my father ever had. I don¡¯t even know anyone named Timothy.¡±


    The officer pressed further.


    ¡°If you¡¯re Yunice, then where is Timothy and Lily¡¯s daughter, the real Elsie?¡±


    Elsie wiped her tears. ¡°She probably changed her identity. Maybe she¡¯s the one who framed me¡­. She¡¯s jealous of me and trying to steal my ce.¡±


    The officer cut in bluntly. ¡°You¡¯re referring to the other Yunice?¡±


    Elsie frowned. ¡°She¡¯s a fake. If she weren¡¯t, why would Oscar and Owen recognize me, not her?¡±


    The officer showed her a video. ¡°Then is this not you in the footage?¡±


    It was surveince of her house¨Chunting trip with Timothy. Her face was unmistakably clear.


    Even if she was thinner now, modern facial recognition wasn¡¯t so easily fooled.


    Elsie bit her lip, then suddenly snapped, ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this? Go ask Owen and Lily who I am! Don¡¯t they know their own daughter?¡±

 Daghter 695

    Chapter 695 Who Am I?


    Chapter 695 Who Am I?


    ¡°We¡¯ve already asked Owen. He said you¡¯re not Yunice, and you¡¯re not Elsie either. He doesn¡¯t even know


    who you


    are.¡±


    Elsie said nothing.


    ¡°And what did my mom say?¡±


    ¡°Lily gave the exact same answer as Owen.¡±


    Elsie still said nothing.


    The officer¡¯s voice hardened. ¡°So who the hell are you?¡±


    Elsie was stuck.


    She clenched the hem of her shirt, trying to think her way through it.


    Owen and Lily were denying her because they were afraid the truth woulde out¨Cthat they¡¯d once helped her assume a false identity.


    Her old identity was officially dead. The body had been cremated. They probably thought that if they kept denying her, the whole thing would just disappear.


    But if she didn¡¯t admit to her connection with Timothy, she¡¯d be a nobody¨Ca person without any legal identity.


    And if she did admit to being with Timothy, then she was nothing more than a hillbilly from the mountains, with no ties to the Saunders family whatsoever.


    She was cornered.


    Elsie hesitated for a moment¨Cthen suddenly startedughing nkly, like she¡¯d lost her mind. ¡°Heh¡­ I¡¯m the eldest daughter of the Saunders family, hehe¡­ You all have to listen to me¡­ Who am I¡­ I don¡¯t even know who I am¡­ Do you know who I am?¡±


    She grabbed the nearest officer, actingpletely deranged.


    The police looked at each other, stunned. In the end, because they couldn¡¯t determine her identity, and couldn¡¯t reach her family, and since Lily refused to take a DNA test with her, they had no way of pressing charges without solid identification.


    All they could do was call in a psychiatrist. After confirming she was mentally ill, she was temporarily sent to amunity psychiatric hospital.


    But the hospital was poorly run and understaffed. Within a few days, Elsie escaped.


    The first thing she did after getting out was look for Owen and Lily.


    She was convinced they¡¯d denied her only to avoid legal trouble, not because they truly didn¡¯t recognize


    her.


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    Chapter 695 Who Am <b>I</b><b>? </b>


    Taking advantage of the night and ax nurse<b>, </b>she slipped into Owen¡¯s hospital room.


    The second Owen saw her, his brows furrowed sharply. He immediately reached for his phone.


    But Lily snatched it before he could grab it. Eyes red with tears, she cried, ¡°Owen, are you trying <b>to </b><b>push </b>your sister to her death? I¡¯ve already done what you asked¨CI denied her. The cops believed Elsie¡¯s <b>dead</b><b>. </b>No one will ever know you broke thew to change her identity. Why can¡¯t you just ept her riow<i>?</i><i>¡± </i>


    Elsie stood there, one hand resting on her swollen belly, stunned.


    She could hardly believe her ears. Owen wasn¡¯t doing this for her. He really had no intention of recognizing her anymore?


    ¡°Owen, you¡¯re not going to acknowledge me? How could you¡­ You promised me. You said you¡¯d treat me better than anyone else in your life. You said you¡¯d never ept Yunice. It¡¯s only been three months¡­ How could you change your mind so fast¡­¡±


    Tears streamed down her face.


    But Owen kept his expression cold as he reached for the nurse call button.


    Lily yanked it out of the wall before he could press it.


    Just like how Owen had once yanked Yunice¡¯s call button¨Ckeeping her from asking for help while she was sick.


    Owen stared at his mother, wide¨Ceyed.


    Lily cried, full of guilt. She knew Owen was still recovering and couldn¡¯t move easily, so she deliberately stepped back, out of reach.


    ¡°She¡¯s my daughter too,¡± Lily said. ¡°I can¡¯t just stand by and watch her suffer¡­¡±


    Owen¡¯s voice was icy. ¡°Fine. Since you want the truth, then let¡¯sy it all out! Elsie, say it yourself! You¡¯d never seen the real world. I gave you everything¨Cgood food, a nice home. You felt ashamed of your background, so I gave you status and credentials to cover it up. And how did you repay me? You took my money and gave it to that bastard father of yours! I treated you better than my own sister, and you destroyed my business, wrecked my family, ruined my health, and gave me a criminal record. You¡¯re like a goddamn parasite that sucked the life out of me! And now you dare demand that I love you forever? Go find Timothy! Let him love you!¡±


    Elsie trembled at his words, holding her head and sobbing uncontrobly. She started crying that it was all Timothy¡¯s fault. That he¡¯d forced her. That if she didn¡¯t go along with it, he¡¯d expose her.


    She imed she¡¯d only treated Timothy well to shut him up¨Cfor the sake of everyone¡¯s reputation.


    But no matter how eloquently she pleaded, Owen¨Cwho had already crawled back from death¨Cwould never believe her again.


    He¡¯d finally seen the truth.


    He didn¡¯t me Yunice anymore. It was his and Elsie¡¯s own damn fault.


    And since Elsie still insisted on making excuses, he figured he might <b>as </b>well tear her mask off.


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    <b>75</b><b>%</b>0


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    He looked down at her huge, foul¨Csmelling belly and sneered. ¡°If you¡¯re so pure and innocent, then exin that belly of yours.¡±


    Elsie sobbed, ¡°I was attacked by a monster! I passed out in the hospital¡­ I thought I was dead. But when I woke up, I was in a cave¡­ Some maniac tortured me¡­ and did this to me¡­¡±

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    Chapter 696 Blood and Debt


    Chapter 696 Blood and Debt


    Owen stared at her belly, more curious than anything. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant?¡±


    Elsie shook her head. ¡°No! It¡¯s water! He pumped water into me¡ªfilled my belly until it stretched like this He¡¯s a monster!¡±


    She thought that if she told Owen what she¡¯d suffered, he¡¯d feel sorry for her. But he didn¡¯t. Owen <bughed</b><b>. </b>


    ¡°You brought this on yourself.¡±


    Elsie froze, confused.


    Owen scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re still ying the victim? That just means he didn¡¯t torture you enough. He should¡¯ve pumped more water into you until you burst. Maybe then that stone¨Ccold mouth of yours would stop lying.¡±


    Elsie stared at him in disbelief.


    ¡°Can you even imagine how that pregnant woman you hurt must¡¯ve felt?¡± Owen asked coldly. ¡°No. This doesn¡¯t evene close. You¡¯ve barely begun to pay.¡±


    His mocking gaze made Elsie turn to Lily, dropping the actpletely. ¡°Mom, he¡¯s not nning to help me, is he?¡±


    Lily looked torn. She nced at Owen, then at Elsie sitting on the floor.


    They were both her children¡ªbut one had secretly cut out her liver and nned to run off with the


    money.


    The other, while down and out, still cared about her.


    Lily clenched her jaw. Her bond with Owen had been shattered long ago. Back then, she¡¯d had no choice but to rely on him. But now that Elsie was back, she had a new ally.


    She had to think about her own future.


    Taking a deep breath, Lily made her choice. ¡°Elsie, hold him down with me! He¡¯s got money¨Che sold off the Saunders family¡¯s assets and the hospital too. He has thirty billion! He¡¯s nning to keep it all to himself and leave us behind! He just had surgery, he can¡¯t move. If we pin him down together, we can make him transfer it to me. That¡¯s the only way we¡¯ll survive!¡±


    Elsie didn¡¯t need more than three seconds to decide.


    She sprang up, leapt onto the bed, and pinned Owen down with all her weight¨Cright on top of his surgical wounds.


    Lily, trembling, picked up a fruit knife and pointed it at Owen, her voice stammering, ¡°Transfe<b>. </b>¡­e money!¡±


    Owen stared in stunned disbelief at the two people who¡¯d once been closest to him.


    One was crushing his chest. The other held a knife to his throat.


    <b>173 </b>


    Chapter 696 Blood and Debt


    For a moment, his heart seemed to stop¨Cthen came a tidal wave of rage and <b>heartbreak</b><b>, </b>


    He red at Lily. ¡°What if I don¡¯t? What are you gonna do¨Ckill me?¡±


    Lily¡¯s hands trembled. But when she


    et Owen¡¯s furious eyes, she knew that just by picking <b>up </b><b>the </b>knife. there was no turning back. Their rtionship was broken beyond repair.


    So she thrust it forward.


    The de sliced his neck, drawing blood.


    ¡°I want the money! Give me the damn money!¡± she screamed.


    Owen was stunned. Numb. In that moment, Yunice¡¯s face shed through his mind.


    Yunice¨Cwhen he pped her¡­


    When he shoved her¡­


    When he kicked her¡­


    When he ran her over with a car¡­


    <i>Was </i><i>this </i>how <i>she¡¯d </i><i>felt</i><i>? </i>


    Like her heart had been torn open, cold air pouring in, like she¡¯d fallen into a bottomless pit.


    Empty.


    In that second, Owen finally understood the word ¡°karma.¡±


    Everything he¡¯d done to Yunice had circled back like a boomerang¨Cseven yearster, itnded squarely on him.


    A deep exhaustion settled into his bones. Suddenly, all the money, all the power¨Cnone of it meant anything anymore.


    Everyone had turned on him. He had nothing left to hold onto.


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± He gave in. <ol><li>1. </li></ol>


    He wasn¡¯t going to live much longer anyway.


    Maybe this was just the punishment he deserved¨Cfor everything he¡¯d done to Yunice.


    Lily, still holding the knife in one hand, handed Owen his phone with the other.


    ¡°Transfer it now,¡± she demanded


    Once the money was in her ount, she nned to run off with Elsie andy low.


    She felt a pang of guilt¨Cbut Owen was dying anyway. And if he could treat her like this<b>, </b>why couldn¡¯t <b>she </b>


    do the same?


    <b>11:28 </b>Tue, 19 <b>Aug </b>


    Chapter 696 Blood and Debt


    She handed him the phone. Owen unlocked his ount.


    Just as he was about to enter the amount, chaos erupted outside the room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move! Nobody move!¡±


    A team of officers burst into the room and quickly restrained all three of them.


    They werepletely caught off guard.


    A lead officer stepped forward and shed his badge at Owen. ¡°We received a report. You are suspected <b>of </b>illegal detention and abuse. You are all under arrest.¡±


    Owen and Lily¡¯s minds went nk.


    They both instantly thought of Timothy and Peggy¨Cstill locked up in that basement.


    They¡¯d been exposed?


    After <i>a </i>few stunned seconds, Owen held out his hands and silently epted the cuffs.


    Lily, on the other hand, struggled. ¡°Officer, this has <i>to </i>be a mistake! I don¡¯t know anything¨CI didn¡¯t do anything! I just had surgery! I¡¯m still recovering¡­¡±

 Daghter 697

    Chapter 697 The Price of Mercy


    $5 Free Col


    Elsie thrashed wildly. ¡°Illegal detention and abuse? That¡¯s not me! I¡¯m mentally ill! I don¡¯t even <b>know </b><b>these </b>people!¡±


    Since her mental illness had already been officially documented, the police sent Elsie back to themunity psychiatric hospital.


    Lily and Owen, however, were taken to the station.


    It was only at the police station that Owen learned what had happened: somehow, Timothy had managed. to escape the iron cage and fled from the basement. Before he disappeared, he filed a police report.


    Thanks to his statement, the authorities found the Saunders family¡¯s basement¨Cand inside, they discovered Peggy, barely alive.


    Chunks of flesh were missing from her arms, torn as if by a wild animal.


    After an investigation, the police confirmed that Peggy and Timothy had been locked in the same <b>cage</b>. With no food and starvation pushing him past the brink, Timothy had resorted to eating Peggy¡¯s flesh to survive.


    Peggy had lost consciousness from the torment and hunger.


    Even after Owen was arrested, she still hadn¡¯t woken <ol><li>up. </li></ol>


    The police sat down with Owen. ¡°Do you admit to your


    crimes?<b>¡± </b>


    Owen said nothing.


    The truth was out. Timothy had escaped. Peggy was alive. The evidence was undeniable.


    Whether he confessed or not no longer mattered.


    He didn¡¯t want to talk about the past anymore. Thew could do whatever it wanted with him.


    Just then, the interrogation room door creaked open. A uniformed officer stepped in and whispered something to the lead investigator.


    The officer nodded, then took a small item from his colleague and approached Owen.


    ¡°Pain¡¯s hard to endure, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said. ¡°This is a painkiller Yunice had someone deliver for you. We¡¯ve already checked it nothing suspicious. You can take it to ease your pain a bit.¡±


    Owen, slumped and lifeless, slowly widened his eyes at those words. He looked up, stunned, at the pill in the officer¡¯s hand.


    Everyone saw him as a criminal¨Ca remorseless monster who refused to speak.


    But someone had remembered him. Someone knew the pain might be too much to even talk <b>through</b>.


    It <b>was </b>Yunice.


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    Chapter 697 The Price of Mercy


    It <b>was </b>Yunice who still remembered him.


    Tears rolled silently down Owen¡¯s face, hot as they hit the back of his hand.


    The officer ced the pill on the table and left, instructing the others outside, ¡°He just had a liver transnt. Let him recover a little before we question him further


    ¡°That¡¯s against protocol, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The officer said something under his breath. The others gave in. ¡°All right.¡±


    Owen clutched the pill in his hand as he was sent back to a private medical room.


    Treatment continued.


    Hey on the bed, ced the pill Yunice had sent into his mouth, and swallowed it dry.


    Then hey there t on his back, eyes wide open, unmoving.


    His mind yed back the movie of his life.


    It seemed like he¡¯d never truly had anything.


    He could barely remember any happy moments. Maybe the only true joy he¡¯d ever known was from when Yunice was still a little girl, chasing after him and calling his name.


    <i>The </i>sound of childhoodughter echoed faintly in his ears¨Conly to shift to a scene from <i>seven </i>years ago, the day he picked Yunice up from the asylum.


    She¡¯d been so distant. So cold. So numb.


    And he hadn¡¯t felt sorry for her. He¡¯d scolded her for being ungrateful.


    If he¡¯d just embraced her that day¨Cif he¡¯d said, ¡°You¡¯ve suffered enough¡°-wouldn¡¯t everything be different now?


    The pill worked. The pain faded.


    But the ache in his heart threatened to tear him apart.


    Covering his eyes with a trembling hand, he sat up and called for the guard.


    ¡°I¡¯ll confess,¡± he said. ¡°But on one condition. I want to see Yunice.¡±


    As night fell, Yunice had justnded.


    She knew Owen¡¯s situation like the back of her hand¨Ceverything was under her control.


    His request <i>to </i>see her didn¡¯t surprise her.


    Wyatt dropped her off at the entrance of the detention center.


    She walked in alone..


    23


    Chapter 697 The Price of Mercy


    Through the ss pane, Yunice and Owen looked like they belonged to two different worlds.


    Owen sat slouched in his chair, pale and brittle, lips cracked, back hunched with weakness.


    His <b>eyes </b>trailed over Yunice¨Cfrom head to toe.


    She wore a white fur shawl. Her porcin skin glowed with health and vitality, like a soft little cake <b>straight </b>from the oven.


    She looked better than he¡¯d ever seen her¨Cpampered, content, whole.


    No one spoke first.


    Owen stared at her for a long time before finally breaking the silence.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Did I disturb you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m studying at the medical university now,¡± Yunice said calmly. ¡°I just finished ss. When I heard <b>you </b>wanted to see me, Wyatt sent a helicopter. I¡¯ll fly back in the morning¨Cit won¡¯t dy anything.¡±


    She spoke with the sereneposure of someone meeting an old friend.


    But that very calmness made Owen¡¯s throat tighten.


    He felt like crying.

 Daghter 698

    Chapter 698 Confession and Correction


    Owen wanted so badly to be close to Yunice again, but he knew¨Che¡¯d lost that right long <b>ago</b>.


    Even if he cried now, to Yunice, they¡¯d be nothing but crocodile tears.


    After a long silence, he forced out a smile more bitter than a sob. ¡°With Carl and Wyatt protecting you, <b>I </b>feel at peace.¡±


    Yunice replied, ¡°Oscar too. He¡¯s looking out for me.¡±


    Owen¡¯s lips quivered. He lowered his voice with shame. ¡°Right¡­ Oscar too¡­¡±


    She still called Oscar her big brother. But she would never call Owen that again.


    Beneath the table, Owen¡¯s fingers wed at his pants. ¡°I know there¡¯s no escaping my sentence, but I still have thirty billion left in my ounts¨Cfrom selling the family¡¯s mansion and the hospital. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t live much longer,¡± Owen said. ¡°By the time the verdictes down, I¡¯ll probably die in prison.¡±


    He let out a bitterugh. ¡°You¡¯re probably enjoying the irony, huh? I am too. I chased all that power and money¡­ only to end up with nothing. Not a damn thing. That money should¡¯ve belonged to you and Oscar.¡±


    Yunice said nothing.


    Owen paused, then spoke with a heavy gaze. ¡°Yunice, I want to give that money back to you. I know you don¡¯t need the thirty billion, but it¡¯s eating me alive. Lily and Elsie led me around by the nose, and I hate them for it. I¡¯d rather hand that money to you than let either of them touch a cent.¡±


    As long as it made them suffer, he¡¯d do it.


    He didn¡¯t expect Yunice to forgive him¨Cbut he¡¯d make sure the ones who betrayed him paid the price.


    Yunice didn¡¯t reject him. She only answered calmly, ¡°But I¡¯m no longer part of the Saunders family. No one can prove who I am. How can I legally take your money?¡±


    Owen¡¯s eyes were resolute. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it. Just leave it to me.¡±


    Yunice nodded, then turned and left the detention center.


    That night, Owen confessed everything to the police.


    But he also lied.


    He imed Lily was his aplice in the abuse and uwful imprisonment.


    He said he didn¡¯t know anyone named Elsie¨Cimed she was already dead.


    He admitted to forging psychiatric records to have Yunice wrongfullymitted.


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    He also confessed to orchestrating the identity swap between Yunice and Elsie, providing details <b>of </b><b>the </b>forged documents and even tying Yunice¡¯s new identity into his web of lies.


    ¡°Why did you let Elsie take your real sister¡¯s identity?¡± the officers asked.


    Owen replied with unwavering conviction, ¡°Because I¡¯m not Will¡¯s son. Elsie and I share the same mother. We¡¯re Lily and Timothy¡¯s children. Lily was never kidnapped into the mountains¨Cshe was having <b>an </b><b>affair </b>with Timothy. She had me first, then Elsie. Elsic is my biological sister. I threw Yunice out to take her ce<b>, </b>for the money and power. Oscar was always away from home<i>, </i>so he couldn¡¯t threaten my position. They all thought I was being a dutiful son and a good brother, but they had no idea¨CI didn¡¯t share their blood. How could I ever truly be one of them?¡±


    The officer frowned. What a twisted web.


    Owen went on. ¡°The DNA test results from the original identity swap already showed it¨CElsie and <b>I </b><b>are </b>siblings. Even if Elsie¡¯s dead, the blood doesn¡¯t lie.¡±


    Now that both Elsie and Will were gone, Owen could deny everything else.


    If the dead could be used as solid evidence, then Yunice would¡¯ve already reimed her identity.


    Timothy had vanished again. It could take over a year to find him. In the meantime, Owen insisted that he was Timothy¡¯s son¨Cand no one could prove otherwise.


    Even Lily would have no way to refute it.


    When the police repeatedly asked him to confirm his ims, Owen stood firm each time.


    On the seventh day after his arrest, Owen signed the official property transfer documents, formally relinquishing all rights to the Saunders Corp inheritance.


    The case, due to special handling, was never made public or discussed online.


    Everything moved forward quietly.


    Atst, the identity certification signed jointly by Owen and Oscar was handed over to Yunice.


    After cross¨Creferencing testimonies, evidence, and archived records, the police confirmed that Yunice had, in fact, been a victim of identity theft. Given the severity of the administrative errors in the registration -system, they officially approved the process to restore Yunice¡¯s rightful status.


    At the same time, Owen agreed <i>to </i>remove himself from the Saunders Corp.

 Daghter 699

    Chapter 699 The Household That Remains


    On the fifteenth day after Owen¡¯s arrest¡­


    Yunice wrapped up her freshman internship, officially ending the semester.


    In the dorm, Jennie and Lena wheeled their suitcases down the hall. After heartfelt hugs and promises to reunite next semester, they said goodbye.


    Yunice and Laurie rolled their own luggage side by side, strolling under the tree¨Clined avenue toward <b>the </b>school gates.


    Laurie asked, ¡°Once you¡¯re back, your new household ID should be done, right?¡±


    Yunice smiled. ¡°Yeah. The new record only has four pages: an index, one for Lily, one for Oscar¡­ and one for me.¡±


    ¡°Lily¡¯s listed as the head?¡± Laurie frowned.


    Yunice sighed. ¡°She was still married to my dad when he died. The Saunders estate counted as marital property, so his will could only control the portion under his name. That means Lily legally inherited half and stayed as head of household. The Saunders home might¡¯ve been sold, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s still on the deed. I can¡¯t kick her off the ID record¡ªat least not yet. But she¡¯s already been sentenced to three years for aiding Owen¡¯s crimes. She won¡¯t be in my life anytime soon. Owen and Elsie are finished. By the time Lily gets out, she¡¯ll have no power left. She won¡¯t even get the chance <i>to </i>see me, let alone stir up trouble. Her name being on the record is just¡­ an eyesore, that¡¯s all.¡±


    Lily had always used others as her knives, hiding in the shadows and pulling the strings. But now that <b>her </b>pawns and protectors were gone, things would only get worse for her.


    Silverburgh.


    Inside the Courthouse, Yunice and Wyatt stood together as the new ID record was issued.


    Yunice looked down at her name, a swirl of emotion rising in her chest. So much had changed.


    Wyatt nced away from the index page, then turned to the staff. ¡°Can I transfer my registration to hers?¡±


    From his suit pocket, he pulled out a few documents. ¡°Marriage certificate, my ID, household transfer forms. Just file it under spousal relocation.¡±


    Yunice turned to him, stunned.


    Then mmed her hand over the marriage certificate.


    She turned around, back pressed against the service counter, now face to face with Wyatt.


    Looking up into his eyes, she asked quietly, ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±


    Wyatt replied, ¡°You didn¡¯t want to move into my household. So why can¡¯t I move into yours?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s called marrying into my family, you know,¡± she said.


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    Chapter 699 The Household That Remains


    Wyatt smiled. ¡°The kid can take yourst name too, if you want.¡±


    Excuse me?<b>¡± </b>Yunice narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t push it. I¡¯m not having kids.¡±


    ¡°Then let me be listed under your household, and I¡¯ll agree to being child¨Cfree.¡±


    She snatched the marriage certificate and stuffed it into her bag. ¡°Stop trying to trap me with <b>choices</b>. <b>I¡¯m </b>not ying your games.¡±


    Wyatt followed close behind. ¡°We¡¯re already married. Can¡¯t I at least be on the same household record<b>? </b>


    Yunice shot back, ¡°We got married under pressure. In the old days, that would¡¯ve been called forced marriage. I don¡¯t acknowledge it.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s tone darkened. ¡°Turning on me this fast? You really think I won¡¯t get pissed?¡±


    Yunice ducked into the car, not even ncing back. ¡°Then go ahead and be pissed. Knock yourself out.¡±


    Wyatt yanked open the car door, one hand braced on the roof as he leaned down to speak to her in the backseat. ¡°Use me and toss me aside, huh?¡±


    Yunice looked up at him and answered seriously, ¡°Wyatt, you and I teamed up for mutual benefit. You <b>got </b>your power. I got my home back. We both got what we wanted. That¡¯s all there ever <b>was</b><b>. </b>You can still be my best friend.¡±


    Wyatt gave a sharp, bitterugh. ¡°And saying that doesn¡¯t hurt your conscience?¡±


    ¡°I mean it,¡± Yunice said. ¡°There won¡¯t be a better friend in my life than you.¡±


    But nothing more.


    No crossing that line. No romance. No sex.


    Wyatt was wonderful¨Cbut she refused to tie herself down to a rtionship between a man and a woman.


    To her, that kind of bond was too fragile. Too shallow. It ran on nothing but hormones.


    And hormones faded with time. Some peoplested seven years. Some ten. Some didn¡¯t even make it three.


    Wyatt could feel it<i>¨C</i>Yunice wasn¡¯t just rejecting him.


    She was rejecting every man. Every romantic possibility.


    The panic exploded in his chest.


    He had to say it now-


    ¨C or never<b>. </b>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t marry you for power!¡±


    ¡°Every time I visited the Powell family, it was for you. I knew you hated braised mussels. I saw the <b>way </b><b>you </b>stood alone in the corner when Paul paraded his women around. I saw how the elders mocked <b>you </b><b>one </b>minute and ended up with a cut on their heads the next¨Call because of ine. Even when <b>I </b><b>wasn¡¯t </b>looking <b>at </b>you, I was watching. Do you understand?¡±


    <b>16:15 </b><b>Wed</b><b>, </b>20 AuD N


    Chapter <b>699 </b>The Household That Remains


    Yunice looked at his hand, white¨Cknuckled on the car door.


    She knew the string was stretched to its limit¨Cand she didn¡¯t want it to <b>snap</b>.


    So she slipped off her shawl and gently reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s a little cold.¡±

 Daghter 700

    Chapter 700 The House, the Snow, and the Madness


    Chapter 700 The House, the Snow, and the Madness


    Cold wind swept in through the open car door. Wyatt frowned, then finally shut it.


    A momentter, he climbed in from the other side, not looking at Yunice. ¡°Sure, the Saunders <b>mess </b>is over. But don¡¯t forget¨COscar and Paul still need dealing with. So maybe don¡¯t burn the bridge just <b>yet</b><b>. </b>


    Yunice turned her gaze from his scowling profile to the snowkes outside. ¡°I want to go to the Saunders


    estate.¡±


    Wyatt said nothing more, just started the engine and drove.


    The Saunders family estate had been sold under Yunice¡¯s pressure¨COwen had no choice. But the buyer had been someone arranged by Yunice herself. Over time, the ownership passed through several hands beforending right back with her.


    She was now the rightful and legal owner of the Saunders estate. The property no longer belonged to her father¡¯s inheritance. No one else had a im.


    If Lily wanted to contest anything, all she could fight for was the money from the sale. But Yunice was no longer someone Lily could manipte.


    The car pulled up to the gate. Before Yunice could reach for the handle, the door opened on its own.


    Wyatt stood outside, holding a ck umbre over her.


    She didn¡¯t need to lift a finger.


    Wrapped in her shawl, Yunice looked up at the estate.


    The house bore the marks of time and neglect. Moss clung to the walls, and age had left the fa?ade mottled. Owen had clearly stopped caring for it, long ago.


    But Yunice had already hired a renovation team to restore it exactly as it had been when she was a child. By spring, when the garden bloomed again, everything would be just like it was before.


    Snow drifted down under the dark night sky.


    ¡°This is thest snow of the year,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Three days till Lunar New Year,¡± Wyatt replied. ¡°Carl called a few days ago. Wants us at his ce for the holiday.¡±


    Carl often said the Crawford family was Yunice¡¯s true home.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t have much family of his own either. Naturally, their New Year¡¯s Eve dinner would be at <b>the </b>Crawfords¡®¨Cfull of warmth and noise.


    That sounded good.


    Yunice turned slightly¨Conly for Wyatt to suddenly pull her into a protective embrace.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    16.16 Wed


    Chapter 700 The House, <b>the </b>Snow<b>, </b>and the Madness


    <b>She </b>froze, following his tense line of sight.


    It <b>was </b>Elsic.


    She¡¯d escaped from the psychiatric hospital again.


    She¡¯d just made it back to the Saunders estate and spotted Yunice. She had tried to hurl a stone <b>at </b><b>her</b><b>, </b><b>but </b>Wyatt had stepped in and ruined the aim.


    Now she stood just five meters away, barefoot in the snow, her swollen feet red and frostbitten. A <b>tear </b><b>in </b>her clothes revealed the grotesquely distended, purple¨Cveined belly beneath.


    Her hair was a tangled mess. Her face grimy and feral. She looked like a ghost.


    Through the curtain of hair, her hateful eyes locked onto Yunice.


    Yunice nced her up and down with a sneer. ¡°Oh. It¡¯s you. What are you doing at my house?<b>¡± </b>


    She barely finished before Elsie erupted. ¡°Your house?! This <b>is </b>MY house! You¡¯d better get out of MY house right now!¡±


    Yunice chuckled lightly. ¡°I bought it. It¡¯s legally mine now! The psychiatric hospital is your real home. Looks like you wandered off.¡±


    Elsie¡¯s eyes bulged with rage. Her face twisted. ¡°I grew up here! This has always been my home! My bedroom¡¯s upstairs, second floor! There¡¯s a jewelry case in there¨COwen made it for me himself! You think someone like you deserves a house like this, you crazy bitch?!¡±


    ¡°Say whatever you want,¡± Yunice replied calmly. ¡°But you¡¯d better not take another step. I¡¯ve hired full- time security to guard this ce. Step onto mynd without permission, and they¡¯ll tase you.¡±


    She nced once more at Elsie¡¯s frostbitten feet, then turned back <i>to </i>the car. ¡°It¡¯s too cold to waste time talking to you.¡±


    Wyatt folded the umbre and gave Elsie onest look.


    She clearly wasn¡¯t ready to leave. She inched closer to the gate, inch by inch, testing the line.


    But the Saunders estate guards were already on alert.


    As soon as they saw her, they advanced¨Cbatons crackling with purple arcs of electricity.


    Elsie shrieked and backed away, clutching her belly in fear.


    But the snow was slick. She lost her footing andnded hard on her rear.


    The guards loomed over her, raising their stun batons and shouting threats. Elsie screamed in p crawling backward through the show.


    Wyatt, standing by the car, let go of the door handle and lit a cigarette. Then he waved over the <b>nearest </b>bodyguard.


    ¡°Sir¡­¡± the guard approached.


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    Chapter 700 The House, the Snow, and <b>the </b><b>Madness</b>.


    ¡°Tell the <b>psych </b>ward to keep a better grip on her,¡± Wyatt said coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t let her dle, but <b>don¡¯t </b>let her befortable either. And let the director know¡ªif she escapes again, he won¡¯t be <b>getting </b><b>out </b>either


    The bodyguard understood immediately. He gave a silent nod, then strode forward, mped <b>a </b><b>hand </b><b>over </b>Elsie¡¯s mouth, and dragged her away without a word.


    Themunity hospital where she¡¯d been staying had terrible conditions. No doctors. No <b>real </b><b>staff</b>.


    No one would remove the bloated water sac from her belly.


    She¡¯d rot slowly, quietly, alone.


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    Given enough time, the fluid¨Cfilled sac in Elsie¡¯s belly would fuse with her tissue, just like a foreign imnt.


    She¡¯d stay grotesquely bloated forever, tormented by the pain of a pregnancy that never ended¨Cjust like the innocent pregnant woman she once helped destroy.


    But unlike Yunice, Elsie would never escape the psychiatric ward.


    Time passed quickly. New Year¡¯s Eve was approaching.


    Carl, more traditional with age, called carly that morning, summoning Yunice and Wyatt to the house to help Freya and Victor make dumplings¨Can annual tradition.


    Yunice rolled up her sleeves. ncing at Wyatt, whose sleeves werezily cuffed, she instinctively reached over to roll them higher, remembering howst time he got them messy making y.


    Victor noticed the gesture. He blinked, then caught Wyatt staring straight at him.


    Pathetic.


    What¡¯s <i>there </i>to <i>show </i><i>off</i><i>? </i>


    Victor kneaded dough at the table.


    Freya, who was famously bad at cooking, was in charge of tearing off dough portions.


    Wyatt picked up the rolling pin. He¡¯d roll the wrappers; Yunice would fold them.


    Victor chimed in, ¡°You know how to fold dumplings?¡±


    Without looking up, Yunice ced a wrapper in her palm. ¡°I do.¡±


    Not only could she fold dumplings, her pleats were exquisite.


    Each dumpling looked like it hade from a mold¨Cuniform, beautiful, precise.


    Freya, hands idle but mouth active, praised Yunice with a grin. ¡°Didn¡¯t think your hands were this skilled. I thought Wyatt did all the cooking at home. You seemed like someone who wouldn¡¯t lift a finger in the kitchen.¡±


    True, Wyatt did most of the cooking at the West Courtyard. But Yunice could cook too.


    Growing up with an often¨Cabsent father, she¡¯d learned early how to take care of herself. Her skills in the kitchen weren¡¯t bad.


    Wyatt said, ¡°She¡¯s been capable since she was a kid.¡±


    ¡°Since she was a kid?¡± Freya caught the phrasing and raised a brow teasingly. ¡°So what, you¡¯ve been watching our little Yunice since she was tiny? How do you know what parts of her are strong or not?¡± Yunice shot him a sideways nce while pleating, then covered for him. ¡°I used to fold dumplings <b>at </b>the


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    Chapter 701 A Snowy Reunion and a Hidden Warning,


    Powell house. He saw me then.¡±


    Almost as soon as she finished, Wyatt added, ¡°You made eleven dumplings. All of them got stolen<i>. </i>


    Freya blinked. ¡°Stolen? Who the hell steals dumplings at the Powell house?¡±


    They weren¡¯t short on cash¨Cwho¡¯d steal food?


    Victor didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°Because of exclusion.¡±


    In other words, the Powells had looked down on Yunice behind her back. They¡¯d let her join family traditions, but once she stepped away, the things she touched were thrown out.


    The dumplings Yunice folded were separated in the kitchen¨Cand tossed.


    That Wyatt remembered even a detail like the number¨Celeven¨Cmeant one thing: he¡¯d been watching her all along.


    Freya didn¡¯t say anything, just smiled knowingly.


    Now she understood why Wyatt hadtched onto Yunice so tightly. It wasn¡¯t some impulsive crush or physical obsession.


    It was a slow¨Cburning, years¨Clong affection.


    ¡°Wyatt, give me a hand!¡± Carl¡¯s voice rang from outside. He was perched on adder, holding <i>a </i>red Spring Festival couplet.


    Everyone turned. Freya immediately brushed the flour off her hands and stood up, worried. ¡°Why <i>are </i>you climbing so high? There are so many people here¨Canyone can hang it!¡±


    Victor stood too, ready to help.


    But Carl raised a hand to stop them, stepping down a rung. ¡°Let Wyatt help. You two keep going.¡±


    Victor paused, then understood¨CCarl wanted to talk to Wyatt alone. He exchanged a nce with Freya and sat back down.


    Freya sighed and sat too, picking up the rolling pin to take over Wyatt¡¯s job. ¡°Ugh¡­ why can¡¯t I get these round?<b>¡± </b>


    Yunice continued folding dumplings, but her eyes flicked toward the door.


    <i>What </i>did <i>Carl </i><i>want </i>to <i>say </i><i>in </i><i>private</i><i>? </i>


    Carl stepped off thedder. Wyatt offered a hand, then took the red scroll from him and climbed two steps up. He could easily reach the doofframe.


    Carl watched with admiration. ¡°Ah, youth. Tall and strong. Not like me¨Cshriveling up with age.¡±


    Then his expression sobered. Hands behind his back, he muttered, ¡°With a frame like yours, <i>if </i>Yunice <b>ever </b>got pregnant¡­ how hard do you think that would be for her<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Wyatt looked down at him from thedder.


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    Carl met his eyes directly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding Paul¡¯s whereabouts for a while. But you can¡¯t hide it forever. If Yunice catches <b>on</b>.


    you¡¯d better be careful not to dig your own grave.¡±

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    Chapter 702 Blood, Fireworks, and Trash


    Chapter 702 Blood, Fireworks, and Trash


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    Carl curled his lip. ¡°You think freezing the situation keeps things stable? Yunice isn¡¯t someone whopromises.¡±


    As he spoke, he handed Wyatt a glue brush. ¡°Feelings are the one thing in this world you can¡¯t force.


    Wyatt¡¯s brows pulled together. He stared at the brush but didn¡¯t take it. Instead, he pressed the couplet into the doorway¡¯s decorative frame with the heel of his hand, locking it in ce without needing the glue.


    He was going to force it anyway.


    In the past, he¡¯d had no right and no opportunity. But now someone expected him to back off with grace? That wasn¡¯t going to happen.


    That night, the family had no tradition of staying up for the New Year. Just as everyone was getting ready for bed, Wyatt¡¯s phone rang. Across the room, Yunice was brushing out her hair. Their eyes met. She could tell something was wrong.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Owen tried to kill himself in prison. They managed to save him.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s expression darkened. She got out of bed, irritated. ¡°Of course. Can¡¯t even get through New Year¡¯s without something blowing up.¡±


    Wyatt knew she wasn¡¯t just angry¨Cshe was worried too.


    ¡°Carl¡¯s getting older. Let¡¯s not let this reach him.¡±


    Yunice pulled on her coat. She and Wyatt left quietly under the cover of night, careful not to wake anyone. Owen had watched the midnight fireworks from his cell, then bit open the artery in his wrist. Blood had poured everywhere. A patrolling guard discovered him just in time and got him to the infirmary.


    When Owen woke, he saw Yunice and Wyatt standing over his bed, watching him in silence.


    His eyes welled with tears almost instantly. ¡°Yunice¡­ I wasn¡¯t trying to cause trouble. I just¡­ couldn¡¯t hold on anymore.¡±


    His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed, as if he were swallowing back a mouthful of grief.


    Yunice understood exactly what had pushed him over the edge. New Year¡¯s was a time for reunion, a time for family. Owen had never known what it meant to be alone. He had always been surrounded by people. First their father, then Oscar, then her. Later, Lily and Elsie. He had always been the center of attention- spoiled, admired, adored.


    But this year, he had no one. Locked away, forgotten. No visitors. No voices. The dumplings in prison had no warmth, no meaning. Eating them only reminded him of everything he had lost. The pain was unbearable, and when he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, he turned the pain inward.


    Yunice looked down at him, her expression unreadable. ¡°If it¡¯s just pain, you can survive it. I did. Look at me¨CI¡¯m still alive, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    Chapter 702 Blood, Fireworks, and Trash


    Owen froze. He stared at her, eyes wide, the words hitting him like a punch to the chest<b>. </b>


    She had gone through it too.


    ¤Î


    She understood the loneliness. The hopelessness. The ache that twisted inside. She had walked that same road¨Cand it was a road <i>he </i>had put her on.


    She hadn¡¯t cried.


    So what gave him the right?


    The realization sank deep and fast. Owen¡¯s face went pale. Blood gushed from his lips as his body buckled.


    Yunice stepped back without a word, told the nurse to take care of him, and left the room without turning around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t report his condition to me again. He¡¯s not a Saunders.¡±


    Lily had tried more than once to apply for a visitation with Yunice, but she had never granted it. Not once.


    Peggy eventually regained consciousness in the hospital, but her mind had deteriorated. Her parents took her home quietly. That whole greedy, self¨Cserving family vanished without even trying to demandpensation. They didn¡¯t dare.


    Before the New Year officially arrived, the Saunders estate had already been fully restored. Every room was just as it had been when Yunice was a child. She stood in her old bedroom with Gill, pointing at the jewelry box Owen had once made with his own hands.


    ¡°Throw it out.¡±


    Trash belonged in the trash.


    Gill took the cart herself. ¡°Let me handle it. I don¡¯t trust anyone else to throw it far enough. What if they toss it too close and you see it again?¡±


    She didn¡¯t toss it at all. She wheeled the cart out of the estate, got into her car, and told her driver, ¡°Take me to the psych hospital. I¡¯m going to visit an old friend.¡±


    Elsie was brought to her.


    She looked worse than ever¨Cemaciated, sunken¨Ceyed, barely hanging on. But the moment she saw Gill, her face contorted, baring her teeth like a rabid dog.


    Gill had hit a nerve.


    The maid she used to abuse and insult at the Saunders estate now sat across from her, drenched in luxury, polished, respected.


    Gill raised an eyebrow. ¡°Bet you never thought someone like me could end up on top, huh? I¡¯m the owner of Cloud Consumers now. Over a hundred distribution outlets, and more on the way. I actually thought about hiring you as a maid, but honestly, you stink too much. This ce suits you better.¡±


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    Gill waved her hand, and the driver pushed the jewelry box forward. ¡°This was something discarded from the youngdy¡¯s home. I heard it used to be yours, so I thought I¡¯d bring it back to you. There¡¯s no jewelry inside anymore, of course. I filled it with something new.¡±


    The nurse wheeled it closer and casually slid open one of thepartments. The moment she saw what was inside, her face changed.


    Gill spoke calmly. ¡°Back then, you locked up our youngdy and invented a little game called ¡®Human Tower¡® to torment her. So I made a game for you too. Let¡¯s call it ¡®Flip the Card. Every day, a drawer opens. Whatever punishment is written inside, you¡¯ll receive it. No exceptions.¡±


    Elsie sat on the ground, clutching her grotesque belly, screaming incoherently. ¡°You¡¯re all bullying me! You¡¯re all picking on me!¡±


    She hadn¡¯t just failed to escape the psychiatric ward¨Cseveral people had alreadye through to take turns tormenting her.


    And she knew why. They were doing it for Yunice. Every single one of them.


    Why was it like this? Why did no one love her anymore? Why did everyone only love Yunice?


    Screaming in a mix of rage and despair, Elsie was dragged away, her sobs echoing down the corridor.


    Yunice stepped out of her room and leaned against the second¨Cfloor railing, looking down at Wyatt sitting alone on the couch in the living room.


    The Saunders estate was quiet now<i>¨C</i>just the two of them left inside.


    She nced toward Owen¡¯s old bedroom and wondered how much longer he would be locked away.


    Her gaze flicked back to Wyatt before she slipped away and made a call.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± The voice on the other end was Scar, surprised. Yunice rarely contacted people like him herself.


    ¡°Go to the police station,¡± she said. ¡°Get a message to my brother. Tell him I¡¯ve been attacked and I¡¯m about to die.¡±


    There was a long pause before Scar responded, confused. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±


    ¡°This is Wyatt¡¯s idea,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°Just do it. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can hand him the phone and. you can ask him yourself.¡±


    Scar hurried to cut her off. ¡°No, no, that¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯ll go right away.¡±


    He knew better than to question her. If Yunice said it, it was as good as Wyatt saying it¨Cand questioning Yunice now would be as good as/calling Wyatt a liar. That was not a mistake he was willing <i>to </i>make.


    Besides, Wyatt had already made it clear¨CYunice¡¯s word wasw.


    After hanging up, Yunice looked back at Wyatt and walked downstairs.


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    There was no other way to ensure the message would reach Oscar.


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    She sat down next to Wyatt on the couch, let out a soft sigh, and asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Where do you think Paul and Nora are hiding now?¡±


    Her eyes stayed on him as she continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been looking for so long and still haven¡¯t found them. What if someone¡¯s hiding them?¡±


    Wyatt answered evenly, ¡°The Powell family still has deep roots. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if a few loyal old servants helped them disappear. If they are being protected, finding them won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Yunice was quiet for a moment, then asked abruptly, ¡°What about Linda?¡±


    After Paul fled, the remaining members of the Powell family had scrambled to divide the assets and distance themselves. Without the old man or Jensen around, Linda had lost her strongest backing. There. was no way she¡¯d stay.


    Wyatt replied, ¡°Last I heard, she took some money and fled the country.¡±


    Yunice nodded thoughtfully, then turned to him again. ¡°I want to visit the Johnson family. Are youing?¡±


    Wyatt froze mid¨Cscroll on his phone, then looked over. ¡°Why the sudden interest in the Johnsons?¡±


    Yunice smiled, crossing one leg over the other as she leaned back into the sofa. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    His face instantly tensed. ¡°You knew all along?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± she said simply. ¡°Back when Nora escaped, you gave her a passport, a new ID, a bank card. All of that made sense. But there was one thing that didn¡¯t fit¨Ca bracelet.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°It was old,¡± Yunice went on, ¡°and the style waspletely ordinary. It didn¡¯t belong in that bag. Not unless it was something deeply personal. So I nted a tracker in it. I figured Nora might discard everything else -but not that bracelet.¡±


    Her voice remained calm, but her words cut deep.


    ¡°And I was right. She kept it. I¡¯ve known where she was this entire time. First, she hid at the Saunders estate, trying to stay close by. Then, when Timothy escaped, she ran again¨Cthis time back to the Johnson family. Their matriarch¡¯s in the hospital, Morgan¡¯s in prison, Benjamin¡¯s gone. Of course she¡¯d pick there to hide.¡±


    She looked at Wyatt, ¡°And the only reason she could hide at the Saunders estate in the first ce¡­ was because someone familiar with the house took her there.¡±


    ¡°Paul,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re together. And the one giving him orders from behind the scenes is Nora.¡± Wyatt¡¯s expression grew visibly tense. ¡°I didn¡¯t give her that bracelet.¡±


    He sounded defensive, like he needed her to know he hadn¡¯t crossed a line of loyalty.


    But Yunice cut him off with a quiet firmness<b>. </b>


    16:35 Thu, 21 Aug E


    Chapter 703 The Game of Punishment


    ¡°Wyatt, it¡¯s time to let my brothere home.¡±


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    Chapter 704 The Second Betrayal


    Chapter 704 The Second Betrayal


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    Wyatt said nothing at first. He pulled a cigarette from his pack, brought it to his lips, but didn¡¯t light it. After a few seconds, he took it out and crushed it in his hand, the paper crumpling into a tight, silent knot.


    ¡°You really think Oscar¡¯s a good brother?¡±


    His voice was sharp,ced with bitterughter. ¡°He wasn¡¯t innocent. Owen was the one who ruined your life, yeah¡ªbut Oscar? If he¡¯d had even a shred of real family loyalty, he wouldn¡¯t have let Owen handle your case like that. You want to know why Oscar signed that mental illness document without even verifying anything? Because Owen promised him a new round of research funding. And that money came from your medical award. Oscar knew it. He signed anyway.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s head lifted slowly. The deepening suspicion in her eyes made it clear¨Cthis was the first time she was hearing any of it.


    She¡¯d known Oscar had always kept his distance, that his version of responsibility meant cold logic and emotional detachment. When Owen told him she was mentally unstable and had harmed others, he co- signed the fake diagnosis under the guise of helping her avoid criminal charges. She had believed it was poor judgment, or maybe just misced trust.


    But now, she knew the truth.


    <i>It </i>wasn¡¯t a mistake. It was a transaction.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice lowered. ¡°You know what really pisses me off?¡±


    He paused, jaw tight. ¡°When I was hiding abroad from a hit, I ran into Oscar once. I recognized him right away, but he didn¡¯t recognize me. I asked if he¡¯d been in touch with his family¨Cif he knew how you were doing. You know what he said? He said Paul had settled down, treated you well, that the two of you were madly in love. He even thanked me for asking.¡±


    The bitterness in his voice was unmistakable, every wordced with restrained fury. His jaw clenched so tight it looked like he was physically forcing back the urge to spit.


    He¡¯d always cared. He¡¯d always been watching. Back then, to avoid bringing Yunice any trouble, he hadn¡¯t even used connections he trusted. He¡¯d hired anonymous informants to quietly report back on the ¡°eldest daughter of the Saunders family.¡± And the updates that came back? All painted a picture of a woman living peacefully, happily, with someone who loved her.


    He never imagined that someone could have their identity stolen in broad daylight. What infuriated him even more was that none of her so¨Ccalled loved ones had questioned it. They had all epted it¨Cjust like. that.


    That was the first betrayal.


    Later, he saw Oscar again. Thinking he might know more, Wyatt had pretended to be a pharmaceutical contact and invited him to drink, hoping to fish for details.


    All he got was a vague, pleasant lie about how wonderful Yunice and Paul were together.


    He had believed it. Jealousy had clouded everything. He couldn¡¯t stand the idea of intruding on what looked like a calm, content life. He hadn¡¯t wanted to be the bitter outsider barging in to ruin her


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    Chapter 704 The Second Betrayal


    happiness.


    That was the second betrayal.


    He had hated them all. Paul. Owen. But most of all, he hated Oscar.


    Oscar had done nothing obvious. He hadn¡¯t raised a hand. He hadn¡¯t shouted or lied directly. But somehow, that made it worse.


    Wyatt knew the kind of man who stayed silent while others drowned. The kind who never threw a <i>rope</i>, never lifted a finger, and called it morality. He loathed that the most.


    When Oscar had returned to the country and finally met Wyatt face¨Cto¨Cface, his reaction said everything. His expression had frozen. He¡¯d recognized him.


    And still said nothing.


    No apology. No exnation.


    So Wyatt had forced his hand.


    He let Oscar make a choice<b>¨C</b>stand with the Saunders family, or stand with Yunice.


    Oscar, pressed to the wall, had finally branded Paul¡¯s face with words and pushed a maniptive woman into Owen¡¯s life to destabilize him. But all of that had only happened because Wyatt had forced him to act. It was what Oscar should have done from the start¨Cas a brother, as a man.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Yunice still held onto hope for her brother, Wyatt would never have tried to clear Oscar¡¯s name. He would¡¯ve let him rot.


    Yunice didn¡¯t speak for a long time.


    Wyatt had said everything he¡¯d bottled up. For a moment, he felt a bitter kind of release. But as the silence stretched, he realized he¡¯d gone too far.


    Yunice had been betrayed enough.


    1-


    Oscar was one of thest people she still trusted. The only one left who felt like family. And now Wyatt had dragged him down from the pedestal, shattered what little faith she had left.


    She was already someone who struggled to believe in people. And now, surely, that door had shut for good.


    Wyatt stared at her, speechless. He hadn¡¯t meant to tell her any of this. But if he hadn¡¯t, it would¡¯ve eaten him alive. He needed her to know that he had always cared¨Cthat from beginning to end, she had never been out of his thoughts.


    But Yunice refused to believe it. She had made up her mind to walk alone. She didn¡¯t want to be tethered to anyone<b>, </b>not even him.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t know how to make her stay. He couldn¡¯t pressure her¨Cshe¡¯d push back. He couldn¡¯t plead either¨Cshe didn¡¯t dopromise. He had tried dragging it out, hoping time would soften her<b>, </b>but she <b>was </b>too sharp for that. She¡¯d seen through it already.


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    She¡¯d brought up Paul and Nora¡¯s location to test him. To see whether he would respect her decision, or go behind her back and force her hand.


    Now that the truth about Oscar was out, Yunice kept her head down, saying nothing.


    Wyatt turned his head and leaned down a little, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.

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    Chapter 705 The Trap and the Run


    Yunice turned away, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.


    Wyatt said nothing.


    Of course she was crying.


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    His chest tightened. He reached out and gripped her shoulders with both hands, blurting, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go to the Johnson family? Still want to go?¡±


    Sure enough, Yunice paused and looked up, the sorrow in her eyes clouded by a flicker of hesitation. Then she nodded.


    Wyatt sighed inwardly.


    She¡¯d baited him.


    She must have known all along where she stood with Oscar That tear hadn¡¯t been weakness¡ªit had been leverage.


    She¡¯d asked him to ¡°let her brothere home¡± not out of pure emotion, but to trigger him. To push him to reveal everything he really thought about Oscar. Then she¡¯d shed a single tear to make him panic. And just like that, he was left with no good choice: either let Oscar return, or take her to hunt Paul and Nora.


    Otherwise, she¡¯d just sit there, sad and silent, drowning in tears and heartbreak.


    Wyatt blinked hard and fought back his frustration. She¡¯d outyed him again, and there wasn¡¯t a damn thing he could do about it.


    They had barely climbed into the car when Wyatt¡¯s phone rang. It was Jordan.


    ¡°Wyatt, the Johnson family¡¯s surrounded by the police.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes flew to Yunice. She lookedpletely unsurprised.


    He stared at her for a long moment, then said tightly into the phone, ¡°Got it.¡±


    After hanging up, he let out a slow, deep breath. ¡°You couldn¡¯t wait?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice was calm. ¡°I just wanted to be sure.¡±


    Inside the Johnson family estate, the sound of sirens sent a jolt of panic through the house.


    Paul jumped to his feet. ¡°Who called the cops?!¡±


    He grabbed Nora by the arm and yanked her toward him. ¡°You said this ce was safe! Why are they here?! Did you call them?!¡±


    Nora yanked herself free, ring. ¡°What would I gain from getting you caught?¡±


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    16:55 Fri, 22 Aug


    Chapter 705 The Trap and the Run


    Paul chased her for a few steps¨Cbut a hand came out of nowhere and yanked him backwa


    Nora didn¡¯t even turn around. She sprinted forward and shoved herself into a tight hiding


    Only after crawling in and pulling the door shut did she realize Paul hadn¡¯t followed.


    But she didn¡¯t care. The police had the ce surrounded now. Every man for himself.


    A momentter, there was a creak.


    The cab door flew open.


    A maid from the Johnson family¡¯s courtyard stood there, staring directly at her.


    Then she turned and shouted, ¡°Nora¡¯s here! I found Nora!¡±


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    ace.


    By the time Wyatt and Yunice arrived, Nora was already in handcuffs, her arms pinned behind her back as she was dragged out the front gate.


    They watched silently as she was shoved into a police car.


    Wyatt stepped forward. ¡°Just her? What about Paul?¡±


    Nora looked every bit like a hunted dog, miserable and furious. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We split up when we ran.¡±


    Yunice turned to the officers. ¡°I reported Paul. Why are you arresting her?¡±


    Nora didn¡¯t have any formal charges against her. On what grounds had she been detained?


    ¡°She¡¯s connected to another investigation,¡± one officer exined. ¡°We need to take her in for questioning. Are you her rtives?¡±


    Yunice shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    Nora shot her a look before being shoved into the car.


    Yunice held onto that look. It wasn¡¯t longing or jealousy¨Cit was pure resentment.


    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t just about Wyatt anymore. Maybe having a face so simr to Yunice¡¯s had be a curse. Maybe Paul¡¯s obsession with that face had made Nora hate the original even more.


    Either way, it didn¡¯t matter.


    The search of the Johnson estate turned up nothing. Paul had vanished without a trace.


    Wyatt¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°He¡¯s got help.


    And right as he said it, he looked down and met Yunice¡¯s frosty stare.


    ¡°I swear, it wasn¡¯t me,¡± he said immediately.


    Yunice said nothing. Her gaze was cold and sharp as ss. She turned and climbed into the car without waiting for him, stepped on the gas, and drove off without a word.


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    16:55 Fri, 22 Aug


    Chapter 705 The Trap and the Run


    Wyatt was left on the side of the road, speechless, furious, andpletely alone.


    He hadn¡¯t done anything. Paul wasn¡¯t <i>his </i>problem. Why the hell was she leaving <i>him </i>behind?


    Grumbling, he called Jordan toe pick him up.


    50%


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    When he finally caught up to Pavilion Hall, Sister Lin told him Yunice had packed her bags and gone to the Crawford family estate.


    Wyatt drove straight there.


    Freya was out on the terrace, holding a thin cigarette, her face full of amusement. ¡°Yunice? She¡¯s not here.¡±


    She took a puff and gave him a knowing look. ¡°Let me guess. You did something stupid and pissed her off?¡±


    Wyatt snapped, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t catch Paul. And I sure as hell didn¡¯t help him escape.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Freya tapped her phone. She already knew everything.


    ¡°You know what they say,¡± she added. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore the old folks¡® advice¨Cor you¡¯ll learn your lesson the hard way. Mr. Carl tried to warn you. You just didn¡¯t listen.¡±

 Daghter 706

    Chapter 706 Hiding ces and Hunting Grounds


    Chapter 706 Hiding ces and Hunting Grounds


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    Freya turned her phone screen toward Wyatt, smirking as she spoke. ¡°You still have one more shot. Catch Paul, and you¡¯ll clear your name of ¡®watching the door and letting the thief out.¡°¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes narrowed the moment he saw the message from Yunice.


    3


    She¡¯d told Freya she was safe, but didn¡¯t say where she was. It was obvious¨Cshe was hiding from him.


    Freya set the phone down and exhaled a puff of white smoke. ¡°I know you could track her down if you wanted to. But take my advice: don¡¯t. An angry woman is harder to catch a greased pig. You¡¯ll only get burned. Use that energy on finding Paul instead.¡±


    Wyatt turned and left without a word.


    At his private club, he summoned the heads of his intelligencework. Dozens of agents quickly scattered like waves into the night, each mobilizing their contacts for a nket search of Paul¡¯s whereabouts.


    At a sleek wooden desk, a girl around seven or eight years old sat scribbling downplex chemical forms, She looked up, catching Yunice staring, and blinked.


    ¡°Is there something on my face?¡±


    Yunice smiled and shook her head. ¡°No. I was just curious¡­ those are some advanced forms for


    someone your age.


    The girl answered matter¨Cof¨Cfactly, ¡°They¡¯re not hard. I understand them as soon as I see them.¡±


    Yunice nodded. ¡°I can tell. It¡¯s your gift.¡±


    From the kitchen, Laurie leaned out and called, ¡°Yunice, stop distracting Betty. Come help me.¡±


    Yunice replied with an ¡°okay¡± and stepped into the kitchen.


    While handing over an apron, Laurie muttered, ¡°You really know how to pick a hiding ce. Showing up here was your way of calming Wyatt down, huh?¡±


    Laurie was one of Wyatt¡¯s people. If Yunice was hiding under her roof, Wyatt would rx. Anyone else taking her in might¡¯ve sparked a war.


    Yunice didn¡¯t want to trouble Carl. He was getting too old to be dragged into chaos.


    Lauric nced at the expiration dates on the spices. ¡°Just stay here. Once Wyatt drags Paul in, then you can go.¡±


    Yunice nced toward Betty and asked quietly, ¡°Does Betty look like her dad?¡±


    She didn¡¯t resemble Laurie much.


    Laurie replied, ¡°She takes after her grandfather more.¡±


    ?


    50%


    16:56 Fri, 22 Aug


    Chapter 706 Hiding ces and Hunting Grounds


    +10 Free Coins


    She gave Yunice a sidelong nce, reading the question behind the question. Anyone who knew Laurie had a daughter would eventually ask who the father was¨Cand why the child was always hidden. Why, even at home, the girl called the nanny ¡®mom.¡¯


    Lauric answered without prompting. ¡°I used to date a chemistry genius. Turns out he was making ice behind my back¨Cbouncing around foreignbs and staying off the grid.¡±


    Her expression didn¡¯t shift as she continued. ¡°Plenty of people came after me to get to him. It was Wyatt who kept me and Betty safe.¡±


    She looked over at her daughter and chuckled. ¡°Anyway, that life won¡¯tst much longer. Word is he got beaten to death abroad. No one¡¯s chasing us anymore.¡±


    Laurie didn¡¯t sound sad¨Cnot even a little.


    She looked back at Yunice, her smile wry. ¡°I was pregnant, and he didn¡¯t even know. He had three or four wives overseas. A whole pack of kids. I¡¯m sure he forgot me the second he got on the ne.¡±


    Yunice couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she and Wyatt had first crossed paths.


    Laurie answered before she had to ask. ¡°Back when he was hiding out from a hit abroad, he stumbled into a medical zone I oversaw. I was working as a pharmaceutical chemist at the time. He helped me deal with some people who were threatening me, and I patched him up. After that, we had what you¡¯d call a ¡®life debt.¡® He gives me face.¡±


    Then, as if something sparked in her memory, she teased, ¡°Hey, back in high school, did you ever lose one of those enamel name badges? The kind with blue crystal on top?¡±


    Yunice frowned. That was so long ago. A tiny trinket like that¨Cshe couldn¡¯t remember.


    Laurie said, ¡°When I first hid him, he was covered in blood. But when I opened the curtain again, he was sitting up against the wall, holding one of those blue stone school badges. I tried to read the name, but he hid it before I could.¡±


    A blue crystal badge¡­


    That was the kind her high school had used.


    Back at the club, Wyatt sat alone in the shadows, a ss of liquor in his hand, his face dark and unreadable.


    A man hunched near him, awkward and hesitant. ¡°Wyatt¡­ Paul couldn¡¯t even outmatch you at his peak. Now he¡¯s just a rat in the sewer. Don¡¯t let him get under your skin. Come on¨Clet¡¯s toast to your sess. The minute we finish this drink, your men will bring him in.¡±


    Wyatt didn¡¯t move. His brows were drawn, his expression ice cold.


    The man swallowed his words, realizing he¡¯d said the wrong thing. He shifted awkwardly, eyes darting- and that¡¯s when he noticed the ring on Wyatt¡¯s right hand.


    It looked like a wedding band.


    Wyatt kept turning it unconsciously with his thumb.


    Clearly, he had something else on his


    16:56 Fri, 22 Aug


    50


    Chapter 706 Hiding ces and Hunting Grounds


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    Coins


    Judging by the storm brewing in his eyes, whatever was bothering him had nothing to do with Paul¨Cand everything to do with someone at home.

 Daghter 707

    Chapter 707 Cold Hearts and Closed Doors


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    The man set down his drink and slid over to Wyatt¡¯s side on the couch, lowering his voice. ¡°We just brought in a new batch of girls. How about I call them in, and you pick one? We¡¯ll ce some bets¨Csee who¡¯s got what it takes to be the top of the roster.¡±


    The others jumped in eagerly. ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s do it! How much are we betting?¡±


    ¡°Half a million sound good?¡±


    ¡°Well? What¡¯re you standing around for? Go call them! Can¡¯t you see Wyatt¡¯s waiting?¡±


    The man nced at Wyatt, who still hadn¡¯t said a word, his expression unreadable. He signaled a server to bring the women in.


    Soon, two rows of women filed in, each with a different look and style, striking poses in the open space.


    ¡°Wyatt?¡± the man called out, trying to draw him back in.


    But Wyatt didn¡¯t even nce at them. He was somewhere else entirely


    Suddenly, his voice cut through the tension.


    ¡°What do you do when a woman doesn¡¯t listen?¡±


    The man blinked, unsure if the question was directed at him, but replied instinctively. ¡°You get a new one who does?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes finally lifted. They locked on the man¨Csteady, unreadable, dangerous.


    The man chuckled awkwardly, ying along. ¡°Women act out when you spoil ¡®em. Give her the cold shoulder a few days, she¡¯ll realize she¡¯s not that special. She¡¯ll crawl <b>back </b>on her own.¡±


    He cast a suggestive look over the lineup. ¡°Want me to set you up with one, Wyatt?¡±


    He pulled a woman forward. ¡°Look at this one¨Cshe¡¯s gorgeous. The more beautiful she is, the more pressure it puts on the one giving you trouble. Just walk her in front of that stuck¨Cup woman, and she¡¯lle begging for your attention.¡±


    ¡°Better yet, let her teach that woman a lesson for you.¡±


    Wyatt raised his hand, fingers pointing downward.


    The man frowned, confused.


    Jordan, standing silently nearby, tranted: ¡°Get down.¡±


    The man¡¯s face went pale.


    He darted a nervous nce at Wyatt, then at Jordan¨Cwho gave him nothing.


    Swallowing hard, the man dropped to his knees.


    |||


    O


    <


    16:56 Fri, 22 Aug


    Chapter 707 Cold Hearts and Closed Doors


    Wyatt crossed one leg over the other and pressed the sole of his shoe against the man¡¯s shou


    The pressure sent a tremor down his spine¨Cand a chill into his chest.


    Where had he gone wrong? What could he say to fix it?


    But the worst part was¡­ he didn¡¯t even know who had pushed Wyatt over the edge.


    Then Wyatt spoke, voice like frost on steel. ¡°You married?¡±


    The man stammered, ¡°Y¨CYeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Got kids?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Yes, sir.¡±


    +10 Free Coins <ol><li></li></ol>


    Wyatt¡¯s face darkened. Even this man had a wife and children. Meanwhile, he couldn¡¯t even keep his own woman by his side.


    Wyatt pulled his foot back and stood, setting his ss aside. ¡°Go home and get divorced.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Jordan,¡± Wyatt called as he walked off, ¡°find his wife someone better.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Wyatt, wait¡±


    The man crawled forward, watching Wyatt disappear from the room. ¡°Jordan, what just happened?!¡±


    Jordan stared down at him and said tly, ¡°Start getting used to being single.¡±


    Wyatt drove off alone, not waiting for Jordan.


    Still no leads on Paul.


    His car stopped outside Laurie¡¯s building, and he made his way up.


    Inside, Betty was getting ready for bed. The knock startled her upright.


    The nanny came from the kitchen, wiping her hands, and checked the screen at the door.


    She turned to the others and said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Wyatt.¡±


    Laurie looked to Yunice, clearly waiting for a decision.


    Yunice said tly, ¡°Tell him I¡¯m asleep!¡±


    Laurie gave a subtle nod to the nanny, who went to ry the message.


    Then Laurie looked back at Yunice. ¡°You did lock the window, right? Otherwise I¡¯m afraid someone might get the idea to scale the wall.¡±


    Yunice frowned at her window, got up, and locked it from the inside.


    |||


    <


    16:56 Fri, 22 Aug 0.


    Chapter 707 Cold Hearts and Closed Doors


    Laurie clicked her tongue. ¡°Cold¨Cblooded, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    +10 Free Coins


    Yunice leaned on the windowsill, chin in her hand, thinking. Like a locked window¡¯s going to stop Wyatt.


    What was she going to do with him?


    Laurie gave her shoulder a pat and turned to leave, but identally knocked Yunice¡¯s bag off the table.


    When she bent to pick it up, a bottle of pills rolled out.


    Laurie¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°You¡¯re taking this?¡±


    Yunice hesitated, then replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s just for emergencies.¡±


    Her bag was always full of medications, most ubeled or mixed. Only someone trained in pharmacology would know what they did.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Laurie didn¡¯t press. She slipped the bottle back in and returned the bag.


    Outside the door, the nanny cracked it just enough to speak. ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    Wyatt frowned. ¡°Where¡¯s Laurie?¡±


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 Daghter 708

    Chapter 708 The Breaking Point


    Chapter 708 The Breaking Point


    ¡°She says you two quarreling shouldn¡¯t involve her. She¡¯s old, can¡¯t take the stress.¡±


    Wyatt stood silent.


    Then he snapped, ¡°Yunice too? She won¡¯t even see me?¡±


    +10 Free Coins


    The housekeeper replied, ¡°Ms. Laurie says there¡¯s no one else at home. You should look somewhere else.¡±


    Wyatt had no words left.


    He stepped back, lifting his head to stare up at the small townhouse.


    At that moment, the light in one of the rooms turned off.


    Behind him, the door was quietly shut by the housekeeper.


    Wyatt stared at the window that had just gone dark, then pulled out his phone and called Yunice.


    Unsurprisingly, she didn¡¯t answer.


    She was lying in bed, tucked beneath the covers, sitting upright as she stared nkly into the dim glow of moonlight.


    Wyatt sent her a message: ¡°There¡¯s news about Oscar¡¯s case.¡±


    Of course there was.


    Yunice had deliberately fed that information to the police¨Ciming she was dying¡ªjust to force Oscar¡¯s hand. If he still had any familial feeling left, he¡¯d definitely agree to a meeting in exchange for a


    confession.


    Wyatt sent another text when she didn¡¯t reply: ¡°You¡¯re so mad at me you¡¯re willing to ignore your own brother now?¡±


    At that moment, Yunice¡¯s phone chimed again. This time it was from one of her informants.


    ¡°Wyatt¡¯s shut down another one of our contacts. What a scumbag.¡±


    Her point of contact had been cut off again¨Cmeaning she had no way of getting real¨Ctime updates about


    Oscar.


    And the truth was, she was desperate to know what Oscar had seen in that surveince footage. Wyatt had timed this perfectly, hitting her where she was weakest: her curiosity.


    Then came another message from him: ¡°Paul¡¯s escape had nothing to do with me. Just give me a little


    more time,¡±


    Yunice rubbed her fingers along the edge of her phone, then typed back: ¡°You¡¯ve been blocking my people?<b>¡± </b>


    The moment Wyatt saw her reply, a small smile formed at the corner of his mouth. He answered:


    Chapter 708 The Breaking Point


    +10 Free Coins


    ¡°Come home with me, and I¡¯ll release them.¡±


    ¡°Are you threatening me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just asking you toe home.¡±


    ¡°That is a threat. With all your power and influence, why bother going through the trouble? Why not just send a couple men over and drag me back?¡±


    He could tell she was being sarcastic¨Cand calling his bluff.


    So he sent another message, pacing around outside her building: ¡°Then tell me what it¡¯ll take to bring you back.¡± And then added: ¡°If you say divorce, it¡¯s a no.¡±


    Yunice responded with just one line: ¡°I¡¯m tired. Go home.¡±


    She refused to bargain, to give him any leverage.


    Just then, Wyatt received a grim update: Nora had been released.


    ¡°Wyatt, Nora swallowed a razor de, got rushed to the hospital, and escaped during surgery¡­¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s brows twisted into a dark knot. He hadn¡¯t managed to catch Paul, and now Nora had slipped away too. Adding insult to injury.


    ¡°Useless.¡± He hissed through gritted teeth.


    No one on the other end dared say a word.


    Fuming, he looked back up toward the dark window.


    Then sent Yunice one final message: ¡°If you like staying here, stay. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Inside, Yunice saw the message, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtain just enough to glimpse Wyatt¡¯s car turning out of the courtyard.


    She dropped the curtain and finally went to sleep.


    The next morning, Yunice emerged in her pajamas, refreshed and calm.


    Laurie blinked in surprise at her glow: ¡°Wyatt didn¡¯t keep you upst night? You actually slept?¡±


    Yunice took a sip of water. ¡°Sleepes first¨Cno matter how big the problem is.¡±


    There really wasn¡¯t much left in the world that could ruin her peace of mind.


    Laurie nced at a suitid out nearby. Yunice raised a brow. ¡°You going to work?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Laurie replied. ¡°I burned through my annual leave when I went to the medical university. Gotta make it up now.¡±


    Yunice looked apologetic. ¡°What about Betty?¡±


    ¡°She likes the quiet. And I¡¯ll still be home in the evenings. What about you? Any ns?¡±


    O


    <b>J </b>


    16:56 Fri, 22 Aug


    Chapter 708 The Breaking Point


    Yunice had plenty of safe houses¨CFreya¡¯s, the Crawford estate, Gill¡¯s ce, even Kingsley¡¯s.


    50%


    +10 Free Coins


    But hiding like this wasn¡¯t a long¨Cterm n. The most urgent thing was to ditch the two trackers Wyatt had


    set on her.


    Once Laurie left, Yunice sent Kingsley a message: ¡°Kingsley, we can leave now.¡±


    Half an hourter, her phone buzzed again.


    She changed clothes, removed all her jewelry, and left her phone on the table¨Canchored under a letter.


    As she descended the stairs, Betty was still at the giant ckboard, frowning at a chemical form.


    Yunice¡¯s footsteps pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up. ¡°Hello¡­¡±


    Yunice walked over and patted her head.


    ¡°Betty, I¡¯ve got something to take care of. If Wyatt shows up, tell him I left something for him in my


    room.¡±


    Betty nodded without a second thought.


    Yunice¡¯s silhouette grew smaller as she walked away.


    Betty propped her chin on her hand and went right back to her form.

 Daghter 709

    Chapter 709 Ghosts in the Rearview


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    Yunice climbed into an inconspicuous van. Sitting in the passenger seat was none other than Kingsley.


    There was no expression on Kingsley¡¯s sunken face. ¡°You¡¯re really leaving just like that? You think that kid can handle it?¡±


    Yunice said, ¡°I left him a letter. Once we¡¯ve safely gotten out, I¡¯ll contact him.¡±


    Peeling awayyer byyer made it easier for him to ept. After three or five years, once he had someone suitable by his side, she could fake her death¨Cand that would be enough to let go of this rtionship.


    Kingsley said, ¡°You could¡¯ve lived a quiet life with him. What¡¯s so bad about that?¡±


    Why insist on running with people like them, always one step ahead of thew?


    Yunice replied, ¡°What I¡¯ve been through makes it impossible to pretend nothing ever happened. Even if I¡¯ve gotten back the family house, even if the hospital is mine again, I can¡¯t lie to myself that my family is still alive.¡±


    ¡°They destroyed me, and I destroyed them. As long as I stay on thisnd, I¡¯ll never have peace


    of mind.¡±


    And someone abandoned like a stray¨Chow could she ever ept being kept in a cage again?


    Wyatt had thought she¡¯dplete every piece of her revenge, tie up every loose end, and only then n her departure.


    But he was wrong. Yunice had never aimed for total annihtion.


    Her goals were already met.


    She wanted to strike back at the people who hurt her¨Cnot to see them thrown in jail or tortured¨Cbut to choke them emotionally, to make them taste loss.


    Elsie lost her wealth and dignity. Lily lost her support and children. Owen was left isted, gued by illness. And Paul¡¯s reputation was in ruins, going from an untouchable prince to a street rat everyone wanted to beat down.


    Chapter 709 Ghosts in the Rearview


    That was enough.


    +16 Free Com


    Paul no longer had any hope of aeback. Whether he was arrested or not didn¡¯t matter to Yunice at all.


    She gave Wyatt the illusion that she cared deeply about revenge¨Cbut it was really just setting the stage for her own exit. As for Oscar¡­


    His punishment might¡¯ve been the lightest.


    But when he got out of prison and saw the empty Saunders estate and the shut- down Saunders Corp Hospital¨Cwhat would he feel?


    Would he feel hollow inside, lost in the vastness of life?


    But none of that was Yunice¡¯s concern anymore. Her vengeance wasplete. None of those people could haunt her dreams ever again.


    Kingsley waved his hand, and the van pulled away from the curb.


    They were heading toward the border. From an abandoned dock, they¡¯d slip out through a private route¨Cquiet, invisible.


    ¡°Wyatt, Oscar¡¯s case has been fully processed. Turns out you were pretty much right¨CNora was involved.¡±


    Oscar had been called to the hotel where it happened. The video he received was explicit. The people in it were Nora and¡­ Morgan.


    The sheer grotesqueness of it left Wyatt stunned for a moment.


    He¡¯d guessed early on that Paul had probably used Nora¡¯s resemnce to Yunice to frame Yunice in a fabricated video.


    Oscar had believed it. First, he worried about damaging Yunice¡¯s reputation. Second, he feared Wyatt might go ballistic and retaliate against the Saunders family.


    So he chose to hide it, refusing to reveal the truth under


    any


    circumstances<b>. </b>


    He wasn¡¯t entirely foolish. He knew as long as that video didn¡¯t surface, Yunice would hold her ce in Wyatt¡¯s eyes.


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    And as long as Wyatt still cared about Yunice, Oscar¨Ceven locked up¨Cwould <b>have </b>a shot at getting out someday.


    But what no one expected¡­ was that the person in the video was Morgan.


    Nora¡¯s own younger brother.


    Wyatt let out a coldugh, finally seeing the full picture. ¡°Everyone says I¡¯m ruthless, but Paul¨Che really learned from the old man.¡±


    Back then, Paul had pushed Yunice to the edge but failed <i>to </i>get what he wanted.


    Wyatt had always thought Paul was obsessed with Yunice. So when someone like Nora, who looked just like her, was served up on a silver tter, how could Paul possibly resist?


    Turns out, he had underestimated Paul.


    When Paul noticed Nora, he wasn¡¯t thinking about possessing her¨Che was already plotting how to use her against Wyatt.


    Yunice was just a woman. Paul could have any woman he wanted.


    Beating Wyatt, crushing him underfoot¨Cthat was Paul¡¯s true ambition.


    He¡¯d sensed Wyatt¡¯s feelings for Yunice. That¡¯s why he recorded that nearly indistinguishable video of Nora in bed¨Cas a backup n. Something to sour Wyatt¡¯s mood when he was riding highest.


    A video like that¨Cdirty, damning¨Cwasn¡¯t something Paul would ever let himself be directly associated with. So he chose a sickening method to keep Nora and the entire Johnson family tightly under his control.


    They wouldn¡¯t dare betray him, because Nora and Morgan were now the Johnson family¡¯s deepest disgrace.

 Daghter 710

    Chapter 710 A Letter Left Behind


    10 Flee coins


    ¡°The original copy of the video is still with Paul?¡± Wyatt¡¯s expression darkened.


    ¡°Even though the police have already confirmed with Nora that the woman in the video is her, if that video leaks, it¡¯ll still affect Mrs. Wyatt.¡± (2)


    Wyatt asked, ¡°When is Oscar getting out?¡±


    ¡°In the next few days.¡±


    Wyatt crushed out his cigarette. ¡°Make sure that video never ends up in front of her. It¡¯ll only dirty her eyes.¡±


    He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, skimming through the notifications.


    There were plenty of new messages, but none from Yunice.


    He called Laurie, testing the waters.


    Laurie was in theb, hunched over with her phone wedged between her shoulder and ear. ¡°Where else would she be? Obviously still at my ce. Haven¡¯t your people been trailing her like shadows? Why ask me? You¡¯d be better off focusing on tracking down Paul.¡±


    Afterpleting thest step in her experiment, Laurie stretched and called it a day.


    Wyatt hesitated, then stayed quiet.


    But Laurie knew what he wanted to say. ¡°You tried to manipte little Yunice. Is it really that unreasonable for her to be pissed off?¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just tie her up and drag her back? Then you two can go at it till one of you dies.¡±


    Last time Yunice and Wyatt fought, she¡¯d made a name for herself.


    She lost in the end and got sent to the hospital, but since then, Wyatt hadn¡¯t daredy a finger on her¨Clet alone use force.


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    Chapter 710 A Letter Left Behind


    In his entire life, Wyatt had never met someone so impossible to deal with.


    ¡°Then help me out -go back and take a picture of her.¡±


    Laurie sighed. ¡°Alright, fine.¡±


    When she got home, Betty was finally running an experiment based on the


    form she¡¯d cracked. It was all set up on her small, makeshiftb table.


    Laurie walked over and kissed her on the cheek. ¡°Sweetie, Yunice isn¡¯t still sleeping upstairs, is she?¡±


    ¡°She went out. Hasn¡¯te back yet.¡±


    ¡°She went out?¡± Laurie froze<i>, </i>but quickly remembered¨CWyatt always had bodyguards on her. Even if she left, he¡¯d know where she was.


    Besides, Yunice was an adult. No one had the right to restrict her freedom.


    ¡°She said she left something in her room for Mr. Wyatt,¡± Betty added.


    Laurie froze again. A warning bell suddenly rang in her head. Something felt off.


    If Yunice had something to pass to Wyatt, she could¡¯ve just called. And if she didn¡¯t want to, Laurie could¡¯ve done it for her.


    Why tell Betty instead?


    Laurie stood up abruptly and walked quickly toward Yunice¡¯s room.


    Before she even stepped inside, she spotted Yunice¡¯s phone on the desk¨Cand a letter beneath it.


    Her heart jumped into her throat. She didn¡¯t even take her phone?


    She rushed over and picked up the phone first. The SIM card was still in it¨Cshe hadn¡¯t even removed it.


    Then she grabbed the envelope. On it was written: To Wyatt.


    A loud buzz filled Laurie¡¯s ears. She fumbled for her phone and called Wyatt.


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    Chapter 710 A Letter Left Behind


    ¡°Wyatt¡­ something happened¡­ Yunice, she¡­¡±


    $10 fins Coms


    Wyatt immediately picked up on the tone. His voice dropped cold. ¡°Get to the point.¡±


    Laurie gave up pretending and just said it straight. ¡°You¡¯d bettere <i>see </i>for yourself.¡±


    Twenty minutester, Wyatt stood frozen, holding the letter Yunice had left behind.


    She¡¯d left without a word.


    After reading it, he stayed still for a long time. Then, slowly, his brows twisted in fury. He suddenly crumpled the letter into a ball.


    Just as he was about to throw it, he froze again. His hand tightened instinctively, and he held onto the balled¨Cup paper.


    Laurie said, ¡°She didn¡¯t take her phone. Changed her clothes and essories¡ª clearly didn¡¯t want GPS tracking. Her counter¨Csurveince skills are top¨Cnotch. If this has been in the works for a while¡­ we might already be toote to catch her.


    She wanted to say: ept it.


    Yunice really meant to leave.


    Maybe at first, the loss would hit hard¨Cfeel hollow and painful. But that feeling wouldn¡¯tst forever.


    Life wasplicated. Eventually, something or someone would fill the space Yunice left behind.


    Still, Laurie herself was having trouble epting it. Biting her knuckle, she frowned. Part of her even resented Yunice.


    That foolish girl¨Cwhy be so stubborn?


    She¡¯d worked so hard to get into college. Made real friends. She had Laurie as her mentor. The future was bright. In a few years, she¡¯d have had it all¨Cadvanced degrees, solid footing¨Cand with Wyatt¡¯s financial support, she could¡¯ve built any life she wanted.


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    Chapter 710 A Letter Left Behind


    But right before reaching the peak¡­ she chose to walk away.


    16 Free Come


    Wyatt¡¯s entire jaw was trembling, red veins crawling through his eyes. ¡°She¡¯s really pushing me.¡±


    Laurie held back her words.


    If Wyatt couldn¡¯t find Yunice, so be it. But if he did corner her somewhere¡­ something terrible might happen.


    Wyatt stormed out, fury radiating off him like heat.


    Worried things would spiral out of control, Laurie quickly called the Crawford family as a precaution.


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    Chapter 711 Gone Without a Trace

 Daghter 711

    Chapter 711 Gone Without a Trace


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    Now even the Crawford family knew that Yunice had left without saying goodbye.


    No one expected her to choose such an ordinary yet hopeful day to disappear.


    Even more unexpected was how absolute her departure was.


    She had reimed everything from the Saunders family, settled every ount, and her elder brother Oscar was about to clear his name and walk free.


    Yet she left with nothing.


    Not even the identity she had fought so hard to take back.


    Freya and Victor wore equally grim expressions. Looking at Carl, they asked, ¡°Mr. Crawford, shouldn¡¯t we help search for her? Even if Yunice doesn¡¯t trust Wyatt, this is still her home. How can we rest easy letting her wander off all alone?¡±


    The thought of Yunice once helpless in that asylum made Freya want to chain her to her side.


    Back when Yunice was just starting college, they had insisted on personally escorting her, worrying even then. How could they not worry now that she nned to roam the world?


    Atst Mr. Crawford lifted his eyelids and said, ¡°Respect her choice. Respect her fate.¡±


    Freya opened her mouth to argue, but in the end stayed silent.


    It wasn¡¯t the Crawfords or the Saunders she wanted to avoid. The one she was truly running from was Wyatt.


    If they forced her back, she and Wyatt would inevitably tear each other


    Both were ruthless. If they shed, no one woulde out unscathed.


    Let fate decide.


    apart.


    By then Yunice was already at sea, standing on the deck of a ship with a steaming


    15:52 501


    Chapter 711 Gone Without a Trace


    cup of hot liquor in her hands.


    Beside her sat Melina, wrapped in a thick shawl on her wheelchair.


    Melina Lauren¡¯s grandmother.


    Seventy¨Cthree years old, cancer¨Cstricken, and with little time left.


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    She believed Yunice was her granddaughter Lauren. Yunice humored her, saying she had lived well overseas and now hade to take her away <i>to </i>enjoy life.


    ¡°Melina.¡± Yunice bent down and ced the warm cup into her hands.


    Melina¡¯s eyesight was nearly gone, her pale eyes blind to the world. She felt along the cup with practiced ease and took a swallow.


    The warmth spread through her, and her eyes crinkled in bliss. ¡°Our Lauren has done so well. In all my life, Melina¡¯s never tasted such fine liquor.¡±


    Her illness was past the point of treatment, so Yunice added painkillers to the drink to ease her suffering.


    Soon Melina drifted into sleep, and Yunice pushed her back to her room, tucking her in carefully.


    Just then, Kingsley knocked softly on the door.


    Yunice stepped out to the deck to speak with him.


    He drew on a cigarette, the smoke torn away by the sea wind. ¡°Word is Wyatt¡¯s tearing Silverburgh apart looking for you. Customs, airlines all under his watch. By the time we dock, the piers will likely be crawling with his people.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s reach extended even beyond the country.


    ¨C


    ¡°Then tell him this,¡± Yunice replied. ¡°Before the ship docks, I¡¯ll take a dinghy ashore. Where Ind ¨C d¨¦serted coast or town harbor will be entirely up to my mood.¡±


    The message quickly reached Wyatt.


    ¨C


    He kicked a side table across the room, snarling, ¡°She¡¯s threatening me!¡±


    Chapter 711 Gone Without a Trace


    In times as chaotic as these, a young womannding at random meant endless dangers.


    Wasn¡¯t that exactly how her mother, once rashly storming off, ended up kidnapped deep in the mountains?


    Jordan sighed. ¡°Wyatt, it¡¯s clear she knows how to y you. As long as she makes her safety the bargaining chip, how can you win?¡±


    ¡°Then maybe stop the search?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Wyatt barked instantly.


    Even if not openly, the hunt would continue in secret.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find out who lured her away. Paul, Nora ¨C not one of them will escape.¡±


    Half a monthter, the gates of the detention center opened.


    Oscar walked out, squinting into sunlight he hadn¡¯t seen for so long.


    ¥ì¥°


    It took minutes before his gaze dropped to the luxury car waiting outside. Was it here for someone else?


    Cautiously, he approached.


    The door opened, and a long leg stepped out.


    Wyatt.


    Oscar instinctively searched the car for another figure. <i>Why </i><i>is </i><i>only </i><i>Wyatt </i><i>here</i>? <i>Where </i><i>is </i><i>Yunice</i>?


    She wouldn¡¯t have missed this. Something must have held her back.


    His


    eyes turned to Wyatt, silently demanding an answer.


    At the sight of him, Oscar felt a jolt.


    Wyatt seemed leaner, colder, the detached air around him sharper than before.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept him with disdain. ¡°When Yunice came out of the asylum, did


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    Chapter 711 Gone Without a Trace


    you go pick her up?¡±


    Oscar blinked, not understanding. What did he mean by that?


    Wyatt continued, ¡°If you didn¡¯t care enough then, why would you think she¡¯de running to wee you out of prison?¡±

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    Chapter 712 A Funeral for One


    Oscar¡¯s face twisted with guilt. ¡°Wyatt-¡±


    Before he could finish, Wyatt cut him off. ¡°It¡¯s people like you who made Yunice lose faith in everyone, who left her unwilling to ept anyone again!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze was dark and cold. In the next second, his fist smashed across Oscar¡¯s face.


    Oscar dropped to the ground, head bowed, offering no resistance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I really am. Five years ago, when I met you abroad, I truly didn¡¯t know you were from the Powell family¡­ I didn¡¯t know you had feelings for Yunice. If I¡¯d known, I swear I would¡¯ve-¡±


    He faltered, hesitated, then forced the words out. ¡°I would¡¯ve told the truth¡­¡±


    His voice dropped to a whisper. ¡°Maybe then Yunice wouldn¡¯t have suffered so much. Maybe she wouldn¡¯t be so cold now¡­ But time can¡¯t be turned back. I can¡¯t make it right. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry to both of you¡­¡±


    Wyattughed bitterly, his eyes bloodshot with hatred.


    What good were apologies? Could they bring Yunice back?


    He couldn¡¯t even risk looking for her now. Yunice had no ties to bind her, and her self¨Cdestructive streak ran deep.


    Before, she had clung to life only to see her revenge through. Now that she had achieved it, she was all the more reckless with her life.


    ¡°Your apology means nothing,¡± Wyatt spat. ¡°Yunice has cast all of you aside. The Saunders estate¨Cyou¡¯re not allowed back there. That¡¯s her private home! Saunders Hospital¨Cyou¡¯re barred as well. That belongs to her too!¡±


    Oscar stayed silent on the ground. He had no right to contest it.


    Just then, another car screeched to a halt.


    Jordan hurried out, shot Oscar a dismissive nce, then leaned close to Wyatt, whispering something.


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    Chapter 712 A Funeral for One


    Wyatt turned away at once, leaving Oscar behind, and climbed into the car <b>with </b>Jordan.


    As Jordan steered sharply, he exined, ¡°We tracked Paul down and tried to corner him. But he¡¯s taken someone hostage. We can¡¯t act rashly.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°I don¡¯t care who he has. I want his life.¡±


    To him, no one else¡¯s life mattered.


    Jordan hesitated, then said, ¡°The hostage¡­ is Ms. Yunice.¡±


    The cigarette slipped from Wyatt¡¯s fingers and burned a hole straight into his expensive trousers.


    His eyes shook violently. ¡°Impossible. Yunice¡¯s abroad. How could Paul have her?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how it happened,¡± Jordan admitted. ¡°But he¡¯s holed up in the mountains, taken a ridge for himself. When he called out to us, he shoved Ms. Yunice in front to block our snipers. We can¡¯t get close.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s jaw locked, his pulse racing.


    He had signed contracts worth hundreds of billions without ever feeling his chest twist like this.


    Half a month without seeing her felt like


    years.


    He ached to see Yunice, yet dreaded it at the same time¨Cif it really was her, then she was in unimaginable danger.


    Jordan pressed the elerator, heading straight for Paul¡¯s mountain stronghold.


    Near Northpoint Hospitaly a cemetery of the elite.


    Yunice¡¯s father¡¯s grave had been relocated there.


    But Yunice didn¡¯t go. Wyatt would surely have men posted, waiting for her.


    Instead, guided by a caretaker, she walked to a newly purchased plot.


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    Chapter 712 A Funeral for One


    ¡°Miss, this is the site you bought for Ms. Melina. You came alone?¡±


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    Dressed in ck with a wide¨Cbrimmed hat shading her face, Yunice carried an urn in her hands.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll handle the funeral myself.¡±


    The caretaker was curious, but the woman before him was too cold, <i>too </i>distant, her face hidden. Best not to intrude.


    He left her in peace.


    Only when he was gone did Yunice lower the urn into the grave.


    Melina had passed away fifteen days after reaching foreign soil.


    Yunice had her cremated, then returned home with the ashes.


    Who would have guessed she woulde back so soon?


    ¡°Melina, you must have reunited with Lauren by now. Tell her¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She set flowers and offerings before the stone, bowed three times, and rose.


    Her gaze shifted toward the section where her father rested. Just a dozen meters


    away.


    But she didn¡¯t go.


    Wyatt would have guessed she¡¯de to him someday. He would have stationed eyes there.


    And besides¨Cher father was gone.


    <i>To </i><i>see </i><i>or </i><i>not </i><i>to </i><i>see</i><i>¡­ </i><i>what </i><i>difference </i><i>did </i><i>it </i><i>make </i><i>anymore</i><i>? </i>

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    Chapter 713 Quiet Goodbyes


    Chapter 713 Quiet Goodbyes


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    Leaving the cemetery, Yunice slipped the caretaker some money and asked him to keep Melina¡¯s grave tidy.


    She rented a car and drove past Crawford Corp.


    As one vehicle turned out from the gates, the back window half lowered, Yunice caught a glimpse of Freya and Carl in the rear seat.


    Carl frowned into his phone, busy with business, while Freya smoothly epted the file he passed her.


    A momentter their car disappeared down the street. Victor then stepped out of Crawford Corp, pausing to address someone with his usual dignified air before striding into his own car.


    Everything moved along in order.


    Life went on for everyone else. One person¡¯s absence didn¡¯t shake the flow.


    That thought eased Yunice¡¯s heart.


    She next stopped near Quinton¡¯s home.


    In the yard, Bobby was building a swing, hammer clumsy in his small hands while Quinton guided patiently. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. This is a mortise and tenon joint, the size has to be exact. Here, I¡¯ll hold it while you¨Cah! Careful, you hit my hand.¡±


    Bobby scratched his head with a sheepish grin. ¡°Daddy¡­ hand, hurt. I¡­ dumb!¡±


    Then he bent over and carefully struck again.


    With Bobby¡¯s autism, the fact that he spoke so directly was already a great leap forward.


    From the Ford family¡¯s house, Yunice continued on to Cloud Consumers.


    Sister Gill¡¯s skill with prepared foods was unmatched, and once the sales channels opened, business <i>took </i>off.


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    Chapter 713 Quiet Goodbyes


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    Though inexperienced in trade, she leaned on her connection with Yunice and managed to find her footing.


    Wyatt, for all his ruthlessness, had spared Yunice¡¯s friends even after her disappearance.


    Gill stood with her order book as a truckload of vacuum¨Csealed goods rolled out, reminding the handlers, ¡°Be careful with storage. This batch is for export, it can¡¯t be spoiled.¡±


    Dressed in designer clothes with her hair slicked back in a sharp style, she looked every bit the formidable businesswoman. Yet when she watched the trucks leave, her face softened with longing.


    ¡°I¡¯llnd more export orders, fill containers overseas with Cloud Consumers goods. That way, wherever Miss is, she can still taste home.¡±


    Her assistant, puzzled, asked, ¡°Ma¡¯am, if you miss your youngdy so much, why not persuade her to return?¡±


    Gill only said, ¡°The most important thing is to be happy. She prefers her freedom.¡±


    As evening fell, Yunice went again to the old Saunders family plot where her father had once been buried.


    Ity abandoned now.


    After Yunice secretly relocated her father¡¯s grave, Owen and Lily hadn¡¯t even bothered with appearances. They never returned.


    They had no idea the ancient books they coveted stilly hidden there.


    This visit, Yunice came not only to settle Melina¡¯s ashes, but also to retrieve those


    texts.


    Here, she had no need to hide. No one else woulde.


    Lifting her skirt hems, she walked the deste path.


    Grass had grown tall in the unused path, winter¡¯s frost leaving it brittle and yellow.


    As she neared her destination, a sound startled her. She slipped behind a tree,


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    12:32 Sun, 24 Aug


    Chapter 713 Quiet Goodbyes


    heart tightening, and peeked out.


    It was only the noise of weeds being pulled.


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    Someone knelt at a grave, working diligently. Hands tugged at the stubborn roots, ignoring how the brittle stalks shredded gloves and left palms bloodied.


    Yunice stared, then recognized the man sweating through his shirt in the chill of February.


    Oscar.


    Since his release, he hadn¡¯t returned to the Saunders estate or the hospital grounds.


    He rented a small t andunched a modest workshop based on his overseas research. The returns were meager for now, but it was a start.


    Among the Saunders family, only he lived in rtive peace.


    After clearing his name and walking free, he had visited the prison.


    Owen had attempted suicide and been resuscitated, but prison life had ground him down.


    When Oscar saw him, one side of Owen¡¯s face was hollowed by illness, the other swollen from a beating.


    He wore handcuffs, said little, and sat listlessly.


    The two brothers, one inside and one out, sat in silence for ten minutes until guards led Owen away.


    Oscar had also gone to <i>see </i>Lily.


    For helping Owen imprison and abuse Timothy, she had been convicted as an aplice and sentenced to three years.


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 Daghter 714

    Chapter 714 A Son¡¯s Reckoning


    Lily¡¯s sentence was lighter than Owen¡¯s. She would be out in three years.


    But she couldn¡¯t stand prison life. When she saw Oscar, she cried and raged, begging him to find her awyer, to get her out.


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    If not a full release, then at least a reduced sentence. Anything ¨C she just couldn¡¯t bear to stay here.


    The ce was barren, lifeless. Prison uniforms instead of designer clothes, no cosmetic injections or skincare, no fancy food ¡ª only scraps.


    To Lily, it wasn¡¯t living at all.


    ¨C


    And wasn¡¯t Oscar her son? Didn¡¯t he owe her filial duty?


    ¡°Your brother Owen¡¯s money was all cheated away by Yunice. You¡¯ve always been close to her, haven¡¯t you? She must have given you some of it. You¡¯ve got so much can¡¯t you spare a little to save me? Right now you don¡¯t need me, but one day you¡¯ll have a girlfriend, you¡¯ll have a career. Do you want peopleughing at you at the peak of your life, because you¡¯ve got a mother in prison? Fine, I know Yunice¡¯s brainwashed you. You resent me. Even if you won¡¯t help me out, at least tell me how¡¯s Elsie?¡±


    Finally, Oscar answered. ¡°She¡¯s in a mental institution.¡±


    ¨C


    Lily¡¯s eyes widened with outrage. ¡°How could you let her be sent there? She¡¯s your sister!¡±


    Oscar¡¯s gaze hardened, anger ring. ¡°And you think you have the right to question me?¡±


    ¡°From the moment I stepped in here, all you¡¯ve done isin ¨C for yourself, for Elsie! Have you thought once about us three siblings?¡±


    Lily sobbed and railed. ¡°You¡¯re doing fine, you¡¯ve got nothing to worry about! What about Owen? He¡¯s got liver cancer and he¡¯s rotting in prison. Why aren¡¯t you asking me about his condition?¡±


    ¡°When Yunice was thrown into the asylum, where were you as her mother? Did


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    12:32 Sun, 24 Aug


    Chapter 714 A Son¡¯s Reckoning


    you care?<b>¡± </b>


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    ¡°They¡¯re all ungrateful!¡± Lily snapped. ¡°White¨Ceyed wolves! Owen wanted part of my liver, and Yunice


    she¡¯s worse than nothing, she¡¯s the one who sent me here!¡±


    ¡ª


    Oscar¡¯s eyes burned red, but his expression stayed icy. ¡°We barely received a shred of motherly love. You gave it all to Elsie. Yunice hates me, and Owen too know the truth. Owen was just another child starved of love.


    ¡ª


    but I


    ¡°When you walked out, I was ten, Owen was eight, and Yunice was three days old. As the eldest, I knew even then you favored Owen from the start. All the good things went to him. Every time we fought, you took his side. I was hurt, but I epted it. I told myself I¡¯d grow up fast and get away from this family.


    ¡°When you had Yunice, I thought maybe your favoritism would shift. But she was worse off than me. You gave her life, but never a day of love.


    ¡ª


    ¡°You left us behind. I could take it


    you never cared for me anyway. But Owen was different. He was a spoiled child, suddenly motherless, dangling off a cliff edge every day in fear. He loved Yunice most. He looked after her more than anyone. Do you know what he told me?


    ¡°He said Yunice was your gift to him. He would take good care of her, so when you came back, you¡¯d be proud. You¡¯d praise him.


    ¡°He waited for you, always. He wanted the mother who loved him most toe back and hold him again.


    ¡°And when you finally did, you drowned yourself in tears for Elsie. Owen saw it. He went and bought Elsie back with money, just to see you smile again. But he felt it ¨C your coldness toward him. So he twisted himself inside out, doing anything to earn your attention.


    ¡ª


    ¡°And he realized something whenever he was good to Elsie, you¡¯d praise him, you¡¯d smile, you¡¯d make his favorite dishes. But whenever he spoke up for Yunice, you scowled, punished him with silence.


    ¡°You twisted him, bit by bit, until that desperate, unloved boy became the man he


    is now.¡±


    Lily snapped back, ¡°And that¡¯s supposed to be my fault? A mother loves all her children, but the palm and the back of the hand aren¡¯t the same! You¡¯re telling me


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    12:32 Sun, 24 Aug


    Chapter 714 A Son¡¯s Reckoning


    you never yed favorites?¡±


    s


    Oscar¡¯s voice was sharp as a de. ¡°Elsie? She¡¯s nothing! Do you believe me if I say I could march into that asylum right now and kick her to the ground?¡±


    Heughed bitterly at himself. ¡°I¡¯m sick too. Thinking you¡¯d ever feel guilty. But your morals are broken beyond repair. A selfish woman like you can¡¯t feel


    remorse.¡±


    He rose to his feet. ¡°But don¡¯t feel too pleased with yourself. Three years may sound short, but do you think you¡¯ll be walking free when your term is up?¡±


    Lily froze, wariness flickering in her eyes.


    Oscar sneered. ¡°Yunice is gone. Wyatt¡¯s boiling with rage. Who do you think he¡¯ll take it out on?¡±


    =


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    Chapter 715 Into the Trap

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    Just as Oscar turned to leave, Lily suddenly jumped up and shouted desperately <i>at </i>the guards. ¡°Someone wants to harm me! Officer, someone¡¯s trying to kill me! I demand protection, I want a restraining order!¡±


    ¡°Sit down! Quiet! If you keep this up we¡¯ll use force!¡±


    Behind Oscar, Lily¡¯s head was shoved down against the table, held there firmly. She couldn¡¯t move.


    At the graveyard, Oscar tore stubbornly at the weeds, palms raw and bleeding without him even noticing.


    His mind reyed Lily¡¯s entitled rants over and over. And then, drifting through his thoughts, came the memory of that day years ago abroad, when Wyatt had helped him recover his stolen research data even shared a drink with him afterward.


    It haunted him in the dark of night.


    Why hadn¡¯t he told the truth then?


    ¡ª


    Good and evil pivot in an instant. In that moment, with guilt gnawing at him, he had chosen the easy lie, the quick relief. He hadn¡¯t thought about the day it would all unravel.


    People always deceive others and themselves.


    He went on tugging at the grass, expression dull, not even aware of how long he¡¯d been at it.


    Yunice waited, watching from a distance. Ten minutes passed, then more. Seeing Oscar had no intention of leaving, she slipped away quietly. She would return another time.


    Driving idly down the road, she wondered where to spend the night.


    A wide¨Cbrimmed hat and oversized sunsses hid her face, her features safely out


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    Chapter 713 bao the Trap


    of sight of street cameras


    Her wandering brought her near the Saunders vi


    The house stood locked, empty


    Venice hesitated at the gate, but didn¡¯t dare step closer. She hadn¡¯t been gone long Wyatt¡¯s men might still be watching


    Better to find a hotel


    Not just any hotel. Avoiding Wyatt¡¯s far¨Creaching had taken careful effort.


    She checked in without incident. After a hot shower, she sat in pajamas on the edge of the bed, eating <b>fruit </b>and flipping through channels


    The evening news ran its daily financial report.


    Cooper Corp had secured its status as Silverburgh¡¯s new powerhouse. Old families teetered, two¨Cfaced in public and private.


    Business reporting was like a voyeur at the sewer grate, peering up at the grand houses above¨Cconspiracies, guesses, half¨Ctruths spun into endless stories.


    And then, as the segment shifted. Wyatt appeared.


    Reporters swarmed him, cameras snapping. His bodyguards locked into a human wall, blocking every approach. Still, they caught a fleeting three¨Csecond clip of Wyatt¡¯s cold face as he strode away,


    Yunice pressed the remote.


    By the time she realized what she was doing, the screen was frozen¨CWyatt¡¯s image locked there.


    The camera should have added weight, but instead his cheekbones cut sharper than before.


    He had lost weight.


    ¡°Breaking news,¡± the anchor interrupted. ¡°Unconfirmed reports say Wellinges Pharma founder and president Wyatt has been attacked,


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    Chapter 715 Into the Trap


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    ¡°Sources im he cannot be reached. Company insiders refuse toment. The situation remains unclear.


    ¡°As a leading figure in the Silverburgh Chamber, news of his disappearance has shaken the industry¡­¡±


    Yunice¡¯s hand tightened on the fruit bowl, brow furrowing.


    <i>What </i>the hell?


    Was he really under attack


    ¨C


    or was this bait, meant to lure her out?


    She had once pulled this exact trick on Oscar. Her first thought was that Wyatt was now turning it back on her.


    Unable to chase her down, he would force her toe <i>to </i>him.


    She rose abruptly and yanked open the curtains. Outside, the city glittered with lights.


    Who could possibly hold Wyatt hostage?


    He had people everywhere who would already be searching. Even if she went, what help could she be?


    Her pulse jumped as she stared at the red dot frozen on her phone map. Two beats quickened ¨C then her breathing evened again.


    So what if it was a trap? Enough second¨Cguessing. Do it.


    She shoved her feet into slippers, ripped a thick coat from the wardrobe, and threw it on.


    On her way out, her eyes caught on something propped in the corridor corner ¨C a heavy ron rod, long forgotten and rusted.


    She grabbed it. The cold metal bit into her palm, rust rough against her skin. But it steadied her.


    By three a.m., the cityy under its deepest silence. Only scattered headlights pierced the empty roads.


    12:32 Sun, 24 Aug 0


    Chapter 715 Into the Trap


    Yunice¡¯s car sped in the opposite direction, heading for the most deste coordinates shing on her screen.


    The route climbed into the hills until the road ended.


    She abandoned the car and pushed through dry grass, moving upward.


    Signs of many feet littered the path ¨C trampled branches, bent weeds.


    Crouching, she picked up a small shlight, precision¨Cmade, expensive.


    Wyatt¡¯s men had been here.


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    Chapter 716 A


    Chapter 716 A Loaded Gun


    Yunice kept walking.


    Then, without warning, she froze and nced back under the moonlight. No one was there.


    But she had clearly heard grass crunch under someone¡¯s step.


    Her guard went up. One hand gripped the iron rod, the other slipped inside her bag.


    Nothing happened, all the way to the mouth of a cave.


    Moonlight pooled at the entrance, the darkness inside yawning wide like it could swallow her whole.


    If she went in and someone blocked the exit behind her¡­


    She went in anyway.


    With the shlight she¡¯d picked up earlier, the narrow passageway glowed faintly ahead.


    Silence.


    Only the echo of her own footsteps.


    If someone was inside, they would hear her approach.


    Yet no one rushed out.


    At the end of the tunnel, her beamnded on a human silhouette.


    Yunice swung the iron rod with all her strength.


    It cut the air toward the figure¡¯s head-


    But before it struck, a strong hand shot out and seized her wrist with unnerving precision.


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    Chapter 716 A Loaded Gun


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    The shlight ttered to the ground, shadows of two tense figures stretching long across the stone wall.


    The smaller figure¨CYunice¨Cdrew a gun in her free hand and pressed it against the other¡¯s head.


    ¡°Wyatt. You¡¯ve gone too far.¡± Her voice was cold, impatient.


    From deeper in the cave came movement. Jordan stepped into the light, awkward at the scene before him¨CWyatt gripping Yunice¡¯s wrist, her gun aimed squarely at his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand,¡± Jordan said quickly. ¡°Wyatt really was attacked, it¡¯s just-¡±


    A scare more than real danger.


    It had been Jordan following Yunice the whole way.


    Yunice¡¯s gaze flicked to the side, catching sight of two bound figures tied up like sacks and dumped in a corner. Paul and Nora.


    Not the vicious battlefield she¡¯d imagined. No des, no snarling kidnappers. Just another trap of Wyatt¡¯s.


    Wyatt ignored the gun at his temple. With his free hand, he pried the iron rod from her grip, brushing rust from her palm with a light tap of his fingers.


    ¡°Half a month away, clearing your head. Had enough fun yet?¡± His eyes lifted to hers.


    Yunice bristled. ¡°Do you think this is a microphone in my hand? You really think I


    won¡¯t shoot?¡±


    Unbothered, Wyatt turned slightly. ¡°Paul and Nora are mine now. Doesn¡¯t that count for something? No more reason to be angry?¡±


    But this wasn¡¯t about anger. D


    Jordan hurried to switch on amp, bathing the cavern in harsh light. ¡°Ma¡¯am, it¡¯s really them¡ªPaul and Nora. No mistake.¡±


    <b>< </b>


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    Chapter 716 A Loaded Gun


    Yunice didn¡¯t even nce their way. Her eyes stayed locked on Wyatt.


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    His dark gaze shone with amusement, reflecting her furrowed brow, her scowl.


    The angled light drew sharp lines along his jaw, catching on the faint curl of a smile at his lips.


    His thumb brushed slowly over the inside of her wrist, right against her pulse. A rough touch, like a spark of current searing straight through her skin.


    ¡°So worried about me?¡± he murmured, voice low, warm, threaded withughter.


    His eyes curved, glowing with the pleasure of it.


    ¡°These two fools thought they could use you as bait. Nora disguised herself as you to lure me up the mountain, Paul waiting to strike. Look-¡± He lifted his arm, showing a long cut.


    The tear had split his suit sleeve wide, twenty centimeters or more, dark fabric and white shirt beneath soaked ck¨Cred with blood.


    Yunice¡¯s breath hitched, her expression sharp with disbelief.


    What, was he trying to y the tragic hero?


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯de <i>so </i>soon,¡± he went on. ¡°Otherwise, they might¡¯ve starved to death here waiting.¡±


    Her frown deepened. He had intended to wait it out, injured, until she arrived?


    How could he be so certain she¡¯de? What if she hadn¡¯t watched the news, hadn¡¯t cared about the turmoil back home?


    They¡¯d be ying funeral music for him by now.


    ¡°Wyatt, you lied to me.¡± She tried to turn the usation back on him.


    ¡°You lied <b>first</b><b>,</b>¡± he countered, gaze steady. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t sneak away.¡±


    ¡°I never said that,¡± she snapped.


    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t you?¡± His eyes dropped to the gun still aimed at his head. ¡°Are you going


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    Chapter 716 A Loaded Gun


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    to shoot? If not, put it down. Doesn¡¯t your wrist ache, holding it up this long?¡±

 Daghter 717

    Chapter 717 Fever and Wolves


    Chapter 717 Fever and Wolves


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    Rage sharpened Yunice¡¯s gaze. What truly stung was not the danger, but Wyatt¡¯s smug certainty that she wouldn¡¯t pull the trigger.


    So sure of himself. So sure of her.


    Her grip tightened, finger pressing harder against the trigger.


    He thought she wouldn¡¯t dare? Then let him see.


    Her finger moved-


    ¡°Yunice!¡± Jordan¡¯s startled cry echoed in the cavern.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes darkened. In a sh, his hand struck hers aside just before she fired.


    The gunshot cracked, the echo deafening in the stone walls. Pebbles showered from the ceiling.


    The bullet embedded in the wall so close it had nearly grazed Wyatt¡¯s ear.


    He turned back, face taut with anger. ¡°You really dared to shoot?¡±


    Yunice dropped the gun to her side carelessly. ¡°And here I thought you wouldn¡¯t dodge.¡±


    Wyatt gave a sharpugh. ¡°If I die chasing you, how am I supposed to keep chasing?¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Yunice shot back, her eyes flicking deliberately to his wounded arm. ¡°And I despise people who can¡¯t even take care of themselves.¡±


    The long gash tore wider with his sudden movements, blood soaking sleeve and dripping down his fingers.


    Wyatt nced at the red staining his hand, then back at Yunice¡¯s impassive face.


    Not even a flicker of softness for him?


    But then why had shee at all, alone, into these mountains?


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± Jordan¡¯s voice rang again.


    Yunice looked up just in time to see Wyatt¡¯s pallor nch further. His body sagged, and before she could react he copsed forward¨Cstraight into her.


    She staggered under the sudden weight, his face cold against her cheek.


    Frowning, she muttered, ¡°Fever?¡±


    She pinched his philtrum with one hand. No response.


    Her eyes darted to Jordan. ¡°Your master¡¯s burning up, passed out. Wound¡¯s infected. He¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t get him to a hospital¡®


    Jordan hesitated, eyes shining between Wyatt and Yunice. Then he said slyly, ¡®Ma¡¯am, you should take


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    him. I¡¯ve got to haul these two down the mountain. Two hands, two captives. No way I can manage Wyatt


    too.


    Yunice started to let go. ¡°Fine. Let him rot here then-¡±


    Jordan only shrugged. ¡°Let him die. What¡¯s the loss? A man who couldn¡¯t even keep his wife from running away¨Cbetter dead anyway.¡±


    ¡°You-!¡± She clenched her teeth. But as Wyatt began to slide toward the ground, she couldn¡¯t let him fall. With a curse, she caught him again, awkwardly hauling him upright.


    Jordan smirked. ¡°Good. I¡¯ll see you at the bottom. Careful on the trail.¡± With that, he dragged Paul and Nora away, leaving her alone.


    Yunice red at the cave mouth. Then down at the dead weight in her arms. ¡°¡­What the hell do you eat, so heavy¡­¡±


    With difficulty she heaved his arm across her shoulder, staggering step by step down the mountain.


    All the while muttering under her breath: ¡°If this weren¡¯t downhill, I¡¯d leave you here for the wolves. Wolves love liars best¨Cwould¡¯ve eaten you whole by now.¡±


    She huffed, half¨Cdragging him along. ¡°Actually, why not leave you here? Jordan wille sniffing back sooner orter.¡±


    Her eyes swept the path until she found a thick tree. Changing course, she set him down against the trunk.


    Brushing her hands together, she exhaled. ¡°This is privatend, no wolves, no wild animals. Sit tight. Jordan wille for you.¡±


    She turned to leave¨Cthen froze, eyes catching the blood still seeping from his arm.


    With a sigh, she dug into her bag and pulled out a small vial of her ownpound. Kneeling, she tore open his sleeve, sprinkling the powder across the gash.


    The bleeding slowed almost instantly. At least he wouldn¡¯t die here.


    Capping the vial, she had just slipped it away when a sudden tug in her belly made her pause. Her brow furrowed, hand pressing lightly against her lower abdomen.


    ¡°Your period?¡±


    The voice startled her. She looked up.


    Wyatt hadn¡¯t moved, still propped Jimply against the tree, head tilted back. But his eyes were half¨Copen, ssy with fever, fixed directly on her.


    It¡¯s not your usual date,¡± he murmured faintly. ¡°Your cycle¡¯s irregr?¡±


    Yunice snapped, ¡°You¡¯re the one with a hormone imbnce.¡±


    Wyatt said nothing. Slowly, he lifted his hand.


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    Yunice wasn¡¯t sure what he was trying to do, so she followed the slow movement of his hand with her eyes -until he pressed his palm over her stomach.


    And even had the nerve to smile. ¡°I must be at least thirty¨Cnine degrees by now. I¡¯ll warm you up so it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re insane,¡± she muttered.


    Wyatt didn¡¯t answer. His eyelids kept drooping, only to fight their way back open, stubborn as a child who refused to sleep.


    Yunice stared at him, the heat of his palm seeping through fabric into her skin. Her chest felt strangely tight. She pushed herself up, ready to walk away¨Conly for her wrist to be caught again.


    She turned. His hand had slipped down but mped onto hers with startling precision.


    ¡°Wyatt!¡± she snapped.


    Clingy as an octopus, relentless.


    She yanked, twisted, pried at his fingers until her arms ached, but his grip wouldn¡¯t break. Exhausted, she sank down beside him.


    Still, she kept her distance. Even so, his fever radiated like a furnace, heating half her body until her skin prickled with restlessness.


    She tipped her head back at the bright, indifferent moon. If this dragged on any longer, Jordan would surely be back.


    Dropping her gaze again, she caught Wyatt¡¯s head lolling against her shoulder.


    She gave a sharpugh. ¡°You never miss a chance to take advantage.¡±


    Her palm pressed against his forehead, shoving him back against the tree trunk.


    ¡°Wyatt! Ma¡¯am!¡± Jordan¡¯s voice cut through the night like static.


    Yunice groaned in frustration.


    He pushed through the undergrowth, eyes flicking between her re and Wyatt slumped against the tree.


    In an instant he grasped the scene and hurried forward with forced cheer. ¡°I¡¯ll carry him! Don¡¯t be mad, or Wyatt will be heartbroken.¡± D


    Yunice¡¯s jaw clenched. Words failed her.


    Jordan hoisted Wyatt onto his back, but immediately staggered under the weight. ncing back, he saw


    why: Wyatt¡¯s hand was still locked around Yunice¡¯s wrist.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t move, I can¡¯t carry him,¡± he said carefully.


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    Chapter 718 Shackled by Fever


    ¡°I¡¯m not going with you,¡± Yunice shot back.


    Jordan hesitated¨Cthen pulled a knife from his belt. ¡°Then cut his hand off. You¡¯ll be free.¡±


    ¡°You two nned this, didn¡¯t you?!¡± she burst out.


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    He stered on a fawning smile. ¡°Come on, show a little mercy. When you first came back to the Saunders. family, Wyatt didn¡¯t hold back in helping you. Fair¡¯s fair, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Memories flickered unbidden through her mind.


    Seeing her waver, Jordan pressed harder. ¡°We¡¯d better hurry. Paul and Nora are sly. If they slip away while no one¡¯s watching, we¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Yunice finally stopped resisting, letting Wyatt¡¯s grip pull her forward as they headed down the slope.


    Jordan¡¯s voice rambled on with every step. ¡°Funny thing¨Cwe were all ssmates once. I never noticed Wyatt had feelings for you. When you came back, we thought you and Paul had cooked up a n, ying the long game to get close to him. Everyone thought he was just acting, but turns out he was dead serious.¡±


    He puffed, then shot her a look. ¡°We never leaked Wyatt¡¯s location. Yet you tracked him straight here. You¡¯ve been watching over him all along, haven¡¯t you? To be remembered by you¨Cour Wyatt should feel blessed.¡±


    Yunice let out a dryugh. ¡°I watch him only to keep him from crawling too close. Don¡¯t tter yourself.¡±


    Jordan chuckled. ¡°So sharp¨Ctongued now. Did you always pretend to be sweet, only to bare your fangs after you got what you wanted? Revenge finished, mask off?¡±


    ¡°And what if I did?¡± she retorted. ¡°What can you do about it?¡±


    At the base of the mountain, they piled into the car.


    Paul and Nora were shoved into the trunk, bound together like discarded baggage.


    In the backseat, Wyatt sagged beside Yunice.


    Jordan fussed over him before suggesting, ¡°The road¡¯s rough. Let him lie on yourp, or he¡¯ll slip.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yunice said tly, eyes on the window.


    He let you rest on hisp once, when you were unwell,¡± Jordan reminded her carefully.


    She stayed still. Jordan gave up, propping Wyatt against the seat.


    Climbing into the driver¡¯s seat, he started the engine.


    But when the road grew bumpy, his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror.


    And there it was¨CWyatt, no longer slumped against the seat, but stretched out with his head resting squarely on Yunice¡¯sp.


    Only the muffled groans from the trunk broke the rhythm of the jolting ride. Paul and Nora had no suchfort, tossed together in the dark.


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    Chapter 719 Divorce Papers


    At the hospital, Scar came to take Nora and Paul away, while Wyatt was wheeled into the clinic.


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    His wound needed to be disinfected and stitched, and he was put on an IV to bring down his fever.


    Through it all, Wyatt never once released Yunice¡¯s wrist.


    Jordan, ever so ¡°considerate,¡± had the nurses pull up another bed flush against Wyatt¡¯s, turning the space into something like a double bed. ¡°Doctor says it¡¯s just a subconscious reaction from the fever. Once he wakes up, he¡¯ll let go.¡±


    Then he checked the time, stretched theatrically, and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been up two days and nights straight, I¡¯m about to drop. I¡¯ll take the night off and leave Wyatt in your care.¡±


    With that, he slipped out, shutting the door behind him.


    The room fell quiet.


    Yunice lifted her gaze to the IV dripping overhead, then back down to Wyatt¡¯s hand mped tight around hers.


    Her free hand hovered over his wrist. She was a doctor trained in traditional medicine¨Cshe knew exactly which pressure points controlled which joints. One pinch, and his grip would fall away¡­


    ¡°Yunice!¡±


    The door banged open before she could act.


    She jerked her hand back on instinct and looked up.


    Freya and Victor stood in the doorway, their faces lighting up in unison. ¡°You really came back!¡±


    ¡°You finally came to your senses! Isn¡¯t it better here?¡±


    Caught off guard, Yunice froze. She¡¯d left without a word, and barely two weekster, they¡¯d found her already. Flustered, she stammered, ¡°Freya, Victor¡­ what are you two doing here?¡±


    Their surprise matched hers. ¡°Didn¡¯t you call us?¡±


    ¡­She¡¯d wanted to slip in quietly, unseen by anyone.


    Freya frowned. ¡°Jordan told us you¡¯d been gone half a month, that you missed home so badly you came back in tears¨Ccrying about how you missed us. Of course we rushed here. What were we supposed to do, let you cry all night?¡±


    Hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway.


    Laurie swept in, white coat billowing like a storm. ¡°So you do remember how toe back! You¡¯ve abandoned your graduation project in theb for half a month. You nning on not graduating?¡±


    ¡°Lauric¡­¡±


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    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that! When I¡¯ve got this coat on, you address me by title.¡± Her sharp eyes fell to the hands sped together on the bed. ¡°Wonderful. You ditch your research, disregard your mentor, and after one trip out youe back ying romance. Do you have any ambition at all? I should¡¯ve let your experiment mutate!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t having a romance! If Wyatt hadn¡¯t locked onto her, she wouldn¡¯t have spared him a nce.


    To prove her point, she tried shaking him off. And shockingly¨Che let go.


    ¡­Let go?


    Laurie¡¯s face hardened, full of disappointment. ¡°Unbelievable. My prized pupil, and you turn out to be ruled by romance.¡±


    So much for her n to slip away unnoticed.


    Once Laurie and Freya arrived, they refused to leave. One sat to her left, the other to her right, sandwiching Yunice neatly between them, while Wyatt¡¯s presence on the other bed didn¡¯t seem to matter at all.


    Yunice suspected the whole group had conspired just to keep her under watch.


    But Laurie and Freya truly cared for her, so she couldn¡¯t bring herself to snap.


    Victor, standing politely nearby, added, ¡°Mr. Carl doesn¡¯t know you¡¯ve returned. At his age, his sleep is poor. We¡¯ll tell him in the morning.¡±


    Yunice wanted to protest¨Cthere was no need to tell him. She had never intended to stay.


    But Victor, reading the room, excused himself. ¡°Youdies talk. I¡¯ll ask the nurses to bring in some extra chairs.¡±


    She blinked. ¡°Why?¡±


    Laurie and Freya patted her hand warmly. ¡°We¡¯ll stay with you tonight. Can¡¯t let you feel lonely.¡±


    Yunice closed her eyes in resignation.


    Sure enough, they soon unfolded two stiff chairs at her bedside, chattingfortably as though it were the coziest setup in the world.


    Laurie began, her tone firm. ¡°Yunice, a woman has to be strong. You mustn¡¯t throw away your career halfway¨Cit¡¯s the worst mistake.¡±


    Freya added, ¡°And to sacrifice your degree, your future, your connections, your background for a man-


    that¡¯s even worse.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re only twenty¨Cfour. Life is Jong, opportunities are many. Isn¡¯t it too early to abandon yourself?¡±


    Then she added, ¡°Mr. Crawford said Wyatt promised him he wouldn¡¯t pester you. As long as you live a normal life, he¡¯s willing to remain friends.¡±


    Laurie reached into her bag and produced a folder. ¡°This is the divorce agreement. Wyatt¡¯s already signed ir. All it needs is your name, and it¡¯s done. From then on, you¡¯re no longer husband and wife. With Mr.


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    18:08 Mon, 25 Aug


    Chapter 719 Divorce Papers


    Crawford as mediator, Wyatt won¡¯t cross any lines.¡±


    Yunice took the file hesitantly, her eyes widening as they fell on the signature at the bottom.


    Wyatt¡¯s name sprawled boldly across the page.


    But hadn¡¯t he sworn he¡¯d never agree to divorce?


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    Chapter 720 Signing Away


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    Freya¡¯s voice was calm but persuasive. ¡°Not every problem has to be met head¨Con. If there¡¯s a way to resolve things peacefully, why make life harder for yourself?¡±


    Her eyes softened. ¡°We can¡¯t stop worrying about you. Do you really expect us to believe you don¡¯t worry about us? If one of us needed your help, could you turn away?¡±


    She leaned closer. ¡°Now that you¡¯re back, why not try it? See if life without shackles suits you. If it still feels wrong, if you still can¡¯t breathe¡­ then even if we had thirty¨Csix schemes, nothing could stop you from leaving again. Isn¡¯t that true?¡±


    Her words cut deep. ¡°Don¡¯t punish yourself for other people¡¯s mistakes. Neither you nor Wyatt are the guilty ones¡ªthe real culprits have already paid. The wronged should live brighter, better lives, so their suffering wasn¡¯t in vain.¡±


    Clinging to the past forever¨Cthat¡¯s just digging yourself into a dead end.¡±


    Laurie and Freya took turns, left and right, their words echoing like a stereo channeling straight into Yunice¡¯s ears.


    Yunice didn¡¯t rebut a single sentence.


    By the time they¡¯d drained their throats and congratted themselves on being so enlightened, they turned their heads-


    ¡°Is she¡­ asleep?¡± Freya whispered.


    Laurie nced over. Yunice really was asleep, curled on her side, hands tucked under her cheek, her face soft <b>in </b>slumber.


    Freya chuckled. ¡°Out like a baby.¡±


    Laurie exhaled in exasperation. ¡°Her heart¡¯s too big¡­¡±


    <b>But </b>then Freya murmured, ¡°After everything she¡¯s been through, maybe this really is just a small bump in the road.¡±


    They fell silent. The more they said it, the more their hearts ached for her.


    When Yunice stirred awake, she rolled over and opened her eyes. Freya and Laurie were gone.


    Wyatt sat beside her instead, one afm bandaged, hospital gown hanging loosely from his frame.


    Their eyes met. Yunice blinked, fully awake now.


    Wyatt¡¯s fare was unreadable as he spoke, his tone clipped. ¡°So the divorce papers made you that happy. huh? Happy enough to sleep like a rock?¡±


    So she really had gone abroad just to escape him.


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    Chapter 720 Signing Away


    Was she truly that disgusted¨Cso desperate to draw a line?


    Yunice stayed silent.


    s


    Wyatt waited. When nothing came, he reached for the agreement. ¡°You probably didn¡¯t read the whole thingst night. It covers property division too-


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your money,¡± Yunice cut him off.


    She¡¯d already benefited too much from him. She had no right to touch the marital assets.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze flicked up sharply, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Don¡¯t tter yourself. I¡¯d never split things fifty¨Cfifty. But I won¡¯t have anyone calling me stingy either. You¡¯re my ex¨Cwife¨Cat the very least, I¡¯ll make the divorce look dignified.


    His tone was matter¨Cof¨Cfact. ¡°I¡¯ll give you one hundred million, and Northpoint Hospital. To me, it¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t waste your breath pretending to save me money¨C1 can earn that back in a day.


    He added coolly, ¡°You still have your father¡¯s old medical texts, your vision to advance traditional medicine. Northpoint¡¯s the perfect stage for you. Of course, I hold the original shares. After you take over, I¡¯ll expect yearly dividends. That¡¯s not unreasonable, is it?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t. It sounded like she was being handed a gift.


    When she didn¡¯t object, Wyatt slid the papers toward her. ¡°Then sign. Once it¡¯s done, we stay out of each other¡¯s lives. You can marry whoever you want. I can marry whoever I want.¡±


    Her heart stuttered. Marry someone else?


    Was he serious?


    Her eyes dropped to the page. She uncapped the pen, and without hesitation, signed her name.


    Wyatt¡¯s grip on the contract tightened. For a split second, he nearly yanked it back.


    Click. Yunice capped the pen, set it down neatly on top of the signed agreement, then extended her hand. ¡°Pleasure doing business.¡±


    His gaze broke,shes trembling, before he forced one corner of his mouth upward in a brittle smile.


    He raised his chin, his face cold and distant, and gave her hand a perfunctory shake. Barely a taste of


    contact.


    Yunice let go. Wyatt did not.


    She looked up at him.


    He kept his face hard, his eyes pinned not on her, but on their joined hands.


    Several secondster, he finally released her, stuffed the hand into his pocket, and strode for the door without looking back. ()


    His voice came from the hall. ¡°Have Jordan take you home. The Saunders estate has already been


    restored.¡±


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    18:08 Mon, 25 Aug


    Chapter 720 Signing Away


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    ¡°Ma¡¯am. Ms. Yunice, we¡¯re here.¡± Jordan parked in front of the Saunders residence.


    As Yunice stepped out, he leaned from the window. ¡°Oh¨Cand Mr. Wyatt told me to tell you, he already picked out staff and bodyguards for you. If you don¡¯t like them, you can rece them.¡±


    III

 Daghter 721

    Chapter 721 Shadows in the Saunders Home


    Yunice gave a soft acknowledgment and stepped into the courtyard.


    +10 Free Coins


    Jordan finally exhaled in relief, turned his car around, and hadn¡¯t driven more than a few feet when he spotted another vehicle parked by the roadside.


    Lowering his window, he called, ¡°Wyatt, she¡¯s home safe.¡±


    Wyatt leaned against the frame, a thin ck cigarette smoldering between his fingers, already burned halfway down.


    ¡°Wyatt¡­ this divorce with Ms. Yunice, you really mean it?¡± Jordan asked cautiously.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± Wyatt¡¯s voice was stubborn, his jaw set hard. ¡°She wants to leave, so I let her. As long as she stays in front of me, it¡¯s better than being off in some godforsaken foreign country.¡±


    His eyes burned with a quiet desperation. ¡°As long as she¡¯s within sight, there¡¯s still a chance.¡±


    But his expression darkened as he stared toward the Saunders vi, so close yet impossibly far. The moment the papers were signed, he lost the right to entangle himself in her life.


    ¡°From now on,¡± Wyatt muttered, ¡°we¡¯ll only meet through business.¡±


    Jordan shrugged. ¡°Then let her chase ambition. The bigger her business grows, the harder it¡¯ll be to avoid crossing paths with Cooper Corp. Silverburgh¡¯s not that big. If she wants to dodge you, it won¡¯t be easy.¡±


    Inside the Saunders estate, Yunice paused at the gate.


    The three¨Cstory vi had beenpletely redone, yet carefully aged with deliberate touches, as though someone hadbored to replicate the memories she once held.


    She didn¡¯t go inside right away. Instead, she wandered the yard, her steps slowing when her gaze fell on a small bit of graffiti in the corner of a wall.


    Her pupils flickered. She crouched, tracing the lines. ¡°They even kept this¡­¡±


    Four stick figures, drawn with a child¡¯s hand. Onerge stick figure holding three smaller ones, all with matching smiles. She had scrawled it there at three or four years old with a marker,


    ¡°The walls have been repainted at least three times¡­ who put this back?¡±


    Only one person came to mind. <i>Watt</i>. <i>Who </i>else <i>would </i>guard this ce <i>so </i>fiercely when I wasn¡¯t even here?


    Rising to her feet, she stepped info the house. A figure rushed at her.


    ¡°Miss!¡±


    Yunice instinctively took a step back but was caught in a tight embrace.


    ¡°Gill¡­?¡±


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    Gill¡¯s eyes shone with excitement. ¡°Surprise! The Saunders family is yours again! You¡¯re the heiress, and I¡¯m still here as your housekeeper!¡±


    Yunice froze in disbelief, then took in Gill¡¯s uniform¨Cjust like the one she used to wear while working here.


    Her chest tightened with confusion. ¡°Gill, this isn¡¯t y¨Cacting. You¡¯re a sessful businesswoman now, running a chainpany. How could you go back to being a servant here?¡±


    ¡°Why not? A person can wear more than one identity. Outside, I¡¯m a boss. At home, I can be family with you.¡±


    Gill looked around the empty vi, her voice softening. ¡°You really don¡¯t feel lonely, living here alone? Maybe you don¡¯t¨Cbut I do. I grew up with you, Miss. Ever since you married Mr. Wyatt, I haven¡¯t slept right by myself¡­¡±


    Her grip tightened on Yunice¡¯s arm. ¡°Please, let me stay. No one else eats the food I make¡­¡±


    Yunice pinched her brows, defeated. ¡°Fine. Take the room next to mine.¡±


    The house was empty now; Gill could live wherever she wanted. Yunice herself would still sleep in her old


    room.


    Gill pped her hands happily, then blinked behind Yunice. ¡°Miss, you didn¡¯t bring any luggage at all?¡±


    Yunice gave a faint smile. She never carried much with her. She had onlye back to bury Melina- returning for good was never part of the n. Wyatt had forced her hand. Divorce had been unexpected, but not unwee.


    ¡°Gill, I¡¯m going upstairs to rest¡­¡±


    ¡°Middle of the day?¡± Gill called after her, baffled.


    But Yunice was already gone.


    That night, Gill cooked dinner. Yunice picked at her food, then curled up on the sofa with the TV murmuring in the background.


    Gill slipped outside with the trash, nced around, and dialed a number.


    ¡°Hello, Mr. Wyatt? Ms. Yunice came home today and went straight to sleep. She barely left her room. Her phone¡¯s dead, and she didn¡¯t even bother charging it. Doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s talking to anyone.¡±


    She lowered her voice. ¡°And she hardly ate. I made all her favorite dishes, but she only picked at a few bites. and just drank the soup.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice came sharp, strained. ¡°She¡¯s unwell?¡±


    Gill hesitated, then added, ¡°She must be on her period¨Cshe gets joint aches and cramps, you know what helps her. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    But her tone turned spective. ¡°Sir¡­ do you think she¡¯s heartbroken? That¡¯s why she won¡¯t eat, won¡¯t talk, just shuts herself in her room?¡±


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    Chapter 722 Smoke and Soup


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    Gill hurried to exin, ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, Mr. Wyatt. I meant¡­ maybe Ms. Yunice acted this way after signing the divorce because she still has some feelings for you.


    ¡°She¡¯s the type who cares deeply.¡±


    Wyatt stayed silent. He couldn¡¯t be sure of Yunice¡¯s heart. She imed she wanted nothing to do with him, yet the moment she was freed, she still lingered within his reach.


    Maybe she liked him only as a backup¨Cnever to be made official, never allowed to bind her.


    Fine, he thought. Even <i>if </i>I¡¯m <i>just </i><i>the </i><i>spare</i><i>, </i><i>I¡¯ll </i><i>be </i><i>the </i><i>only </i><i>spare </i><i>she </i><i>has</i><i>. </i>


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Wyatt asked, his voice low, ¡°what else did yourdy used to like to eat?¡±


    Gill thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wyatt. I¡¯ll make a whole list for you!¡±


    When she hung up, she scratched her head in unease. ¡°This doesn¡¯t really count as betraying Miss, does it? Mr. Wyatt cares about her too. I¡¯m not harming her by helping him¡­ right?¡±


    The next morning, Yunice didn¡¯te downstairs untilte..


    She padded down in her pajamas, hair slightly messy, and froze when she saw Gill waiting in the living room. ¡°You didn¡¯t go to work?¡±


    Gill grinned. ¡°I¡¯m the boss now¨CI just sit at home and collect money. Why bother showing up?¡±


    She slipped into the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯ve already cooked. Go wash up.¡±


    By the time Yunice returned, Gill was setting out dishes,dling soup with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re gettingzier- breakfast and lunch all in one. You can¡¯t just hide at home like this forever. After we eat, let¡¯s go shopping. Your closet¡¯s empty. What will you wear if you don¡¯t buy new clothes?¡±


    Yunice lifted her spoon, sipping. <i>Fair </i><i>point</i>.


    But then her gaze sharpened. She studied the broth. ¡°This soup¡­¡®¡±


    Gill leaned on the counter, feigning casualness. ¡°Nostalgic, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Yunice pressed her lips together, recognition dawning. ¡°This is exactly like the soup from that breakfast stall by my high school¨Cthe one everyone lined up for. But¡­ their recipe was a secret. The boss¡¯s two sons fought over it, drove him to his grave, and the stall closed. The recipe should¡¯ve been lost.¡±


    She took another mouthful, eyes/closing in satisfaction. ¡°Gill, your cooking is unbelievable.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± Gill started, but the truth¨Cthat Wyatt had delivered it at dawn¨Ccaught in her throat. If Yunice knew, she might refuse to drink it. Andtely she was visibly thinner.


    So Gill swallowed her words.


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    Chapter 722 Smoke and Soup


    38%


    +10 Free Coins


    After lunch, Yunice finally agreed to go out with Gill.


    They strolledzily through the mall, Gill whispering gossip. ¡°I heard Mr. Wyatt still hasn¡¯t sent Paul to the police. He must be keeping him for his own punishment. Paul¡¯s in for it now.¡±


    Her tone brimmed with satisfaction, relishing the thought of Paul¡¯s misery.


    Yunice shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that he won¡¯t hand him over. It¡¯s that he can¡¯t¨Cnot yet.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Paul has a card up his sleeve. He and Nora worked together. I¡¯d bet the dirt he¡¯s holding on her is the same dirt that once threatened Oscar.¡±


    Her eyes narrowed. ¡°If it can threaten Oscar, it can threaten Wyatt too.¡±


    Gill frowned. ¡°Then what if Paul never talks?¡±


    Yunice let out a sharpugh. ¡°Paul¡¯s spineless. Breaking him will be easy. He¡¯s nowhere near as tough as Nora.¡±


    Gill smiled in relief. ¡°Then I won¡¯t worry.¡±


    She suddenly tugged Yunice¡¯s arm. ¡°Look, Miss! That store has gorgeous clothes. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Inside, the boutique offered personalized service. Yunice sat while models tried the clothes for her, sizes matched to her measurements.


    Gill pointed decisively. ¡°This one¡¯s great. That one too! Except the third and the eighth¨Cthose don¡¯t suit her. The rest, wrap them up.¡±


    Yunice raised a brow. ¡°So many?¡±


    ¡°Why not? We¡¯re not short of money now.¡±


    Gill added quickly, ¡°But those few pieces need the waist adjusted for my Miss.¡±


    While Gill fussed with the racks, Yunice lifted a hand to cover her nose, turning slightly.


    A customer nearby was wolfing down a leek pie, the sharp smell filling the air.


    Yunice shifted seats, but the scent still drifted over.


    A sales clerk noticed and approached politely. ¡°Excuse me, ma¡¯am. We kindly ask customers not to bring in strong¨Csmelling food. Could you please put it away, or enjoy it somewhere else?¡±


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 Daghter 723

    Chapter 723 Elevator Shock


    Chapter 723 Elevator Shock


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    The woman with the leek pie bristled, her pride ring. ¡°What, you think I¡¯m beneath you? So fancy boutiques don¡¯t allow leek pies now?¡± With a sharp snap, she hurled the pie onto the floor.


    Yunice caught the stter in the corner of her eye¨Cgreen filling spilled across the tiles like vomit.


    Her stomach lurched, gagging uncontrobly.


    She bolted upright. ¡°Where¡¯s the restroom?¡± she asked the clerk, voice tight.


    ¡°Up one floor, turn left¨Cmall restroom.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t even say thank you. She pinched her nose and hurried out of the store.


    ¡°Miss,..¡± Gill emerged with clothes in hand, wrinkling her nose. ¡°What on earth is that smell?¡±


    The clerk quickly apologized, exining it was being cleaned up.


    Gill scanned the store. ¡°Where¡¯s Ms. Yunice?¡±


    ¡°She went to the restroom, I think,¡± the clerk said.


    Gill dropped the clothes and rushed after her.


    Yunice pressed a hand to her chest, face pale. She leaned against the elevator panel, jabbing the button for <ol><li>up<b>. </b></li></ol>


    A soft chime, the doors slid open. She stepped/inside without looking, shutting her eyes as the nausea swelled.


    ¡°You don¡¯t feel well?¡±


    The familiar voice made her snap her eyes open.


    Wyatt.


    A flicker of fear crossed her gaze before she masked it with calm. ¡°¡­The smell of leeks got to me.¡±


    Wyatt studied her closely, his expression hardening. ¡°You were never this delicate before.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m human. Humans have reactions¡± Her tone was sharp, defensive.


    His eyes locked on her. ¡°Are you/pregnant?¡±


    Her mind stalled for three beats. Then she scoffed. ¡°Pregnant? Not every pregnant woman gets sick, and not every sick woman is pregnant. Understand?¡±


    Wyatt nodded slightly, then muttered as the doors slid shut, ¡°True. You¡¯ve only been away half a month.


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    Chapter 723 Elevator Shock


    No way it¡¯s someone else¡¯s child. If you are, it would only be mine¡±


    Yunice ignored him.


    34%


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    He said nothing more either, though the thought settled heavy in his chest. He would never let her bear such risks casually.


    The elevator reached her floor. Yunice straightened, ready to bolt the moment the doors opened.


    But suddenly, the digital disy flickered¨Cthen scrambled into nonsense. A shrill rm pierced the air.


    The car jolted violently, lurching up and down.


    Yunice gasped, her body thrown off bnce¨Cstraight into Wyatt¡¯s chest.


    His arms wrapped tight around her. He pressed his palms to her ears, shielding her from the screech.


    The cabin shook harder. Instinctively, she burrowed deeper into his embrace.


    One arm locked her against him, the other mmed down on the emergency button.


    Momentster, the elevator screeched to a halt.


    Yunice blinked, realizing her entire face was buried against him.


    She jerked her head up, hair mussed, eyes wide like a startled cat.


    Wyatt bent his head, voice low. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me. I was already inside.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t nned this encounter any more than she had.


    Flustered, she pushed her hair behind her ear, and stepped out of his space.


    The doors creaked open and she darted out, making straight for the restroom.


    Inside, the nausea had passed, but her pulse still raced. She turned to the sink to wash her hands¨Cthen froze. Blood streaked her fingers.


    Blood?


    Her mind shed back¨Cshe had clutched his arm during the jolts. The wound there wasn¡¯t healed. She¡¯d torn it open again.


    She turned the tap with frustration. Ridiculous. A simple <i>malfunction </i>and I panic like a child. Divorced <i>yesterday</i>, <i>clinging </i><i>to </i><i>him </i><i>today</i>.


    Her thoughts were cut off by a noise outside.


    She looked up just as Wyatt appeared, one hand dragging a caution cone to block the entrance. Then, without hesitation, he walked into the women¡¯s restroom.


    11:47 Fri, 29 Augti.


    Chapter 723 Elevator Shock


    After a long pause, his voice dropped, cold and direct. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

 Daghter 724

    Chapter 724 The Stolen Emblem


    Wyatt cut straight to the point. ¡°Are you sick?¡±


    Yunice rolled her eyes so <b>hard </b>it nearly hurt. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s sick.¡±


    Turning away, she washed her hands, presenting him only her back.


    s


    He pressed on. ¡°You¡¯ve looked unwell since you came back. Did something leavesting damage before?¡±


    Joe had warned him¡ªYunice¡¯s body was fragile, not fit for strain, and certainly not fit for children.


    Without turning, Yunice replied tly, ¡°No. I just got back from overseas. Jetg, a bit of adjustment to the food and water. That¡¯s all.¡±


    His tense brow eased a little. That exined the long naps, theck of appetite.


    From outside came the click of high heels.


    ¡°Out of order?¡± someone muttered, then gasped when they spotted Wyatt inside the women¡¯s restroom. They quickly turned and headed upstairs instead.


    Yunice grabbed a paper towel and walked past him. ¡°Stop standing here disgracing yourself.¡±


    Wyatt slid a hand into his pocket, striding alongside her. ¡°This entire mall is mine. Can¡¯t I stand in my own restroom?¡±


    ¡°Showing off your wealth, Mr. Wyatt?¡±


    ¡°What use is wealth when you look down on it?¡± His voice was dry, humorless.


    Her steps faltered. Her gaze shifted to his arm.,


    He wore his usual ck jacket¨Cthe kind that Swallowed stains into its dark weave. Yet she spotted the soaked patch, a fist¨Csized bloom of deeper shadow where blood had seeped through.


    Wyatt caught her half¨Cformed words and followed her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯ll heal on its own soon enough.¡±


    That casual dismissal stung more than arrogance ever could. She knew what it meant to ignore wounds until they numbed over. It wasn¡¯t strength. It was the absence of anyone who cared.


    Her voice tightened. ¡°Come with me


    She led him into an empty janitor¡¯s room, shut the door, and told him to take off the jacket.


    He sat obediently on the bench. She rolled his sleeve back, found the split wound, and dug through her bag for supplies.


    Her focus was sharp, delicate as she sprinkled powder over the raw skin.


    11:47 Fri, 29 Augti.


    Chapter 724 The Stolen Emblem


    Wyatt didn¡¯t flinch. Instead, with his free hand, he rummaged curiously through her bag.


    ½¡Íê:34%ºÐ


    s


    He plucked out a small white pill bottle, twisted the cap open with one hand, and tipped it. ¡°These aren¡¯t- Itopride Hydrochloride tablets.¡±


    Yunice barely nced at it. ¡°I don¡¯t want just anyone picking up my kit and using it. That¡¯s arsenic. Careful you don¡¯t poison yourself.¡±


    Wyatt gave a short hiss. ¡°What did you do abroad, swallow gunpowder?¡±


    The edge in her tone was undeniable.


    She bent closer, adding anotheryer of powder to his wound. Her breath brushed his skin; hisshes Jowered as he studied the slope of her neck, the way her hair slipped against pale skin. His hand twitched with the urge to touch.


    Then¨Ctter. The bottle slipped from her fingers, hitting the floor.


    Both reached for it at once. Their hands ovepped, fingers pressing together against cool stic.


    Wyatt leaned down at the same time. Something slipped from his shirt pocket,nding by her feet.


    Yunice ignored the bottle, scooping up the fallen item instead.


    Her eyes froze. The emblem.


    Her old medical university badge.


    She lifted her gaze. ¡°You stole this?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s face hardened, but his hand was quick¨Csnatching it from her palm. ¡°I found it.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what returning something means?¡±


    He tucked the badge back into the inner pocket, close against his chest. ¡°If it¡¯s yours, why don¡¯t you call it and see if it answers?¡±


    Herugh was bitter. ¡°You stole my badge in high school. You steal it again in college. If you like them that much, I¡¯ll print you a truckload.¡±


    His brow arched. ¡°So you¡¯re giving me gifts now?¡±


    Her smile vanished. For a moment she wanted to p him¨Conly to fear he¡¯d catch her hand and kiss it instead.


    Snapping her bag shut, Yunice turned on her heel and walked out.

 Daghter 725

    Chapter 725 The Dogs


    Chapter 725 The Dogs


    34%


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    Wyatt followed her at an easy pace, jacket draped over one arm. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well, stop wandering around. I¡¯ll have the clothes delivered to your ce. I know all your sizes better than the models do.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need the trouble,¡± Yunice said without even ncing back.


    As they stepped off the elevator, Gill came rushing over, pale and sweaty. She grabbed Yunice¡¯s arm in a panic. ¡°You scared me to death! I thought you¡¯d slipped away without a word again.¡±


    Yunice said she wanted to go home, so Gill didn¡¯t insist on shopping any longer.


    From the underground garage, as the elevator doors slid open, Gill froze.


    Her eyes locked ahead.


    Yunice followed her line of sight and saw a man.


    Oscar. Gray windbreaker, cropped hair, nk face.


    He brushed past them without so much as a flicker of recognition, as though she were a stranger.


    He went into the elevator. Yunice stepped out.


    The doors closed behind them.


    Yunice didn¡¯t look back. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Gill clutched her arm tighter. ¡°Miss, wasn¡¯t that¡ª¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who he is,¡± Yunice cut in. ¡°What matters is staying alive.¡±


    Some wrongs could never be undone. Silence itself was a choice. And Oscar was a coward.


    ¡°Clear out all these bamboo roots¨Ceveryst bit. If they sprout again next year, they¡¯ll be disgusting.¡±


    In the Saunders family garden, Gill barked orders to the workers.


    The bamboo had been nted by Lily and Elsie.


    Back then, they¡¯d ripped out Will¡¯s rose seedlings the same way¨Croot and stem, leaving nothing behind.


    Now the wheel had turned.


    Yunice, hands folded, watched Gill fuming with arms akimbo. ¡°People did wrong, not the nts. Why take it out on them?¡±


    ¡°Miss, weren¡¯t you the one who treasured this rose seedling?¡± Gill pointed. ¡°If I don¡¯t clear the bamboo, won¡¯t it steal its nutrients?¡±


    The tiny rose Yunice and Wyatt had found together sat behind a little woven fence, trembling in the


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    Chapter 725 The Dogs


    breeze like a fragile fist¨Csized sprout. Cute. But it wouldn¡¯t bloom for at least two years.


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    Gill trotted back to Yunice. ¡°Miss, you renovated Saunders Hospital. Are you nning to run it yourself? What about Northpoint Hospital, the one Mr. Wyatt gave you?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t have to run it. There will be people to manage it. A big hospital breeds politics, endless games. I don¡¯t have the patience. My small hospital suits me better.¡±


    ¡°But Saunders Hospital already went under. Without veteran doctors, how will patients trust it?¡±


    One tree alone couldn¡¯t make a forest. A clinic was one thing, a hospital another.


    Yunice answered, ¡°I¡¯ve already recalled the senior doctors my father once hired, the ones Owen drove away.¡±


    Gill frowned. ¡°But Owen ruined their reputations. People call them quacks who kill patients. Won¡¯t that disgust the public even more?¡±


    ¡°Before Saunders Hospital reopens, I¡¯ll have Victor and Quinton release articles to clear their names. Pair that with Owen¡¯s confession. Once the media spins it, public opinion will swing. Instead of resenting them, people will sympathize, and Saunders Hospital will ride the wave.¡±


    Gill let out a long ¡®oh,¡® then muttered, ¡°So you¡¯ve nned it all. Nothing else troubling you?¡±


    Yunice thought <i>a </i>moment. ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Gill looked almost disappointed. If there were no more problems, then Wyatt had no ce.


    The phone on the table buzzed.


    Wyatt.


    His name scrolled across the screen. Yunice picked up without hesitation. ¡°Say what you want quickly, I¡¯m busy.


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was t. ¡°Paul won¡¯t talk, no matter what we do. Got a trick?¡±


    Yunice chuckled. ¡°So, what can a monster like you do?¡±


    Wyatt hissed. ¡°Watch your tongue. Are you helping with Paul or not? If not, I¡¯ll unleash the dogs.¡±


    ¡°Dogs?¡± Yunice blinked. Through the line she heard panting, harsh and animal.


    Wyatt¡¯s tone was almost casual. ¡°I locked Paul and Nora up with over a dozen hunting dogs. Haven¡¯t fed the dogs for three, four days. When I open the cages, guess what happens?¡±

 Daghter 726

    Chapter 726 The Interrogation


    Chapter 726 The Interrogation


    s


    Those hunting dogs would have gone mad, tearing two people down to the bone with nothing left behind. A perfect way to erase evidence.


    Yunice said coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you swear you wanted to be a good man?¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s tone was calm, almost t. ¡°With trash like him, if I don¡¯t kill him, I won¡¯t sleep at night.¡±


    Hearing that he wasn¡¯t joking, Yunice replied, ¡°Send me your location.¡±


    Her car screeched to a stop at the warehouse. Dressed in a ck leather trench coat and gloves, she strode. <ol><li>in. </li></ol>


    Wyatt turned, eyes dark with jealousy. ¡°Afraid the dogs will eat him, so you rush over yourself? Aren¡¯t you worried I¡¯ll get jealous?¡±


    ¡°Wow, jealous much?¡± Yunice dragged a chair over and sat beside him.


    Wyatt lowered his gaze, watching her, and let out a softugh. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten funnier.¡±


    ¡°You started it,¡± Yunice snapped, her eyes turning toward the prisoners, her face cold.


    She knew perfectly well Wyatt had only used them as bait to lure her here.


    He slid his chair closer, leaning in. ¡°I heard you¡¯re reopening Saunders Hospital?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice was steady. ¡°You stalk me like a lunatic, and you still need to ¡®hear¡® about it?¡±


    Wasn¡¯t he the one who knew her every move better than anyone else?


    Wyatt raised his wrist with a smirk. ¡°And you¡¯re no better.¡±


    Her eyes fell on the bracelet at his wrist. He¡¯d figured it out.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been tracking me too, haven¡¯t you? To know whether I¡¯m safe, you gave me something so precious.


    -I¡¯m touched.¡±


    That bracelet carried a GPS tracker. She had installed it to monitor his position, so she could decide her next move. She hadn¡¯t expected it would fool him for long.


    But even knowing it exposed him, Wyatt hadn¡¯t thrown it away. Because Yunice valued it.


    He said with a low chuckle, ¡°Being watched by you personally¨CI¡¯m one of a kind, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    True enough. She usually hired others to monitor people. Only Wyatt, she kept her own eyes on.


    And Wyatt enjoyed it.


    Yunice ignored him, her gaze shifting to Paul and Nora.


    The two were tied back¨Cto¨Cback like a twisted couple, their mouths scaled with tape, eyes wide open as


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    Chapter 726 The Interrogation


    they watched.


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    Finally, Wyatt looked away from Yunice. He ordered, ¡°Let them speak.¡±


    The tape was ripped off, leaving their faces stung and twisted in pain.


    At least they could talk.


    Yunice didn¡¯t ask Paul yet about the leverage he held over her. Instead, she said, ¡°Last time the police raided the Jiang house, you were with Nora. She was caught. How did you escape? Where did you go?¡±


    Paul had been starved for days, given only water. Even furious, his voice came out weak. ¡°If you didn¡¯t find me, that¡¯s your own stupidity!¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t rise to the bait. She pulled two small bottles from her bag and gestured for Scar to take them. ¡°One on his chest, one on his back.¡±


    She didn¡¯t exin what they were. Scar hesitated, but when Wyatt didn¡¯t object, he obeyed.


    Paul¡¯s eyes tracked the bottles, his expression changing as the caps twisted open. When Scar pulled open his cor, ready to pour, Paul¡¯s voice cracked in panic. ¡°Yunice, what are you doing!¡±


    She tilted her head with a smile. ¡°Right now, I¡¯m the butcher, you¡¯re the meat. What else can I do but whatever I please?¡±


    Paul¡¯s face twisted, spitting threats with what strength he had. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare! Touch me and you¡¯ll regret it¨CI¡¯ll make sure you die a horrible death!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze shot up, ice¨Ccold and merciless. ¡°Pour it.¡±


    Yunice added evenly, ¡°Careful¨Cdon¡¯t get it on your hands.¡±


    Scar nodded and emptied both bottles, dust coating Paul¡¯s chest and back.


    Yunice smoothed her coat and saidzily, ¡°Shake him up.¡±


    Scar gripped Paul¡¯s shoulders and jerked him back and forth like a rag doll.


    Nora, bound with him, was dragged along too, her face pale with terror.


    Then Paul let out a sudden, blood¨Ccurdling scream.

 Daghter 727

    Chapter 727 Bargaining for Survival


    s


    Nora didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but her face went ghostly pale as she stared at the two calm figures before her.


    Neither of them was human in her eyes. Whatever torment they used wouldn¡¯t be ordinary.


    She trembled, terrified that once they were done with Paul, it would be her turn.


    Her voice cracked. ¡°What did you do to him¡­¡±


    Yunice replied with deliberate slowness. ¡°Those two bottles I just had poured on him? One was itching powder. The other was fiberss.¡±


    ¡°Itching powder makes you itch when you stay still. Fiberss makes you hurt when you move.¡±


    ¡°So no matter what, he suffers. There¡¯s no relief. It¡¯s like being eaten alive by a swarm of insects, gnawing at your flesh and bones.¡±


    ¡°And there¡¯s no antidote. Even if he begged, I couldn¡¯t help him now.¡±


    Her gaze shifted to Nora. ¡°They say you don¡¯t feel pain unless the knife cuts into your own flesh. Want to see what Paul¡¯s going through yourself?¡±


    Nora shook, biting her lip until it nearly bled, then spat out, ¡°You¡¯re no better than us!¡±


    Yunice spread her hands with a mocking smile. ¡°I never imed to be a saint. That¡¯s what you wanted to believe. You thought I was easy prey, so you came after me. If you misjudged, that just means you¡¯re not as sharp as you thought.¡±


    Nora flushed crimson. She was a proud woman, one who always had to win. But Yunice outssed her in everything.


    Yunice leaned back in her chair, voice cool. ¡°So you¡¯re both still nning to keep your mouths shut?¡±


    Wyatt addedzily, ¡°Maybe we should just let the dogs loose.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s lips curved. ¡°You raised those dogs. You really want them eating garbage? Won¡¯t that upset their


    stomachs


    <i>¡°</i>Watch your mouth! Who¡¯s garbage?¡± Nora exploded, her prideshing out. ¡°I lost to Wyatt, not to you! You swayed your hips in a short skirt, climbed your way up by licking men¡¯s boots¨Cacting high and mighty now just makes me sick!¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes went cold His voice was a low growl. Even if you stripped naked and wagged yourself in front of me. I wouldn¡¯t look at you once!


    ¡°You¡¯ve got eyes, don¡¯t your Can¡¯t you see? I¡¯m the one licking her. You think it¡¯s the other way around?¡±


    Nora froze The untamable Wyatt a sycophanth


    Paul¡¯s voice broke into a scream I can¡¯t take it¨CI can¡¯t take it anymore! I¡¯ll tell the truth, I¡¯ll tell everything! Just give me the antidote!


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    Chapter 727 Bargaining for Survival


    Nora snapped at him. ¡°Idiot! Didn¡¯t you hear her? There is no antidote


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    But Paul was beyond reason His body shook violently, his face contorted. The sensation was unbearable¨C itching and pain all at once, like a hundred thousand insects were devouring him from the inside out. He couldn¡¯t fight it, couldn¡¯t touch it, couldn¡¯t case it.


    He shouted hoarsely, ¡°I crawled out through a hole! That¡¯s how I escaped


    A hole?


    Paul gasped. ¡°The Johnsons have a doggy hole. I once forced Morgan through it. Only he and I know¡­¡±


    At that. Nora¡¯s eyes turned bloodshot, burning with fury, as if she wanted to tear him apart with her own hands


    Her brother had endured endless humiliation under Paul.


    Paul screamed again. ¡°I can tell you things about Nora too! Just give me the antidote!¡±


    Yunice¡¯s tone was calm, almost bored. ¡°Shut him up.¡±


    Paul¡¯s eyes bulged wide in terror, but Scar had already pressed tape hard over his mouth, sealing his cries into muffled whimpers.


    Yunice turned her gaze to Nora. ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding with him all this time. Haven¡¯t you been following the news? My brother Oscar has been exonerated. The court and the police now agree your brother Morgan is the real murderer.¡±


    ¡°Morgan¡¯s crimes were brutal, and his cover¨Cup too deliberate. Those aren¡¯t the actions of a mentally ill man. And Shane and Mary have already withdrawn his medical proof of insanity. That means Morgan will be sentenced to death.¡±


    Nora¡¯s whole body went rigid.


    Her eyes burned as she shouted, ¡°You forced him into this! You¡¯re the ones who want Yuyang dead!¡±


    ¡°Wrong¡± Yunice lifted her chin. ¡°Shane and Mary simply chose what was best for themselves. You were once the discarded piece. Now Morgan is too. Both of you have been abandoned by the Johnson family.¡±


    Nora¡¯s voice trembled with rage. ¡°Elsie never died! My brother didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡±


    ¡°Do you have proof she¡¯s alive?¡±


    Nora opened her mouth. The words almost slipped out¨CElsie was still in the psychiatric ward, alive, her existence the only evidence that could clear Morgan.


    But then she remembered. Elsie bad traded identities with Yunice. Any gic test tied to her would no longer matter.


    Her shoulders sagged, her spirit copsing I¡¯ll trade. I want my brother to live.¡±


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 Daghter 728

    Chapter 728 A Single Chance


    Chapter 728 A Single Chance


    Yunice said evenly. ¡°That depends on what you say.¡±


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    Nora clenched the bracelet around her bound wrists, her voice deting as she spoke. ¡°My brother only meant to choke Elsie unconscious. He lost control, but she wasn¡¯t dead. He was furious and called Paul, wanting Paul to take the me. He never expected Paul to go further¨CPaul slit Elsie¡¯s wrist, letting her bleed out. Then he used a video to lure Oscar into the scene, making Oscar the scapegoat for both of them. Elsie didn¡¯t die by my brother¡¯s hand. She bled to death because of Paul.¡±


    Yunice asked calmly, ¡°And what was in the video Paul sent to Oscar?¡±


    Nora¡¯s face went rigid. She didn¡¯t answer.


    Wyatt gave a quiet cough, leaned close to Yunice, and murmured, ¡°It was a video of Morgan and Nora together.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s eyes widened, stunned. They were brother and sister.-


    Nora realized there was nothing left to hide. With a bitterugh, she admitted, ¡°We weren¡¯t perverts. We¡¯d never do that willingly. Paul drugged us, locked us in the same room with no way to call for help. He set up a camera in the shadows, recorded our most humiliating moment. I can still hear his disgustingughter- like we were animals in a cage for him to abuse. He sent that video first to my father and grandmother. I¡¯ll never forget their faces after watching it. My grandmother pped me so hard I copsed, screaming that I was nothing but trash, using me of seducing Morgan, corrupting him, giving Paul leverage. The Johnsons never avenged me. They didn¡¯t even care. Instead, they gave Paul everything he wanted and med me. My ear was nearly deafened from that blow. And Morgan¨Che tried to fight for me, tried to kill Paul with a knife more than once. But every time he acted out, they used me as a threat to keep him in line. For my sake, he grew more numb, more twisted.¡±


    Her eyes burned. ¡°And still you torment him! Haven¡¯t you done enough?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s tone was ice. ¡°If you call him suffering, what about the women he tortured? They¡¯d never agree with you.¡±


    Nora let out a harshugh. ¡°Morgan paid them, didn¡¯t he? They took the money. They were willing to do anything for it. He was helping them.¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice cut like steel. ¡°You¡¯re just as warped as he is.¡±


    Nora snapped, ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! You were engaged to Paul¨Cwhy didn¡¯t you give in? If you hadn¡¯t, Paul wouldn¡¯t have used me to vent his rage! Morgan and I wouldn¡¯t have been dragged down for life!¡±


    Yunice looked her in the eye. ¡°So you¡¯ve pinned every mistake on me. Then tell me¨Cwhat is Paul to you? Enemy, or ally?¡±


    Nora froze, panic flickering in her eyes.


    Yunice pressed. ¡°See? Even you know you¡¯ve mistaken your enemy for a friend. ming me is just your way of running from reality. But did I ever wrong you? Think about it. When you were feigning unconsciousness, before you ever woke up, you and I had never even met. You and your family couldn¡¯t bare your teeth at the one who actually hurt you, so you vented on the innocent instead.¡±


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    11:48 Fri, 29 Aug 0.


    Chapter 728 A Single Chance


    Then she turned her gaze toward Scar. ¡°Let her go.¡±


    Scar obeyed, slicing through the ropes at Nora¡¯s wrists.


    ¡°Now give her your knife.¡±


    Scar hesitated, then obeyed again, tossing the de at Nora¡¯s feet.


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    s


    Nora rubbed her wrists, stiff from being tied too long. She instinctively touched the old bracelet at her wrist¨Cthe one Morgan had given her, her most precious keepsake.


    The knife scraped across the concrete floor with a metallic ng. Nora¡¯s brows knit together, then she snatched it up, gripping it tightly as if it were the only weapon left in her world.


    Yunice studied her with a trace of admiration. She had grit. She refused to bow her head. As long as there was even the faintest chance, she would seize it.


    But that tenacity was twisted in the wrong direction. That meant she was doomed to fail.


    Yunice spoke clearly. ¡°Now you¡¯re free to move. Your chance at revenge is right in front of you. What you do next is your choice.¡±


    Her tone cooled even further. ¡°But remember¨Cthis chancees only once.¡±


    Nora¡¯s eyes flicked wildly, like a cornered animal, her mind racing. She was free, but escape was impossible. She had a knife, but she could never beat Scar, and in front of Wyatt there was no way to touch Yunice.


    The only one within her reach was Paul, trussed up like an offering.


    She hissed at Yunice, ¡°You want us to kill each other?¡±


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    Chapter 729 The Knife in Her Hand


    Chapter 729 The Knife in Her Hand


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    Yunice said evenly, ¡°I never told you to do anything. I only dropped a knife on the ground. You chose to pick it up.¡±


    What she did with it was outside Yunice¡¯s control.


    Sweat glistened on Nora¡¯s forehead. ¡°I get it. You want Paul dead but don¡¯t want to take responsibility, so you¡¯re using me as the de. But if I kill him, then I¡¯m the murderer. What good does that do me?¡±


    Yunice¡¯s voice cooled. ¡°Between you and your brother, only one can be saved. It¡¯s a choice¨Cone or the other. Which do you choose?¡±


    The words hung in the air. Rage flickered on Nora¡¯s face, but little by little it burned itself out, leaving only exhaustion.


    Yunice had already guessed her answer.


    Sure enough, Nora¡¯s grip on the knife tightened, and her eyes slid toward Paul.


    Even through his agony, Paul caught that look. He writhed on the floor like a maggot, desperate to crawl away. His mouth was still sealed with tape, and all he could manage was a muffled, terrified hum.


    But Nora advanced, driving the de straight into his body with a merciless thrust.


    Paul¡¯s back arched like a bow, eyes bulging as he stared down at the knife and the dark blood soaking through his clothes. He tried to scream, but the tape trapped his cries; his whole body convulsed between pain and horror.


    Nora pressed harder, burying the knife to the hilt.


    Paul¡¯s throat gurgled. He was choking on his own blood, unable to spit it out, forced to swallow as he suffocated.


    Nora¡¯s hands were slick with sweat, but she clung to the handle and twisted, grinding the de in a slow, savage circle.


    Paul¡¯s body jerked violently, wracked with spasms.


    Nora¡¯s eyes burned red. She gave a raspingugh. ¡°Not enough. Still not enough!¡±


    She had suffered with her brother for too long. Paul couldn¡¯t be allowed to suffer for only a moment.


    She twisted again, carving loose a long strip of his flesh.


    Paul toppled backward, iling like a ughtered chicken, blood bubbling in his throat. He thrashed for less than half a minute before his limbs ckened, and he went still.


    No one spoke.


    Yunice stood and walked out, Wyatt followed.


    Scar checked Paul¡¯s neck, found no pulse, and left as well.


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    Chapter 729 The Knife in Her Hand


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    When his footsteps faded, Nora scrambled up, staggering for the exit. She wasn¡¯t going to wait around to die.


    But just as she caught her first glimpse of starlight, a body crashed into her, driving her face¨Cfirst to the ground. Her chin cracked hard against the concrete.


    ¡°Nora! You¡¯re under arrest!¡±


    She twisted frantically, staring at the inclothes officer pinning her down. Herposure was shattered. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t kill him?¡± The officer¡¯s gaze dropped to the blood on her clothes. His expression changed instantly. He barked at his partner to check inside.


    Momentster, the younger officer ran back out. ¡°Murder! She really did it! There¡¯s a body¨Cit¡¯s Paul!¡±


    Paul had a record as a financial criminal. Now he was dead, and Nora-


    The officer shoved her upright, sneering. ¡°Last time you tricked me into letting you slip out of the hospital. I got written up for it. I¡¯ve hunted you for half a month, and now you¡¯ve gone andmitted murder? You¡¯re vicious, woman!¡±


    Nora¡¯s head spun. He hadn¡¯t even known about Paul until she panicked and blurted it out. If she¡¯d kept her mouth shut, they might have dragged her in without realizing.


    Now it was toote.


    She looked back toward where Wyatt and Yunice had gone. Their car was long gone.


    Her knees buckled. ¡°It¡­ it wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t kill him. The murderer¡¯s still out there¨Cyou have to chase them!¡±


    ¡°I already secured the weapon!¡± The younger cop emerged holding a sealed evidence bag. Inside was the bloodstained knife Nora had used on Paul.


    The officer radioed headquarters. Soon, a whole team would arrive to take Paul¡¯s body.


    He twisted Nora¡¯s arms behind her, snapping on cuffs. ¡°Last time you fooled me. You think I¡¯ll believe you again? Save it for your confession at the station.¡±


    Meanwhile, Yunice¡¯s car was already miles away. She gripped the wheel; Wyatt sat in the passenger seat, having forced his way in.


    ¡°Do you really n on pestering me nonstop as long as I¡¯m in the country?¡± she asked coldly.


    Wyatt smirked. ¡°If it were Victor, or Freya, or even Betty in this seat, would you call it pestering? Or is it just me? Maybe I¡¯m special, so you treat me differently?¡±


    Yunice was speechless. He would find a way to twist anything to his advantage.


    Wyatt leaned back, voice casual. ¡°Nora¡¯s a snake. Leaving her loose was always going to be a problem. Locking her up is the best solution.¡±


    O


    §Ô


    20:23 Sat, 30 Aug


    Chapter 730 The Omen at the Ceremony

 Daghter 730

    Chapter 730 The Omen at the Ceremony


    Chapter 730 The Omen at the Ceremony


    50%


    <b>+5 </b>Free Coins


    The tragedy of Nora and Morgan was real, and so was their antisocial nature. Misced sympathy would only invite disaster.


    Letting Nora and Paul destroy each other was a way to clear two dangers at once. Now, with all the loose ends tied, the air seemed momentarily lighter.


    Wyatt broke the silence. ¡°How about we talk cooperation?¡±


    Yunice shot him a sidelong nce. She had no wish to be tangled up with him any more than necessary. Even with the hospital reopening, she preferred to turn to the Crawford family and Quinton when she needed support.


    But Wyatt leaned forward with a smile. ¡°Every hospital needs biopharmaceuticals. You know only Wellinges Pharma holds the rights. What if I authorize them to you?¡±


    ¡°I have other drugs to use,¡± Yunice said calmly.


    ¡°None with my reputation or brand power. Yours are generics. Some might even call them counterfeits.¡± He held up two fingers. ¡°What if I give them to you at twenty percent of the usual cost?¡±


    Yunice gave him a sharp look. ¡°I¡¯m not a beggar. I¡¯ll pay what everyone else pays.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my ex¨Cwife. That earns you a family discount.¡± He turned to the windshield, as if settling the matter himself. ¡°Done deal.¡±


    Yunice said nothing, but quietly messaged herwyer to draft an agreement with Wyatt.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s settled,¡± he pressed, ¡°why not swing by mypany now and sign it? Before you change your mind.¡±


    She smiled thinly. ¡°All right.¡±


    If she was going to make her fortune in Silverburgh, she wasn¡¯t about to push money away.


    At Wellinges Pharma¡¯s headquarters, Wyatt returned with a contract prepared by his legal team. The price listed was indeed only a fifth of what others paid.


    But Yunice was faster¨Cbefore he could present it, she dropped her own contract onto the desk. ¡°Sign this


    one.


    He skimmed it. The price was the same as everyone else¡¯s.


    He chuckled. ¡°First time stepping into this kind of deal and you¡¯re already turning down free money? You¡¯ll need every penny before long. Why waste it all on me?¡±


    Clicking her pen open, Yunice replied, ¡°If I ever end up penniless, won¡¯t that just give you another chance?¡± She pushed the pen across the fable.


    Wyatt looked at her like she¡¯d bested him yet again, then signed his name.


    Yunice took the contract without another word and left. From behind, Wyatt called out, ¡°At the opening,


    |||


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    Chapter 730 The Omen at the Ceremony


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    I¡¯ll be there to celebrate.¡±


    The opening of Saunders Hospital arrived without drums and fireworks, but with a solemn ritual led by a priest who circled the grounds.


    Hospitals bore the weight of human life¨Cbirth, death, joy, grief. Newborns greeted with tears of happiness, elders departing amid tears of sorrow. A ce where cries marked both arrival and farewell.


    It was the most sacred of spaces.


    Yanice stood in prayer. Her phone buzzed in her bag, and she stepped aside, leaving Victor at the main


    seat.


    The call was from Gill. Yunice had already noticed her absence earlier, sent two messages, but received no reply.


    ¡°Miss¡­¡± Gill¡¯s voice crackled through. ¡°My car broke down. I called a mechanic, but I¡¯ll bete. Don¡¯t wait


    on me.¡±


    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Yunice asked sharply.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Before the reassurance could settle, the line filled with a harsh screeching noise¨Cand went dead.


    Yunice tried again. No answer.


    A chill slid through her. Something was wrong.


    Keeping her expression smooth, she leaned to Victor and whispered, ¡°Gill¡¯s had a minor ident. She¡¯s not picking up. I¡¯m going to check.¡±


    Victor frowned. ¡°The ceremony¡¯s still underway. You can¡¯t just disappear. Where is she? I¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°If it were far, I¡¯d trouble you. But it¡¯s just at the intersection ahead. I¡¯ll be quicker myself.¡±


    Gill was her own person¨Csending anyone else felt wrong.


    Victor nced toward the chantingmas on stage. ¡°At the intersection? I¡¯lle with you. It won¡¯t take long


    The prayers continued, a low drone that wouldst for minutes yet.


    As they slipped away, a dancer troupe burst into the courtyard, drums pounding, filling the hospital gates with noisy festivity.

 Daghter 731

    731 Dancers


    731 Dancers


    The lively scene instantly made passersby stop and watch. Everyone pulled out their phones to record the performance.


    Dancers carried the meaning of bringing blessings, making them especially fitting here.


    The videos spread online through reposts, and with them came attention to Saunders Hospital¡¯s grand opening ceremony.


    The phrase ¡°Saunders Hospital reopening, senior doctors making their return¡± quickly became a trending topic.


    The dancer troupe, of course, was Wyatt¡¯s doing.


    But when Wyatt got out of his car, he didn¡¯t see Yunicee out to watch the dancers.


    That <i>wasn¡¯t </i><i>right</i><i>¡­ </i>


    Could it be that she already knew the troupe was his gift, so she deliberately stayed away?


    With one hand in his pocket, Wyatt walked through the crowd and headed backstage.


    He casually stopped someone and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your director?¡±


    The person nced back without thinking, but was momentarily stunned by Wyatt¡¯s aura of authority. After a brief pause, their mouth outran their brain and they blurted, ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t seen her. She¡¯s probably at the front.¡±


    Wyatt let them go and decided to look for her himself.¡±


    He hadn¡¯t seen Yunice at the front earlier, but with how hectic things were today, and knowing her habit of handling everything personally, she could be anywhere lending a hand.


    Meanwhile, Victor and Yunice had already arrived at the intersection where Gill¡¯s Porsche had been struck.


    But the other vehicle involved in the crash was nowhere to be seen.


    From a distance, the <i>two </i>of them could see Gill¡¯s car. The door was badly damaged, caved in deeply.


    Victor quickened his pace, gesturing for Yunice to stay back. Since the door was likely jammed, he was prepared to force it open.


    He yanked on the door, bracing his foot against the body, kicking twice before finally wrenching it loose.


    Then he leaned inside immediately to check on Gill.


    Her head <i>was </i>slumped against the passenger seat,pletely motionless.


    Seeing this, Victor climbed further inside to examine her condition.


    At that moment, the car door behind him suddenly shut


    Victor froze, twisting around. Through the window, he saw Yunice standing outside.


    But the stunned look on her face told him the door hadn¡¯t been closed by her.


    Yunice realized the same thing instantly. She whipped her head around-


    And caught sight of a figure.


    Just as her expression shifted with surprise, a sharp pain pierced her neck. Yunice staggered, clutching the spot, her eyes fixed on the syringe being withdrawn.


    ¡°Yunice!¡±


    Victor barked, straining against the door, but it had automatically locked, trapping him inside.


    Cold sweat ran down Yunice¡¯s body as she stumbled back, leaning heavily against the car.


    Her voice came out steady, though her eyes burned with betrayal. ¡°Margaret¡­¡±


    Margaret¡¯s eyes reddened, brimming with tears, though her mouth curved in a bitter smile. ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d still call me Margaret.¡±


    ¡°When Dad wasn¡¯t home, it was you who picked me up, who looked after me, cooked for me, braided my hair. Back then, I envied Paul for having a mother like you¡­ I always relied on you. Seeing you made me feel safe¨Clike seeing my own mom.¡±


    Margaret¡¯s tears threatened to spill, but her smile remained twisted. ¡°Yunice, I¡¯m a mother first. I hope you understand that.¡±


    Yunice knew the moment Margaret¡¯s hand drove the needle into her that she had chosen a side.


    The only people who could force Margaret into this were her ex¨Chusband Jensen, or her son Paul.


    When Margaret noticed Yunice trying to reach her phone, she swiftly snatched it and tossed it on top of the car where Yunice couldn¡¯t reach.


    With her other hand, she drew a knife and shed toward Yunice¡¯s shoulder.


    Yunice cried out, both hands gripping Margaret¡¯s wrist. The de pierced just enough to draw blood before Yunice managed to hold it back.


    Her voice was strained, trembling, but she forced the words out anyway. ¡°Madam Mar¡­¡±


    Even now, she was trying to call back a shred of Margaret¡¯s conscience.


    But Margaret held firm, not loosening her grip. ¡°Yunice, I don¡¯t want this. But don¡¯t make me choose. You¡¯re Wyatt¡¯s weakness. If he seek you bleed, he¡¯ll finally agree to let Paul go.¡±


    With that, she yanked the knife free and tossed it aside. One hand mped Yunice¡¯s shoulder, shoving her into another waiting car.


    Victor pounded against the ss, roaring, but helpless to stop it.


    Ten minutester, Wyatt stood at the scene.


    He bent down and pulled the knife from the dirt. Even with soil clinging to it, the fresh bloodstains made it clear what had happened.


    A note was tied to the handle. Wyatt unfolded it in silence.


    It read: ¡°A life for a life.¡±


    Victor¡¯s fists bled as he growled, ¡°A life for a life? Whose life¨CPaul¡¯s?¡±


    If they wanted anything else, he could give it.


    But Paul was already dead. What could they possibly want in exchange¨Chis corpse?

 Daghter 732

    Chapter 732 A Mother¡¯s Provocation


    Chapter 732 A Mother¡¯s Provocation


    Sending a mother her son¡¯s corpse was not an exchange. It was a provocation.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Margaret must never know that Paul is already dead.¡±


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    Out of fear of public bacsh, Paul¡¯s death had not yet been announced, and now it was even more crucial to keep it hidden.


    In Margaret¡¯s eyes, Paul was still under Wyatt¡¯s control. That was why she had taken Yunice hostage¨Cshe wanted to trade Yunice for her son¡¯s life.


    Her terms were clear: Wyatt was to transfer enough money for Paul to livevishly for the rest of his life, and then send him to a safe ce.


    Only once Paul had escaped would Margaret release Yunice.


    Wyatt clenched the crumpled piece of paper in his fist, his face grim as he said coldly, ¡°She stabbed Yunice just to show me that she really would kill.¡±


    The room fell silent.


    After a moment, Freya hesitated. ¡°What if we use Paul¡¯s old trick¨Cfind someone who looks like him, have that person pose as Paul, and meet Margaret¡¯s demands?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Laurie cut her off. ¡°You don¡¯t have children, so you don¡¯t understand a mother¡¯s attention to detail. Margaret knows Paul¡¯s little habits better than any of us. Even if we find someone who looks like him, she¡¯d recognize the difference in the smallest of details. We won¡¯t fool her.¡±


    Again, silence.


    Gill stumbled forward, his head wrapped in heavy bandages, and added with difficulty, ¡°But doesn¡¯t that mean if Paul doesn¡¯t show up, Madam Margaret won¡¯t harm mydy?¡±


    ¡°In theory<i>, </i>yes,¡± Victor replied, ¡°but you¡¯ve pointed out a harsher truth. Paul¡¯s absence might stop Margaret from killing Yunice outright, but it doesn¡¯t mean she won¡¯t hurt her to put pressure on us.¡±


    The room fell silent once more.


    Tears streamed down Gill¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault¡­ If it weren¡¯t for me, Mydy wouldn¡¯t be in this mess. Why did I drive that car? Why did I have to call her on the phone¡­¡±


    Freya said, ¡°Margaret was after Yunice. If she hadn¡¯t gotten her this time, she¡¯d still find


    <b>18:24 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>18 </b>


    Chapter 732 A Mother¡¯s Provocation


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    another chanceter. When someone is determined to harm you, how can you stop it?


    The real problem is, none of us expected Margaret to suddenly reappear.¡±


    Ever since marrying into the Powell family, Margaret had never been loved by Jackson or Jensen. After Paul was born, she remained marginalized. Jensen fooled around outside, and Margaret turned a blind eye. He strung her along for years, until she finally managed to divorce him not long ago.


    Her bond with Paul was lukewarm at best¡ªperhaps she was even closer to Yunice than to her


    own son.


    After the divorce, Margaret moved abroad and left Gill to take care of her house. From then on, there was no news from her.


    She had no ties to the Powell family and only a distant connection to Paul.


    So neither Yunice nor Wyatt had considered the possibility that Margaret would strike back.


    Yunice thought Margaret would understand her, but she had overlooked the power of a mother¡¯s love and blood ties<b>. </b>


    When Yunice woke, she found herself in a dimly lit room.


    Her head throbbed as she tried to sit up, only to realize that her arms and legs were bound tight with restraints. She was fixed to the bed and could not move.


    At the sound of a belt buckle shifting, the door opened, and Margaret walked in.


    Yunice hesitated, then called out, ¡°Margaret¡­¡±


    Margaret set down what she was carrying and said, ¡°No one ising to rescue you. There¡¯s nothing here but a TV, no electronic signals at all. And I¡¯ve stocked up a month¡¯s worth of food. For this entire month, you¡¯ll stay in this room with me. You¡¯re not going anywhere.


    We¡¯ll wait together until Paul is safe.¡±


    Yunice tried reasoning with her. ¡°Haven¡¯t you always said you were disappointed in the Powell family and in Paul?


    Didn¡¯t


    you say you wanted nothing to do with the Powells, that you no longer acknowledged Paul as your son?


    Didn¡¯t you say he got close with Linda, that men are all the same, calling her ¡®Mom¡® as soon as


    she fed him¡­<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


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    Chapter 732 A Mother¡¯s Provocation


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    Margaret sat down. ¡°Yes. The Powells never epted me, and Paul, afraid of being dragged down by me, turned to Linda because she was more favored. That family lived in harmony, while I was treated like I wasn¡¯t even there.¡±


    Her voice softened. ¡°But my only demand now is that he live. Yunice, you and Wyatt don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like yet. You¡¯ve never cradled a tiny child in your arms, watching him grow from fifty centimeters, just a few pounds, into a tall man towering at six feet. That kind of memory lingers in a mother¡¯s heart¡­


    I despise the man Paul has be, but as a mother, I can¡¯t help remembering when he clung to my legs<b>, </b>saying I was the most beautiful woman in the world, saying he loved me most¡­


    Back then, when his father hit me, he would stand in front of me and say he didn¡¯t want to be a Powell anymore¡­¡±


    Margaret¡¯s lips curved faintly as she fell into silence.


    <b>18:24 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>18 </b>

 Daghter 733

    Chapter 733 A Mother¡¯s Blind Devotion


    Chapter 733 A Mother¡¯s Blind Devotion


    +20 Free Coins


    Margaret seemed to remember how, once Paul grew up, he learned to weigh benefits and tasted the privileges that came with being the Powell heir.


    Especially with Wyatt¡¯s growing influence, Paul reveled in the confidence power gave him, and even more in the feeling of lording it over Wyatt with borrowed strength.


    He began ttering Linda. For the sake of attending her banquets, he could forget his own mother¡¯s birthday.


    That year, Margaret sat before a cake the whole night, waiting for her son, waiting for her husband. Neither showed up.


    Only Yunice brought her a gift and kept herpany through that birthday.


    Margaret wiped the corner of her eye with her hand and forced a smile. ¡°But Yunice¡­ no matter how thoughtful you are, you¡¯re not my real daughter. You can¡¯t rece Paul. Even with you by my side, I still felt empty inside. Yes, after the divorce, I stopped treating Jensen as family and lived my own life. But all of that was based on the knowledge that Paul, somewhere else in the world, was living infort. Now, in your hands, he may not even have the dignity of being human. How could a mother possibly bear that thought?¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t argue. She knew Margaret was speaking the truth.


    Life wasplicated. She herself hated everyone in the Saunders family and wanted them to live in suffering, yet she still couldn¡¯t bring herself to wish them dead.


    She asked softly, ¡°What about Jensen? Do you know where he is?¡±


    If a mother could go this far for her son, then what of the father?


    Margaret gave a bitterugh. ¡°I know what you want to say. Before the Powell family copsed, Jensen fled with money, running abroad with Linda to live as a pair of lovebirds. They don¡¯t care about the Powells, don¡¯t care about our son¨Conly their own pleasures. You want to tell me that men are heartless, that even if I save Paul this time, he won¡¯t be grateful to me. But how could a mother weigh debts with her own child?¡±


    Yunice rested her head on the pillow, her tone wistful. ¡°I envy Paul. In my family, the only one who got that kind of love from my mother was Elsie.¡±


    Margaret drew in a long breath. ¡°Enough of that. I¡¯ll ask you inly¨Ctell me the truth. Is Paul


    still alive?<b>¡± </b>


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    Chapter 733 A Mother¡¯s Blind Devotion


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    Yunice¡¯s eyes held sincerity. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Thest time Paul and Nora were hiding with the Johnson family, the police surrounded them. They only caught Nora¨CPaul vanished into thin air. Since then, we¡¯ve heard nothing. I even quarreled with Wyatt over it. I thought he had deliberately let Paul go, because he feared that once I got my revenge, I¡¯d leave him.¡±


    Margaret fixed Yunice with a steady gaze, her eyes so calm they seemed to pierce through her.


    ¡°Yunice, so you do know how to lie¡­ I raised you all these years and never saw that side of you. At the Johnson family¡¯s, I was the one who rescued Paul. I hid him in a cave. Later, when he had Nora pose as you to lure Wyatt in, I knew all about it. I know you people took Paul. He¡¯s in your hands.¡±


    Yunice wasn¡¯t surprised. If Margaret could kidnap her for Paul¡¯s sake, then all those other actions weren¡¯t shocking either.


    She asked, ¡°Since you already saved Paul, why didn¡¯t you urge him to flee the country quietly? Did you really think using Nora to attack Wyatt was the right choice? If no one had provoked him, no one would have gone after him. He brought death on himself.¡±


    Margaret replied, ¡°I couldn¡¯t dissuade him. There was nothing I could do.¡±


    Yunice turned her head away, unwilling to look at her. ¡°I never thought you could be so blind.¡±


    Margaret said, ¡°When you have someone you love more than your own life, you¡¯ll be just as blind.¡±


    Yunice ignored her.


    Margaret nced at the bowl of food she had brought and said, ¡°Eat. I don¡¯t want to mistreat you, but you¡¯d better hope Wyatt gets here soon.¡±


    Otherwise, things would not end well for her.


    When the door closed, Yunice struggled against her bindings, but it was useless.


    Margaret had a sharp mind, but more than that, she was steady. A person with such firm resolve was the hardest to deal with.


    Yunice turned her head toward the window, toward the sky hidden behind the curtains.


    The feeling was so familiar.


    She had nearly forgotten.


    Years ago, when she had first been thrown into the asylum, she had fought every day to escape.


    ¡­


    Chapter 733 A Mother¡¯s Blind Devotion


    Just like now, they had strapped her to the bed with restraints.


    Back then, shey there staring at the ceiling, staring out the window.


    Back then, no one came to save her. Not even Margaret.


    (51)

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    Chapter 734 A Hidden Trail


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    She once thought Margaret truly cared for her. Looking back now, she realized Margaret never held her that close to heart¨Ccertainly not enough to risk offending others on her behalf.


    This time, Yunice wondered again. Would anyonee for her without hesitation?


    At the Crawford family estate.


    Two rows of sofas were lined with people, some seated, some standing, all with furrowed brows.


    Freya leaned against an armrest, her waist and hips curving gracefully. A nearly burned¨Cout cigarette hung between her fingers. She frowned and nced back at those on the sofa. ¡°Crawford Corp, Cooper Corp, Ford Corp¨Cwe¡¯ve joined forces to search, and still found nothing. What, have they hidden in the deep mountains?¡±


    Victor, seated on the sofa, lifted his head toward Wyatt who stood across from him. ¡°Don¡¯t you have some special way of contacting Yunice?¡±


    He did. But not one he could use now.


    ¡°Margaret must have set up a signal jammer,¡± Wyatt replied.


    Victor froze, then snapped his head up. ¡°I knew it!¡±


    You really did nt a tracker on Yunice.


    Wyatt shot him a nce, as if mocking his rm.


    But Yunice¡¯s signal had gone dead, and that was making the rescue far more difficult.


    Wyatt¡¯s mind turned to another problem. ¡°How does Margaret expect to be certain Paul will make it safely out of the country?¡±


    ¡°Margaret is calm and steady,¡± someone answered. ¡°She¡¯ll want to confirm with her own eyes that nothing can go wrong.¡±


    ¡°But she wouldn¡¯t dare show herself. If she did, she¡¯d be caught. So she hid, leaving not even a way to reach her.¡±


    Wyatt said, ¡°That means she¡¯s counting on us to figure out how to contact her.¡±


    $1


    Chapter 734 A Hidden Trail


    The room sank into thought. How could they do that?


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze shifted toward the television in the living room.


    The others followed his line of sight.


    <i>The </i><i>TV</i><i>? </i>


    +20 Free Coins


    Victor spoke up. ¡°She wants us to broadcast the news that Paul left the country safely. But if we report it publicly, Paul would have to be whitewashed and officially sent abroad.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Greedy, isn¡¯t she.¡±


    Laurie added softly, ¡°She dares demand this because she¡¯s sure you¡¯llpromise.¡±


    Wyatt realized, btedly, that it had been Margaret who had pulled Yunice from the Saunders family, Margaret who had supported Yunice and Paul¡¯s broken engagement.


    She had even gone out of her way to create encounters between him and Yunice.


    Now he saw it clearly: she had beenying the groundwork for her son all along, preparing for this very day.


    Victor muttered angrily, ¡°We can¡¯t possibly meet Margaret¡¯s demands.¡±


    Paul was already dead. How could he appear publicly, washed clean, and let Margaret see him on the evening news from some shabby rented room?


    But if they dragged it out too long, once Margaret¡¯s patience ran dry¡­


    Wyatt turned and left. Victor opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again.


    Everyone was anxious, but no one had a solution.


    Night fell.


    Wyatt drove through the city aimlessly.


    He followed whatever road appeared before him, without direction, without stopping.


    He was deep in thought.


    Six years ago, he had lost Yunice once.


    This time, he could not let it happen again.


    18:24 <b>Thu</b>, Sep 18


    Chapter 734 A Hidden Trail


    Yunice was waiting for someone to save her.


    :


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    They had to give her hope, let her know there were people who cared for her, people who worried for her.


    Wyatt looked out at the towering skyscrapers, the endless lights of the city.


    Could Yunice be hidden in one of these countless rooms?


    It was easy to hide a person. To find one trace among millions was harder than reaching the heavens.


    Yunice had already been gone for twelve hours. Time was running short.


    A thought struck him. He pulled the car over and slipped a hand into his shirt pocket.


    He drew out a school badge.


    His fingertips brushed across Yunice¡¯s name etched on it. A new idea formed.


    Yunice was clever. She would never sit idly by waiting to be rescued.


    She would leave clues.


    She would make her own preparations.


    Wyatt frowned, his gaze fixed on the badge.


    Was it possible that along the way, Yunice had tossed small items as markers?


    Immediately, he pulled out his phone and opened a photo,


    It was the group picture taken earlier that day at the hospital¡¯s reopening ceremony.


    Wyatt zoomed in on Yunice alone, then magnified each essory she wore, clipping screenshots of them one by one. Finally, he sent them to Jordan,


    ¡°Mobilize the whole city to sift through garbage nts. Look for these items. The moment you find one, report back to me.¡±


    Jordan studied the images; shirt buttons, a pearl, a hair clip. Small things,mon things.


    Sorting them would be extremely difficult.


    Wyatt said, ¡°Raise the reward. Don¡¯t let a single detail slip.¡±


    Chapter 734 A Hidden Trail


    Two hourster.


    Evidence bags began to pile into the room.


    Each one contained the tiny objects scavenged from the city¡¯s garbage nts.

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    Chapter 735 False Leads


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    At the waste treatment station, the manager said, ¡°Lucky it was only fourteen hours¡® worth of garbage. Anyter and it would¡¯ve been burned in the incinerator¨Cthen there¡¯d be nothing left.


    to find.<i>¡± </i>


    The door pushed open again. Scarface came in carrying anotherrge box. ¡°Wyatt, here¡¯s another batch.¡±


    Around the long table, everyone was hard at work, personally sifting through every item.


    Freya, with tissues stuffed in her nostrils against the stench, used tweezers to lift one item after another from the evidence bags. Each time it wasn¡¯t what she wanted, she tossed it disdainfully into the waste box.


    Gill rubbed his sore neck, then bent back to work.


    Severalyers of screening had already been done before these items reached them. Only in this final round, handled by themselves, could they feel assured.


    It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.


    And worst of all, every piece came out of piles of garbage¨Cthe smell was overwhelming.


    In the twelve hours Yunice had been missing, if she really had dropped clues in some corner of the city, most likely they had been swept away by cleaners and ended up here.


    This was the end of the trail.


    Suddenly someone at the table looked up, their voice excited. ¡°Look! Isn¡¯t this the pearl from Yunice¡¯s cor?¡±


    Victor held a pea¨Csized pearl in his tweezers, his face lit with excitement.


    Everyone crowded closer, examining it with magnifying sses. A chorus of excitement broke out. ¡°It really looks like it!¡±


    Victor quickly checked the evidence bag it hade from. ¡°See where this was found!¡±


    Just then Wyatt pushed through, took the pearl straight into his hand, and pressed hard. After a few seconds, he said quietly, ¡°This isn¡¯t Yunice¡¯s.¡±


    The group stared in shock.


    18:24 <b>Thu</b><b>, </b>Sep 18


    Chapter 735 False Leads


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    In Wyatt¡¯s palm, the pearl crumbled, revealing a stic core.


    It was a cultured pearl.


    51


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    Wyatt said, ¡°The pearls on Yunice¡¯s clothes are natural. I sourced every single one myself. I know them well.¡±


    Victor argued, ¡°Even if you handled them yourself, how can you be sure your supplier didn¡¯t slip a cultured one in? If this really is Yunice¡¯s, your mistake could cost us a lead.¡±


    Wyatt looked up at him. ¡°I want it to be hers more than


    Victor was silenced.


    any of you.¡±


    No one here wished harder than Wyatt for Yunice¡¯s safe return. He wouldn¡¯t dismiss a real clue.


    Victor muttered, ¡°But still¡ª¡®


    Wyatt cut him off. ¡°I don¡¯t buy from suppliers. I collect my own materials. And this isn¡¯t just about it being cultured. The quality is different. I use low¨Cluster pearls. This one has extreme high luster.¡±


    That left the others speechless.


    The flicker of hope faded, and one by one they sank back into disappointment, resuming their search.


    Wyatt returned to his ce, emptied the contents of another bag, and his eyes immediately sharpened.


    He checked the evidence bag¡¯sbel: IRS.


    <i>At </i>the IRS?


    He didn¡¯t speak. He quietly tossed the item into the waste box.


    Jordan said, ¡°This can¡¯t <i>go </i>on. Everyone should rest in shifts, especially you, Wyatt. You haven¡¯t had food or water in two days.¡±


    The others looked at him with sympathy. It was true¨Cno one couldst forever. If they pushed themselves to copse, they¡¯d never save her.


    Laurie wrinkled her nose. ¡°Go sleep. Look at that stubble¨Cif Yunice saw you like this she¡¯d hate it. We¡¯ll set aside anything suspicious for you. All right?¡±


    Chapter 735 False Leads


    Wyatt gave in and walked out.


    Victor shot him a skeptical nce. Was his stamina really that poor?


    <b>51 </b>


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    So much for his supposed devotion to Yunice. Shouldn¡¯t he have held on until they found a lead before rxing?


    Victor bent his head back down, working even harder at the pile.


    Meanwhile, Jordan followed Wyatt out.


    ¡°Wyatt,¡± he said.


    Wyatt gave him a look, already knowing Jordan had noticed his reaction earlier. That was why Jordan had yed along.


    As they walked, Wyatt asked, ¡°Who are you trying to guard against?¡±


    Otherwise, why the show?


    Jordan smirked. ¡°I saw Victorpeting with you. If he gets to Madam first, won¡¯t that steal your thunder? This is the perfect chance to y the hero.¡±


    Wyatt stayed quiet, then said, ¡°If more people meant sess, I wouldn¡¯t mind. But now that I¡¯ve confirmed where Yunice is, moving alone is less likely to alert Margaret. Margaret has already shown she¡¯ll harm Yunice. If she senses using, Yunice will be in real danger.¡±


    Chapter 736 The Signal Weakens


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    Chapter 736 The Signal Weakens


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    Jordan froze for a moment, then realized he had been overthinking. He straightened his face at once. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Wyatt opened the car door and slid into the seat. A gust of foul air escaped, and he frowned.


    Jordan climbed in from the other side. Wyatt asked immediately, ¡°Do you smell that?¡±


    Jordan took a deep breath, gagged, and nearly retched before mping a hand over his mouth. ¡°Wyatt, it¡¯s your clothes. You¡¯re marinated in garbage¡­¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. A man like him had seen worse, been through worse. He said tly, ¡°Drive. IRS.¡±


    Then he pulled alcohol wipes from the glove box and began scrubbing his hands and arms.


    Jordan kept sneaking looks at him, thinking, For all his talk about not caring, he sure does. If he finds Madam first and she throws her arms around him, only to get a noseful of this stench, wouldn¡¯t that ruin the moment?


    At the IRSplex, Jordan stared up at the towering buildings. ¡°Where do we start?¡±


    Wyatt tilted his head back, a cold smile on his lips. ¡°Idiot. She¡¯s using a jammer, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    Where the signal was dead, that was where she¡¯d be.


    Jordan quickly traced the line of weakest reception. ¡°Should we split up?¡±


    They did, each watching their phone¡¯s signal strength as they moved.


    Wyatt nced up at a balcony where clothes hung to dry. Without hesitation, he gripped the air conditioner pipes and drainage line, climbing smoothly up the exterior wall. He pulled down a shirt, considered, then tossed a handful of cash through the open window as payment.


    Clinging to the wall, he noticed a security guard passing below, so he vaulted onto the balcony.


    The apartment was empty.


    Crossing the living room, he snagged a bottle of mineral water off the table, exited through the front door, and stepped into the corridor.


    Chapter 736 The Signal Weakens


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    As he walked, he unscrewed the cap and poured the water over his head, soaking his hair. He slicked it back with his hand, stripped off his reeking shirt, and slipped into the stolen jacket.


    By the time he climbed higher, his phone¡¯s signal was already weakening.


    His eyes narrowed. Slowly, he rotated the device, gauging the shift in strength with every angle.


    The signal was almost gone. He didn¡¯t notify Jordan in the other building¨Che pressed on alone toward the weakest point.


    Wouldn¡¯t other residents have noticed the ckout?


    Or was the jammed zone entirely Margaret¡¯s domain?


    Either way, Wyatt was certain now: he was close to Yunice.


    He didn¡¯t rush in. Instead, he lingered in a blind spot. There had to be surveince Margaret had set up.


    Leaning against the wall, he stared at the three apartments ahead.


    If he moved carelessly, Margaret would sense it, and Yunice would be her shield.


    Then his boot struck something.


    He looked down. A pearl, wedged in a crack between tiles, untouched by the cleaners.


    Wyatt pinched it between his fingers, and a grim, determined smile spread across his face.


    Yunice had left him a trail.


    He turned back, leaving without stirring Margaret¡¯s suspicion.


    ¡°Wyatt, there¡¯s no signal on my side either-¡°Jordan hurried over, but Wyatt lifted a hand, cutting him off.


    In a low voice he ordered, ¡°Get me a banned dog breed. Dose it with axative.¡±


    Jordan didn¡¯t understand, but he obeyed.


    Ten minutester, a Rottweiler with no leash burst out of the elevator, running the length of the floor while leaving messes everywhere.


    It wasn¡¯t long before security called the police.


    Chapter 736 The Signal Weakens


    The officers went door to door, asking whose dog it was.


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    Residents denied ownership andined in the building¡¯s chat group. Soon, someone noted that the dog had been lingering on the thirtieth floor¨Cbut not relieving itself there. Odd, wasn¡¯t it?


    Spection grew heated, and consensus formed: the dog must belong to someone on the thirtieth.


    Police went up and knocked.


    Three apartments, no response.


    The property manager arrived with keys. ¡°I remember the thirtieth floor has always been empty. All keys were left with us. Could we be wrong?¡±


    The police knocked again¨Cno answer.


    The manager checked the water and electricity meters. ¡°Neither has moved. Officers, this floor really is unupied. The dog must not belong here. You might as well take it away.¡±

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    Chapter 737 The Snake and the Farmer


    Chapter 737 The Snake and the Farmer


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    Jordan made a quick call to the police, hinting that it would be safer to check inside despite the


    dead meters.


    The property manager still had the keys.


    So, under police supervision, the manager unlocked all three doors on the thirtieth floor.


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the apartments were empty. No trace of life inside, only the damp, stale smell of long disuse.


    It wasn¡¯t a trick.


    Wyatt, waiting on another floor to ambush Margaret if she emerged, had his n shattered.


    Then Jordan¡¯s voice came through the phone, heavy with defeat. ¡°Wyatt, we may have guessed wrong.¡±


    Yes¨CMargaret had fed them a false lead.


    They had assumed every dead zone was her hiding ce.


    But Margaret was clever. She would move.


    Even Yunice¡¯s carefully dropped pearls could have been something Margaret allowed, a lure to draw Wyatt into her trap.


    The truth was simpler and crueller: Margaret only needed to block the signal in Yunice¡¯s immediate space. That was enough to make her vanish into the void.


    It really was like searching for a needle in the ocean.


    Wyatt stared at the hallway¡¯s cameras, his heart plummeting.


    Margaret must have seen everything just now.


    She knew they weren¡¯t following her terms. She knew they were searching.


    Yunice¡¯s danger had just multiplied.


    On the 29th floor, Margaret lowered her gaze from the peephole after watching the police and


    Chapter 737 The Snake and the Farmer


    property manager pass by.


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    She turned back, calm, and walked over to Yunice. Sitting down, she said softly, ¡°Wyatt is here, looking for you.¡±


    ¡°But he never imagined you were this close to him.¡±


    ¡°Too bad. You¡¯ll miss each other.¡±


    Yunicey on the bed, her face steady.


    After nearly twenty hours, the wound on her shoulder had begun to heal. It no longer bled.


    Yesterday, at the hospital¡¯s reopening ceremony, she had worn a new white suit. Thepel had been adorned with tiny pearls.


    When Margaret stabbed her, the de cut through the thread, half¨Csevering the line of pearls.


    Weakened by the anesthetic, Yunice had no strength. As Margaret dragged her away, the thread finally snapped, scattering the pearls one by one along the way¨Clike silent markers.


    Yunice had thought Margaret hadn¡¯t noticed. But once they reached the 30th floor of the IRS building, Margaret had taken off her jacket.


    Then, with a gentle smile, she said, ¡°Your jacket¡¯s thread came loose, dropping pearls all along the way. I picked them up for you. I¡¯ll fix it and give it back.¡±


    Her expression in that moment had been tender, like the days when she¡¯d cared for Yunice as a child.


    Only then did Yunice realize¨Cshe had never truly seen through Margaret.


    Bound to the bed, Yunice wasn¡¯t cowed by the threat. Instead, she asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re so clever, so calcting. Why did you ever agree to my arrangement with Paul? With your brains, you could have stopped it.¡±


    Margaret replied, ¡°Silly girl. Did you think your arrangement was really the Powell family repaying your father? They wanted what was in his head. They wanted him working for them. You were nothing more than a hostage in the bargain.¡±


    Yunice had long suspected as much.


    ¡°<i>So </i>you thought the same? You figured it benefited Paul, so you let it happen? My father saved your life and your son¡¯s, and in return you bled us dry? Is that it?¡±


    Chapter 737 The Snake and the Farmer


    At that moment, Yunice stood on the moral high ground. Margaret fell silent.


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    Human nature was never simple. Years ago, wracked by a difficultbor, Margaret had clutched Will¡¯s sleeve and begged him to save her.


    She hadn¡¯t signed any waiver. Will had risked his career, his life, to save her.


    And when she lived, she had wept with gratitude, showered him with thanks¨Cthen turned around and let the Powells use him and Yunice as bargaining chips.


    The tale of the farmer and the snake was no different.


    After a long silence, Margaret finally raised her eyes. ¡°Yes, I used you. But in those years, the Powells didn¡¯t treat you and your father so badly either. It was you who kept pressing Paul, cornering him step by step. Did you kill him? Otherwise, why won¡¯t Wyatt meet my terms? Why is he tearing the city apart looking for me?¡±


    Her gaze red red, burning with anger, as if convinced Yunice had deceived her.

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    Chapter 738 Shattered ss


    Chapter 738 Shattered ss


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    Yunice turned her head, staring at Margaret¡¯s twisted, feral expression¨Cone she had never seen before. Her own eyes reddened as she said coldly, ¡°Do you think my father and I had a good life all these years?¡±


    ¡°If you were me, you¡¯d have been molested by Paul, locked on a ship with a mob <i>to </i>be humiliated. You¡¯d have been thrown into the ocean just to survive, forced to dive for his cheap little grass ring, then left to suffer as he spread filthy rumors. You¡¯d have lived your whole life under people¡¯s spit. Margaret, your so¨Ccalled ¡®good life¡® is nothing but your own fantasy. You can¡¯t even bear to face the things Paul actually did. Do you know how many he¡¯s hurt besides me? What he did to Wyatt? Wyatt¡¯s mother was vited by Jackson. Was that her fault? Was it the fault of a child? You raised a boy into a monster and treated the innocent¡ªchildren, women¨Cthe most meless victims, like livestock, destroying their lives. If Wyatt and I survived, if we won, it was because we fought for it ourselves. Not because of your mercy!¡±


    Her voice dripped with scorn. ¡°Yes, your son Paul was killed. By those he ruined. He died miserably¨Cstabbed again and again, the de twisted in his flesh before being shed across. The kind of death a war criminal deserves.¡±


    Yunice didn¡¯t blink, locking eyes with Margaret.


    Margaret stared back, as if her mind had frozen. For a moment she didn¡¯t explode. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t imagine such a death. Or perhaps she simply refused to believe Yunice could be so cruel.


    But Yunice pressed on. ¡°Your precious son destroyed the Johnson siblings, ruined their lives. And who knows how many others. He deserved to die. And those who enabled him¡ªyou included¨Care just as guilty.¡±


    Then she raised her voice, sharp and sudden. ¡°Wyatt! How much longer will you wait?¡±


    Her shout startled Margaret, who jerked upright like a frightened animal. She clutched the table, eyes darting around in panic, terrified Wyatt mighte crashing from some hidden


    corner.


    But three seconds passed. Nothing happened.


    Rage reced fear. Margaret red at Yunice. ¡°You dare trick me? You ungrateful brat! I¡¯ll make you pay! I¡¯ll make you regret this!¡±


    She yanked open a drawer, rummaging for something.


    And then-


    Chapter 738 Shattered ss


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    The window burst inward, shards of ss exploding across the room, most of them flying toward her.


    Margaret screamed, throwing her arms over her face. Through the glittering rain of ss, she saw him¨CWyatt¨Cleaping in from the window.


    Panic surged. She lunged to grab Yunice, to drag her into a chokehold.


    But the girl who hadin bound on the bed slipped free like a fish, tearing out of the straps and throwing herself toward Wyatt.


    He caught her, shoving her behind him, and with one brutal kick sent Margaret crashing to the floor.


    The impact drove the air from her lungs. Her vision swam ck. It was minutes before she could focus again.


    By then, Wyatt had already freed Yunice¡¯s remaining restraints.


    Then he pulled her into his arms so tightly her face twisted in pain.


    ¡°It hurts!¡± Yunice hammered his chest with her fist.


    Startled, he let go, and she clutched her wounded shoulder.


    Wyatt¡¯s eyes burned red, and together they turned their cold gaze on Margaret sprawled across the floor.


    Margaret¡¯s re was venomous. ¡°You¡­ you tricked me again¡­¡±


    She had never realized Yunice had already undone the straps, pretending all along just to fool her.


    Yunice¡¯s voice was disdainful. ¡°Don¡¯t forget what I studied. I know hospital restraints better than anyone. And in the asylum, that was how they bound me every day. I¡¯ve known for years how to get free. Did you really think you¡¯re the only one with a brain?¡±


    Both she and Wyatt had been forged in adversity. Survival was their true craft.


    Margaret clutched her chest, spitting blood, staring at Wyatt now.


    Her mind churned in disbelief. How had he found her?


    Her n had been airtight. Anyone else, after chasing false hopes, would have given up- defeated, lost in the dark.


    ¡­


    Chapter 738 Shattered ss


    But not Wyatt.

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    Chapter 739 The Desperate Escape


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    Wyatt had gone to the thirtieth floor with hope¨Cof course he had. But unlike Paul, Wyatt was no stranger to storms. Until the veryst moment, how could he ever copse in defeat?


    Margaret¡¯s smokescreen meant only two things: either she had really brought Yunice here, or she had nevere at all and only scattered pearls to mislead them.


    The second theory was useless. If it was the first, then even more likely¨Cshe hadn¡¯t taken Yunice far. Carrying a drugged, wounded woman would make her a clumsy target.


    So Wyatt had Jordan use thermal scanners to sweep the building, checking for heat signatures in supposedly empty apartments.


    It didn¡¯t take long. The 29th floor lit up.


    No residents. No water or power usage. But there was heat inside.


    Moments earlier, when Margaret believed Wyatt had left defeated and had rxed her guard, he had already been lying in wait outside.


    Yunice¡¯s sudden shout had pulled Margaret¡¯s attention at the perfect instant. When Wyatt shattered the window, Margaret had no chance¨Cshe went from captor to cornered in an


    instant.


    ¡°Margaret,¡± Yunice said evenly, ¡°give yourself up.¡±


    From outside came the sound of locks being forced. Margaret¡¯s face shifted. The police.


    Her voice broke as she looked at Yunice. ¡°Paul¡­ he really is gone?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He destroyed the Johnson siblings for fun, and the sister killed him for it.¡±


    Margaret closed her eyes.


    Wyatt shrugged off his jacket and draped it over Yunice, his fingers brushing her hair into ce.


    Yunice tugged the fabric close, inhaling the faint scent ofundry soap.


    Wyatt never used scented detergent. The cloth wasn¡¯t his style either.


    She shot him a sidelong nce. Where had he gotten this?


    Chapter 739 The Desperate Escape


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    Wyatt nced once at Margaret, whoy motionless, then shielded Yunice with his body as they moved toward the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    She nodded softly.


    Margaret¡¯s eyes followed them, full of venomous unwillingness.


    Yunice¡¯s brows drew tight. Something felt wrong.


    ¡°My bag,¡± she whispered quickly. ¡°She took my bag, and inside there¡¯s¡ª¡±


    Wyatt pressed a hand over her mouth, silencing her. He knew. But the police were right outside.


    ¡°Come,¡± he said firmly, guiding her forward.


    The lock had already been ruined by the officers outside; it wouldn¡¯t budge. Wyatt steered Yunice to a sheltered corner by the entryway. Once the police broke in, they would be safest here.


    He nced again at Margaret¡ªstill slumped. Then his eyes flicked over drawers, shelves, anywhere her things might be hidden.


    A sharp crack cut through the air. The door burst open.


    In that instant, Margaret sat up, blood on her lips, and yanked a gun taped beneath the table.


    Yunice saw it first. Her eyes widened in terror and she yanked Wyatt back.


    Bang!


    The shot scorched the wall, sparks spitting from the ster.


    Wyatt reacted instantly, shoving the door closed again. ¡°She¡¯s armed!¡±


    If the police stormed in unprepared, there would be casualties.


    He stepped out into the open, drawing her fire. Yunice lunged to pull him back.


    Wyatt snatched up a small ornament and hurled it at Margaret.


    She was ready¨Cshe dodged and fired again. The bullet sang past, so close it drove Yunice stumbling backward with the shockwave.


    Margaret darted across the room and pressed against the wall. A hidden panel swung open-


    Chapter 739 The Desperate Escape


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    an escape route.


    ¡°She¡¯s running!¡±


    Wyatt shoved Yunice back toward cover. ¡°Stay down. With the police and me here, she won¡¯t get away.¡±


    But Yunice¡¯s eyes widened. Wyatt caught the movement in his peripheral vision¨CMargaret¡¯s gun barrel jutting out from the secret doorway.


    Bang!


    He lunged forward, driving Yunice back two steps with him.


    By then, the officers had strapped on body armor and surged inside.


    Margaret didn¡¯t hesitate. She dove through the hidden exit and out the window beyond.


    Shouts rang out. Officers raced to the balcony in time to see her force her way into the apartment below¨Cdragging a hostage into her grip.


    ¡°We have a hostage situation! Requesting immediate backup!¡± The radios crackled with chaos.


    The building erupted into noise¨Conlookers filming with their phones, police pushing crowds back, tactical teams trying to maneuver for a shot.

 Daghter 740

    Chapter 740 Blood on the Stairs


    Chapter 740 Blood on the Stairs


    The family of the hostage Margaret seized fell to their knees, begging for mercy.


    In the chaos, no one noticed Wyatt and Yunice slipping into the corner.


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving,¡± Wyatt murmured, pushing Yunice toward the exit.


    But soon he felt her pace falter. He stopped immediately. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


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    Her face had gone pale. She bit her lip, trying to mask her panic with a show of strength.


    Wyatt¡¯s gaze swept down her body¨Cand froze.


    ¡°Blood? You¡¯re hurt?¡± He crouched quickly, examining her. But her clothes weren¡¯t torn. The blood wasn¡¯t from a wound. It was from-


    His expression changed. ¡°Your period?¡±


    Yunice¡¯sshes trembled. Her lips were bloodless as she stared at him, her whole body shaking, unable to speak.


    Within moments, she swayed, unable to stand. Her knees buckled, and she nearly copsed to the floor.


    Wyatt caught her in a rush, his mind roaring nk, then scooped her up into his arms.


    The elevators had been shut down. The only way out was the stairs.


    Step after step, he carried her down, his voice steady though his heart thundered. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. The ambnce is waiting downstairs. Just a few minutes. Just hold on¡­¡±


    Yunice clutched his shirt so tightly the fabric wrinkled in her grip.


    She looked up at him, brows knitted. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I can keep it.¡±


    Her constitution was weak, and the shock had struck hard.


    Wyatt¡¯s face drained of color. His eyes rimmed red. ¡°You¡­ you really¡­ you were pregnant?¡±


    ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t want this! Joe said¡­¡±


    Said her body wasn¡¯t fit, that even if she conceived, she wouldn¡¯t be able to carry it.


    Chapter 740 Blood on the Stairs


    :


    And he had taken precautions. He had made sure.


    <i>So </i>why?


    <i>Why </i><i>now</i><i>? </i>


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    The image of his mother leaping from a building shed violently across his mind. His vision swam ck, his arms trembled¨Cbut he forced himself steady, clutching Yunice tighter, carrying her onward.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Our medical team is the best. They won¡¯t let anything happen to you¡­¡±


    Then something wet struck her hand. Yunice looked up. It wasn¡¯t blood¨Cit was Wyatt¡¯s tears, spilling silently down his face.


    Her voice was calm, quiet. ¡°This child was my wish. My selfishness. It has nothing to do with


    you.


    I know you went through with the surgery, that you did it for me. I was grateful. But people are selfish. I¡¯m sorry¡­ I stole your genes.¡±


    Wyatt¡¯s voice broke with anger. ¡°I¡¯m furious! You always decide everything yourself. Did you n from the start to take my child abroad and raise it alone, without me? You¡¯d get your fulfillment¡ªwhat about me? Did you think that after a year or two, my love for you would fade, that I¡¯d just find another woman, marry, have children, live a ¡®normal¡® life? You¡¯re wrong. I spent thirty years alone. I won¡¯t just settle for anyone.¡±


    His head bent, his voice rough. ¡°Hold on. Survive this, and I¡¯ll never fight you again. You want children? I¡¯ll give them <i>to </i>you¨Chowever many you want. Do you hear me?¡±


    Yunice bit her lip, conserving her strength.


    She felt his arms falter. To ease him, she slid her hand against his waist, trying to help carry her own weight.


    But then¨Cher fingertips brushed wetness.


    Her eyes flicked down. Blood.


    Her hand trembled. She stared, horrified, at Wyatt¡¯s back.


    ¡°Wyatt, you-¡± Her voice cracked. She struggled to get down.


    He held her tighter, his voice low and firm. ¡°Don¡¯t move. We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Chapter 740 Blood on the Stairs


    ¡°Let me see!¡± she rasped. ¡°You need to stop the bleeding¨Cyou¡¯re still losing blood!¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s just a scratch,¡± he lied. ¡°I¡¯ve been hurt worse before. I¡¯m used to it. Don¡¯t make a fuss. Just¡­ protect my daughter. I want to see her born.¡±


    Yunice turned her head, her gaze falling behind them.


    The stairs were streaked with a trail of blood, each step dripping downward.


    Her tears burst free. ¡°Wyatt, put me down. I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t go on like this.¡±


    Wyatt thought she meant the pain. He lowered her carefully onto a clean stretch of stairs.


    But as he set her down, his knees buckled, his own body nearly copsing.


    From this angle, Yunice finally saw it clearly¨Chis waist torn open, blood pumping in steady gushes.


    Her hands flew <i>to </i>the wound, desperate to stop the flow. ¡°No¨Cno, Wyatt, don¡¯t you dare! Hold


    on!¡±


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